Video Transcript: Good News for All Nations
David - When Jesus says in Matthew 28:19, go and make disciples of all nations. That's not just a general command to make disciples, among as many people as possible. This is a specific command to make disciples of all the nations and the word he uses there for nations. And I think this is so key for us to understand, because I think many people don't understand this, that nations is not just nations like we think of today, like 200 or so nations United Nations. This is the words estimates, ethno linguistic groups, it's groups of people that share common language and cultural characteristics. In the Bible, we see Canaanites and Perizzites and Hittites and Israelites and all these kinds of different people. And there's all kinds of different people groups around the world today, some people say over 11,000, so we will say over 16,000 Different people groups in the world. And Jesus said, make disciples among all of them. And out of that 11 or 16,000, however you want to define it, there's at least 6000 of those that are categorized today's unreached, meaning less than 2% of the people in that people group are followers of Christ, which practically the way that plays out is, if you're born in one of these people, groups, you'll be born live, and die likely, you'll never hear the gospel. So we're not just talking lost. There's lost people around us right here, right where we're at in this context. But unreached means they don't have access to the gospel, they don't even hearing about the good news of Christ. And so one of the things we've got to understand when it comes to disciple making is, we've got to be intentional about making disciples, we've been commanded to be intentional about making disciples among all these people groups.
Francis - And I would even say, you know, sometimes we jump from our little local church overseas here. And I would say, even along the way, you know, sometimes we get so isolated in our exact local church where everyone kind of acts the same or looks the same, but God's desire was that now there's no dividing wall, like, we don't care what race or what country you come from, there's a unity here, and we try to reflect that. And even, you know, sometimes there is still prejudice in the church, and it needs to be gone. I mean, when you read Ephesians, and you see, wow, he died for that one man, so that the, you know, what, we don't distinguish ourselves by our race anymore. It's just, you know, we're family and, and to help the church become that, and that starts with us as individuals, you know, in talking to your disciple, maybe there are some prejudices, maybe there isn't a love for for people in Asia, you know, the Middle East, or wherever it may be. There's, there's a lot of that going on in the church. And we're not painting a beautiful picture of that, and our love for all the nations
David - so, we need to be open along those lines, to what or even different people groups that are represented around us. The reality is God's brought all kinds of people groups from around the world, the United States, and other
countries around the world. And so next door, there might be people from an entirely different people group, and we don't want to in prejudice ignore and at the same time, so God's brought him here. God may be leading us to go somewhere else. I think one of the key things that I don't want, I would want to talk with every disciple disciple maker about is, where can you most of effectively make disciples of all nations. And we just think the default is where we're most comfortable, where we grew up, where people are most like us, when the reality is, if there are 6000 plus people, groups who have never heard the gospel, the default may actually be the Lord leading us to go to another.
Francis – We tend to stay unless we hear this voice from God to go. But why not the opposite, since he already gave us the voice to go, you know, make disciples where you're gonna be most effective, where people are unreached. You know, this is a real strong calling that you're sure you're supposed to stay. And so this may be a good week to talk with your disciple, and, and surrender, both of you surrender, and maybe just even have a globe there, whatever. Just say, Lord, I literally will go anywhere on the Earth, it would be an honor to go anywhere on this planet for you. I'm assuming because you know, maybe you're in a city where there's already a lot of churches, a lot going on, it may make sense to go somewhere where no one has heard. And there's so many places like that and just surrender. And if that's where you want, and that's the best thing for me. And I want to willingly go but be honest and say, I'd be scared. I'd be terrified. I don't want to leave this. I don't want to leave that and and just say it, pray about it. Pray for the courage, you know, over each other to say, Are we willing to go our separate ways? Are we willing to go different places, different countries? I mean, it's great that we have this connection and this discipleship relationship, but God may call us to the ends of the earth. And Let's surrender to that right now. And really believe that this would be to His glory and for our joy.
David - Yes, do that. And let's just see what God does