“Nothing is Stopping Me from Trusting in Jesus!” – Southampton Evangelism
After a challenging outreach yesterday in Salisbury, it was refreshing to have a fruitful and blessed time of ministry in Southampton. The Lord did more than we could ever have imagined!
Before we had even set up, the gospel was spreading. A lady saw the open-air board I was pushing, so she stopped to ask what it was. I explained that the board was used to help preach the Bible. When she heard this, she said, “It is too late for me.” I pointed out that it is never too late and used the thief on the cross as an illustration of grace until the very end. The lady listened but then walked away. A few minutes later, she returned asking, “Why wasn’t it too late for the thief?” It was a joy to explain the gospel to this lady and to give her a little booklet explaining the good news.
While I was talking with the lady, Nigel, Ben, and Jeremy were setting up the literature table. Straight away, people began to stop and browse the material. Throughout the day many people would pause at the table, receive literature, and hear the good news.
Due to all the conversations taking place, I decided to not preach just yet, instead, I planned to hand out tracts and chat to people. As I was giving away leaflets, I noticed a lady walking up the road crying and looking confused. I stopped her and asked if she was OK. The lady was confused and suffering from an anxiety/panic attack. I had her sit down and began to help her calm down. As we spoke, she explained her story and the different battles she is facing. I then noticed on her bag was a little book, so I asked her about it. She told me it was a Bible and that she only recently became a Christian. Until this point, we hadn’t discussed anything spiritual, so I told her I was a Christian Minister. She was so excited to hear this, as during her panic attack, she was praying that the Lord would help her. As she prayed, she bumped into us. I read the Bible and prayed with her. She calmed down and took a tract. While this wasn’t ‘evangelism’ it is a vital part of the ministry. We are to care for our brothers and sisters.
By now, the outreach had been going for 45 minutes, and no preaching had taken place; our time had been consumed with personal one-to-one ministry. Finally, it was time to preach. I went first, preaching on “The Big Picture of Easter.” A few people paused to listen. One man walked past heckling, so I called him out and challenged his position. His response was to curse and abuse – there was no substance to his argument. But the Lord used him to draw others in to listen.
At the end of the message, two people responded to the offer of John’s Gospel. One young lady who came forward took the Gospel, then hugged me, saying, “Thank you!” This young lady had an interesting life story. She had only just arrived in Southampton after driving from Germany. Her boyfriend is studying here, so she came across to see him. She told me that most people in Germany think they are Christians, but none of them go to church or read the Bible, so her boyfriend and her decided to read the Bible this year. The reading plan she is on hasn’t gotten to the New Testament yet, so she is still wading through all of God’s Law.
She went on to say that she had been listening to me preach from a seat behind the board, but when the heckler began to be abusive, she realised that the message was true and that people hate God. This caused her to come around to the front to listen further. Like most people, this young lady thought her goodness would save her, so I used the Law to expose her sin. I then explained the gospel and pointed her to a few verses in John. She kept smiling as the good news was set forth. She took a booklet and links to resources in German. Before she left, she said, “Nothing is stopping me from trusting in Jesus!” I urged her to do that today. She hugged me again, then went on her way.
During this time, Jeremy found himself helping an older lady who was struggling to put a new battery in her hearing aid. After putting the battery in, he could clearly share the good news with her. Good works opened ears for the gospel!
Ben then stood up to preach on “Why Easter?” I didn’t get to listen to much of his message, as a man who had been listening went to the Bible table. As we chatted, he told me he is a Christian who formerly lived in Southampton, but now lives in Gloucester. He had been going through a period of discouragement, but today he was encouraged. The man told me that in 1984, in the very location where we preached, he was saved under the ministry of an open-air preacher. It encouraged him greatly to see that the gospel was still being proclaimed in the same spot. He was further encouraged by the fact that I was friends with an Australian Evangelist (who is now with the Lord), whom he had worked with previously. It is a small world!
Jeremy preached next; he spoke on “Why the Cross?” A few people gathered to listen, with some taking material from the table afterward.
To finish the outreach, I preached from John 3:16. The Lord allowed a small crowd to gather, with three taking copies of John’s Gospel when offered.
It was a super-encouraging day. The Lord did many marvellous things. 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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