You Never Know Who is Listening – Portsmouth Evangelism

After being away from our usual preaching location on Commercial Road, it was great to be back. Today, nine of us from different churches gathered to make much of Jesus and to share His good news with the people of Portsmouth. Almost from the opening seconds of the outreach, people were taking literature from the Free Bible table, and conversations were taking place.

I started the preaching today by speaking about “Six Deadly Lies.” A few people paused to listen as we examined each lie and also the truth. As I dealt with the lie that says sin isn’t a big deal, a man began to object. He openly bragged about his sin but didn’t see it as an issue. He boasted about the evil he did over the years, claiming to have been involved in kidnapping and violence. He boldly declared that he lives in sin every day. I challenged him on his position and presented what the Bible says. What was fascinating is that even though this man delighted in his sin, he took issue with me pointing out that he had broken the ninth commandment by telling lies.

As the man heckled, people stopped to listen, so I used his heckles as an opening to present the truth. But when the heckler was confronted with the truth, he decided it was time to move on. I wished he had stayed, but I know the Lord had used that man to achieve His purposes. Throughout the preaching, I noticed a security guard coming out of a shop to listen. I didn’t think much about this, but I was happy to know he was hearing the good news.

After I had finished preaching, Roger began to proclaim Christ. I didn’t get to listen to his message as I was asked to join a conversation at the Bible table. A young man had stopped to chat, and as he did so, he revealed that he was a traditional Roman Catholic. He objected to the Bible and trusted what his priest said (although it was intriguing to hear him say he also listens to John MacArthur’s preaching). What I found refreshing about this young man is that he took his Roman Catholicism seriously. He knew what he believed and why he believed it. He wasn’t afraid to challenge and call me an anathema. I respect a Roman Catholic who is truly a Roman Catholic. We had a good chat about the gospel and the finished work of Christ. I was also able to speak to him about the assurance I have of eternal life and how he didn’t know if he was destined for Heaven. At the end of the chat, he took a gospel tract written for Roman Catholics and shook my hand. We left on good terms, though he was still keen to affirm the Council of Trent which denounced me as anathema.

During this time, Roger had finished preaching, and nearly all of the team was engaged in one-to-one conversations. One lady from the team was having a great chat with another lady who she had previously spoken with. I found out later that this other lady has now asked to go to church, so one of the team will be taking her.

To finish the outreach, I preached once again. This time I spoke on “Are You Good Enough for Heaven?” As I spoke, I noticed the same security guard as before coming out of the shop and listening. He couldn’t leave his post, but he seemed interested in what was being said. After finishing preaching, I walked over to speak to him. He was friendly and readily took a copy of John’s Gospel. This encounter reminded me that we never know who is listening in the open air. On those days when we may wonder if anyone is hearing the good news, there is perhaps one that the Lord is working on that you may not know about.

By now, it was time to finish the outreach, so we began to pack everything down. As we did so, a young lady stopped at the table. Pastor Chris from Eastney Evangelical Church spoke to her, and it soon became clear that she was a professing Christian who was struggling with the doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ. We had a couple of booklets on those topics, so we gave them to her. The providence of God had directed this young lady to us, as she wasn’t meant to be in Portsmouth until an hour later

Overall, today was a very encouraging day. Looking back, I can see that God was bringing His plan to pass and that the good news spread. Please pray for all those we encountered.

SDG!