Ultimate Easter Egg Hunt: Reaching Hidden People Groups

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:44-49

The Ripple Effect

• Jesus’ resurrection unleashed the unstoppable advance of His Kingdom: Luke 24:44-49; Matthew 28:18-20; Revelation 7:9.

• Scripture is clear that the End (really…the Beginning) will not come until God’s sheep from among every people group on earth have been gathered: Revelation 5:9, Mark 13:10, Matthew 24:14.

• For 2,000 years, we have been in the “last days” where God has been pouring out His Spirit upon all nations, building His Church, gathering His scattered sheep purchased by the blood of Jesus from every tribe and tongue: Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:17, Acts 12:24.

The Remaining Task

• In 2008, our breath should be taken away! Evangelical Christianity has more followers than any other religion or society in the history of the world! Since the Resurrection, over 10,000 people groups have been reached with the Gospel! (www.joshuaproject.net) That is, they have Scripture translated into their languages, they have the Gospel preached clearly among them, and they have their own native churches. What started as a small mustard seed has now grown & flourished into the largest tree: Matthew 13:31-32. Wow!

• However, there still remain approximately 6,000 “unreached people groups” in the world: ethno-linguistic groups of people (“nation” in the NT is from the Greek word “ethnos,” lit. “ethnicity”) who do not have Bibles or believers or churches, and in some cases (approx. 1,500 of them) not even any outreaches of any kind.

• Most of these unreached peoples live in what has been termed the “10/40 Window.” North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and especially Central Asia make up the Final Frontier of world history!

The Role of the Local Church

• Pioneer missions is not our only task, but it certainly is a primary and fundamental reason for our existence! Do we burn for this?!

• God will not call every one to actually, physically go overseas; but He does call each of us to actively pursue the finishing of His task!

• Educate & Incubate a pioneer mission heartbeat among the flock: teaching, regular & strategic mission trips, worship atmosphere).

• Send & Support those God has told to go (Acts 13:1-4, Titus 3:14).

• Pray & Ponder with zeal and creativity. E.g., consider the huge, eternal impact one little church could wield by “adopting” one particular unreached people group for long-term focus & outreach!

~~posted by Jack

Global Conquest: Missions, Ambitions, and New Year Resolutions

Set your sights higher. Instead of diets and disciplines, why not resolve to conquer the world this year? Say no to Atkins and yes to armies.

Alexander the Great. Genghis Khan. Napoleon. You.

Why not? You don’t have to be some sick megalomaniac like Nero or Hitler to pursue global conquest. After all, despite much fanciful propaganda to the contrary, Genghis Khan himself—who conquered twice as much of the world than any other individual in human history—proved to be quite modest and benevolent, as far as world dictators go.

Shortly before his death and subsequent burial into an unmarked grave (by his request), the quiet, pensive Great Khan openly revealed his lifeblood motivation: a burning desire to “unite the whole world in one empire.”¹ Genghis Khan’s harsh and brutal upbringing in a world of warring tribal clans and marauding, murderous thugs did much to whet his raging appetite for justice, equality, diplomacy, and world peace.

Stretching from Korea to the Crimea, from Beijing to Baghdad, from Siberia to Sri Lanka, the Mongol Empire of the 13th Century erupted from a passionate aspiration, that “by the power of the eternal God the whole world from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof shall be at one in joy and peace.”² History affirms the overall authenticity of their aim.

Which begs the question: Should wanting to dominate and unite the whole world be looked upon as an evil thing? Must the thirst for conquest be anathematized? Is it sinister or intrinsic? Wrong or noble?

Ancient Mongolian history might be interesting, but it’s not authoritative. What does Scripture teach? Isn’t uniting the world a bad thing only attempted by bad people? Are Jesus’ followers in the Colonial business?

Jesus answered Pilate: “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world…” (John 18:37). Whatever else this Holiday season means, Jesus’ only mention of His birth underscores His absolute Kingship and utter, universal authority.

Chief, czar, duke. Khan, king, prince. And over every other title that is given in heaven and earth—past, present, future—Jesus reigns eternally supreme as the only “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16)!

