Just Preaching in the Rain – Southampton Evangelism
After living in the UK for three years, I must admit that I am still not used to the British willingness to go out in the rain. Back home in Australia, if it rains, everyone heads for cover – city centres become ghost towns at the first drop of water – not the UK!
Today, as the rain fell, I made my way to the city centre of Southampton for my first-ever outreach in this location. It was just after 1pm when I met with a local evangelist, Mike Mellor, and the team. By the time I arrived, Mike was already preaching the gospel. As he did so, a man from the crowd showed interest, so Mike offered him a copy of John’s Gospel. After receiving the Scripture, the man began to walk away, so I engaged him in conversation.
The man told me that his English wasn’t the best, but he was learning. He had lived in the UK for five years, and he was a Muslim from Albania. I assured him that as an Aussie my English wasn’t that good either, so together we could talk. He laughed and we began to chat. Zachy told me that he wasn’t a very good Muslim, but he hoped that Allah would show mercy upon him. As we spoke, I asked him, “If you died tonight, and God asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my Heaven?’ what would you say?” Zachy thought about the question, then said, “I really don’t know.” He then began to talk about all the sins he has committed, so he wasn’t sure if he would even make it to Heaven. This allowed me the perfect opening to speak of the Lord Jesus. I explained to him that none of us could make our way to Heaven, which is why we need the Saviour. He listened as I spoke about Christ being the substitute for sinners and the need for repentance and faith. Zachy was very interested and told me that he would start reading John’s Gospel. Please pray that the Lord would save him.
By now the preachers had changed, with Gary now up preaching the gospel. Something I noticed today is every preacher had people stop to listen. As Gary proclaimed Christ, a Muslim man stopped to ask questions. It was clear that this man was looking to argue, but Gary held him to the gospel. While this was happening, another man stopped to listen, and he began to ask some really good questions. Gary was able to give him a copy of John’s Gospel and make sure he understood the good news.
It was now my turn to preach. Since the rain was falling, I didn’t expect people to stop, but I was surprised. My message today focused on “The Way to Heaven.” In this message, I list three wrong ways that people think will get them to Heaven, then the one right way. People listened as the gospel was proclaimed, and afterwards, some good conversations took place.
Towards the end of the day, I happened to speak to two Mormon missionaries. I love talking to those involved with the Latter-Day Saints. These two young men were discouraged by the fact that people weren’t receiving their message (I was encouraged to hear this!). Both young men were keen to chat, so we made small talk for a little while. They told me where they were from, and how long they had been in the UK. After talking for a few minutes, I swung the conversation around to our differences. I wanted to make it clear that I wasn’t there to attack the LDS or Joseph Smith, rather, I was there to talk about Jesus. This helped to lower their guard, and soon we were discussing how someone can be made right with God, and the nature of God’s revelation. Both young men were very polite and open. I urged them to approach the New Testament as a little child, comparing what it says with what Joseph Smith taught. Both men said they would certainly do that, as they want to be sure that they are following the truth. I did tell them that when they see the Bible as being true, they would need to leave the LDS and that it would be very difficult for them. But I also told them it would be worth it, as they will have the truth, and they would be free. Both agreed that truth was the most important thing.
Overall, it was a wonderful day in Southampton. I can’t wait to open-air preach here again.
SDG!