People Respond to the Preaching in Portsmouth
It was a hot and sunny summer’s day in Portsmouth as we shared the good news of Jesus. From the beginning, people were engaging in gospel conversations and taking material.
As usual, the Free Bible table caused people to stop and browse, including a lady who said she wanted to read the Scripture. She happily took a copy of God’s Word and other material. The table attracts people from different backgrounds, languages, and religions. One lady I spoke with at the table is from Russia. Her English isn’t the best, but she took a copy of the New Testament and a link to “Ultimate Questions” in Russian. The nations can be reached from the streets of England!
The first preacher for today was Chris (Pastor of Eastney Evangelical Church). It is always encouraging when shepherds lead the way in evangelism. If churches are going to be more evangelistic, then the pastors need to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5).
Chris preached on the two commands of Jesus – Love God and Love Neighbour. It was the first time I’d heard him preach in the open air, and I was happy with how he explained the good news. When he finished his message, he encouraged people to visit the Free Bible for more information. One family answered by heading over to the table.
When it was my turn to preach, I spoke on the question – “How Can I Have Peace?” In this talk, I explained why we don’t have peace and how Christ is the Prince of Peace. At the end of the message, I offered copies of John’s Gospel to anyone who wanted to discover more about Jesus. I was encouraged to see five people take up the offer.
Next to preach was Roger. Today, he spoke on “The Message of the Cross.” As usual, he did a good job explaining the need for the Saviour and the message of Christ Jesus crucified and risen again. I didn’t see all that occurred during his message, as I was speaking to people at the table. Those I spoke with had heard snippets of Roger’s message, which gave me an opening to share further.
As the outreach began to draw towards a close, I preached once more. This time I spoke on “Wages or Gift?” In this message, I use Romans 6:23 as my outline to explain our need for Christ and the gift offered to sinful humanity. As I preached, I wondered, “Is this worth it? Is anyone even listening?” In front of me, no one was stopping to listen, but beside and behind me, people were paying attention as they sat in the shade. When it came time to offer copies of John’s Gospel to those who wanted more information, three people accepted the offer.
Throughout the outreach, the team was busy handing out tracts and chatting to people. Much seed was sown today, so we now look to the Lord to bless the effort. Please join us in praying for all those who heard the good news.
SDG!