In our difficulties of creating movements, we have lost our sense of urgency. When Jesus left the disciples, He said:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20, NIV (emphasis added)
Why didn’t Jesus tell the guys to bring the Gospel to Jerusalem? Why not just the places that had been the most accepting of His message? Why not just the nation of Israel (they were God’s chosen people)?
Instead, He chose to overwhelm them with the task to create a sense of urgency. He said “go to all nations.” Our passion to be efficient and effective in our ministry has minimized our sense of urgency. Jesus did not say develop the best strategy, although a strategy is not bad. Jesus did not say to be the most efficient, although efficiency is great. He said “GO to ALL NATIONS” or literally, “as you are going to all nations, tell them.”
It was an expectation that the disciples had a sense of urgency wherever they were. But, our sense of urgency has been cloaked by our desire for analysis. Our sense of urgency has been cloaked by believing that numbers do not matter. Our sense of urgency has been cloaked by the size of the task.
I’m reminded of a story that I heard once of a little boy who was asked to define the word all. His answer, “All means all and that’s all all means.”
All nations means all nations and that’s all all nations means. If the church believed that people who die every day really go to hell, we would be doing more about it.
It’s easier to build a strategy, but all means all. I wonder if the people from the nations who were unreached at the judgment will be impressed with our developing, ineffective strategies that were sought after over the simple telling others about the Gospel in all nations?
