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The GO Zone:Welcome to the GO Zone!
by Dave Weiss (Dave's bio)
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Jesus has a way of saying a lot in a very few words but perhaps nowhere did he say more to give His people direction than He did in His last words here on Earth:
"All Authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore GO (emphasis mine) and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28: 18b-20 (NIV).
I sometimes wonder how seriously the church of Jesus Christ takes this, His final command. I'm reminded of an on-line discussion I had not too long ago with an impressionable young man who thought that evangelism was something that turned a lot of people off. This young man seemed to feel that it is far better to have a silent witness. The feedback that I got from the other members let me know that I, with my belief in evangelism, was clearly a minority.
Let me first say, that I am all too familiar with the saying attributed to St. Francis of Assisi to preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words. This is often quoted as a way of saying that a silent witness is better than speaking up for the Gospel. But notice that even the venerable saint says that at some point the use of words is necessary.
Don't get me wrong, to live a Christ-like, Christ-centered life for all the world to see is a marvelous thing and in fact it is a key to real evangelism, but at some point you have got to tell it. You have got to tell the story of what Jesus has done to make you live the way you do. If we don't share that part of the story, what is to keep our neighbor from giving us the glory rather than glorifying the Lord?
Of course, some efforts at evangelism have turned people off. My fear is that far too often, this is due to the fact that we forget what Jesus has done and become "holier than thou" rather than following Jesus directive to "speak the truth in love." In the end the crucial truth is that Jesus has commanded us to go and make disciples. There is an urgency about this because no man knows the date of His return and as He stated in John 14:6 that (He is) the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father except through (Him). It seems clear that in these last days a silent witness will no longer fill the bill.
How then can we do better? That's what we will look at here in The GO Zone: ways to share the faith, ways to spread the Good News, ways to make disciples and most importantly ways to do all the above in a way that glorifies God. I hope you'll join us as we embark on this greatest of adventures with the Lord.
Copyright 2002, Dave Weiss. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About Dave Weiss: Dave Weiss is a youth leader, speaker, writer and licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren and resides in Mohrsville, PA. He is a member of the Write Group for Interlinc's Youth Leader's Only, a youth ministry resource. He has written "Interlinc's Festival Survival Guide." For more on Dave's Ministry go to http://www.radicallyreal.com
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