Start with showing class the Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GESEC) map. Ask them to study it and come up with at least 3 conclusions.
Q. When you look at the map, what do you see?
Q. Contrast America with South Asia. What do you see?
Q. About how many a week do you think die without Christ in South Asia? When you hear that over 227,000 die week after week in South Asia without Christ, what does that do to your heart, urgency, etc.? Do you remember the tsunami of December 2004? In terms of sheer numbers, imagine one of those happening per week in South Asia. All dying without EVER hearing of Jesus Christ. All going into a Christ-less eternity.
Q. How many of us would be honest and say they hope someone else would do something about the problem so they wouldn’t have to?
Q. What do you think is God’s heart for all those red areas?
Q. What have WE been blessed with in Christ that is worth sharing with the world?
Psalm 67 (ESV)
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah. 2that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
The above passage of Scripture is important because it demonstrates that People are God's Treasure. All six verses in this psalm speak of God’s relationship with the crowning achievement of His creation: people. God created humans in His image for His glory, and He commissions His people, despite their sinfulness, to declare His glory and salvation throughout the world.
Take a look at the passages below. Q. What is God’s mission in the world?
Psalm 67 That all the nations would praise God and give Him glory
John 3:16 God loves people and sent JESUS to pay our sin debt.
2 Peter 3:9 He desires that none perish, but all come to repentance.
Matthew 28: 19-20 Go make disciples of all nations (all the pante ethna = people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Revelation 7:9-10 All peoples represented in heaven worshipping Him
Answer: God blesses His people in order that they may bless others and carry out His commission—leading others into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are here to make Christ known. (pg69)
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Q. If this is God’s purpose in the world, what impact should it have on our lives and how we live?
Q. If we know what God’s purpose in the world is, what should we do about gaining a greater understanding of what He’s doing around the world?
--- Reference “Getting There” booklet: choose a specific unreached people group and pray for them; research & learn about them and their needs/challenges in hearing and receiving the Gospel; go to them and share the Gospel. (Ex. My people group the Bihar.)
Getting There website and booklet PDF downloads: http://gettingthere.imbresources.org/
Research people groups: http://www.imb.org/main/aroundtheworld.asp
GESEC map PDF download from IMB website (98mb file!): http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/2876
--- Go on a mission trip as a first step. Get exposed in a face-to-face way with the need.
--- Ask God for His heart to be formed in yours. Pray and ask God to change your heart.
Q. What do we have to give of ourselves in regard to reaching the nations for Christ, to glorify His name to the ends of the earth? Make list: time, talents, finances, passions, dreams, aspirations, etc.
Q. Alright let me go to an extreme. Would it be too radical, too much for a person to say, “All I have, all I am, all my time, all my energy ---- I give to God to accomplish His global purpose.” Why or why not?
Show 4 min. video clip of David Preaching
Discuss some of David’s quotes:
Pg. 64,73 “He has created each of us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth regardless of a person’s calling), and I propose that anything less than radical devotion to this purpose is unbiblical Christianity.”
Pg 74 “Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.”
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