But King Jesus also has a Kingdom.³ And His Kingdom is destined to advance triumphantly throughout all of history⁴ and eternity itself.⁵

Though not “of this world”⁶, there remains a global Christian conspiracy after all!⁷ Captain Jesus calls His followers to call all nations to surrender. The stakes are high. The battle is fierce. But victory is sure.⁸

The global mission of Christ is to establish, first beachheads, and eventually whole civilizations of Spirit-filled imitators in every land who obey His commands, living as one-world-Body for the praise of His glory. These subjects of the Great King come from all races and walks of life, but labor together with a Blood-anchored, all-encompassing oneness.⁹

So, it is noble to conquer and unite the world, if we “conquer” the Gospel way. In other words, as long we fight not by killing, but by being killed.¹⁰ We fight not with swords and guns, but with holy truth and tender love.

At the end of the day all evil rulers pitifully foreshadow, while the more noble warriors of history more clearly prefigure, the global conquest of Jesus Christ. History really is His Story of winning the worship of a numberless mass of multiplied millions won from every tribe and tongue.

The only problem with pursuing world peace and dominance is that, apart from Jesus and His Gospel way, it just doesn’t go deep enough. The most chivalrous of the earth’s conquerors stop so stunningly short of true success because their honor is so empty and so fleeting. Their wisdom too limited. Their power too shallow. Their agendas too earthly.

The Eternal Son of God is the only glory durable enough and dazzling enough to do the job. His Gospel is the only message true enough and glad enough and strong enough to unite the masses forever. And His Spirit is the only force great enough, deep enough, and wild enough to genuinely convert whole peoples and cultures, let alone individual rebels.

So as 2008 dawns, why not set your sights higher? You only live once.

The ordinary Joes and Julius’s of this world are inspired to radical ventures of global conquest for far lesser motives! They risk life and limb, family and fortune with wide-eyed wonder. What about you?

You’ve failed in the past? Think you’re too bad or too weak to be a world warrior for God? Quit looking at you! Like middle-aged sinful Samson, it doesn’t matter how you start—it’s how you finish that counts (Hebrews 11:32). So, like him, cry out to the Lord, take a fresh, firm grasp on the two pillars (the Cross), and burn out your last chapter in wild abandon to the cause of God (Judges 16:28-31). Remember: He selects the foolish and unlikely people of the world to do His work (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Where’s your wanderlust for the Kingdom?! Why not dream a really big dream this New Year? Not Yoga, but Yemen. Not the South Beach diet, but the south beaches of the Aral, the Caspian, and the Mediterranean. Not exercise but evangelism. Not saving money but serving the Mission.

Up then! From the sofa to the saddle! Seize the unreached peoples for the Name of Jesus! Lay your life down! Get greedy about God’s domain!

Be a Genghis Khan for Jesus in 2008! A mission-minded Mongol!

Go conquer the globe.

—————————————

Footnotes:

1. From a letter written by Genghis Khan to a Taoist monk in China c. 1226. Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. THREE RIVERS PRESS, New York, 2004, p. 130.

2. From a letter written by Mongke Khan to France’s Louis IX in 1254. Ibid., p. 175.

3. Colossians 1:13-14, “For He has rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

4. 1 Corinthians 15:25, “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” Mark 13:10, “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.” Romans 15:20-21, “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, ‘They who had not news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.’” Acts 12:24, “But the word of the LORD continued to grow and to be multiplied.” Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sang a new song saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom ad priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.’”

5. Isaiah 9:7, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace…”

6. John 18:36, “Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm’” Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness…”

7. Matthew 28:18-20, “…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

8. 1 Corinthians 15:24-25, “Then comes the end when He [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” Matthew 24:14, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Revelation 11:15, “…The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever!”

9. Acts 2:44, “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;” Romans 12:5, “So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:14, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” Philippians 2:2, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” John 17:23, “I in them and You in me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as You have loved me.” John 15:17, “This I command you, that you love one another.”

10. Romans 8:36-37, “Just as it is written, ‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

Pictures borrowed from the following Wikipedia articles: Genghis Khan, Mongol Empire.

~~posted by Jack

Immanuel & Islamabad

A Meditation on Isaiah 9:7

The “increase” of Jesus’ domain, we are told, will have no end. So chew on this: Christ’s kingdom is not merely eternally existing, but eternally expanding. The rule of the Holy One infinitely and exponentially spreads and grows and conquers.


The dimensions of Christ’s domain—though universal and absolute from the divine perspective—are greater and more glorious in 2007 than in 1907. From the historical angle of God’s redemptive purpose, there is an amazing and unstoppable progress to the spread of the Gospel around the world.


