Pastor Peter Simpson was preaching the gospel in the century of HIGH WYCOMBE on November 16th helped by a number of faithful lady workers, who handed out tracts and who spoke to passers-by where possible.
Mrs Pilkington entered into conversation with a Roman Catholic lady who knew very little about the gospel. She had no realisation that Mary, the Lord’s mother, was like every other human being who has ever lived (apart from the Lord Himself), in that she had a sinful heart, and so was a sinner by nature who needed a Saviour. Mary actually confessed that she was sinner, in that she referred to God as her own Saviour in Luke 1:47.
The RC lady also did not understand that that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. She further thought that all religions were fundamentally the same. Mrs Pilkington therefore explained to her the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ as the world’s Saviour of sinners, and the significance of His death on the Cross, which satisfied the justice of God upon the sins of the world. She thankfully took a tract and a gospel of Mark, and may the Lord be pleased to lead her into all truth.
Pastor Simpson preached on John 5:40, where the Lord Jesus Christ says to those who rejected Him, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). The minister explained how the Lord Jesus is weeping over modern Britain today, just as He once wept over Jerusalem. All people are spiritually dead and spiritually blind. It is pride in the hearts of men which makes them think that they do not need the Christian gospel.
Whilst the minister’s was preaching, a young man came up to him and asked him, What is the point of living, if we all know that we are going die? Pastor Simpson explained that God created man with the purpose that he might live for ever, but the reason why death came into the world was because our first parents, Adam and Eve, denied God’s authority and sinned.
The young man next asked, How do we know that heaven and hell exist? What is the proof? Pastor Simpson responded that we can be sure heaven and hell exist because the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God appearing on this earth in human form, told us that they existed.
The man then argued that we cannot accept the Bible’s authority, because there is so much proof that man has evolved from the apes. Pastor Simpson replied that there are many scientists who in fact regard the theory of evolution to be quite untenable. Evolution is disproved by the following simple fact : “Over time, living organisms lose genetic information; they do not gain it … (and) there is no known observable process by which new genetic information can be added to an organism’s genetic code … (but such an addition is absolutely essential for evolution to be true. Quite simply, then), there is no way to go from a fish to an amphibian without adding new information” (1). So evolutionary theory’s claims that amphibians evolved from fish is lacking an observable process (the basis of all true science) whereby the new genetic information enabling fish to start living on the land was added to them.
The man then asked the preacher about his thoughts on homosexuality. This came as no surprise to Pastor Simpson, because for so many young people today, because of the relentless propaganda which they have imbibed, the LGBT cause appears to be the primary defining issue of a person’s whole worldview. The conversation then continued along the following lines :
Pastor : The Bible teaches that homosexuality is sinful.
Young man : Does not God want people to be happy?
Pastor : If someone is happy committing adultery, should we therefore say that adultery is not sinful?
Young man : I do not see how people of the same gender dating one another is sin.
Pastor : You are making your subjective personal judgement the yardstick of all truth. May I also courteously suggest that the reason you are pro-gay is because it is very fashionable to be so. Are you a homosexual?
Young man : I like both genders.
Pastor : Are you not worried about the consequences of defying God’s commandments?
Young man : There is no proof of eternal life.
Pastor : There is proof – Jesus rose from the dead.
Young man : How can you prove that?
Pastor : 500 people saw the risen Lord on one day.
Young man : And they wrote a book about it over 1,000 years later.
Pastor : No, the New Testament was completed within a generation of the Lord’s resurrection. Its authors include eyewitnesses of the events of the Lord’s ministry, or of those who personally knew the eyewitnesses.
Young man : The Bible takes information from other religions.
Pastor : What other religions?
Young man : Judaism, for example.
Pastor : Christianity is the fulfilment of Judaism. May I ask you Are you a good person?
Young man : Yes, I am basically good.
Pastor : Can I suggest that you are in fact guilty of pride in thinking that, and that you do not know the corruption of your own heart, which makes you a sinner by nature. I, too, am a hopeless sinner, which is why I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Young man : If you are a hopeless sinner, does that not means that you are going to hell?
Pastor : No, because I have trusted in Jesus Christ.
Young man : Are you not proud of yourself for standing out here in the cold and preaching?
Pastor : No, it is simply my calling.
Young man : What about gay people who believe in God?
Pastor : Anyone can say I believe in God, but to be a true Christian, you have to repent of sin.
May this conversation cause the young man to reflect upon the some of arguments which he heard. It was good for him to ask such questions. May Satan not snatch away the seeds of gospel truth sown within his heart. Indeed, may others as well who heard the gospel in HIGH WYCOMBE likewise retain in their minds some kernels of precious truth, engage in deep thought, and then see their need to flee to the unique Saviour of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ without further delay.
(1) https://answersingenesis.org/media/video/evolution/evolution-refuted/