“Are You Bad Enough for Hell?” – Mansfield Evangelism
It was slightly damp and windy as I joined George and The Open-Air Mission team in Mansfield. This was the first time I’d preached in this town, though in 2009, I stayed in the area while reaching out to other locations. As I left the car park, I could hear the wonderful sounds of a bagpipe; usually, I love the pipes, but when they’re played by a busker near where we’re going to preach, they can be a challenge. Thankfully, the bagpipes didn’t drown out the preaching; rather, they provided a pleasant soundtrack of Christmas carols in the background.
George started the preaching by speaking on “What Did Jesus Say About Himself?” A lady listened to the preaching, then went to the board to take free literature. Another lady listened and then spoke with a team member about the good news. She took a copy of John’s Gospel and promised to read it.
Next to preach was Dave, who spoke on “The Most Important Issue.” A heckler objected and began asking questions. Some hecklers are good, but this bloke wasn’t interested in answers—he just wanted to heckle and make a show. Dave did a good job of answering him and pointing to the gospel.
For my first open-air, I spoke on “Name That Carol.” There was little interaction, though a couple of people did stop. Some people heard snippets, while others heard more. I pray the Holy Spirit will use those small gospel seeds to rescue many.
Two other brothers then preached. One spoke on “Why Bother with Jesus This Christmas?” and then a younger brother preached on “Bridging the Gap.” I have to say, he did a good job. He used lots of Scripture and made it very clear how someone can be saved.
For the final open-air, I spoke on John 3:16. I wanted to take this verse and connect it to the message of Christmas. As I preached, a few people paused to listen, then along came a transgender Irish Catholic in a dress. This man was a good heckler—funny and friendly. We were able to have a bit of a laugh together, all while talking about serious matters. He told me he wasn’t good enough for Heaven, so I asked, “Are you bad enough for Hell?” With that, we went through the Ten Commandments to see how bad he was. It soon became clear that this man deserved Hell, so I shared the good news with him. At the end of our conversation, he shook my hand and took a copy of John’s Gospel, as did another man who was listening. A young lady who had listened also spoke with a team member, and after hearing the gospel again, she too took a copy of John’s Gospel. It was a nice way to finish the outreach.
The Lord was kind to allow His Word to spread today; please pray that He will save 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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