Why do we have to emphasize the Remaining Unevangelized People Groups?
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[edit] Why do we have to emphasize the Remaining Unevangelized People Groups?
[edit] The Scripture speaks about the peoples.
Psalm 86:9 - All nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; and they will bring glory to my name. From this verse, we understand that all the peoples in this world were created by the Lord for one reason - that they all will worship and glorify Him. For many in this world, it is very difficult to accept the fact that there are so many different peoples in this world. There is so much hatred between these people. Even some Christians complain that there are so many peoples. But they don’t realize that, indirectly, they are saying that God made a mistake in creating these peoples.
From the beginning, God had the vision of "To the end of the world!" In Genesis 1:28, God gave this command to Adam and Eve: “And God blessed them and God said to them ‘Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it.’" This command was repeated when Noah left the ark. Genesis 9:1 says “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” When God called Abraham, He told him “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). This was repeated in Genesis 18:18 “and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.”
If we study Galatians 3:8-9, we see Paul understands these verses as a prophesy that the peoples without God will repent and become followers of Christ. This is the real blessing. John already saw a huge group of peoples wor¬shipping God as fulfilling the many prophesies. But before this can happen, these peoples have to convert to Christ.
[edit] The Old Testament has many passages in which we see that the peoples in this world will worship him:
Psalm 45:17 - The nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Psalm 47:1 - Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 66:8 - Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard.
We could add many more verses in which we see the vision of God: All peoples in this world will worship Him. In other words, our God is not satisfied if only some groups of the large population of this world are praising Him.
[edit] The Scripture speaks about the depravity of men
In Roman 3:23, Paul says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is very clear that all people are separated from the Holiness of our Great God. They all need salvation. We know there are thousands of peoples all over the world. Most nations are multinational states with dozens, or often even hundreds, of very different peoples with their own language, culture and religion. Some are very large with millions; others are very small with only hundreds of people. Research shows that there are at least 1500 people groups with a population of more than 10000, but less than 1% Christians. Most of them have only a handful of Christians in their midst; some have no Christians at all. Maybe the number of the unreached people groups is even higher.
[edit] The promises of God for the Unreached Peoples
Because of the Grace of God, He does not leave humankind in their sins under His judgement, but He has sent His Son. He has taught the Word of God, but, more than that, He gave His live, in order to become a substitute for humankind (Romans 3:24-26). Our Lord has to set up righteousness. He cannot receive humankind in heaven with all their sins. If He did, heaven would be a sinful place like earth. So it is necessary that humankind be cleansed through the blood of Christ (Romans 3:22.25). In Heaven we will find only people who are sanctified (Hebrew 12:14; Matthew 5:8).
The Bible is full of promises that the peoples in this world will be saved. When Ishmael and his mother Hagar had to leave the home of Abraham, they got lost in the wilderness. He cried out; his cries were heard by the Lord and he received water of life (Genesis 21:17). As Ishmael cried to the Lord for help, his offspring can also cry to God. The name Ishmael means "The Lord listens"! We are not surprised that the sons of Ishmael, Kedar and Nebaioth, will bring offerings at the big heavenly service of the last days. In Isaiah 60:7 we read, “All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will glorify my glorious house.
From this Word of God, we see Ishmael and his offspring are not excluded from the kingdom for eternity. Through his offspring, who turn back to Christ, he will take part at this wonderful and great service. We see the offsprings of Ishmael bring the means, which are needed for the OT worship. So they make a vital contribution. In Isaiah 60, we see many peoples around the world will gather in this wonderful service of praising the Living God.
A clear task was given to Israel - the first bearer of the promises to Abraham - to become a blessing for the nations (Genesis 26:4). This meant to present the Gospel to the nations. There is no other way to become a blessing than to present the Gospel to others. They have failed in their task, but even in the OT, the challenge to evangelize the peoples was often repeated.
[edit] Let us read more about the Great Commission in the OT:
• Psalm 9:11 - Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
• Psalm 96:3 - Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
• Psalm 105:1-2 - Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him, tell of all his wonderful acts.
• Isaiah 12:4.5 - Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.
• Isaiah 34:1 - Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!
• Isaiah 66:19 - I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations - To Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians, to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
Any Bible student can add many more similar verses. The message is clear - the Gospel has to be preached to the nations in order that they become people who will worship and glorify the great name of our Lord.
Despite the failure of the people of Israel to present the Gospel to the peoples in their world, the prophet Isaiah saw the fulfilment of these Scriptures and prophecies:
• Isaiah 49:6 - It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.
• Isaiah 52:15 - So will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
• Isaiah 60: 3,7 - Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
The prophets of the OT saw in faith the fulfilment of the promises God has given to the nations, to all peoples – they will come and worship Him. Also the Apostle John was able to see this fulfilment in his visions. Revelation 7:9 says, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. There were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” This will happen and because of this, heaven can sing “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth (Revelation 5: 9-10). Jesus also was able to see the fulfilment of the promises of the OT when He spoke in Matthew 24:14, “And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
[edit] The Vision
[edit] What a challenge for us!
In Romans 15:21, Paul meditated on Isaiah 52:15, “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” He did not say, "This is a wonderful promise - all peoples of this world will hear and receive the Gospel of Salvation. Let us have the faith that God will do it and let us sit down and watch the great things God is going to do." NO, NO, NO, NO! He did not reach this conclusion. On the contrary, he left the areas that he had very partially evangelized because he desired to reach the remaining unevangelized peoples. Our challenge in these years is to find the ways and means to reach out to the remaining evangelized peoples in this world.
[edit] To challenge the church
I believe the only reason Paul wrote the letter to the Romans was to challenge the church there to get involved in the evangelization of the peoples without Gospel in the regions beyond. He explained the Gospel he was preaching and which also has to be preached to the remaining unevangelized people groups. It is a pity most Christians have lost this vision. Let us become Christians who are recapturing this vision and recommit our¬selves to this vision. Let all of our future plans and strategies have only one purpose - to see the remaining un¬evangelized peoples in this world reached with the Gospel. We will see only an advance if we can concentrate all our strength and resources in this one direction. Let us have the vision and desire of Paul to move ahead in this wonderful vision the Lord has given us.
Let us have the vision for doing church planting and to see the world-wide Church to get involved in this divine task, just as Paul desired.
[edit] Let us move in faith
Let us move in faith to see the peoples in the countries of this world praising and glorifying the only Living God!
