We were made for a global purpose

So the map in the previous blog is of churches in our area according to Google. As many dots as there are, it is still not all, because the more you drill down the more churches Google displays. We are a churched society. Books, music, tv shows, movies, conferences. We have it all. And yet some have nothing.

There is access to the gospel in Spartanburg, SC.

Our efforts as a church need to be more global. Kellee and I picked up the slogan along the way, “No one should hear twice until everyone has heard once.” That also applies to bible translation. We don’t need another version in English (there have been hundreds since Tyndale’s NT translation in 1526) when over 2000 languages don’t have a single word yet.

Do we even realize the urgency of this mission? That literally billions do not know? Have not heard? Will grow up, live their lives and die having never heard about Jesus? And they’re not coming to us. So we must go.

I mentioned a book that opened our eyes in the first blog, Radical by David Platt. If you haven't read it, go get it. Here are some points about the urgency of the mission from that book:

• The most conservative estimate is that there are 4.5 out of 6.5 billion people in the world who do not believe in Jesus.
• We are born into sin. We stand condemned to hell unless we CHOOSE Christ. Regardless of whether someone told us he exists. If not, then the last thing we should do is tell people, right? Keep quiet and everyone gets a free pass. But that is not biblical.
• Romans 10:13-15 says, “13 For "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"

     Now, obviously, if people can’t come to God apart from faith in Christ, then this truth is not encouraging for those who have never heard of Christ. Many conclude at this point, “I don’t know how, but surely God will make a way for these millions of people to get to heaven even if they haven’t heard about Jesus.” In the emotional pull of the question, we long for there to be a way for those who have not heard to be saved. We are sure that God in his love would not allow them to go to hell when they haven’t even heard of Jesus. Again, we need to be careful to consider the ramifications of such a conclusion. If we conclude that people can get to heaven apart from faith in Christ, then this would mean there is something else they can do to get to heaven. Such a conclusion would not only undercut the previous truth we saw in Romans; it would also be tantamount to saying to Jesus, “Thank you for what you did on the cross, but we could have gotten to God another way.”
     Some wonder if it is unfair for God to allow so many to have no knowledge of the gospel. But there is no injustice in God. The injustice lies in Christians who possess the gospel and refuse to give their lives to making it known among those who haven’t heard. That is unfair.

• We are His ambassadors. There is no plan B. We are to take the message to all.

I wonder if maybe God placed us in a culture saturated with access to biblical truth in order to raise up a generation of people who could take that message around the world? We have the ability and the opportunity. Do we have the desire?