Battle Log

Saturday, 18 May, 2019

Posted 28 May 2019, 12:32 PM by Matthew Andersen. Permalink

To encourage local Church goers to finish their night of fellowship with some evangelism after the evening service, some Operation 513 team members from other outreaches have been heading back into Brisbane City on a Sunday night for a shorter outreach to encourage and equip people who usually wouldn't make it out to outreaches during the rest of the week. This past Sunday was the third time it had happened and over the outreaches there have been nine, seven and seven people out respectively!

What an encouragement to see. Of those, there have been six people out sharing their faith for the first time! Last Sunday night one young man, who was hesitant at first to come on out, when asked when he'd be joining us responded, "Next Sunday if you're keen". What an excitement to see that people who were once totally fearful of sharing their faith are now excited to come out again sometime! It could be you too!

The evening was filled with a range of conversations, even in two hours there is usually the ability to have three to five decent length conversations. The first of the evening was had with three Africans. They had grown up in a Church and said that they would be going to Heaven because they'd kept the Ten Commandments. When shown numbers five through nine, with their universal guilt being revealed this slowed them down very quickly. Then they turned to saying that they would be going to Heaven because they'd asked God to forgive them for their sins.

They were shown that God's forgiveness isn't given on the basis of the request but it is offered as a gift to be received by trusting in Christ. Over the course of the conversation Adi and Jerry the two men seemed to understand it but Mary seemed resolute that she would be let into Heaven on the basis of something she had to offer God! This was heart breaking to see her pride causing her to reject Christ!

This was followed with a shorter conversation with a Muslim and an arrogant anti-theist. The Muslim was quite happy to chat and was engaging well, being challenged and was responding well to the gospel. His anti-theist friend on the other hand went between ignoring the conversation and loudly asking questions he didn't want answered and declaring that it was clear to everyone that God doesn't exist. There was some moments of patience as this friend would settle down after a few moments and the conversation could continue with the Muslim. Sadly the Muslim was unable to finish the conversation as his friend got too rowdy and he decided it was better to leave. He apologised and said he was thankful for the conversation that was had up until that point.

The final conversation of the evening with was a Jewish lady named Verity. She had a Jewish family but one of her grandparents were Irish Catholic so she had some strong heritage there as well. It was a longer conversation than normal as Verity came to understand who the Jewish Messiah was and why He needed to come. She saw that by the OT law all of humanity is condemned for there is no sacrifice in the Old Testament that takes away sin, rather a whole sacrificial system that temporarily covers sin, pointing to the day when God Himself would come to be the sacrifice and priest to atone for the rebellion of those who would come to Him in repentant faith!

Verity understood how someone can be saved and was challenged as to when she would count the cost, give up her false claims of autonomy and trust in Christ. She gave a few little reasons but mostly they were based around emotional upset from the way her family who all claimed to represent God had acted. In the end of the conversation she was strongly challenged, was given a gospel of John to read and she said, "That was a very well articulated message, I understand it now!"

Please be praying for those who the team spoke to that they would not just know what God has said but that they would be shown their wickedness, trust in Christ for their forgiveness and as a result live a life pleasing to God, even going out to share what God has done to save other sinners!

Why not come on out Sunday June 2nd, at 19:30-21:30 in King George Square? You will be glad you did!