For two thousand years, the Holy Spirit has been applying the affects of the Atonement at an alarming rate. The global advance of the Church is nearly complete. The Great Commission will soon become the Great Completion. And Immanuel will return to feast and dance with his Bride upon the New (and ever-expansive) Earth.


So every Christmas we get closer to that Day. Every Christmas we get nearer to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Every Christmas we move forward, not backward, in the great global conquest of our Christ.


Because of the manger, there is a mission. Because of the Cross, there is a cause. And because of the sovereignty of our King, it is certain. All peoples will be reached. Worshippers will arise from every tribe and tongue (Revelation 5:9).


And His purpose is as serious as it is sovereign. Which means: His followers refuse to wallow with their Godless counterparts in the seasonal frivolity and waste. Especially at this time of year, they set their faces (and their finances) like a flint toward Jalalabad, Juba, and Jakarta. They invest deeply and personally in the furtherance of the Kingdom. They scream “Get behind me, Satan!” to the endless materialistic allurements of nicer clothes, newer cars, or neater golf clubs.


Christmas calls us to the Caucasus. The manager Babe beckons us to Baltistan and Baluchistan. The Incaranation trumpets us triumphantly towards Ingushetia.


Watch out, Islamabad: Immanuel is coming to town!

~~posted by Jack

The Validity of Crossing Cultures in the Work of the Great Commission

The missionary advance of the gospel can no longer be mistaken as a Western enterprise alone. More and more nations from the two-thirds world are sending their own workers, and, not surprisingly, without American passports and unaccustomed to Western comforts, they are getting into some of the most difficult and limited access regions of the world. Believing nationals from within under-evangelized countries are mobilizing for the spread of the church among their own and neighboring peoples. In many regards, a new day has dawned in the epic of the great ingathering, and some of the rules have changed. They have changed so drastically, in fact, that some argue there is little or no place for traditional Western missionaries to do the long-term task of planting churches among the unreached. The expense and trouble involved in transplanting an American or Western European family overseas makes it, according to some, unwise, unstrategic, and a poor stewardship of resources when six or more national pastors can be funded for the same price. Perhaps the traditional model has run its course. Is the role of the Western Church now only to fund nationals, operate training hubs, and perform short-term services?

The church should most definitely give consideration to these things. National believers are, in many regards, the best equipped to carry on the work of church-planting in their own contexts. In too many cases, expatriate workers have over-stayed themselves. Their lack of a clear exit strategy and/or distrust of national believers has done damage to the health and mission of the national church. But I do not believe it is true that there is no longer a place for long-term goers who do the hard work of leaving home and learning a new language and culture with the goal of establishing the church in new contexts. The following is a beginning defense of why:

First, there are still places in the world where there is no national church capable of reaching its own without outside help. In these places, the call of Christ must involve someone crossing cultural and linguistic barriers – it is inherent in the task (Rom. 10:14-15; Matt. 28:18-20). I suggest that it would be in keeping with the thrust of the New Testament for the sending Church to focus on these least-reached areas in the commissioning of workers (Rom. 15:20-21). There are no doubt places where, indeed, the best thing foreign workers can do is pack their bags and leave in a timely fashion to enable the Church of Christ to come to maturity in its own context and shoulder the burden of mission to neighboring tribes and peoples. But this is not the case everywhere. As long as there are peoples with no witness for Christ, as long as there are places where no foundation has been laid, there will be the need for some to do the costly, difficult, Jesus-ordained work of going.

Second, supporting national pastors long term with Western dollars is not an ideal scenario. Of course, there is biblical precedent for the church in one place giving to the church in another. The account of the church in Antioch taking up a collection for the church in Jerusalem in Acts 11:27-30 would be one familiar instance. But this is an example of a one-time gift to relieve a crisis, which is far from parallel to indefinitely underwriting the salaries of foreign pastors and church-planters. Where the goal is indigenous communities of worshipers, the subsidizing of national elders leaves an unmistakable foreign influence. It may work to mark benefiting pastors as belonging to a separate class, it may make them vulnerable to attacks of greed (Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:2), and it may discourage the national church from supporting her own Christian workers and having a sense of ownership and autonomy. As long as Western donors hold the purse-strings, they are going to want to exercise some form of control over the recipients of their gifts, which in the long-run almost necessarily hampers indigenization. On the other hand, where Western dollars are behind Western missionaries, as messy and expensive as that can be, the dollars will leave with the missionaries. Both are temporary. The dollars along with the expatriate say: “something is not right here. Christ’s church is not living here. We must live among you for a time, to bless you with the Word of the Cross, and then we will go.”

