Who's in the Scriptural driver's seat with regard to ABLAZE? One criticism of ABLAZE is that it replaces the “strong” missiology of Matthew 28, prescribing preaching, teaching, and baptizing, with a “weak” Acts 1:8 program of simply witnessing.
Such a criticism does not do justice to what Acts reports, as the paradigm of Acts 1:8 unfolds throughout the rest of the book. First, from a human point of view, being a witness is most often a serendipitous event (not unlike what Jesus' words may imply in Matthew 28, “as you go...”). That is, God arranges the witness to be in the right circumstance for the message to be spoken. Peter and John are on their way to the temple when they meet a cripple and eventually give their witness to the crowd that gathered about. They were not involved in a strategic door-to-door neighborhood canvass. The Holy Spirit directed Philip to the Ethiopian's chariot. Cornelius and Peter have dreams which prepare them for their eventual meeting. Paul sees a man in a vision, whose words change the direction of their journey. An earthquake, not Paul's preaching, causes the Philippi jailer to ask the ultimate question, “What must I do to be saved?” Because these opportunities are often unplanned, Peter's advice is on target: “Always be prepared to give a defense of the hope that is within you.”
Secondly, despite fears that the preaching, teaching, and baptizing commanded in Matthew 28 is being forsaken if an Acts 1:8 paradigm is adopted, one should notice that the words of the witnesses in Acts invariably led to baptisms and further instruction! To pit Matthew 28 against Acts 1:8 as though one is superior to the other is to discount the story of Acts! The only times witnessing didn't lead to baptizing and further teaching reveals the other consequence of witnessing: persecution. In fact, so strongly would the Greek word for witness (martur) be associated with persecution that it's association with pain became permanent – martyrdom. And it is in connection with that persecution that Peter encouraged, “Always be prepared to give a defense of the hope that is within you.” Given the climate that Christianity now faces even here in the United States, emphasizing this connection of witness to persecution is not a bad thing.
Acts 1:8 drives ABLAZE because many need the Spirit to rekindle in them the courageous attitude of Peter and John - “we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Witnessing precedes baptizing and teaching. So what have you seen and heard that would make you a witness? Certainly not the same things that the Twelve saw and heard. But I'd be willing to bet that one thing most of you have heard is Christ weekly telling you that your sins have been forgiven. Here's another: “This is my body, this is my blood, given and shed for you for the remission of sins.” If you didn't think of those things, how sorry I am for you! Were you thinking that the Twelve have a better witness because they had seen spectacular healings? Astonishing miracles? Besides being acts of compassion, these acts supported Jesus' argument, “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins...” Now we know He has such authority to forgive sins by virtue of his resurrection. Is the witness of the Twelve more compelling because they heard Jesus teach? Who are you listening to as the Gospel is read each week? Why stand if it is only a human voice and human thoughts you are hearing? What exactly was the hymn writer referring to when he wrote, “I heard the voice of Jesus say...” if he wasn't referring to the word of Jesus that still speaks to us in Scripture?
As a witness you do have something to say: “tell everyone what He has done.” God will place you in locations of opportunity to speak what you have seen and heard. The Holy Spirit can use your witness to the end that those who hear it are eventually catechized and baptized, just as Jesus envisions and commissions in Matthew 28.