Embracing our World

      Here at MCC we’ve intentionally entered into a month of prayer and fasting. Specifically, to ask God to reveal a portion of the world He’d have us go to and embrace an Unengaged Unreached People Group. The task itself – identifying and embracing one of the 3,800 unreached people groups somewhere in this enormous world – can seem daunting and overwhelming. But, is it really? Consider this.

     When Christ ascended into heaven He left the disciples with the unprecedented task of reaching the world. “(19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” 

• According to world population estimates at the time of Pentecost, there were 100,000 lost (unreached) people in the world for every 1 Christian! Today, there are only 9 lost (unreached) people for every 1 Christian.
• The mode of transportation for the early church to reach the world was primitive, time consuming and dangerous…walking, by camel or horse, or by ship. Today, we can comfortably be across the world and back again in hours by plane, train or automobile.
• Communication between the early saints was by handwritten letters delivered by messengers - days, weeks, or months after they were written - through the dangers and hardships of travel. Today, our technology of the internet, phones, radio and television have our messages delivered in literal seconds without even moving our location.
• God’s Word, for the early church, was in the process of being written and compiled. The language was limited to Greek and Hebrew. Each portion was distributed among the churches, read and copied with little or no written resource to take with them as the early believers went to the lost (unreached) of the world. Today, our bookshelves and computers are overflowing with God’s completed Word and Christian resource material. And all of our evangelistic tools come in a myriad of languages.

    When the early Christians heard the words of Christ they were unaffected by the overwhelming odds in front of them and from their obedience they turned the world upside down with the message of Christ’s sacrifice and love. How could they do that? The promise!…(20b) And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Today, our encouragement in overcoming the obstacles in front of us is the same.

     Our command is uncompromising…”Jesus said.”  Our command is clear…“Go.” Our promise of assistance is immovable…”Jesus is with us always.” And our work must continue as long as we have breath…”to the end of the age.” This is God’s definite, unchanging will for us, His disciples. So, in our corporate prayer and fasting for direction we can be assured that we are doing so according to the will of God for us. And, if according to His will…then He will answer.  1 John 5:14