Go and Tell | 11:00

Devotional

Day 1: When Jesus Says “Go Home” Instead of “Follow Me”

A healed man begs to follow Jesus, but is sent back to his broken relationships. Jesus prioritizes restoration over relocation, commissioning him to declare mercy where his past was most visible. Witness begins not with grand gestures but with ordinary people who’ve seen extraordinary grace. Your most powerful testimony lives where your scars are known. [34:09]

“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. (Mark 5:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your everyday world still associates you with your “before Jesus” story? How might your presence among them now declare God’s power to redeem?

Day 2: Your Mission Field is Closer Than Your Contacts List

Jesus redirects focus from distant conquests to immediate relationships. The man’s first assignment wasn’t Rome but his Decapolis—ten cities already familiar with his chaos. Our phones hold names of those who’ve seen our failures and need to witness our faithfulness. Proximity trumps strategy in God’s economy. [36:28]

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: Which three contacts in your phone most need to hear how Christ stabilized your chaos? What keeps you from praying for them today?

Day 3: Witnesses Report Facts, Not Theories

The healed man shared raw experience, not polished theology. Jesus didn’t require doctrinal exams but demanded personal testimony. A witness simply states what they’ve seen—chains broken, sanity restored, mercy received. Your story lacks eloquence but carries resurrection power. [42:49]

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last write out your three-sentence testimony? What specific change in your behavior proves Christ’s ongoing work?

Day 4: The Miracle You’re Already Qualified to Share

A former demoniac with zero theological training became an evangelist. His credentials? A single encounter. Your salvation—whether dramatic or quiet—is your commissioning. God uses beggars who found bread to direct other hungry souls. Expertise matters less than authenticity. [50:50]

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). (John 1:40-41, ESV)

Reflection: What insecurity about your biblical knowledge has silenced you? How might “I don’t know, but let me show you what I do know” open doors?

Day 5: Harvesting Requires No Convincing, Only Conveying

The Great Commission begins with surrendered availability, not professional competency. Farmers don’t argue seeds into growth—they plant and trust the soil’s work. Our role is to scatter gospel seeds through ordinary conversations, trusting the Spirit to germinate them. [55:28]

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What burden of “results” have you carried that God never assigned? How might focusing on faithful planting rather than visible harvest change your conversations this week?

Sermon Summary

The four invitations of Jesus trace the life of a disciple: come and see, follow me, abide in me, and go and tell. Come and see brings a person to Jesus. Follow me teaches a person to walk with Jesus. Abide in me teaches a person to live from Jesus. Go and tell sends a person out for Jesus.

Mark 5 brings Jesus across the Sea of Galilee into Gentile territory, where a man lives among the tombs, isolated, tormented, and out of control. The demons have devastated his life, and nobody is strong enough to subdue him. But when Jesus arrives, everything changes. The man who had been living among the dead becomes alive. The man nobody could control sits in peace. The man everybody avoided ends up at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind.

Jesus does not let the healed man get into the boat. The man wants to go with Jesus, but Jesus wants him to go for Jesus. “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” The first mission field is not Rome, not the ends of the earth, not some place that needs a passport. The first mission field is home, friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and the people already in the phone contacts.

Acts 1:8 names the disciple as a witness, not a judge, jury, prosecutor, or expert. A witness simply tells what has been seen, heard, and experienced. The testimony does not have to be dramatic to be powerful. It just has to be true. “I was lost and Jesus found me. I was guilty and Jesus forgave me.” That is enough, because a changed life always creates curiosity about the One who changed it.

Matthew 28 grounds the mission in Jesus’ authority, not human ability. The disciples walked miles because they were convinced that Jesus was who he said he was and did what he said he did. The Great Commission is not a special calling for a few. It belongs to every believer. The healed man in Mark 5 had almost no theological training, but he had met Jesus, and that was enough to introduce Jesus to others.

The Holy Spirit gives the power, because no person can convict, convince, convert, or change a heart. The disciple’s calling is to convey the gospel and leave the results to God. Prayer, relational pursuit, readiness to share, and invitation become the practical shape of a go and tell life. The man nobody wanted to be around became the man Jesus sent around.

