Jesus gave his disciples the charge to “go and make disciples of all nations” as in Matthew 28:18-20. In 1 John 4:14, John says, “the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” Jesus said in Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is very clear that Jesus’ charge to the church is for disciples to go into all the world — locally and globally. The first century Christians who were persecuted and were scattered certainly understood this charge clearly. Acts 8:4 says they “preached the word wherever they went.<\/i>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of these persecuted Christians, as Acts 11:19-21 says, traveled to far away places from Jerusalem to places like Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message to the Jews and even to the Greeks and the scripture says that “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.<\/i>” As disciples living mostly in much more comfortable and less challenging circumstances, we should make every effort to keep the world missions focus alive. If this is what Jesus died for, how can we live for anything else? The church that is truly the body of Christ will place priority on the “discipling of the nations” in word and in deed. \u00b9<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us face the global facts of the world we live in..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heaven weeps at the cries of earth’s children! Is our heart aching? How many of these people heard the gospel? How many were reached out to? Who is going to preach the good news to the young souls being added every second? Romans 10:14 says “how can they hear without someone preaching to them?<\/i>” and Romans 10:15 says“how can they preach unless they are sent?<\/i>” Who is going to preach and who is going to send them to preach? Do we have a plan? Are we asking the Lord of the harvest? What are we doing about it? As someone said, “Don’t just sit there, do something!” The words of Keith Green’s song “Asleep in the Light” are a wake-up call for us as disciples and for our churches in these times. As hee died in a plane crash, the words of his song are haunting..<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you see, do you see How can you be numb Oh bless me lord, bless me lord But he cries, he weeps, he bleeds Cause he brings people to your door Open up, open up God’s calling and you’re the one The world is sleeping in the dark Oh, Jesus rose from the dead How can you be so numb Dont close your eyes The words of this song cut through our hearts. As we look around, we just cannot pretend that the job is done. The work has just begun…..<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us also face the facts of our churches in our movement\u00b3..<\/p>\n\n\n\n How are we going to see many new churches planted and watered in a rapid way? How are we going to sustain the workers we send out into the harvest field? How are we going to help the churches that have been planted to grow and be built up into a sending church? Do we have the vision, passion and the conviction to see this fulfilled? We need to find answers to some of these questions in our hearts and our congregations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The task seems impossible for us, but with God all things are possible. The Holy Spirit has been working since the day of Pentecost as we see in the book of Acts and He is still at work today. He wants to see our churches multiply and the number of disciples grow. We are not the only disciples, but we must take responsibility as disciples of Jesus.<\/ins><\/p>\n\n\n\n What is it going to take?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few things to consider about our churches :<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need to beg God to show us all possible ways to see new churches established in all nations as we see in the first century. We need to have a united plan and hearts for how we are to see churches planted in the remaining 47 countries. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!<\/i>[Rom 10:15]. Let us take the good news to all nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where do we go from here?<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n In only 30 years as a movement, we have seen God’s great miracles among us. Hundreds of thousands of lives changed. 560 churches in 147 nations. Almost all led by nationals. Disciples willing to go anywhere, do anything and give up everything for Jesus. Maturing churches on every continent that have been through testing fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What we need now are churches moved by the Spirit of God acting for God locally believing that God will use it globally. That will bring about a “butterfly effect” in our movement — believing that the flapping of butterfly wings in Brazil will create [or prevent] a tornado in Texas. We have seen this effect in the past. God built what happened through the Boston Church in the late 70’s into a “world evangelism storm” spreading around the world in just 30 years! The same effect has to be felt again in our movement in the world now. It could start in one of our churches and its effect could be felt all over the world, just like it started with the Jerusalem church in the first century and its ripples were felt aroung the world. Where is it going to start? What if it started in one church on every continent? In every region? Let a new revolution begin for God and the gospel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
All the people sinking down
Dont you care, dont you care
Are you gonna let them drown<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job’s done<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know its all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts
No one even sheds one tear<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he cares for your needs
And you just lay back
And keep soaking it in
Oh can’t you see it’s such a sin<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you turn them away
As you smile and say
God bless you, be at peace
And all heaven just weeps
Cause Jesus came to your door
You’ve left him out on the streets<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries
So how can you delay<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But like Jonah you run
He told you to speak
But you keep holding it in
Oh can’t you see its such a sin<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That the church just can’t fight
Cause it’s asleep in the light
How can you be so dead
When you’ve been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave
And you, you can’t even get out of bed<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Come on get out of your bed<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job’s done
You close your eyes
And pretend the job’s done<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dont pretend the job’s done<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
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