In their book The Faith of Leap, Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost write:

"God took something of a risk in handing over his mission to the all-too-sinful human beings who were his original disciples...it is entirely conceivable that history could have gone in a completely different, indeed totally disastrous, direction if the original disciples hadn’t plucked up the internal courage to follow Jesus no matter where."

John Piper responds to their notion - that if it wasn't for the mustered up courage of the original disciples, God's mission in saving sinners through Christ could have possibly failed - as

1. false to the Scriptures;
2. built on a false philosophical presupposition;
3. damaging to the mission of Christ in the world;
4. and belittling to the glory of God.

You can read and see his video response here.