From Frustration to Thankfulness – Salisbury Evangelism
If I am honest, I did not want to be in Salisbury today. It was cold and wet, plus the drive into the city was horrendous. There was heavy traffic and bad drivers. Everything was a challenge. Due to all the difficulties, I was running late, but eventually I made it. Thankfully, the gospel is not dependent upon my feelings, and God works even though I wasn’t really in the mood for evangelism. Ray Comfort has said that often he goes to an outreach dragging his feet - but then comes home clicking his heels! I understand that sentiment – by the end of the outreach, I was very thankful that I was in Salisbury.
There were six of us on the team today, which at first seemed too many as due to the weather, the city centre was quiet. But as the day went on, and as things became busier, we found that we didn’t have enough gospel workers! More could be reached if we had labourers (please pray for more workers – Matthew 9:38)
Paul commenced the preaching by speaking on “Bridging the Gap.” I always enjoy listening to Paul preach as he presents the gospel simply and clearly. With how I was feeling, hearing the gospel was good for my soul.
After Paul finished, I preached on “Death: Is it the End?” During the preaching, three people from an Orthodox Church in Southampton stopped to listen. Knowing about Orthodoxy, I am very much aware that this may have been the first time they’ve heard the message of grace alone. All three took copies of John’s Gospel when offered, and they spoke with a local pastor.
Before Paul preached again, we spent time handing out tracts and talking with people. I managed to stop a group of young people and began to chat with them about eternity. Most of the group believed that there was nothing after death, though one of them also believed in reincarnation. It was a challenge to engage their points as half of the group decided it was time to move on, so I quickly pointed them to Jesus and gave them tracts.
By now the city centre was getting a bit busier. Paul preached again, this time speaking on “What’s the Greatest Danger?” One lady engaged Paul by saying that death is the biggest danger. She then said that religion was the way to be right with God. Paul did a good job presenting the good news to her. In the end, the lady went forward to receive a copy of John’s Gospel.
Over at the Bible table, there was a steady stream of mostly young people stopping to browse the literature. Several of them took booklets and copies of the New Testament. During this time, Paul also spoke with a Hindu man who was visiting Salisbury. The man happily took a Gospel of John and a card linking him to the gospel in Hindi.
For my final open-air, I preached on “What’s in a Name?” As I spoke, I noticed a builder who was carrying items paused to listen. But since he was working, he couldn’t stay long. He left before I could offer him a copy of John’s Gospel. Not long afterwards, the builder came back, went to the Bible table, and asked for a copy of the Bible.
As the outreach finished, I had one more encouraging encounter. Two young men chatted to me at the table, saying they'd spoken to Shirley earlier. Both had been thinking about what she said, so they came back to ask for the Scripture so they could investigate it more. I happily gave them copies of God’s Word!
Despite the challenges and my feelings, I am happy that I was in Salisbury today. The Lord once again showed His love and kindness towards sinful people.
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.
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