The Great Commission of Matthew 28 essentially urges believers to go tell others about Jesus.
That's the primary purpose of the "old-fashioned" Go Tell America crusade set for 7 p.m. March 16-19 at Denham Springs High School's Yellow Jacket Stadium, 1000 N. Range Ave., Denham Springs.
Go Tell America is a series of evangelistic revivals focusing on the "unchurched" and conducted by evangelist Rick Gage, of Georgia-based Go Tell Ministries.
"What we have been hearing from pastors that have been lifers in our area say this is the biggest thing we've had since the Bill Graham crusade back in the '90s," said Richard Blue, co-chairman of the host Go Tell Livingston committee and president of the Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association. "We're asking churches to go out and find the people in their own communities, their neighbors, their friends and invite them. And do their best not only to invite them but bring them with them to the crusade."
The Livingston committee, which now comprises an interdenominational group of more than 35 churches, started planning for the crusade 13 months ago. The Go Tell America crusades target rural areas.
Gage will be the main speaker. He was a running backs coach at Texas Tech and Liberty University before devoting his life to full-time evangelistic ministry in 1986.
"This guy is dynamite," Blue said of Gage. "He is a tremendous preacher and has the hand of God and the spirit of God on his life."
A mass community choir will open the crusade on Sunday, along with Christian recording artist Charles Billingsley. He is the former lead vocalist for the music group NewSong.
"If we'd rent a building, he'd blow the top off the roof, because he's a dynamic, outstanding musician," Blue said.
Other guests will be Alan Robertson, of the "Duck Dynasty" TV fame; and Adrian Despres, a former chaplain at the University of South Carolina.
On Wednesday, the crusade will focus on the youth with a pizza party.
"We're doing some things with your school-age children, hoping that we can develop a relationship and they come there to hear the Gospel of Christ," Blue said.
Blue stressed that the event underscores the focus on engaging with the 51% of individuals in Livingston Parish who classify themselves as "nones," or those with no religious affiliation of any kind.
"That's telling us that even in our own churches we have not done a good job," said Blue, the former longtime pastor of Walker Baptist Church. "Our job is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and hope to penetrate the unchurched community.
Simply telling people and leading them to salvation in Jesus is not enough. Blue said the church has fallen short in discipleship training.
"Discipleship is follow-through," he said. "It is a commitment of our lives that we're going to live our lives for the Lord Jesus Christ."
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