A Growing Gospel Interest Amongst the Young – Portsmouth Evangelism

It was great to be back in Portsmouth today. As usual, we set up the Free Bible table and the open-air board, and then before the preaching started, we handed out gospel tracts. It wasn’t long before a young man visiting from Manchester stopped at the table to ask if he could have a Bible. He took a copy of God’s Word and other material.

This was the first of several encounters I had with younger people. Over the past few months, I have noticed those under 30 show a real interest in Christian truth. Today, nearly all my conversations were with young people – all of whom asked very good questions.

We also saw a continuing interest from Muslims; Roger spoke to one man who identified as an Arabic speaker and a Muslim. Somehow, I ended up chatting with him too. This man could read basic English, but he struggled to communicate clearly. After talking briefly, he took a copy of “Why Christianity?” and an Arabic New Testament. He said it was the first time he had seen a Christian Bible.

Roger was the first to preach today; he spoke on “The Message of the Cross.” As he shared the gospel, two young lads stopped to listen. They engaged briefly, then walked away. I caught up to them and began to chat. They told me they’d never read the Bible or heard its teachings. To them, the message of Jesus was a complete mystery. I started with creation to explain that God is our Creator and that He tells us how to live. I went on to explain that we’ve turned our back on God and that we all should face punishment for our rebellion. Then, I told them the good news of Jesus dying and rising again – it was the first time they had heard that message. Both lads took a gospel tract.

After this conversation, I went back to listening to Roger preach, but then I saw two Mormon missionaries walking past. I quickly grabbed two tracts designed for Mormons and made my way over to them. They were very friendly and polite; we chatted about their home, family, and their work in the UK. We also discussed the Scripture, and both took tracts. These young men are zealous for God but don’t know Him (Romans 10:2-3); as Christians, we should take the time to tell them of God’s grace.

By now Roger had finished preaching, so it was my turn to speak. I decided to use the “Good Person Test” and invite people to interact with me. It wasn’t long before a Muslim man with his children stopped to engage. He thought he was a good man and boasted about his deeds. We began to look at God’s Law, but he wasn’t overly keen on me referencing the Bible. He listened as I explained the nature of sin and the only hope found in Jesus. He took a tract from a team member and then continued his way. Others were listening, so I explained the good news again and then offered copies of John’s Gospel to anyone who wanted to discover more about Jesus. Two young people came forward to take a Gospel from me.

I was able to chat with those who took John’s Gospel afterwards. Both said they were atheists, but they wanted to learn more. They asked why I was a Christian, so I answered, then asked why they were atheists. We had a good and friendly conversation that covered the topics of science, evolution, the nature of God, the big bang, and the gospel. Both took several booklets on these topics; then they thanked us for the chat and went on their way.

Since we were near the end of the outreach, I began to pack down, but a few minutes later, the young people returned. They had been discussing what I had said, so they came back with more questions. This time we spoke about death and suffering, and then the question was asked, “How can someone be forgiven?” It was a joy to give them more literature and to share the gospel once again. It was encouraging to see young people thinking about the big issues of eternity.

Throughout the outreach, team members were busy handing out tracts and talking to people. One man, Andy, was spoken to by Mick. Andy took a tract from Mick and then asked for a New Testament. As they chatted, Andy told Mick that he was an alcoholic and that he was struggling. Mick explained the gospel to him, and then Andy asked for prayer. Mick prayed for him; then Andy prayed – asking the Lord to forgive him. Andy later said that he had never thought about asking Jesus for help.

When we go out onto the streets, we encounter people who don’t know Jesus, and others who have never heard of Him. These people aren’t coming to our churches, so we must take the good news to them. I would encourage all Christians and all churches to look for ways to share the gospel in the open air. You never know how the Lord will use you.

SDG!