Emphasis Preaching Journal

In 1914 the Communist Party in China had less than twenty members, one of whom was Mao Tse-tung. Most of these few members were young adults, but they were dedicated to bringing the Communist ideology to China. Over a period of thirty five years they gained many followers, which made it possible for Communism to take over in 1948. The success of this crusade in China was due to the commitment of that small group in those early years of the movement.

Jesus knew the importance of commitment when he began to call twelve men to work with him and to be his disciples. He realized that they would he called upon to endure persecution and even martyrdom, but he also knew that the Church would grow as a result. This was his reason for selecting men like Andrew and Peter -- they would be fully committed to his message and his mission.

We are also asked to be followers of Christ today as we witness for him in our churches and in the world. We will probably not be called upon to endure some of the terrible things that happened to the twelve disciples, but our sense of commitment is just as important as was theirs. The growth of the Christian Church in the world will depend upon the depth of our devotion to him and his message.