Third, I don’t believe it would ever be suitable for the Western Church’s only form of “partnership” with the Church in the East to be financial support and training institutions. Might God be pleased by a fuller partnership and interdependence between us? For an affluent society such as our own, writing checks is one level of commitment to the commission of Christ and our brothers and sisters in the two thirds world. Sending our sons and daughters is another. God has allowed the Western Church (mainly owing to lack of persecution) to progress far in the development of doctrine and resources – something we should not disregard or conceal. While we must encourage new church plants toward mission to surrounding peoples, we should not assume that in every case infant churches will be ready to fulfill the Great Commission in their own countries without partnership. The task is still pretty gigantic, and we will not necessarily be robbing opportunities from churches in least-reached regions by continuing to do our own sending, especially when in partnership and consultation with any local believers that may exist. Of course, partnership is a two way street, and we need our brothers and sisters in the East as greatly or more so than they need us. Let us pose the question: who might have the most effective voice for revival in America? In spite of all our resources, heritage and education, might it not be a Chinese house church elder who has suffered for Christ and has come over to learn our language and give us a message from God? There is a rich effect when not everyone “blooms where they are planted.”

Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, there is something about the message of the cross that is validated, sweetened, illustrated and adorned when it is delivered at the hands of those who have sacrificed status, economy and comfort to bring it. The widely-used term “incarnational ministry” maybe not be the most appropriate, since Christ’s taking on of human flesh was a once-for-all redemptive action in a class by itself. But He who is not ashamed to call us brothers does call us follow Him in laying aside comfort, familiarity and ease to publish the message of His incarnatory work to all the nations. In the wisdom of God, the means are appropriate to the message. The Savior has come a long distance to ransom a people for Himself. In fact, He has gone so far as to die to make our salvation a reality. He asks us, as ambassadors for the ingathering of that people for whom He died, to also condescend, identify, and if necessary die to see this message take root in the ends of the earth.

~~posted by Ambassador

Temple-Building: Lessons for the Task of Missions

“Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” ( Eph. 2:20-22)

“For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people…’.” (2 Cor. 6:16b quoting Lev. 26:11-12)

“Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen…”. (Acts 15:14-16a quoting Amos 9:11)

“You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. (1 Pet. 2:5)

The task of missions is in part the building up of a great temple for God. A temple made up of countless precious “living stones”. The inclusion of the Gentiles is according to James (in Acts 15) the fulfillment of prophecies concerning the rebuilding of the Temple. Indeed, we “the Israel of God” are “being built up as a spiritual house”, “the temple of the living God”. God tabernacles with us now, and ultimately our eternal abode will be with God as His people in the New Jerusalem.

In light of this explicit NT expansion of and explanation of the importance of the Temple, several lessons for today’s task of world-wide missions can be gleaned from the building of the Temple in the OT.

Revelation and Promise. In 2 Samuel 7, David desires to build God a temple. God then promises that David’s son will build a temple for God’s name. He promises that He “will be to him a father” (7:14) and further promises that His “stedfast love will not depart from him” (7:15). We learn in 1 Chron. 28 that of all David’s sons, God chose Solomon for this task. His father David promised Solomon “If you seek [God], he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.” (28:9) And he further promised that “the LORD God, even my God, is with you, He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.” (28:20)

Solomon certainly had many great and wonderful promises to attend him in his task. He even received a detailed plan from David which was “made clear to [him] in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan” (29:19). We too have promises that the gospel “will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). Christ promises that He is “with [us] always, to the end of the age” (28:20). We also have the Spirit’s power to accomplish our great task (Acts 1:8), and a blueprint for how to be Christ’s church and reach the world (the Bible).

Abundant Provision. David could not build the Temple, but he certainly provided for it. The tally of the gold, silver, bronze and iron stockpiled for the building of the Temple is absolutely staggering (see 1 Chron. 22:14). David also gave of his own wealth: “Moreover in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God” (29:3). David not only stockpiled materials, but he also organized “an abundance of workmen” and called for the leaders of Israel to help his son, and also contribute materials for the Temple (22:15-19; 29:5b). David also organized the Levites, specifically designing how they would offer continuous praise to God before the Temple. David made instruments and wrote songs to be used for the worship that was to happen in the Temple.

