|
|
Christian Indie Radio
GetChristianMusic
Solid Walnut Music
|
|
|
|
|
|
Devotionals
|
|
Cartoons
Culture
Family
Games
Health
Homeschooling
Humor
Inspiration
Kids
Men
Ministry
Parenting
Poetry
Teens
Women
|
|
Statement of Faith
Contact Us
|
|
|
|
The GO Zone:Jesus' First Evangelist
by Dave Weiss (Dave's bio)
Send this page to a friend
Did you ever think about who was the first evangelist in Christianity? I think I've found him and you might be surprised. If you go to Mark 5: 1-20 you can read his story, too.
Picture the scene, Jesus and some of the disciples are sailing into a dark and mysterious place, a place that is full of tombs. No sooner do they land the boat and go ashore than they are acosted by a naked man in broken chains. No chains can hold him. He is covered with scars from where he cut his own body and he cries out night and day. The guy is a savage in the truest sense of the word, forced to live among the tombs of the dead by society and by his own madness.
When he sees Jesus coming, he begins to shout in the most demented voice you could imagine. His madness is caused by demons. He says, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me." Jesus is less than moved by the demon's pleas, so he says, "Come out of that man, you evil spirit." Jesus asks the demon his name and the demon says, "Legion, for we are many." Then the demon asks not to be sent out of the area.
Well, chances are good that you know the rest of the story. Jesus casts the demons into a herd of pigs who proceed to go insane, run off of the cliff and drown in the lake. That's the end of the demons but what about the people? Well the pig farmers immediately ran into town to get the people to come and see what's happened. When they arrive at the tombs they see this formerly tortured soul, the one they forced to live in chains among the tombs dressed, sane and in his right mind. When they see this they don't rejoice, they become afraid and ask Jesus to leave their area. People are funny that way.
By now someone is saying, this is a great story but what does it have to do with evangelism? Well, I'm glad you asked. You see the man who had been possessed by all those demons, has been set free. No sooner has he been set free, than the one who set him free is asked to leave the area. The man having been touched and saved by Jesus, never wants to be without him again and so he asks to go with Jesus. Instead Jesus tells him to: "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you." Did you catch it? Jesus has just commissioned his first evangelist, a man with a story to tell of freedom and redemption and salvation. The man went, not just to his family but all over the ten towns that surrounded his home telling how Jesus saved him and the people were amazed.
This man was someone with a bad start. He was possessed by so many demons that he was forced to live in chains among the tombs. When the demons left him, they caused pigs to drown themselves. Then Jesus touched his life and the first thing he was asked to do was go and tell his story. He went immediately and boldly proclaimed Jesus. If someone with this many things going against him can share Jesus, what's your excuse?
Copyright 2002, Dave Weiss. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
|
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
|
Send this page to a friend: