After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to many people over a period of forty days. At the end of this time, He ascended back to heaven where He will remain until He returns to gather His followers. Until then, He gave specific instructions to us just prior to His departure.
Commonly known as the Great Commission, Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “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.”
This clear directive from the Savior has motivated many missionaries to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ far and wide. Even today, many are serving throughout the world in virtually every country in obedience to Jesus’ words.
Some mission organizations focus intentionally on unreached people groups. By definition, these are people who have not previously heard the Good News of salvation. Missionaries have not yet reached them and in many cases, the Bible has not yet been translated into their languages. Out of over 17,000 distinct people groups in the world, approximately 7,000 still fit the category of unreached by Christian missionaries.
I’m very grateful for the deliberate efforts and great sacrifice being expended to reach every man, woman, boy and girl with God’s Good News. All Christians should support and pray for those willing to go and share Jesus in far-off lands.
But what about your people group? Have they heard the Gospel? Have you shared Jesus with them? Each of us has our own people groups that we belong to. Although most reading this are Americans, we all relate to particular individuals based on our backgrounds, interests, and skills.
According to this definition, your people group would be the people you hang out with the most. It may be your family and relatives since some folks primarily relate most closely with their cousins and/or siblings. If that’s you, have you told them about Jesus?
For others, our people group might include those we work with. Many of us spend far more time at work than at home so our colleagues and coworkers become our closest friends. Every people group in our factories, businesses, and retail establishments needs Jesus just as badly as those in distant lands.
For those in school, your people group might be the jocks, the brains, the fine arts, the coaches, or the teachers. It might be the gang that hangs out at the radiator or under the stair well. Do they know Jesus? If we aren’t willing to share Jesus with our people group here, it’s unlikely we’ll do so successfully overseas.
Other people groups to which we may belong might include the bikers, your breakfast crowd, your lunch bunch, or your book club. It might be your local chapter of the NRA or League of Women Voters. It could be other truck drivers or salesmen. There’s not a single people group anywhere that doesn’t need this good news and who God doesn’t want reached.
One primary goal of mission organizations is to put the Gospel message into the native language. Wycliffe Bible Translators have been working feverishly for many years to make God’s Word available in all the world’s various languages.
We need to do the same. Although most people in the US speak English, there many different “languages” within the nation. Each group mentioned above has its own lingo, metaphors, and common points of meaning. Only those within the group are likely to know and understand these intricacies of communication and commonality. As such, you and I need to “translate” Jesus’ Good News into words, phrases, and actions that our own people group will best understand and relate to.
As we do so, more and more people will hear and respond and we each will be doing our part to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission.
Blessings, George