It was another interesting outreach at Woodridge on Tuesday.
Once the team arrived it was not long before we got into conversations. The first conversation I had was with a Jehovah Witness from Africa. She thought was going to paradise because she door knocks every Saturday. Her name is Telsee.
I showed her that no matter how many good things she could do, God could not overlook the history of her sin. This was very new to her. And she was listening intently as I explained the gospel. I encouraged her to check that what I was saying lined up with the Bible.
At this point a drunk aboriginal man interrupted our conversation saying to her that she doesn't need to worry about any of the things we talked about. He then said to me "Don't you try and convert any of us black fellas with your white fella religion." I pointed out that Christianity is for everyone, for Jesus wasn't even a white person but instead a Middle Eastern.
He walked off but it wouldn't be the last we would see of him that day. For later on there was a group of about 15 aborigines drinking nearby and this guy started a fight with someone else. They were throwing punches and kicks. We had to call the police who came and gave them Move On directions. It didn't stop them though, they continued the fight a little further down the street and more of them got involved. Even by the time we left they had started another fight and more police had to show up to sort it all out.
During this time, Luke and I had a great conversation with two Mormon missionaries who we have never met before. They were 21 months through their mission, one from Hawaii and the other from Tonga.
We asked them why they think they will go to Heaven, and their answer was their works.
We showed them some verses in the Bible about how it is only grace through faith that we are saved. We gave the example of the thief on the cross, did he do good works? Did he get baptised? How then was he saved. The Mormon from Hawaii said, "I guess it was by faith he was saved." They were beginning to understand it.
But the other Mormon was saying that he has a 'feeling' that the Book of Mormon is true because he prayed about it. I explained how that that is a circular argument. For the Book of Mormon itself is setting the 'test' of how you know the Book of Mormon is true. But how do we know that that is the right test?
For example, if I wrote a book and said in it that the test to know the book is true is whether the sky is blue. The sky is blue, therefore my book is true. That's circular because the very book I'm trying to say is true contains the test to know whether it is true. Same with the Book of Mormon. This shows that the test these Mormons are relying on is faulty.
Instead I showed them how the proper test is to compare the Book of Mormon with what came before, that is, with the Bible. And since it contradicts the Bible, it is clear the Book of Mormon is not true.
Please pray for these two Mormon missionaries and for all the other people who heard the gospel today.
To God be the glory!
View previous Woodridge (QLD) report (27 January 2015)
Woodridge Team (QLD)
Meets 2-5pm every Tuesday afternoon at the Woodridge train-bus interchange on Station Rd.
Contact Ryan Hemelaar for more information.