THEN JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES

Transcription

1 Matthew 16:24-25 HCSB THEN JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.

2 We pray this resource will be a practical beginning point to your being His heart, hands and voice. *This booklet is part inspiration, part introspection and part activation. You will be lifted up, brought to your knees and led to action. All the while you'll be able to record your thoughts as you struggle through how God is calling you to respond. Keep it close. Allow it to be your personal journal as you encounter His Spirit leading and directing your steps through this journey.

3 LET IT START WITH F E R V E N T P A S S I O N A T E I N T E R C E S S I V E O B E D I E N T PRAYER My prayer

4 Matthew 22:37 HE SAID TO HIM, LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. AFTER JESUS I m realizing that I don t have to be superhuman to do God s will, but I do need a heart that trusts Him where He leads me! Nicole, Sub-Saharan African peoples

5 My journey of taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth starts with BEING a devoted disciple of Jesus. His call to seek, know and truly love Him is paramount... and costly. WILL I CHOOSE TO

6 CONFESS HIM AS LORD? TURN AWAY FROM SELFISH DESIRES? FORSAKE MY OWN LIFE AND TRULY COME AFTER JESUS?

7 WHAT WOULD COMPEL ME TO COME AFTER HIM?

8 GALATIANS 5:24 AND THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH ITS PASSIONS AND DESIRES. SELF Putting our selfish desires to death is painful, but it is glorious to live as Christ lives! Jason, Central Asian peoples

9 He has called me to DENY myself, meaning I choose to no longer live for me but solely for Him. WHAT DO I FOCUS ON BEFORE GOD?

10 MY COMFORT? MY DESIRES? MY RELATIONSHIPS? MY PLANS?

11 CONFESS YOUR DENIAL BARRIERS

12 LUKE 14:27&33 WHOEVER DOES NOT BEAR HIS OWN CROSS AND COME AFTER ME CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. SO THEREFORE, ANY ONE OF YOU WHO DOES NOT RENOUNCE ALL THAT HE HAS CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. UP YOUR CROSS May I have a heart that refuses to give to the Lord a sacrifice that costs me nothing. Leslie, Central Asian peoples

13 Jesus was willing to do whatever was necessary, even death on a cross, to provide a way for man to be reconciled to God. He is calling me to do whatever it takes to make this way of salvation known to all peoples. HOW FAR AM I WILLING TO TAKE UP THE CROSS OF JESUS?

14 TO MY COMMUNITY? CITY? THE NATIONS?

15 WHAT MIGHT IT COST ME TO TAKE MY CROSS AND MAKE SALVATION KNOWN?

16 LUKE 9:59,60 FOLLOW ME... GO AND PROCLAIM EVERY- WHERE THE KINGDOM OF GOD. JESUS Sometimes what Jesus asks of us is difficult, but we have to make the decision to either follow Him or deny Him. B., South Asian peoples

17 \ ˇ The decision to follow Jesus is a daily decision following Him in living a holy life, glorifying the Father and caring for the outcast and broken. YOUR DAILY DECISION WILL REQUIRE DAILY QUESTIONS.

18 \ HOW DO I DISCERN HIS WILL ON A DAILY BASIS? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR ME TO FOLLOW JESUS? AM I WILLING TO FOLLOW HIM WHEREVER HE LEADS?

19 HOW HAVE I FOLLOWED HIM TODAY? \ ˇ

20 GALATIANS 2:20 I NO LONGER LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. THE LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE BODY, I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. YOUR LIFE Dear pastor, you should only be ing this in the event of my death. open- Karen Watson, martyred 2004 in Iraq

21 * I commit to follow Jesus, to the ends of the earth, no matter the cost. AM I WILLING TO LIVE LIKE PAUL?

22 * COUNT ALL AS LOST FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST? SHARE IN HIS SUFFERING? AND EVEN BECOME LIKE CHRIST IN HIS DEATH?

23 MY THOUGHTS ON LOSING THE THINGS OF THIS LIFE. *

24 fw HOW WILL MY FOLLOWING J E S U S IMPACT A LOST WORLD?

25 He is being revealed to every tongue, tribe and nation. What is my next step to BE His heart, hands and voice across the globe? To BE a part, a sacrificial witness to this glorifying global mission? To BE obedient, no matter the cost? Where in the process do I fit? My small group? My church?

26 HIS HEART beats and breaks for the nations, every tongue and tribe, those who are lost and hurting, physically and spiritually. BE AWARE Nearly 60 percent of the world's population lives in a place where His heartbeat is not clearly heard. Worldwide, researchers have identified nearly 11,500 unique groups people groups defined as the largest group through which the Gospel can flow without encountering significant barriers of understanding and acceptance. Of that total, 6,600 are considered unreached, and 3,400 are not engaged by anyone.

27 STATUS OF WORLD S PEOPLE GROUPS More info can be found at public.imb.org/globalresearch 11,500 Total (7 billion people) 6,600 Unreached (4.1 billion people) * < 2% evangelical 3,400 Unengaged Unreached (350 million people) Most Evangelical presence Least

28 HIS HANDS BE IN PRAYER Another great next step, if you have heard the call of Jesus to "BE" His disciple and follow Him in reaching the broken, hurting and lost world, is to continue the dialogue with God. Ask God to lead you and your church to a specific people group to pray for intentionally. Then ask how He wants you to pray for them. And what more He wants you to do. RESOURCES PRAYERTHREADS.IMB.ORG

29 BE AVAILABLE As you begin to pray specifically, asking God for next steps, He will likely call you to be personally involved. You can help. Your church has a role. GO INDIVIDUALS C H U R C H E S WEEK MONTH YEAR CAREER GIVE S O O T H E R S C A N G O God is equipping individuals and churches to go to places and people groups who have yet to hear. FIND YOUR OR YOUR CHURCH'S NICHE HUMAN NEEDS MEDICAL MEDIA WATER PROECTS AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS STUDENTS TEACHERS IMB.ORG click on GO, GIVE or LEAD

30 HIS VOICE is amplified because of teamwork and great partners in the global mission. BE IN CONTACT As you and your church explore your next steps, remember IMB has a team of specialists who can answer your questions and connect you to personalized: ENCOURAGEMENT COACHING CONNECTIONS CONSULTING TRAINING NETWORKING

31 R E G I O N A L REPRESENTATION 1. NANCY CHAFFIN - nchaffin@imb.org (800) , ext BRENDA HELMS - bhelms@imb.org (800) , ext. 1943

32 REGIONS CONTINUED 3. WENDY HOUSTON - whouston@imb.org (800) , ext LINDA HOPE - lhope@imb.org (800) , ext BARBARA SMITH bhsmith@imb.org (800) , ext MARY JO HINES - mhines@imb.org (800) , ext more information at imb.org/main/lead