You Are Part of Something Big

Hi there, my name is Dean Davis, and this is a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Did you ever feel that the world was very large and you were very small?  Maybe you felt that way when you stood outside on a dark, clear night and you looked up to see thousands of stars in the sky from horizon to horizon.  Maybe you felt very small in a big, big world when you first studied geography and realized just how big our Earth is and how many people live on it.  Right now there are more than 7.8 billion people living on Earth. So it’s true, you and I are very small and the world is very big.

When we realize how big the world is and how small we are, we can begin to think, “I could never make a difference in this world, I’m just one person out of billions.” This can be a little bit depressing.  But it gets worse.  When you realize that you come from a small village in a secondary province of a small country, you can feel even more powerless.  You ask yourself, “How could I ever change the world for the better?  I’m so small and powerless.” 

If you have ever felt small and powerless in a big, big world, I have a story to tell you that will encourage you.  God sent his Son, Jesus, to live in a small village (Nazareth) in a secondary province (Galilee) of a small country (Israel).  Jesus gathered around him 12 followers, many of whom also came from small villages. Jesus shared the Good News of God’s love and so can you. Jesus called people to repent and so can you. 

Jesus trained his followers to make disciples and so can you. Jesus taught his 12 disciples that the field where he was working is the whole world and he told them to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus and the 12 have changed the world through the power of the Gospel and so can you.  Just as Jesus shared his power and his authority with his 12 first disciples, He delights in sharing his power and authority with you.  The reason he wants to empower you is so you can transmit the blessings of God to people around the world.

Jesus told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

But again you say, Dean, the world is so big and I am so small. And that is true.  Even so, you have the ability to make disciples who will make disciples who will make disciples.  Each new generation of disciples will take the Good News to new places and tell new people of the love of God in Jesus Christ. None of the original 12 disciples ever visited your village.  But the message they shared with others did come to your village and your life was changed.  In the same way, God wants to use you. So make disciples who also make disciples. Send them out to make more disciples in new places.  If you do this, if you make disciples who make disciples, you will change the world.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

E1-10

 

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