Pastors John Sherwood and Peter Simpson were uplifting the name of Christ in the centre of Uxbridge on April 1st.
A Muslim girl walking bye said that Jesus was her prophet but not the Son of God and the One to whom al must flee for salvation. Sadly, she did not stop to pursue the conversation, but in the brief period available Pastor Simpson told her that the Lord Jesus Christ is none other than God manifest in the flesh.
A man came by who said that he was a physicist. Indeed he was handing out leaflets advertising the public events of the Institute of physics.
Pastor Simpson asked him how he thought the world first came into being. The scientist replied through the Big Bang. The minister responded that no scientist can know this because a scientific fact has to be observable, testable and repeatable.
The physicist claimed, however, that the effects of the Big Bang did indeed fall into these three categories. Pastor Simpson responded that in no other instance in human experience of enormous explosions leading to form, order and life; they rather lead to chaos. So how could a cosmic Big Bang effect the order of life upon earth as we now know it, with, for examples recurring seasons every year? Yet, the physicist appeared to have no problem with random events creating an ordered system. May the Lord open this man’s heart to see that he lives in a world created by the Trinitarian God and that he himself is answerable to that code.
A young woman who walked Pastor Simpson was preaching and uttered a profanity about the content of the preaching. The ministry responded that that was no legitimate argument to refute the Christian faith. The woman turned round and said, “What about the illuminati?” Sadly, the minister did not have time to explain to her that there is no spiritual light to be found in this world apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, and that those who claim to possess enlightenment without Christ are in fact being blinded by Satan.
A young woman spoke with Pastor Simpson and claimed that she was not in the least worried about going to hell. She even said God would not want someone like her in heaven, so it will be better that she did not go there anyway. The minister tried to emphasise to her the enormity of sin and that the prospect of hell there’s never ever be treated lightly. Thankfully, she was willing to take an evangelistic leaflet and she even asked, How do I repent? She was told that she needs to acknowledge that she has broken God’s law, but she must mean it from the heart – she needs the Holy Spirit to convict her of her unworthiness, and of her need of the Saviour. May this indeed happen to this enquirer.
During one of his preaching sessions, Pastor Simpson referred to the Lord Jesus Christ weeping over Jerusalem and lamenting, “Ye will not come to me that ye might have life” (John 5:40). All without Christ are dead in sin and devoid of spiritual life.
A large group of schoolchildren gathered in from of him, and he challenged them, Are you worried about your sin? He then went through various of the commandments to encourage them to think about their sinful condition. He emphasised that no is good enough to get themselves to heaven.
One of the girls said that she was a lesbian and that God had made her like that. The minister politely responded that that she had chosen the lifestyle and that there was nothing inevitable about such an orientation. Someone guilty of heterosexual immorality cannot claim that he or she has done nothing wrong, because that is how God made them, and on exactly the same basis that argument cannot be used to justify homosexual sin, which God’s word plainly forbids.
One of the girls mutilated a tract which had been handed to her containing a number of Bible verses. Pastor Simpson rebuked her, saying that she had just torn up the word of God. Should she not show more respect for what God has declared? The Bible has the power to change your life, he pleaded. Furthermore, everything that is good about this nation can be traced to the influence of the Bible.
A man going past brought up the subject of Ukraine, and said that God had done nothing to protect the people of Ukraine. The minister responded that the advent of war was proved the truth of one of the Bible‘s basic teachings, namely that man is sinful by nature. There are wars because men have sinful hearts and the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who can remove a sinful heart. There are a good number of believers who trust in Christ in Ukraine, and the Lord is watching over them at this very moment, but at the root of all wars is the wicked heart of men in rebellion against God.
A Muslim challenged Pastor Simpson about the Trinity. How can you believe in it without believing in three Gods, he said? The minister responded that three divine Persons make up the one Godhead, just as light, heat and gas are separate elements which make up the indivisibly one sun. Jesus Christ received worship and forgave sin, which only God can do. So He is infinitely more than just a prophet; He is the judge of every single one of us.
Because a large crowd had gathered round Pastor Simpson, three policeman came up to him and asked whether he was causing a disturbance. He replied that he was having a debate with various people about religious issues and that there was no public order issue whatsoever. A Police officer said that he could carry on, as long as the proceedings were within “the legal remit”!! How vital it is that our Police remember that declaring Biblical truth in the public realm – even which people might strongly disagree with it – is not remotely an illegal activity.
May the Lord be pleased to grant much fruit from the public preaching of Christ and the various conversations in Uxbridge upon this day.
