If
Jesus had given the best sermons only on the way of life, probably He would
have had a large following who would have dedicated a permanent magnificent worship
structure for Him, parallel to Solomon’s Temple and synagogue in Jerusalem
City. Whereas He preached on repentance, Kingdom principles for life ethics,
the hope of eternity and showing people a way to inherit the eternal
kingdom. Yet He gathered large crowds who came from far and near searching
for Him. It is interesting to note that Jesus never thought about managing this
crowd, preaching to them over and over, using a particular facility and
commissioned people to Go and Tell what He was teaching. He continually moved
from one location to the other – villages, towns and cities - preaching about
the kingdom of God. (Luke 8:1).
The purpose of His coming was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Hence, before entrusting with the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) and with the supplement commission (Acts 1:8 ) i.e., to be a witness, He showed how to do and what to do. The Gospel of Mark records that Jesus appointed the twelve disciples to be with Him, to help them observe Him closely, learn how He does things and then to Go and Tell to others (Matt 3:14). John in his book 1 John 1:1-2 states this "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.". What the disciple witnessed by being with Him and watching Him closely was to follow Christ and share to the whole world about the greatest sacrifice Christ made for the sins of the world (1John 2:2). This was the crux of his letter.
Today, the pulpits are sophisticated and commercialized. People are instructed to “Go and Tell” without the “Show and Tell” model. More than 90% of any Church crowd aren't budging. The Church has settled with the convenient teaching of “Giving” model - Give and Give more. The Gospels teach us how until His crucifixion, Jesus went from place-to-place walking and preaching about the Kingdom of God. Present age has made the Gospel a luxurious propaganda. Music, entertainment and social services have replaced the urgency to share the Gospel, as they are the only ones that attract the crowd and eventually are financially advantageous. The leaders are happy assuming their Church Mission and Gospel mission are on track.
People need to see how you share, influence people with the gospel. The right ones who experienced the true salvation are unstoppable. They are just waiting to see the leaders’ evangelistic lifestyle and to follow their footsteps. Show them, don't just tell them! David Cassidy states "There's a lot of "Go & Tell" in our faith but it is always to be accomplished with heavy amounts of "Show & Tell" confirming the effort. Praying for the unity, mutual love, and humble, credible witness of brothers and sisters today.".
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