Week 2 (April 12-18) — Seeking Out

— Looking out & seeking potential stakeholders who may not yet be part of the network, but have a desire to be connected.

 

​We are in the second week after Resurrection Day on this 50 day journey…

Let’s take a few minutes and ponder, “What might it have been like to have been one of the disciples in the journey to Pentecost”

 

What might it have been like to have been a disciple, a “stakeholder” so to speak in the ministry and realize the task now fell to you and His followers to respond into the future. The written accounts of what happened after the Resurrection are shared very differently throughout the Scriptures. In Matthew and Mark the accounts end shortly after the Resurrection, but both finish with the “Great Commission,” and Jesus’ instructions to his disciples to go out into the world and spread the good news of salvation. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV). The Gospel accounts of Luke and John give us a little more detail, but really what is written in Scripture is really just small glimpses into His visits during this time. What must the disciples have wondered, where might they have found themselves?

Let’s take another look at the global positioning of ION…

1. Where are we?  Where are we not? — Like the disciples in that 50 day journey, there was so much more happening than they were personally seeing. The same is true for the orality movement and the network.

2. Who is involved? Who might want to be? — Just like the disciples on the journey, their reality was how they fit in, or how does this fit alongside me? The same is true for some in ION. Not so different than what it might have been for the early Church and His disciples. Yet as they began to see they were on a journey to Pentecost, they would see God was doing a much bigger thing. More followers would be needed, more followers would come, along the way. God is at work, He is working His plan.

3. What are we willing to do to allow for those who have like interests or concerns for oral peoples of the globe to be involved? What might it take to involve them? –Lord, give us a larger view, give us Your perspective of what YOU are doing across the globe in orality and cause us to want to seek out those who You are using. Allow us to walk together.  ​

ION Stakeholders… Definition of a Stakeholder: A person, group or organization that has like interests or concerns. Stakeholders can affect or be affected. Not all stakeholders are equal. Stakeholders may be both internal and external to the movement.

Keeping in mind that ION is a network. Our goal is “Influencing the body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners” / Influencing =  The body of Christ = All Christians, everywhere, believers in one church, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord Jesus Christ, one faith, one baptism, one God. “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” -Romans 12:4-5 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.” -1 Cor. 12:12 “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” -1 Cor. 12:27  [For your reference: ION is a network of over 1,200 organizations & agencies, and over 5500 individuals, who link together. See the ION website for the founding stakeholders listing: http://orality.net/endorsements and the web-link listing page: http://orality.net/web-links ]

Let us pray:

Lord, take us where You want us to go. Let us meet You this week in our prayer times. Let us see Your Presence in the work You have allowed us to be a part of, for Your Glory. Prepare us to step back from what we think we know. Lord, take us to where You want us to go. Let us be ready and willing to receive. Let us be open to discover what You are wanting us to see and receive from You. Give those open spaces, open chairs, open arenas to allow for others that You are wanting to bring, to step in. We are making space for You and for those You are drawing. Let us receive them to bring the portion that only they can bring.

Lord, let us see the big picture. Align the body, to see our true global positioning. We know that in order to fulfill what You have called us to be a part of in Your plan, things may change, we trust You. Father, we are asking You to show us how that might look in these coming days.  May we be waiting expectantly and ready. Just as the early disciples had to wait, we wait on You. May You pour out a greater portion of the Holy Spirit, may we receive power from on high to be Your witnesses in (our) Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. For Your glory. Father, link us together as one body, in unity and in fellowship, so that the world might know YOU. Amen

·      The disciples were in unity and fellowship. Let us be people of the Word in unity and fellowship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://answersingenesis.org/jesus-christ/resurrection/the-sequence-of-christs-post-resurrection-appearances/

​​Some of the appearances of Jesus: ​

1. The Earthquake Matthew 28.2-4
2. Mary Magdalene finds the empty tomb John 20.1,2
3. The disciples run to the empty tomb John 20.3-8
4. The angel appears to the women Matt. 28.5-8 or Mark 16.3-8 or Luke 24.2-9
5. Jesus meets the women Matthew 28. 9,10
6. The road to Emmaus Luke 24.28-35
7. Jesus appears to the disciples Luke 24.36-42 or John 20.19,20
8. Jesus promises the Spirit Luke 24.44-49
9. Jesus commissions the disciples John 20.21-23
10. Jesus breathes the Spirit in the upper room John 20. 22.23
11. Jesus reveals himself to Thomas John 20.24-29
12. Jesus appears at the lakeside John 21. 9-13
13. Jesus confronts Peter John 21.15-19
14. Jesus and the beloved disciple John 21. 20-23
15. Jesus appears to the five hundred 1 Cor. 15.3-6
16. Jesus commissions the disciples Matthew 28: 16-20
17. The ascension Acts 1.3-11
18. Pentecost Acts 2.1-11
19. Jesus appears to Saul (Paul) Acts 9.1-18 or 1 Corinthians 15.8

[*Please note: This information will be posted in the ION Blog section of the website http://orality.net/blog ]

http://ionprayer.com/2015/04/11/ion-pentecost-prayer-initiative-week-2-april-12-18-seeking-out/