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Key Takeaways

1. Home is the first mission field. Jesus sent the healed man back to his own people before sending him anywhere else. The people closest to a changed life often know enough of the old story to notice the mercy of the new one. The mission field may be across the street, around the dinner table, or already sitting in the contact list. [35:28]
2. A witness tells what happened. Acts 1:8 does not call the believer to be the judge, jury, or prosecutor. A witness simply says, “Here is what was seen, heard, experienced, and known.” The freedom of testimony is that a person does not have to know everything about Jesus to tell what Jesus has done. [42:25]
3. A true testimony is powerful. The healed man did not need to build his story around how dark the tombs had been. His witness rested on how good Jesus had been to him. A testimony does not have to be dramatic to be powerful, but it must be honest, mercy-shaped, and centered on Christ. [43:08]
4. The Great Commission belongs to every believer. The demon-possessed man had been a believer for only hours, with no training and no Bible knowledge to speak of. Jesus still told him to go and tell. Every child of God has a story, and that story is enough to introduce someone else to the Savior. [49:44]
5. The Spirit owns the results. The believer is not called to convict, convince, or convert. Those works belong to the Holy Spirit alone. Faithful witness means conveying the gospel, loving the person, and trusting God with the harvest, whether the moment breaks ground, waters seed, or gathers fruit.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[19:17] - Acts 1:8 and Go and Tell
[28:41] - The Four Invitations of Jesus
[29:55] - Mark 5: The Man Among the Tombs
[32:21] - Jesus Rescues a Devastated Life
[34:09] - Sent Home to Tell
[35:28] - Go Back Into Your World
[39:54] - Contacts as a Mission Field
[41:35] - Tell What Jesus Has Done
[44:27] - Matthew 28 and the Mission
[49:44] - No Excuse Is Enough
[52:13] - Depend on God’s Power
[56:19] - Pray, Pursue, Share, Invite
[58:45] - The Man Jesus Sent Around
[60:34] - Come and See Before Go and Tell

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 5:1-20
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. [29:55]

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. [19:17]

Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [44:27]

Observation questions

In Mark 5, what details show how devastated this man’s life had become before Jesus met him?
After the man was healed, what did he ask Jesus for, and what did Jesus tell him to do instead? [34:09]
In Acts 1:8, what does Jesus say believers will receive, and what does he call them to be?
In Matthew 28:18-20, what comes before the command to go and make disciples, and what promise comes after it?

Interpretation questions

Jesus told the healed man, “Go home to your own people and tell them.” Why might home be such an important first place for witness? What makes that both strategic and difficult? [35:28]
Acts 1:8 calls believers “witnesses.” How does that shape the way a Christian should speak about Jesus, especially compared to trying to win arguments or pressure people? [42:25]
The healed man had little knowledge and no training, yet Jesus still sent him. What does that suggest about what is necessary for someone to begin sharing Christ with others? [49:44]
Matthew 28 begins with Jesus’ authority, and Acts 1:8 speaks of the Spirit’s power. How do those truths keep the mission from becoming dependent on personality, skill, or confidence? [52:13]

Application questions

Home is often the first mission field. Who are the actual people in your home, family, neighborhood, workplace, or regular routines who may be the clearest place for you to begin? [35:28]
A witness simply tells what has been seen and experienced. If you had to explain in a few sentences what the Lord has done for you and how He has shown you mercy, what would you say? [41:35]
A testimony does not have to be dramatic to be powerful; it just has to be true. Is there any part of your story you tend to hide, exaggerate, or avoid when talking about Jesus? What would honest, Christ-centered testimony sound like for you? [43:08]
The Great Commission belongs to every believer. What excuse are you most tempted to use for staying quiet, and what would it look like to surrender that excuse to Jesus? [49:44]
The Spirit owns the results, not you. How might your conversations change if you truly believed your job was not to convict, convince, or convert, but simply to convey the gospel faithfully? [53:07]
Prayer, relational pursuit, readiness to share, and invitation give shape to a go-and-tell life. Which of those four comes most naturally to you, and which one needs the most growth right now? [56:19]
The people already in your phone may be part of your mission field. Is there one person you sense the Lord bringing to mind right now? What could be a simple next step this week—pray, text, encourage, share, or invite? [39:54]

Sermon Clips

52s

#ConveyTheGospel

“Only the cross can change people's lives. I can't change anyone. I've been trying to change you guys for fifteen years. I can't change anyone. No one can. But here's the good news. weren't called to convince people. You weren't called to convict people. You weren't called to convert people. Every bit of that is the work of the Holy Spirit. The only thing you and I have been called to do as we're led by the Spirit, as we abide in him, is we're called to convey the message. We're called we're called to go and tell. That's what we're called to do. And so here's the best part. We're not responsible for the results. We're responsible for the witness.”

53s

#SimpleTestimony

“What's a witness? A witness is someone who tells what they've seen, tells what they've experienced. If you take it to a courtroom, a witness, they're not the judge, they're not the jury, they're not the prosecutor. They're simply the witness who says, here's what I saw, here's what I heard, here's what I experienced, here's what I know. Now, here's the freeing part about that. We don't have to know everything about Jesus to tell someone about what we know about Jesus. don't have to know everything. We just have to know what he's done in our lives. And for me, it's this simple. I was lost and Jesus found me. I was guilty and Jesus forgave me. It really is that simple.”

44s

#YouAreAMiracle

“Here's what I love. The man nobody wanted to be around became the man that Jesus sent around. The man nobody wanted to be around became the man that Jesus sent around. And folks, he wants to do the same thing with you and with me. That's why he's worked in his way. Do you realize you are a miracle? You are a miracle. If you know Christ as your savior, you are a miracle. How do I know that? Because the scripture says that every one of us were dead in our trespasses and sin, incapable of saving ourselves.”

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First Baptist Church Peachtree City This sermon · AI assistant

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