God is intimately involved in bringing the nations to himself. He has set the boundaries and the season of all nations for the purpose of his redeeming love: In this the church serves as witness to the Good News of God’s work in Christ. This is “the Gospel:” the Good News that God was in Christ uprighting a world that had fallen over.
Acts 17:26-28
And he (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
As I travel throughout Romania, Ukraine, Russia, and a host of other European nations I see God at work. In most places He is working the night shift, and though the days are dark the Light is coming. I have hope for God has already fashioned the time and boundaries of these nations in order that they might “feel their way to Him”. They may not know Him. They may not see Him. But they feel Him. They feel Him in the grace of life. They feel Him in beauty and mystery. They feel Him for He is not far from each of us. He is the very Substance of life. We bear witness to Christ as the Substance of those things longed for. He is the reality all things outlined as shadow.
We chase shadows but long for the Substance. It is here we “miss the mark.” This is what the Bible word “sin” means, “to miss the mark.” We crave union and intimacy but we miss the mark… We crave joy and bliss but we miss the mark… We long for successful and meaningful lives, relationships, and work, but we miss the mark. Christ has come to remove our missed marks and to give us the abundant life God hardwired us to desire.
“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
Joseph Campbell
As missional people we see God already at work and since he is working we work. He has sent therefore we are sent. We are sent at this time and this season to participate in the story of God uprighting a world that has fallen over. We see history is “His story” of moving kings and nation, principalities and powers, things in heaven and things on earth, toward His own purpose: the revelation of His righteousness in up righting the world in Christ.
He has set their time; he has an appointment with them. He has set their boundaries; he is guiding them toward Himself.
Entering nations and people groups with the Gospel requires that we ask,
• What was God’s dream when He formed these people?
• How has He written eternity in their hearts?
• In what ways has God’s creation fallen over here?
• How do we bear faithful witness to God’s uprighting that which has fallen over?
Look around you my friend, lift up your eyes and look. The harvest is ripe. God is at work.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” (Isaiah 60:1–5, ESV)
Debbie and I serve as the FMI Global Associate Director for MENACA and Europe. We focus on cultivating disciples, leaders, and church planting movements.
