EVANGELIZING THE NATIONS IN THIS GENERATION
Dearest Brothers and Sisters: The motivating vision of God’s SoldOut Movement is the evangelization of the nations in THIS generation! 1 Timothy 2:3-4 reads, “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” This Scripture clearly teaches that God’s will is for all men (and women) to be saved! So the question comes… Is God’s will, your will? If it is then you now have God’s vision for everyone that is living – THIS generation – to be saved!
As well, Jesus prophesied to the 12 Apostles in Matthew 24:9-14 that all nations would be evangelized in their lifetimes! Jesus taught them in what is known as the Olivet Discourse – which are some of His last words before His arrest a few days later, “Then you [Apostles] will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me… And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Jesus conveys in no uncertain terms that the Twelve will be hated by all nations! To be hated one must be known! All nations would know the Apostles’ message and then they would be martyred for this heroic effort! This is again conveyed when Jesus shares that “the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world… to all nations and then the end will come.” The end is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD! This prophecy was fulfilled as the Apostles evangelized all nations in THEIR generation!
Paul writing from prison in Rome in 62 AD states the same, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing… This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Colossians 1:6, 23. In fact, the Book of Acts begins with Jesus’ last words before His ascension where He speaks the Apostles about His dream of an evangelized world in Acts 1:8, “You [the faithful Eleven Apostles] will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This becomes Luke’s outline for the Book of Acts! The church begins in Jerusalem in Acts 2:41-42, “Three thousand [were baptized and] they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer!” This is the church and it starts in Jerusalem!
By Acts 9:31, Luke records that the gospel has reached “Judea and Samaria” – old Israel, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.” So part two of Jesus’ vision in Acts 1:8 was accomplished! And of course by Acts 28, Paul reaches Rome and Rome’s influence goes “to the ends of the earth” and this is where Paul writes, “The gospel… has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven!”
Our first century brothers and sisters did it! So let His movement in the 21st century become equally resolute to accomplish Jesus’ dream in THIS generation! And to God be all the glory!
We are family… to the end,
Kip
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