“I’m a wrong ‘un!” – Portsmouth Evangelism
Over the past couple of months, I don’t think we’ve preached in the same location twice in Portsmouth. Each week, a busker or someone else occupies our usual spots, so we must move around – but each new location brings along people sovereignly ordained by the Lord. We rest in His providence!
After setting up, we commenced the outreach by handing out tracts and engaging people in conversation. Much literature was distributed, as many seemed interested in taking leaflets, particularly some of our Easter-themed tracts. We had six members on the team today, and all of us were kept busy.
I was the first to preach. Playing off the season, I spoke on “The Big Picture of Easter.” A few people paused to listen (including a man wearing a hat from my favourite Aussie Rules football team!), but there was little interaction until I called out to a man who was listening. I could tell he didn’t agree with me, so I asked, “Sir, do you have peace with God?” The man shook his head and said, “No, I’m a wrong ’un!” He then immediately began asking questions about the Big Bang hypothesis. I challenged his worldview and responded with an apologetic argument. The man then shifted tactics, asking, “Who created God?” Again, I addressed his objections, but I continually brought the conversation back to the gospel. I wanted him to see that he was accountable to God and that Christ was his only hope. He listened as I explained the good news and then accepted a copy of John’s Gospel when it was offered.
While this was happening, Jim was having a long conversation with a young man at the literature table. The man wasn’t sure if he was saved, so Jim walked him through the gospel. The gentleman took several pieces of literature and the details for Grace Baptist Church, which he said he planned to attend this coming Lord’s Day.
Jim preached next and did an excellent job taking Psalm 2 and showing people that Jesus can save even the vilest of sinners, as Christ is the King who came to rescue. One lady who heard Jim’s message disagreed and kept shouting, “I’ll become the Queen of Hell!” Rose went over to speak with her. The lady was truly confused but arrogant enough to believe she had all the answers. Still, the seed of truth was sown.
I was the final preacher for the day. This time, I decided to do something different—I went ‘old school’ in my preaching. While I usually use the open-air board, I never want to become dependent on this tool, so I chose to preach with only my Bible in hand. Taking James 4:13-14 as my text, I spoke about the stalker of death and the fragility of human life. You can listen to the audio of my open-air message at the link below.
Overall, it was a fruitful and productive day. 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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