A Dangerous Statement – Winchester Evangelism
It was a joy to join six other brothers and sisters in Winchester today to share the good news. As we set up for the outreach, we glanced at the low-hanging grey clouds and wondered if it would rain. Thankfully, we only had a few minutes of wet weather on the streets. Our biggest obstacle today wasn’t the rain; rather, it was the wind. Strong gusts were blowing down the high street, making it challenging to keep literature on the table. Despite this, many people stopped at the table to browse the material.
Paul Stinchcombe commenced the open-air preaching by speaking about “Warning: Six Deadly Lies.” As he preached, a man tried to disrupt. He would make loud noises and shout, but it wasn’t clear what he was saying. I managed to entice the man away and began to chat with him.
The man told me he was a Roman Catholic Mormon. That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear! He explained that in his worldview, all religions are true and that we should pick the truth from every belief system. As we chatted, it became clear this man was very proud, as he kept pointing to his own religious efforts. I asked him, “If God asked you, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ what would you say?” The man smiled and said, “I would answer, ‘God, you and I do the work together!’” In reply, I took the man to Isaiah 42:8 to show that God won’t share His glory with another, so by saying he could work with God to earn salvation, he was reaching out and touching the glory. The Roman Catholic Mormon began to argue from the natural realm; he said that when he goes to the gym, he needs to put effort in to get the body he wants. Likewise, when it comes to salvation, we must work. I answered from Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5, explaining that salvation is not something that can be earned or purchased. The man replied, “I must go. I don’t do dogma!” However, he did take a copy of John’s Gospel and a tract before leaving.
For my first open-air, I preached on “Wages or Gift?” (Romans 6:23). In this talk, I sought to show that all of us have earned death, but God in love offers life. A couple of people paid attention, but there was little interaction.
After preaching, as I cleared the board, I heard an extremely dangerous statement. A team member offered a tract to a gentleman walking by; the man held up his hand and said, “No, thank you. Not today!” This is a dangerous statement, as the Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2) and James 4:13-14 declares we are not guaranteed tomorrow. The man who rejected the tract chose to gamble with his soul; he walked away hoping he had plenty of time. Many people behave exactly like that man. We hear the good news of Jesus dying and rising again but think, “I’ll deal with this later.” We aren’t assured of a later! Perhaps you are reading this, and you are yet to trust in Jesus. Today, repent and believe – do it now! You don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
Paul preached again, this time speaking on “How Can I Find Peace?” One lady who listened to the preaching took a copy of John’s Gospel. Afterwards, Paul also spoke to a young man who said he was considering converting from atheism to Christianity. The young man heard the gospel and took a copy of Ultimate Questions.
I preached the final sermon of the outreach – “The Message of the Cross” (listen to the audio below). A few people listened, with one taking John’s Gospel, and another a New Testament.
One young lady who listened to the preaching spoke with Paul. She told him she has many issues and problems and longs for purpose and meaning. After hearing the good news again, she took a copy of the New Testament and Ultimate Questions.
It was a good outreach in Winchester. The Lord certainly blessed our time on the streets. 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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