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World missions is scary.
The reason being that it includes the word “World.” When we think about missions, it’s not beyond the scope of our understanding to see a missions trip where we conduct a vacation Bible school. It isn’t hard to see missions when we take on a project to serve and reach our community.
However, when you talk about world missions and reaching the world. Things tend to get a little hairy. Questions begin to form in our minds:
These thoughts and more may fill our hearts and minds when we think about the church’s commandment to reach the world with the Gospel. God does mean for us to reach the world, here’s why:
Matthew 28:18–20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Jesus said “teach all nations”. The idea here is that we would make followers of Jesus of all nations. There’s no place that is left out in this command. It is all inclusive! You cannot get away from the fact that Jesus told us, his church to reach the world.
Our issue is that it doesn’t seem realistic that we would reach the whole world. The problem is not that reaching the whole world is out of reach for us. The problem is that we do not have the faith to take Jesus at his word and trust him to reach the world through us.
We don’t see the scope, beauty, and simplicity of Jesus plan. Jesus’ plan is that his disciples would reach others and train them into disciple makers. God’s way is multiplication.
Imagine that the United states was 100% non-Christian and you were the only christian living within the borders. You could reach the entire United states in just under 30 years by doing one simple thing: Each year, reach one person and teach that person to reach one person each year.
Through the power of multiplication, the entire world would be reached in only another 4 years if everyone kept reaching just one person each year. By the numbers, reaching the entire world is entirely in the realm of possibility. The problem is that we get sidetracked by so many things that we do not diligently work to reach the world with the Gospel.
You are probablby thiking, yes that sounds good, but there are other factors you need to take into account. You are correct by all means. There are an incredible amount of obstacles that stand in the way of world evangelism. However, I challenge you to consider with me that the largest obstacle to world evangelism is that we do not act in faith to reach the world with the Gospel.
Satan is so tricky that he uses logical and reasonable arguments to stop us from even starting to reach the world with the Gospel. Right now is an opportunity for you and I to turn around and become trusting agents of world evangelism. May my prayer always be, God, help me to reach one this year and teach them to reach others no matter where they go.
It is good to consider obstacles, but in all your considerations do not leave out God! When Jesus left, he told the small group of followers he had to wait in Jerusalem for power and then they would be witnesses. He told them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit so that they would be empowered to go out and witness with boldness throughout their world.
The incredible thing is that God took this small, rag-tag group of people and used them to turn the world upside down. Check out this verse:
“And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;”
Acts 17:6
In their generation they reached the entire world with the Gospel. That does not mean that everyone was saved, but it does mean that they had made it possible for every person to hear about Jesus Christ and what he had done on the cross on their behalf.
How small is our thinking that we do not believe that God can use us to reach every person on the planet with the Gospel of Christ. Think with me of the many tools at our disposal that the early church did not have. We have the advantage of improvements in the speed of transportation, communication, and in almost any other area!
We have financial resources like the world has never seen before. If you live in America, you are among the richest people in the world. It is a shame that we think so little of all the means that God has given us to reach the world with the Gospel.
The key is that the Great Commission is not based upon our own power, but His! All that is left for us to do is to exercise simple obedience and trust God to work in and through our lives.
The answer is “Yes.” God does really intend for us to reach the world with the Gospel. God’s plan is that all people would know him and have the opportunity to be reconciled to God. It is possible to reach the entire world with the Gospel. Let’s step out and reach people!