“I can’t hold out any longer!” – Southampton Evangelism

Sometimes evangelism can be hard! I am tired, feeling worn out, and longing for a holiday. It has been a busy couple of months, and it seemed that all the weight of the past several weeks fell upon me today. I wasn't in the mood to hit the streets, but before leaving, my wife prayed for me. Every evangelist needs a godly and supportive wife. After that, I headed into the city. 

Upon arrival, the promised fine weather hadn't arrived. It was spitting with rain and felt cool. However, it quickly passed, and soon we were able to operate normally. From the very beginning, the literature table was busy. We had agnostics, a questioning Roman Catholic, and a group of young people all stop to speak with us and take material. 

Then the preaching started. Mike kicked us off by speaking on "Where Are They Now?" A few people paused to listen, and at the end of his message a couple of young lads had a good conversation with him.

Team members were kept busy between the preaching, as many people seemed keen to take gospel tracts. It is always encouraging to see people taking leaflets so they can read more about the good news.

The next preacher was Ben, who spoke on "What People Often Say to Us". A few people paused to listen, but I didn't get to hear too much as I was over at the literature table speaking with a lady who wanted material for her teenage son. 

The lady told me that her son was very interested in learning about Christianity. She then pulled out her phone and video-called him. She handed the phone to me, and I found myself speaking to the young man. After a quick chat, he was shown the different materials we had on the table, and his mother took some home for him. It is encouraging to see parents encouraging their children to consider Jesus.

It was now my turn to preach, and if I am honest, I didn't feel like it. The tiredness felt heavy upon me, but I still decided to give a short message. Today, I spoke on "God and Humanity". As I preached, a few people listened, and at the end four people responded to the offer of receiving a free copy of John's Gospel.

Two of those who received a Gospel then spoke with Mike. I was later told that neither seemed far from the Kingdom. One of them shared how her father had recently been saved out of addiction, and how the transformation in his life had caused her to think seriously about spiritual matters. Both were very open and took further material.

I was then approached by a young lady who was under deep conviction. Sometimes, you just know that the Holy Spirit is working in someone's life, and this was one of those occasions. The young lady had listened to me preach, then taken a tract from Jeremy before walking away. Now she was back, and she wanted to talk. 

She shared how she was a member of the Irish Traveller community and how recently her whole family had been saved, but she had not yet been converted and was "still holding out". I asked her what was causing her to hold out, and she explained that she wanted to be sure before committing. I was able to share the gospel with her and explain how Christ is her only hope.

She told me she had been attending church regularly, so she knew what I was saying was true. I applied the message personally and then asked her, "What is stopping you from trusting in Jesus?" She replied, "I can't hold out any longer!" She then asked if she could pray and ask Jesus to save her. I told her that it was more than okay. Together, we bowed our heads in the middle of Southampton, and she called upon the Lord. Before she left, I gave her a booklet for new Christians and urged her to speak with her pastor about what had happened. 

Next up was Jeremy, who spoke on "The Message of the Cross". He did a good job, with one person stepping forward to receive a copy of John's Gospel at the end.

The Lord is at work in Southampton! This week has been difficult for our city because of riots and perceived injustice. Please pray that the gospel will transform this community.

SDG!

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Josh Williamson is a full-time evangelist with The Open-Air Mission. Since 1853, OAM has been sharing the good news on the streets of the United Kingdom. To stay updated about the work of the Mission, please sign up for the free quarterly magazine and monthly prayer notes.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE AND PRAYER NOTES