All these provisions were made by David, and it is from the Son of David—Jesus Christ—that all the provisions for our world-wide task of missions come. Jesus purchased everything through his death on the Cross. Jesus sent us the Spirit, and Jesus is the head of the Church. Jesus supplies each joint, nourishing the body (Eph. 4:15-16). Jesus sustains us and provides for the task. It is His Gospel we proclaim and His work we enter into. We need not fear there will not be enough supplies to finish the task; we have only to look to Christ and he will supply all our needs, according to his riches in glory (Phil. 4:19). Indeed, we can “do all things through him who strengthens [us]” (4:13).

Importance of Prayer. One of the most glorious prayers in the Bible comes at the end of David’s exhorting Solomon and all Israel to build the temple. 1 Chron. 29:11-19 records David’s prayer, and there we read: “O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own… O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people and direct their hearts toward you. Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.” (29:16, 18-19). We too must be mindful of the place of prayer in our task. We are dependent on God to give us whole hearts and we must ever trust in our God to accomplish his mission through us.

A United Effort. The building of the Temple was a task that Solomon could not do on his own. All the people were exhorted to work together to accomplish the mission. David said to all the leaders of Israel: “Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not given you peace… Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God…” (1 Chron. 22:18a, 19a). Further, David exhorted all to give willingly to the cause, which they did: “Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD” (29:9a). It was not Israel alone who worked on the Temple: 153,000 resident aliens helped with the task (2 Chron. 2:17-18) and Hiram of Tyre supplied workers and wood for the task (2:11-16). So too in the great task of missions, Jew and Gentile band together to accomplish the task. Missionary or not, elder or not, all of us share the responsibility and can work together to contribute willingly to the task. Let us follow David’s advice and “Be strong and do it” (28:10).

A Glorious Completion. There is great encouragement too from the story of the Temple. The work was completed, and on a grand scale! A glorious temple was built to the praise and honor of the LORD! Upon the completion of the work, the shekinah glory of the LORD filled the Temple (2 Chron. 7:1-3), and the people had a glorious 7-day feast celebrating its completion (7:8-10). The glory of God filling the Temple is true even today, as the Spirit fills the living stones which make up the ever growing Temple today. And the joyous feast prefigures the marriage supper of the Lamb which will be celebrated upon the glorious completion of the work to build a Temple great enough and glorious enough for One so great as our God.

Let us take to heart the lessons from the building of the Temple and be encouraged to press on and realize the finishing of the great commission! And truly may we exclaim “[God] is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (2 Chron. 7:3b).

~~posted by Bob

What is the Great Commission? — Defining the Task

The Great Commission which the Lord Jesus left with His followers is the subject of much preaching, admonition and debate. If we are to presume to enter into that discussion, it is important to define the term. In doing so, of course, we must give attention to Matthew 28:18-20. But alongside this classic passage, there are other texts and biblical themes which inform and fill out the will of Christ in the matter and are also worthy of consideration.

What follows will be an attempt at a very simple definition, and a brief exposition of the phrases of that definition.

What is the Great Commission?

It is the mandate of the risen Lord Jesus to call out obedient worshipers for God from among every people under heaven before His return.

The mandate of the risen Lord Jesus…

To say that it is Jesus Christ’s mandate is not to say that it is Christ’s will alone in distinction from the rest of the Godhead. Nor is it to suggest that is a divine ambition that did not exist until the incarnation. Rather, it is something which is bound up in who God is eternally as Creator and Covenant-maker. He desires and demands the allegiance of all of His imagebearers. Ever since mankind fell out of a right standing with Him in the garden, He has been on a quest to redeem right worship for Himself. In that sense, God has always been “missionary.” He scattered the nations at Babel with a view to seeing them regathered to Himself as a new nation, zealous for Him (Gen. 11:1-9). He called out Abraham with the promise to bless all the families of the earth through Him (Gen. 12:1-3). It was incumbent upon the nation that flowed from Abraham’s loins to so behave and so display God that the people of the earth would be attracted to Him. But it was evident from the very beginning (Gen. 3:15) that this great in-gathering work would, in the fullness of times, require a Savior-Mediator who could remove that which separated Jew from Gentile (temporary rites and rituals), and more fundamentally, that which separated man from God (His holy wrath against sin). That is why Christ is the focus of and authority behind the Commission. By virtue of His reconciling death on Calvary, He has been exalted as head over all things (Phil. 2:9-11) and given the nations as an inheritance (Psalm 2:8).

