“There are only 3 kinds of Christians when it comes to missions:

Zealous goers, zealous senders and the disobedient.”

~ John Piper

According to the International Mission Board website (imb.org) there are currently 2,987 Unreached and Unengaged People Groups in the world. That is People Groups where there are no current plans to reach them, no missionaries living among their midst for the purpose of reaching the Group with the Gospel, and no Bibles available in their language.

If roughly 2000 years ago a Commission was given to go and make disciples of all nations, why are there still 2,987 People Groups who haven’t heard, and with no plan to reach them? I know we have heard the illustration but it is spot on, if Coca-Cola has been around for 127 years and is available all over the world, what’s the missing link in the spread of the Gospel to all Nations?

I have been thinking about this the past few weeks and this is a simple stab at what is missing.

If…

                        A  + B  + C  = Missions Task is Accomplished

A & B will be Constant Variables (variables that cannot change)

C will be an Independent Variable

A = Gods Commission to Go and Make Disciples of All Nations

B = Power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the task given

So far we have:

            Commission Given + Holy Spirit + C = Missions Task Accomplished

Jesus states that all authority in Heaven is His, and has given the command to Go and Make Disciples of all Nations (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-20)

Then in Acts we get the promise of the Holy Spirit coming that will provide the power needed to accomplish the Great Commission (Acts 1:8). The Disciples are told that once they receive power from the Holy Spirit they will be His Witnesses to the end of earth.

So if Jesus has given his Commission for the Spread of the Gospel among all Nations and has provided the Power needed to accomplish this task. What’s the missing link? We know the Lord has a plan to have His Gospel to all the World then He is going to come back (Matt. 24:14); and we know His plans will not be thwarted (Job 42:2). What is Our Independent Variable? I believe the independent variable in our simple equation here, which determines the accomplished task finished date is:

            Commission Given + Holy Spirit + Believer’s Obedience = Missions Task Accomplished.

I believe our obedience, or lack thereof, directly affects the pace at which the Gospel spreads into all the World.

I believe that God is Sovereign over all, and that He will accomplish His task, even of it takes using the rocks to do this. But He has provided all that we need to accomplish His Commission.

The question I’ve been chewing on this past week or so is this:

            “If we really long for the return of the Lord and a new heaven and new earth,

            as much as we say and sing; then why not give our lives to the one task that

            this happening hinges on?”

The Accomplished Task of the Spread of the Gospel to All Nations Needs Believers Who:

• Are obedient to sell all and GO when God tells them to sell all and Go.
• Will be obedient when God tells them to move to an inner city to part of a Church Plant.
• Are obedient to stay where they are and live life on mission daily where they are if God tells you to stay.
• Will be obedient and be generous with the funds God has blessed them with for the advance of the Gospel, among all Peoples.
• As parents who are obedient and train up their children to love Christ rightly, and teach them about God’s heart for the Nations.
• Will be obedient and plant and lead churches in the hard areas where they are or where ever God will lead them too.
• Will be obedient till the end of their race on earth, and give their lives to the advancement of the Gospel to the ends of their earth.
• Are OBEDIENT!

The bottom line the advancement of the Gospel requires one thing from us, and that’s obedience. He has given the commission, provided all we need to accomplish it, and promised He will complete the task. Its just on us to trust and obey.

Church, the world should not be better at providing the world with a drink than we are at providing the world with the Gospel.