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“16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matt 28:16-20 NIV)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8 NIV)
Matthew’s account of the earthly ministry of Jesus ends with this:
The Disciples went where Jesus told them to go. (A mountain in Galilee)
The Disciples worshiped him, some doubted him.
Jesus gave them some instructions. These instructions were more of a command: “As you go…Make disciples.” Did you know that? Make and Go sound equally weighted in English, but really the emphasis in this sentence is on the verb for MAKE Disciples. As you go, as you are going. Make disciples.
We are all pretty decent on the going part, right? Today we can hop in a car and get as far as our gas tank will take us. But about that making part? That’s the challenge. It’s the challenge that God NEVER left us alone to figure out. He provided the opportunity and the way for it to happen.
Today we are going to look at how we as a church can participate in making disciples as we go: Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But for the earliest disciples, each of these locations related to them in a particular way. Jerusalem was the city they were staying, the most local of locations. Judea & Samaria were regions in which cities and villages were in and it became more diverse with more people the further you spread out. “Ends of the earth” truly meant the furthest distance you could travel. This is the concept that was less region and more global. Large groups of people were impacted. People of all different backgrounds and languages, and physically so far away from homebase.
“…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
To look at how we make disciples right now in these areas, let’s start from the outside and move in – beginning with The Ends of the Earth.
Globally – Ends of the Earth
How do we make disciples at the ends of the earth?
- Internet ministry. Zoom. Phone. TV.
- Missionaries (check out Nazarene Missions International)
- Short-term Mission Trips (Nazarene Missions Teams)
- What about something less one-on-one? Books?
- Yes. Books can be used to reach people that the author may never meet in person.
- There does need to be some further follow up with a reader, as they read the bible, as they read “Way, Truth Life, Discipleship as a Journey of Grace“ or other great books from the Foundry or other Christian authors, there needs to be follow up and application.
- People reading the Sunday School Material! Did you know it is translated into many different languages?
These are some of the ways we currently participate in making disciples globally.
State/District – Judea & Samaria
How do we make disciples in our State or District? Think bigger than local.
- Districtwide events – Lay, minister & Spouse’s, Men’s, women’s retreats
These may be good opportunities to make us more like Christ, but what of the unChristian throughout our state?
- Intentional travel around the state
- Making disciples wherever you go. Grocery store, department stores… traveling with family to locations.
“16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matt 5:16 NIV
In what other ways do we currently make disciples in our state/district?
- Prayer – For state leaders, towns in dire need
Taking action to help meet these needs? – emergency supplies (Flooding)
I find that it seems a bit challenging to think about this. I think it is because we focus on the local, which we are about to get into, and occasionally think about the global through regular offerings, a mission lesson or two, read a missionary book or go to a conference.
How do we make disciples locally?
Viroqua – Jerusalem
Being Present in our Community
Sundays – also developing the faithful and conforming into the image of Christ, the mind of Christ.
- Worship service 11 AM
- Sunday School classes 9:45 AM
- Sunday Night Bible study 4-5 PM
Participate in other local outreach events: Worship in the park
Partner with other organizations to meet needs (Bethel Butikk, Food Pantry, Door of Hope.)
Prayer for specifics in our community
- Leaders, businesses, neighborhoods
What else can you think we DO locally? As we are going about our daily life in Vernon County, what ways are we making disciples?
Sometimes it’s hard to stop and think. It’s OK if you can’t think of anything. If you’ve not considered a question before, it’s not like you would have an answer in your back pocket. But I want you to think about that starting today. How “am I making disciples” locally?
Dream about the possibilities…
What can we do globally?
LINKS/Deputation Missionary – Janary Suyat
From Manila, going to Okinawa, Japan
Give an offering to directly support their work
Pray for Janary and her husband, Anderson
Missionaries at Okinawa Christian School International as Chaplin and Bible teachers
Alabaster Offering – Two times a year
Sept 24 & Feb 25
(Click Here to learn more about Alabaster Giving)
What can we do district/statewide?
Prayer & Worship services – put these on your calendar
- September 24th & April 28th
- 6 PM – Locations will likely be Richland Center & Mauston
- Great time of prayer, worship, and fellowship with others on our zone
Pray for new churches to be born on the Wisconsin District
- Milwaukee – Dr. David Busic called this one out at the District Assembly and he’s absolutely right. We need to start a new work in Milwaukee.
Why Milwaukee?
- It’s a very large city…with no Nazarene presence.
- It, like Viroqua is to Vernon County, is the centralized location for much social and political discourse in our state.
- In missions terms – this is an unreached people-group.
- We have churches near Milwaukee, but not in Milwaukee.
I’ll come back to this Milwaukee Church plant a little furth down on this post, but keep an open heart and mind about how God wants you to participate in bringing Christian Holiness message into places of great need.
That’s a few things we can do throughout our state…
What can we do locally?
Pray for our community.
- What are the community needs? Do we know them?
Hold (at least 1) outreach event to our community
- Our hot dog grill out was a good event, bringing our church together with those that live in this neighborhood.
- It doesn’t have to be BIG or Expensive.
- Sometimes just doing something makes a difference.
If you have an idea for an outreach event, something to connect us and our community so we have more opportunities to reach them out of that event…please leave a comment on this post.
What else can we do?
- Partner with other like-minded ministries and services in the area
Remember our paradigm shift when we studied “Way-Truth-Life” that discipleship is a Journey of Grace. Even when we are praying for someone, talking to them about Jesus, planting seeds, watering the garden of their heart, God is faithful to make it grow. He even enables them to hear and receive the good news!
The Good news for us is that we don’t need to go to Okinawa, Japan. We can partner with others that God has called to reach the people of Okinawa.
We don’t have to sell our homes, pack our bags and plant a church ourselves in Milwaukee. God is already preparing hearts. The ones He calls will go and while they’re going, they’ll make disciples along the way.
We are here, in Vernon County. This is our specific mission field. We can and will make disciples as we go, each day of our lives.
There are 3 basic principles that will help us to make disciples in all 3 regions: Local, State/District, Global.
Pray, Learn, Give.
- WE can PRAY for this church plant to happen, pray that God’s blessing, opportunity will be poured out upon this new work.
- We can begin to LEARN about the people of Milwaukee. When you learn about someone, it makes you more empathetic towards them. Empathy, unlike sympathy, is a worthwhile attribute. It will help us to get to know what they struggle with, where the biggest community problems are so we can pray specifically about them.
- We can GIVE. Sometimes this is financial, sometimes it’s time, and sometimes it is our all.
When I graduated from College, I still didn’t have a job at a church, though I interviewed for a children’s pastor position. I moved back home with my parents and worked at Papa John’s.
One Sunday night service at their church, a woman named Kaylynn got up and shared her vision for a new church in Bloomington, IL. A church that would intentionally reach out to the international population in that community. She asked for prayer partners, gave opportunities for people to give financial gifts, but also gave an invitation to any in the audience that night if they wanted to join this new adventure. I looked over at her husband and her seemingly well-behaved children and I thought, “hmmm…I could be her kid’s pastor.” That thought I had in my mind started several discussions and soon thereafter I joined their church plant and served in various capacities for 4 years.
I share that experience with you because anytime you start to tell God yes, there will be a series of yeses that follow.
We Pray for God’s plans, Learn about those He desires to reach, Give all that we are to see His kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.
Viroqua Naz 