Why are you sharing in England’s most Christian City? – Winchester Evangelism

Different day. Different City. Different Responses. Yesterday, in Portsmouth, we were blown away by how open people were in talking about Jesus; today, in Winchester, things were the opposite. It was slow and hard going, but the good news wasn’t stopped – the gospel still advanced.

As we set up for the day, an older man approached us. He said, “I have a question for you. The Crusades, The English Civil Wars, the Salem Witch Trials, Northern Ireland, The Protestant and Catholic Wars, how can you support and justify all of those killings in the name of the Church?” Clearly, this was a well-rehearsed argument for him, so I answered by referencing John 16:2-3, which says that those who kill in the name of God don’t know Him. Even though the answer was given, you could tell it wasn’t heard – this man wasn’t looking for answers; he was merely trying to justify his unbelief.

He went on to boldly declare that he was a humanist. I tried to engage his arguments, but he wasn’t interested. He openly said he had a closed mind and was anti-God. I challenged his view, but he wouldn’t engage. All I could do was quote the Word of God and call on him to repent. The man walked away cursing God.

Throughout the day, we heard people say they were atheists or pagans. Some would declare their own goodness or state they believe in science. This constant refrain from people made what came later appear so ludicrous.

At around 12:30pm, I decided to preach. My message for the day was on God’s love as found in John 3:16. A few people stopped to listen; unfortunately, a well-meaning lady interrupted the listeners, as she wanted to talk to them about healing, signs, and wonders. I spoke to this lady afterwards, and even though she knew the gospel, her focus was on the miraculous. I gently encouraged her towards a biblical approach, but she only wanted to focus on the power. Sadly, her actions stopped some from hearing the good news.

Not long after this, a young man named Max stopped to chat. He told me he was nearly as good as God and was going to Heaven. As we talked, I took Max through the Ten Commandments to show him that he had sinned. When confronted with the law, he said, “I’m guilty!” At that moment, his self-righteousness disappeared, and he realised he wasn’t on the path to Heaven. I asked Max, “Do you know what God has done to rescue people from their sins?” Sadly, Max had never heard of the gospel, so for the first time in his life, I got to tell him about the wonderful Saviour who can rescue all who repent and believe. When our conversation ended, Max took a copy of John’s Gospel.

As we neared the end of the outreach, I encountered a man who made a ludicrous statement. He said, “I have a question. Why are you sharing in England’s most Christian City? We are all Christians here; you should go to Cambridge, where they are atheists.”

This man was well-educated and respectable – he truly believed that all of Winchester was Christian. The last couple of hours of the outreach confirmed that wasn’t the case, but this man was convinced that Winchester knew God. I asked him, “Why do you say this is England’s most Christian city?” He answered by pointing to the Cathedral. I replied, “When Jesus was here on earth, He spent much of His time preaching in and around Jerusalem, which had the Temple and was the centre of Jewish worship. He did this because many religious people don’t know God.” The man struggled with how one can be religious yet not know God. We spoke about what is a true Christian, and how man-made religion won’t help anyone. The gentleman was very polite but enslaved to religion.

I look forward to the day when all of Winchester knows Jesus, but that day isn’t here yet. God-willing, we will see it happen one day! Please pray for all those who heard the good news.

SDG!