When considered in His humanity, it is clear that authority over the nations once did not fully belong to Christ. It was offered Him by Satan (Luke 4:5-6), but not actually made His until the resurrection (Acts 2:32-35; 1 Cor. 15:21-25). Now, crowned King of heaven and earth, He invokes that authority to commission His disciples as ambassadors: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This is unbelievably significant. It provides those who go forth in Jesus’ name with both power and right (twin ideas inextricably bound up in exousia – the Greek word behind “authority”). We go in the strength that He supplies, with the promise that our labors will not be in vain, and we go for the fundamental reason that the King of all the earth has told us to, and His authority overrides the derived authority of rulers and magistrates who may oppose and prevent. We do not have to wait for anyone’s permission anymore than a servant with orders from the King has to wait for permission from another servant.

To call out obedient worshipers for God…

Since Christ told us to make disciples, it is necessary to fill out what a disciple is. In Greek society, a disciple was a pupil or apprentice who followed and sought to emulate his master. A disciple of Jesus Christ, who obeys all that He has commanded, is one for whom all aspects of life and being are submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. It is the goal of the Great Commission worker to be and create this, and to create it not in isolation, but in fellowships. Fellowships of disciples organized around the Lamb.

You may ask, from what foreign construct was this idea of “Church-planting” imported? It is nowhere in Matthew 28 nor in Acts 1 that disciples are to be organized into fellowships as part of the Commission of Christ. Yet in the outworking of this Commission, Paul and the other apostolic workers clearly went about the task of establishing churches in every city—beachheads, if you will—capable of reaching their own regions with the gospel of the Kingdom (Acts 14:23; 20:18-32). Christ’s commands, which we are invoked to teach them to observe, include instruction on living in community (Matt. 18:15-17; John 17:20-21). They assume that people will not come to faith as islands alone, but as members of His body having local expressions where mission, perseverance, fellowship and instruction can occur long after the Kingdom-worker has departed.

It could perhaps be said that the Commission has both a broad and a narrow aspect. Broadly, Great Commission living occurs every time a Christian gives testimony to his faith in the workplace or shares a biblical truth with a fellow believer. In these encounters, disciples for Jesus Christ are being made and grown. More narrowly, there is a strategy to the Commission which involves the establishment of churches in places where Christ is not known. There are a myriad of roles in the work of the Great Commission from teachers to ethnomusicologists to translators. But all should be done with a view toward establishing and supporting the Church which Christ has instituted and for which He died.

Importantly, the goal unto which the Lord has commissioned us is not the redemption of sinners, the training of disciples or the establishment of churches as ends to themselves. It is ultimately about the securing of allegiance to Christ. It is so that “the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (Romans 15:9). It is about the growing realization of proper praise from every nation, tribe and tongue (Rev. 7:9). The Father seeks worshipers. Let the day hasten when the full number from the nations sing out in knowledge and joy, “Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb!”

From among every people under heaven…

The Great Commission is not about people, it is about peoples! The specific phrase Christ uses in Matthew 28:19 is “make disciples of all nations” (panta ta ethne). Without taking space here to explore all of the exegetical and linguistic considerations, we could say that an ethnos is basically a multitude of individuals who share a common language, culture or heritage distinct from other groups. It is not to be defined in terms of modern political borderlines or constitutions. It is akin to what modern anthropologists call a “people group.” Revelation makes it explicit that the Lamb has shed His blood to ransom people out of every tribe, language, people and nation (Rev. 5:9). Of course, it is impossible that ethnographers have it entirely right in their figures and graphs. The Joshua Project lists over 15,000 people groups, but what exactly constitutes a people group (and what constitutes “unreached”) is in some cases difficult to discern. Still, recent increase in awareness of the reality of people groups within geopolitical regions has served to show us that the task is not yet complete. It is not yet time for Great Commission workers to pack up their bags and go home.

It has been pointed out that the only imperative in the Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 is to make disciples, thus the participle “go” (poruthentes) should not carry the force of a command, but should be translated along these lines: “As you are going, make disciples…” This assertion is only partially true and potentially misleading. Make disciples (mathetusate) is the main verb of the sentence, but the participles surrounding it (going, baptizing, teaching) get an imperatival sense from the verb they serve. So going, baptizing and teaching are commands which are necessary for the realization of disciples for Jesus Christ. This is significant because it determines that Christ’s Commission requires a deliberate going, at least on the part of some, if it is to be fulfilled (cf. Romans 10:15, 18). If the recipients of this command do their disciple-making only in the context and geography of regular life relationships, there are “nations” which will never have worshipers for Jesus.

