Preaching at the Market

The market here is the center of commerce. The villagers come from their different locations to sell their garden food to earn some money. The average person earns around 7 dollars at the market. 2 dollars of which will be needed to pay for the transportation used to get to the market. The market does business six days a week. On Saturdays, the market is very busy and is the best time to purchase food. It is also a good time for evangelism. Open air preaching at the market can be effective leading to fruit. In America, the culture is very different and for the most part hard against the gospel. Open air preaching in PNG is culturally acceptable and draws a crowd. The people will come and gather around you to hear what you have to say.

A few weeks ago, the family and I went to the market where I would preach. I preached a message about a religious lost man named Nicodemous from John 3. The people here are very religious. A large crowd gathered and listened intently even though a slight rain began to fall. After I preached, the family and I handed out tracts and talked with the people. No one put their faith in Christ that day, but the Lord is still working on hearts from it. Today, some three weeks after I preached at the market, a man came to talk with me. He said people were still talking about the message and he wanted to talk. He said he personally had several discussions with others about the message. We did not talk for long, but he said he would come by my house so we could talk some more. This man is a religious man in need of Christ. I was thrilled to see the Lord still working on hearts. We never know who it is the Lord will put before us, but we must be ready and willing to preach, leaving the results to God. A farmer does not reap in the same season he plants. Keep in mind though, if the farmer does not sow, he will not reap. Do not stop sowing just because you have yet to reap. Nor should you stop sowing because others have sowed the seed with carelessness. Do not be ashamed of our Lord. We have been given a command of utmost importance: ”preach the Gospel to every creature.”