“I Don’t Want to Go to Heaven!” – Southampton Evangelism

The warm and dry summer conditions continue in southern England. With the nice weather, many people make their way into the city for shopping and to hang out. We were a smaller team today, just four of us, but we still had many opportunities to speak of Jesus.

Mike Mellor commenced the preaching by speaking on “Where Are They Now?” One man engaged with the message by saying, “God is love, so everyone is going to Heaven!” When challenged as to why he believed that was the case, the man replied, “Because we’re made in the image of God!” Sadly, the man had no personal understanding of sin and boldly declared that Jesus never died for him. He was lost, deceived, and trying to deceive others.

I was the next preacher. Today, I spoke on “Are You Truly Living?” I must admit, I felt flat while preaching, and at times it seemed as though I was headbutting a brick wall. But feelings do not establish truth, nor do they reveal what is happening in the hearts of those who hear. At the end of the message, six of those who had been sitting nearby listening took copies of John’s Gospel.

Throughout the outreach, the team had many good gospel conversations, and the Christians we met were encouraged. Jeremy had an excellent conversation with a group of young lads, all of whom said they were Christians, except for one who was a Muslim. The Muslim lad listened to the gospel and seemed interested.

Another conversation took place with a man who had listened to both Mike and me preach. At the end of my message, he called Mike over to talk further. The man appeared to be very interested and thankful for the preaching.

Next up to preach was Jeremy, who spoke on “Bridging the Gap.” It was a clear gospel message, with an invitation for people to come to the Saviour.

As Jeremy preached, I was at the literature table speaking with an older lady who told me she had no religious background, apart from being English. I am not sure what religion “English” is, but she was intrigued by the Bible and its message. I was able to share the good news with her, and give her a copy of the Bible, along with some booklets.

Around this time, three young people stopped at the table. They were full of bravado and a little mocking. They knew bits and pieces of the gospel but did not see how the message related to them personally. After speaking for a while, they became much more serious. One of them declared she was good enough for Heaven, another said he was not sure, but the third openly and honestly answered, “I don’t want to go to Heaven!”

I appreciated the honesty of their answers, and they gave me a good opportunity to share the gospel. As we spoke, the parts of the gospel they already knew began to make more sense. At the end of the conversation, all three took copies of John’s Gospel.

At the end of the outreach, we had one Bible left. As we headed back to the car, we spoke with a security guard to whom Richard used to give a different tract each week. Back in January, Richard was called home to glory, but the security guard remembered him with great fondness. We spoke about the different tracts he had received, how Richard had cared for him, and how Richard would pray for him. The man was very thankful, and he received the last Bible we had. He seemed genuinely grateful for the gift. Please pray that he would come to know Jesus.

Please take a few moments now to pray for all those who heard the gospel. Ask the Lord to save them all.

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