Thursday, July 16
Read: Acts 1
There are over 1 billion Christians in the world leaving over 5 billion people untouched or unaffected by the gospel. If you think about it though that’s pretty amazing considering that the church started with only 120 members (v. 15) just over 2,000 years ago.
After Jesus’ resurrection he appears to the disciples many times continuing to teach them. It is here, in the beginning of Acts, that the apostles are given their last mandate from Jesus until His return. The disciples are told to wait in Jerusalem and they will receive the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses through all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
This one statement entailed so much. Jesus was telling them that they had a job to do; they were to take everything he taught them and share it with the world. He promises the Holy Spirit will give them the power, strength, courage and boldness to do such a task.
This mandate is still in force today. We are part of the church that started in these first few chapters of Acts. The message Jesus gave them is still the message He gives us today. All who have heard and believed the apostles teachings have become witnesses and in consequence becomes a member of the missional church.
As Jesus ascends into Heaven the apostles just kind of stand there, bewildered. In return they are rebuked by two angels reminding them that Jesus will come back, but in the meantime there is work to be done.
In the world today we have what is called the 10/40 window. The world’s most unreached people groups live in places stretching across the maps of northern Africa and Asia. Two-thirds of the world’s population, more than 3.2 billion people, live in the 10/40 Window.
*Here are some staggering statistics involving this part of the world.
• 95% of the people living in the 10/40 Window are unevangelized. Many have never heard the Gospel message even once
• Eighty-five percent of those living in the 10/40 window are the poorest of the world’s poor.
• Half of the world’s least evangelized cities are in this window.
In addition to the 10/40 window here are some more general facts about the world’s most unevangelized people groups.
– 865 million unreached Muslims or Islamic followers in 3330 cultural sub-groupings
– 550 million unreached Hindus in 1660 cultural sub-groups
– 150 million unreached Chinese in 830 groups
– 275 million unreached Buddhists in 900 groups
– Forming a smaller — though important — unreached group are the 17 million Jews scattered across 134 countries
– 2550 unreached tribal groups with a total population of 140 million
Process:
– What do you think it must have been like for the apostles to have to wait in the room for something they were unsure of? What do you think they were going through?
– Does it come as a shock to you that you are called to evangelize? Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the thought that once we become Christians we’re good. But Jesus gave us a specific mission. How are you fulfilling that mission? By now we have all done some intense evangelization, how has this experience challenged you? How have you grown?
– Notice that their ministry started in Jerusalem and then expanded form there. Mission work and evangelization don’t just pertain to overseas, but starts in your hometown. So if you are too young to go overseas yet, start at home, maybe with your family, your neighbors and your friends.
– Prayer is powerful! Know that your prayers are heard by God and he will always respond to our prayers. There is so much going on in the world that sometimes it is too overwhelming and seems hopeless. Your prayers are effective. Pray for the unreached people groups in this world and that the gospel will be accepted among them. Pray for the missionaries hard at work and who are in perilous conditions. Pray that the gospel would be spread and accepted