With this element of the Great Commission in mind, we believe that it is time for the Church, while not neglecting all of her other worthy ministries, to give concerted effort to the establishment of the faith of Jesus Christ among peoples and in places where He is not known. This is central to the command of the Lord – indeed, to the mission which took Him to the cross.

Before His return.

At once, the message of Matthew 24:14 lands upon us as both a promise and a challenge: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” What a blessed hope for laborers in the field! This worthy task will be finalized! Jesus Christ will see the fruit of the anguish of His soul and be satisfied (Isaiah 53:11). It is upon the realization of this worldwide proclamation that Christ will return and the end will come.

The Great Commission is the only activity in which we are called to engage which has direct bearing on the consummation of all things and the return of our Lord and Savior. This, friends, is a commission worthy of holy ambition!

~~posted by Ambassador

What Do You Mean By “Facilitating”?

As you can see, this is yet another introductory post for our blog. We have briefly described our title and key verse, and we have explained why we believe the Great Commission can and should be finished. But what do we mean by “facilitating”?

I’m glad you asked! “Facilitate” is the best word we could think of to capture the full picture of our intentions for this blog. We hope it furthers the cause of reaching the world for Christ by helping, equipping, and stirring up others to pursue the task of finishing the Great Commission.

There are many ways by which we hope to facilitate missions. We plan on posting some thoughtful (and hopefully helpful) articles dealing with a wide array of topics relating to missions and missiology. But of course we readily acknowledge we don’t have all the answers, and so we intend to point you to the websites, organizations, and materials which can best help you think through missions from a Biblical viewpoint.

We also desire to motivate our readers to seriously consider becoming involved in missions, so we will highlight opportunities, and emphasize the needs of the many unreached people groups in our world today. We also hope to provide news from time to time of the many amazing things God is doing around the world.

Alright, I think I need to give a full disclosure here. We at Kingdom Surge have noticed and participated in the growing Christian blogosphere. We recognize a renewed fervor for theological discussions and devotional reading among many, particularly younger adults. What we want to do, is to funnel some of that blogging energy into a renewal of interest in missions. We want to harness the growing Christian blogo-zeal and aim it toward the unreached people groups of the world. We believe God can use and is using the web for great things in our age, and we want to do all we can to help stir up our Christian blogging brothers (and sisters) to band together and finish the Great Commission.

~~posted by Bob Hayton

Finishing the Great Commission

As a young pastor in North Dakota, I had the opportunity to participate in several grain harvests. Having never lived in a rural, agricultural setting, this was quite the experience: driving combines, riding in the grain trucks, visiting the elevators, etc.

During my first harvest, I found myself acting like an eager child on a long road trip: “Are we there yet?!” As we would finish up these vast, ocean-like fields of wheat, I would ask “Are we done? Is the harvest over now?!”

“No, Pastor, we have still have a few fields left,” they would say with a smile and chuckle. A mile and a half to the north. Two miles to the southwest. And so on. Though large, the fields were piecemeal and not all adjacent.

I learned something that first harvest season. Something simple, yet very profound. The harvest isn’t over until every field has been combined.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations (lit., “peoples”), and then the end will come.”

It is a clear and unmistakable truth that the Great Commission will one day end. It will not end arbitrarily or whimsically. It will end because it has been fulfilled. Completed. Finished. Done.

Here at Kingdom Surge, we believe that the Great Commission is a “finishable” task. When Jesus told us to go into all the world and make disciples of all the peoples, he delivered to us a charge that is as tangible and measurable as it is epic and all-consuming.

In the weeks to come, we want to explore with you the status of world evangelism. Where are we at in 2007 when it comes to making disciples of all the peoples? What progress has been made in Revelation 5:9 becoming a reality? Where should present and future efforts focus?

Furthermore, what does it mean for a people to be “reached” or “unreached”? Can we really “measure” the progress of Christian discipleship and “church planting”? Does it even make a difference?

We invite you to think through these questions with us carefully and honestly. We ask you to seriously ponder your place in the finishing of the Great Commission.

Join us as we launch out to explore the final frontier of world mission!

~~posted by Jack