When there is an emergency, our immediate response could mean the difference between life and death. This is why airports have fire fighters on standby, buildings have emergency exits, and paramedics are always ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Jesus has also assigned us an urgent task. How will you respond?
THE GOD OF PRESENT TENSE
In Friday's devotional, It's Never too Late, I mentioned how God is a present tense God. This is a true statement, but a little incomplete. God is beyond “tenses.” He is the God of eternity past and eternity future, yet He has chosen to reveal Himself to us with a present tense name, "I AM." This affirms the reality that God is not bound by time. He is the Creator of time and even transcends time. He is always, “I AM.”
WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH US?
Although God’s plans and purposes stretch from eternity past to eternity future, our involvement in what God is doing has a present tense focus. The question every Christian must ask is: Am I walking faithfully and obediently with Christ right now?
Let me bring this closer to home. This applies particularly to the Great Commission, of which we are all called to participate.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…" —Matthew 28:19
THE UNFINISHED TASK
The Gospel is to be preached to all people, and we are to make disciples of every nation. This is God’s plan and the task we are commanded to fulfill as followers of Jesus... right now. With this in mind, consider these statistics about people in the world with little to no access to the Gospel.
Of the 7.2 billion people in the world, an estimated 3 billion live in unreached people groups with little to no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
According to the Joshua Project, there are approximately 16,300 unique people groups in the world, of which about 6,500 are considered unreached by the Gospel (less than 2% evangelical Christians among them).
95% of these groups exist in the 10/40 window.
Less than 10% of missionary work is done among these people.
According to Finishing the Task, 506 of these unreached groups are considered unengaged (no active church planting under way), and have populations over 10,000. That is over 51 million souls still completely beyond the reach of the Gospel right now. These are perhaps the neediest in the world. No church, no missionary, no mission agency, no one to take the responsibility of sharing Jesus with them.
MORE THAN NUMBERS
These statistics and definitions come from various websites, but behind these numbers are people for whom Christ died. They are included in the command we have received to make disciples of all nations. This is the call on our lives, NOW.
ACTION QUESTIONS
Am I walking faithfully and obediently with Christ right now? What can I do to help finish the task and complete the Great Commission?
by Jimmy Aycock