JESUS: GO!!!

 

JESUS:GO!!!

 

The “GO!!!” In the Great Commission makes Jesus’ command clear. As His disciples we are always on the move in our homes, in our churches, in our communities, our towns, our counties, our states, our country, and our world—spreading the Good News of Jesus, persuading people to answer His offer of salvation through Him and Him alone. Yet we are intent, not just on making converts; we are obeying His command to make people disciples—faithful followers and learners seeking to see Him transform the lives of others until they are also making disciples. We do not think about boundaries. We do not think the Great Commission has work for us only where we are comfortable with family and friends. We go beyond those boundaries and take His challenge wherever there are people who do not know God’s Love and His Salvation for us through Jesus and a life of challenging, fulfilling, joyful discipleship as we follow Him wherever and however He leads. We stand strong upon His Word, the Bible, and confidently find there His direction and inspiration we must share with others on their own discipleship road. We are constantly asking our Heavenly Father in prayer; what can I do here at home, all around me, and everywhere in the world to fulfill the calling you have for me to see that the Great Commission challenge is answered everywhere in this world?

The twelve disciples of Jesus demonstrated through their lives after His death and resurrection and ascension a clear sense of commitment to fulfill the Great Commission challenge He placed so clearly before them as He lived with them and discipled them. As He did for them, they did for others, and down through the years His disciples have done for others. Now, having been blessed and discipled by others we must rise and meet the challenge to continue the pattern of being discipled to disciple others in Jesus’ Name. We are driven by the urgency of this task entrusted to us, and we choose not to be limited by worldly boundaries, whether they be geographical or cultural. We choose to surrender ourselves and our inadequacies and fears to Jesus as the Holy Spirit empowers us to see Him accomplish the fulfillment of the Great Commission through our praying, through our giving, and through our going as He leads us. We purposefully open our hearts to every surprising open door He sets before us. In every way, even as the original disciples did so fully, we GO!!!

SO, WHAT ABOUT THE DISCIPLES?
HOW DID THEY OBEY THE GREAT COMMISSION?

PETER
A Fisherman From Galilee
Preached On The Day Of Pentecost
Wrote First and Second Peter
Died A Martyr In Rome

ANDREW
A Fisherman From Galilee
A Disciple Of John The Baptist
Introduced His Brother, Peter, To Jesus
Preached In Asia
Died A Martyr in Greece

JAMES
A Fisherman From Galilee
Brother Of John
A Son (With John) Of Thunder
Died The First Disciple Martyred In Jerusalem

JOHN
A Fisherman From Galilee
Brother of James
A Son (With John) Of Thunder
Exiled To Patmos In The Aegean Sea
Wrote The Gospel Of John, 1,2, and 3 John, Revelation
Led The Church In Ephesus
Died In Ephesus In Turkey

PHILIP
From Galilee
Witnessed To Nathanael
Brought Greeks To Jesus
Preached In Turkey, Greece, And Syria
Died A Martyr In Hierapolis In Turkey

NATHANAEL/BARTHOLOMEW
From Cana
A Skeptic Until He Met Jesus
Preached In Iraq, India, Persia, Armenia
Died A Martyr In Armenia Or India

THOMAS
From Galilee
Preached In Persia, Iraq, And India
Died A Martyr In India

MATTHEW (LEVI)
From Galilee
A Tax Collector
Wrote Matthew
Preached In Ethiopia And Persia
Died A Martyr In Iran Or Ethiopia

JAMES (SON OF ALPHAEUS)
From Galilee
Preached In Syria And Egypt
Died A Martyr In Egypt

THADDAEUS
From
(Also Called Judas or Jude)
Might Have Written Jude
Preached In Iraq And Armenia
Died A Martyr In Lebanon or Armenia or Persia

SIMON THE ZEALOT
From Galilee
A Zealot Who Opposed Roman Rule
Preached In Egypt, North Africa, Persia, Maybe Britain
Died A Martyr In Persia or Turkey or Samaria, Or Maybe, Britain

MATTHIAS
Chosen To Replace Judas Iscariot
Chosen By Lot
Preached In Turkey
Died A Martyr In Jerusalem Or Colchis On The Black Sea In Central Europe

 

NOTES: We depend not on Scripture, but on early church history as we determine where we believe the disciples preached the Gospel, and where they died, most of them as martyrs.

 

A Disciple’s Prayer

Father of us all,
Father of our Savior,
our Lord Jesus;
we praise You
for Your gift
of Salvation
in Jesus.

We confess we could
never save ourselves,
we can only
look to the life,
the death and
the resurrection
our Our Lord Jesus.

We confess we
have not only
been gifted
Salvation;
we have been
discipled
to follow Him.

We have been
discipled
by the Holy Spirit,
by Your Holy Word,
by Your faithful
disciples and
by their holy lives.

We ask you to
make us faithful
as is our Savior,
as were His disciples,
as are those who
disciple us
even now.

We ask you to
take us as Your own
and use us
according
to Your perfect Will
wherever, whenever
You choose.

Amen.