“I now trust in Jesus!” – Southampton Evangelism

Christmas provides a wonderful opportunity for evangelism, but at the same time, it presents challenges. Currently, the city centre of Southampton is being transformed into a Christmas market, which means preaching locations are limited. Thankfully, we found a good spot and began to share the gospel.

Richard was the first preacher of the day. As he preached on “Life: What’s the Point?” people made their way to the open-air board to take materials. It is always encouraging to see people respond to the preaching by seeking more information.

An 84-year-old man listened to Richard for a time, then began to move away. I offered him a tract and engaged him in conversation. The man was hostile from the beginning. He declared, “I grew up in the church, and I have been baptised. I now reject it!” He went on to share that he knew there was life after death, but he didn’t believe in Christianity.

I challenged his argument by asking, “How do you know Christianity is false?” The man replied, “I know it is wrong because the Bible is full of contradictions.” I asked him to name one, but he couldn’t. I urged the man to seriously consider the claims of Jesus, as his life was fragile. The man admitted that death could seize him tomorrow, but he didn’t care. Once again, he tried to claim the Bible was full of errors, but this time I asked, “Is it possible that the reason you reject the Bible is because its teaching disagrees with your life?” This was the heart of the matter; the man began to proclaim his own goodness and denied being sinful or wicked. Using the Ten Commandments, I showed the man his sin and explained the judgement that awaited him. The man scoffed, saying, “I’ve been baptised!” I replied, “That merely adds to your condemnation; you know the truth but reject it!” With that, I quoted 2 Peter 2:21-22,

For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit, and, “A washed sow returns to wallowing in the mud.”

I was direct with this old man, as I know full well that his days are numbered. At any moment, he could step into eternal hell. I called on him to repent and believe, but he scoffed and rejected the message. He walked away, continuing to embrace his sin. It was truly sad.

Ben preached next, using an illustration comparing Halloween and Christmas, asking people to consider the differences—light and darkness, death and life. It was a good illustration, and one that I think will become more impactful in the coming weeks.

When it was my turn to preach, I spoke on “Why Christianity?” A few people paused to listen to segments of the preaching, then moved on. One lady listened with her children. At the end, when I offered copies of John’s Gospel, she came forward saying, “I really need to be changed; I will read this book.” She then asked if her kids could have a copy. I gladly gave each of them one, then squatted down to talk to them about Jesus. I encouraged them to read about Jesus and to trust God’s Word as it is precious and true. 

Around this time, we had cause for great rejoicing. A young man whom we met last week returned to talk with us. Last Friday, he had listened to the preaching and taken a copy of the New Testament. Over the past few days, he has been reading the Scriptures and has come to realise that they are true. He came back to tell us, “I now trust in Jesus!” The young man wanted details of a church to attend, so I pointed him towards a good one, and we also gave him a booklet for new Christians. It is always encouraging to see people come to know Jesus! We don’t always see the fruit of our labour, but I have no doubt the Lord is using His Word to reach many.

Ben preached once more; this time, he spoke on whether people are sure about what they believe. As he preached, a cult member from the Black Hebrew Israelites called out, “What colour was Jesus?” Ben replied by pointing to a middle-brown colour. The cult member disagreed, declaring that Jesus was black and accusing us of having images of a white Jesus (we don’t). The man wasn’t interested in answers; instead, he wanted to fuel some kind of racist theology. He walked off and wouldn’t engage further. 

The final open-air was by Jeremy, who finished off the outreach by proclaiming Christ from John 3:16. It was a fitting end to an encouraging afternoon. God’s love was proclaimed, and sinners heard of the wonderful Saviour. Please pray for all those who heard the good news. 

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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