Reaching the Nations
By John Ford
When hearing the words, “Go and make disciples of all nations”, they can be overwhelming. Thequestion that springs to mind is this; what does it mean for a community in Kingston to be involvedin the gospel going to the nations of the world? What is our part to play? Personally, what is my partto play?As a community, our role is to be a praying people, a sending people and a supporting people ofthose that we have sent.The role of a church in cross-cultural church planting and seeing the gospel going to the ends of theearth can be likened to a theatre. God is the director, unseen, but the creative voice who shapes theplay, selects the actors and whose fingerprints are observable on every aspect of the play. Theactors on the stage are like those that go. They are the ones that are seen: who live amongst thenations. However, behind the scenes, you have unseen roles. Unless the ‘hidden roles’ of creating theactors’ clothes, selling tickets, advertising, arranging venues, provide refreshments take place, theplay will not go on. These hidden roles are essential.By praying, pastorally supporting those that are going and financially giving, every person plays theirpart in the play which will climax in the gospel reaching all peoples of the earth.
Praying
All of us can partner with world mission through praying whether we stay or go.“A people group is the largest group within which the Gospel can spread as a church plantingmovement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance" (1982 LausanneCommittee Chicago meeting). In the world there are 17,013 people groups. Of these 7,076 areunreached people groups (1). That does not mean no-one in an unreached people group is a Christian.Rather an unreached people group refers to an ethnic group without an indigenous, self-propagatingChristian church movement. In other words, in these people groups, which over 3 billion of theworld’s population live, it is unlikely for someone to meet a local believer who will be able to sharethe good news of Jesus with them.There are great resources to pray for the world and the people groups of the world.- Operation World - http://www.operationworld.org/join-prayer-movement- The Joshua Project: Gives information so you can pray for the unreached people groups ofthe world - https://joshuaproject.net/
Sending / Going
Amazingly, in the Middle East many people are becoming Christians through visions of Jesus. God isso passionate about saving and drawing people to himself, that dreams and visions are commonplace. However, the God-ordained and primary way for the gospel to reach the ends of the earth isthrough people going to the ends of the earth: to live amongst people, learn their language, learntheir questions, love, and show how the gospel answers the questions that they are seeking answersfor.Just as others have gone from King’s to church plant overseas, in the coming years you will besending again. Some of you will be going, because you will hear the call of God to “Go”. Just as yousent a church planting team to Istanbul 5 years ago, surely God will once again want you to sendindividuals or even a team to go and plant a church in a different country, where few know aboutJesus.For those of you who are feeling a stirring to “Go”, how do you keep that calling alive and developit? Let me give three recommendations so that a sense of calling moves towards going.1) Share this sense of calling with leaders of the church.2) Always ask, what is the next step to keep this sense of calling alive? (i.e. Is there a cross-culturalchurch conference to go to? A book to read? A person you should chat to? A placeyou should visit?). This was the single most important factor for my sense of calling to movefrom calling to reality.3) Read or listen to biographies about those who have gone before.(John Piper in his yearly pastors’ conference often tells the story of one of these heroes.These are either 60-80 mins talks or 30 pages booklets).Hudson Taylor - https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-ministry-of-hudson-taylor-as-life-in-christAdoniram Judson - https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/how-few-there-are-who-die-so-hardJohn G. Paten - https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/you-will-be-eaten-by-cannibals-lessons-from-the-life-of-john-g-patonThe encouragement is that people have gone from us to see the gospel reach the ends of the earth.People from King’s Church are serving in Istanbul, Freetown Sierra Leone, Frankfurt Germany andthe Czech Republic.In the coming days, you will hear stories of those who were at King’s Church but are now servingGod in a different culture.
Supporting
A key role for those that stay is by supporting those that have gone. The difference it makes whenyou receive a package from England, an unexpected phone call from a friend saying that they arepraying and finding out how you are, or friends coming to visit, cannot be underestimated. On thedark days of discouragement or loneliness, the support from friends in the church family is a gamechanger.
Summary
The calling for us as a church is to play our part in world mission. Everyone has their role to play(whether going or staying). The gospel will go to the ends of the earth. God’s word will be fulfilledand people from every tribe and tongue will worship him (Revelation 7:9-10). He calls us to giveourselves to see his name exalted in the nations.