April 19th, 2024
by Steve Marshall
by Steve Marshall
Church Family:
Can you imagine not having a church family? Can you imagine that you have never heard the gospel or of Jesus Christ? Can you imagine living in a country as an ethnic group where you have no knowledge of anybody following Jesus Christ? Can you imagine having no hope? Tragically, there are over 3 billion people on this earth who are part of over 7000 different people groups that are in this desperate condition. These people are called the "unreached peoples" of the world.
When Paul summarizes his ministry in Romans 5:19-33, after his third missionary journey, he declares his own personal mission: “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”” – Romans 15:20-21
Paul’s mission as an Apostle was to the “unreached peoples” of the world. Paul’s mission is God’s mission. God’s mission is seeking and saving His people throughout all nations through the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Jesus gave his last command through what we call the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Mat. 28:19-20) the word used “nations” (ethne) refers to ethnic groups which are also called "peoples." This great mission of God was Paul's mission and also must be our mission.
Unreached peoples are those among us whom Christ is largely unknown and the church is relatively insufficient to make Christ known to its larger population without outside help. There are two main characteristics that define unreached peoples:
1- Unreached peoples for the most part have never even heard of the name Jesus. Others may have heard the name mentioned, but they don’t know who Jesus is or what He did. They are like many of us Americans today when it comes to someone like the Dalai Lama. We may have heard his name and maybe some general details, but we nothing else about him and his claims.
2- Unreached peoples have no opportunity to be in contact with a community of believing Christians because there is no church among that people group. They lack access to a church that has sufficient resources to make Christ and the gospel known among them.
You may be thinking, "but Steve, we have so many people who are unreached here in the USA." Yes, you are absolutely right. The difference is that the lost people around us have access to you, as well as to other Christians and churches and ministries and etc, who have the gospel. The gospel and churches are thoroughly present here in the USA. On the other hand, unreached people groups, have no way of hearing the good news. Some do not have the Bible written in their language. They are lost and they lack access to the only message that can save them. Their only hope is for someone outside, us, to be sent to come tell them of the gospel.
Church, the gospel is good news only if it gets to a person in time, right? We talk about the second coming of Christ frequently, yet almost half of the world has never heard of His first coming. Let us be a church full of Christ followers who not only give the gospel to the lost around us who have access to us but also to those across the globe who have no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
See you Sunday, reaching others with the gospel: Steve
Can you imagine not having a church family? Can you imagine that you have never heard the gospel or of Jesus Christ? Can you imagine living in a country as an ethnic group where you have no knowledge of anybody following Jesus Christ? Can you imagine having no hope? Tragically, there are over 3 billion people on this earth who are part of over 7000 different people groups that are in this desperate condition. These people are called the "unreached peoples" of the world.
When Paul summarizes his ministry in Romans 5:19-33, after his third missionary journey, he declares his own personal mission: “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”” – Romans 15:20-21
Paul’s mission as an Apostle was to the “unreached peoples” of the world. Paul’s mission is God’s mission. God’s mission is seeking and saving His people throughout all nations through the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Jesus gave his last command through what we call the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Mat. 28:19-20) the word used “nations” (ethne) refers to ethnic groups which are also called "peoples." This great mission of God was Paul's mission and also must be our mission.
Unreached peoples are those among us whom Christ is largely unknown and the church is relatively insufficient to make Christ known to its larger population without outside help. There are two main characteristics that define unreached peoples:
1- Unreached peoples for the most part have never even heard of the name Jesus. Others may have heard the name mentioned, but they don’t know who Jesus is or what He did. They are like many of us Americans today when it comes to someone like the Dalai Lama. We may have heard his name and maybe some general details, but we nothing else about him and his claims.
2- Unreached peoples have no opportunity to be in contact with a community of believing Christians because there is no church among that people group. They lack access to a church that has sufficient resources to make Christ and the gospel known among them.
You may be thinking, "but Steve, we have so many people who are unreached here in the USA." Yes, you are absolutely right. The difference is that the lost people around us have access to you, as well as to other Christians and churches and ministries and etc, who have the gospel. The gospel and churches are thoroughly present here in the USA. On the other hand, unreached people groups, have no way of hearing the good news. Some do not have the Bible written in their language. They are lost and they lack access to the only message that can save them. Their only hope is for someone outside, us, to be sent to come tell them of the gospel.
Church, the gospel is good news only if it gets to a person in time, right? We talk about the second coming of Christ frequently, yet almost half of the world has never heard of His first coming. Let us be a church full of Christ followers who not only give the gospel to the lost around us who have access to us but also to those across the globe who have no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
See you Sunday, reaching others with the gospel: Steve
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