Pastor Simpson was preaching the gospel in the centre of Uxbridge on July 19th, helped by three more immediately local believers giving wonderful support and handing out an encouraging number of gospel tracts. One of them, Mr Peter Caruthers-Little, also did some preaching.
A middle-aged lady came up to Pastor Simpson and said that she was a Christian, but objected to the poster on display which states, as regular readers will know, ‘WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A NATION ABANDONS THE BIBLE? Drug-taking, knife crime, no respect for the Lord’s Day, abortion, the LGBT agenda in schools, needless anxiety over climate change’. The reason why this sign is displayed is because it often leads to conversations in which Biblical teaching can then be explained, and it also points to the grave condition spiritually which our nation is in right now. Furthermore, it is the duty of the Christian not to ignore but to speak of the prevailing sins of our own generation, just as our Lord Himself did when ministering to His own countrymen. For example, we read of Him in Matthew 12 declaring,
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). It appears that many today would accuse our Lord of being ‘unloving’ by saying such a thing.
The lady taking issue with the poster said that it was entirely the wrong approach. Many people in society were vulnerable, hurting people, she argued, and it is our task to sympathise with them and practically help them. The clear implication behind her words was that public preaching from the Bible was not at all a way of giving practical help to the great numbers of needy people all around us.
Pastor Simpson responded by telling the lady that she appeared to be suggesting that we should abandon gospel proclamation (which of necessity must include reference to sin), and all become social workers instead. The reality of course is that preaching the gospel is ultimately the best help which anyone could ever receive for dealing with the problems of life, because the convert to Christ then has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him guiding him every step of the way.
Thankfully the conversation remained polite, but the lady. appeared to have no comprehension of the Biblical teaching that we live in a fallen world, that people are fallen creatures, and that sin is ultimately at the root of all man’s problems.
The lady also implied that homosexuals, for example, need practical help, not to be told that their lifestyle is contrary to the God’s eternal moral law. She could not seem to grasp that to speak of the seriousness of sin and to warn people of its dangers is an act of love in and of itself. She asked for evidence that the Bible calls homosexuality sinful, and so Pastor Simpson opened up the Scriptures to Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27, and read them out to her. He also told her that it was not really him with whom she was disagreeing, but with the very word of God. She responded by claiming that we cannot trust all of the Bible.
She left the conversation on goods terms with Pastor Simpson, but it was so sad that she did not really seem to understand basic Biblical teaching at all. God’s word tell us, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It does not tell us that all people are basically vulnerable and hurting and need only our practical help with their problems. Indeed, to preach the gospel and to explain to people tho nature of sin is a completely ‘practical’ way to help them to start dealing with their problems in life.
Another young man with hair dyed purple also came up and started reading attentively the above poster. He had a can of drink in his hand and then threw threw some of it over the poster in disgust, and then walked off. Pastor Simpson shouted back to him, “That is vandalism. If you have a problem, come and have a reasonable discussion about it”. He sadly just carried on walking away. This is indicative of how many people today who have embraced all the fashionable woke causes of the liberal establishment seem incapable of engaging in sensible debate, but can only denounce and angrily rail at those who might have a different opinion to themselves.
At one stage as Pastor Simpson was preaching, a man on a pedal bike, who has spoken to us before as being a very hardened atheist indeed, began to play loud rock music on a device which he had with him. This was a deliberately provocative act to drown out the preaching, and the man presumably thought that his action was making some profound statement to the passers-by. Pastor Simpson shouted out, “This man does not believe in free speech”. He then asked him, “Are you proud of what you are doing? He did not answer the question but simply asked back the same question. Pastor Simpson responded, YesI am, not a sinful pride, but pleased, hopefully, to be serving my Lord.
Thankfully the man did not stay for an extended period of time which may have necessitated calling the police. However, as he walked off, the preacher told him that he would not be able to drown out God’s decree of condemnation against him on the Day of Judgement.
May the Lord speak powerfully to the hearts of all those who heard a word of gospel truth in Uxbridge upon this day.