Bible Reading: Romans 10:14-15
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:14-15)
If a people group never hear the gospel, there is no way they can believe and be saved. Think about the 42.4% of unreached people groups previously mentioned in The Great Commission — And Promise.
But, also remember that evangelism is not hit-and-run. We are called to make disciples of all nations. Disciples are people who follow Christ and submit to Him with their whole lives and heart. And, the process of discipleship occurs through hearing the Word of God rightfully preached. Disciples are not only meant to consume, but eventually, they should also become the evangelists who reach out to others. That way, the kingdom of God is spread from generation to generation.
Yet, there is always a lack of labourers, and here, there comes a vast disparity between many people around the globe and us. In our language, English, Biblical resources are plenty. We have the preaching of the church’s giants throughout history written down in our vernacular. Moreover, we have multitudes of study Bibles and other Bible study resources. Through our study of the Word, we can slowly uncover the gems of truth hidden for us within Scripture. This is a challenging process, and often, we are guided by the thoughts of greater men such as our pastors or other godly teachers from the past in the form of their writings. Although this is hard, we have access. Now here lies a significant problem.
How about other believers in other countries who do not speak English? Do they even have the Bible in their tongue? If they have the Bible, are there people who can preach and expound the Word in their languages? If there are, are there resources so that this pastor can learn from people of the past in their own language? If not, how are we going to expect the church in that dialect to be self-sufficient? How will they grow if they cannot understand the Word properly? How will they train evangelists and pastors if they cannot study the Word?
You can currently speak English. Have you ever studied the Bible for yourself? Apart from the fact that God calls us to know Him by studying His Word, many people out there don’t have the capability to study God’s Word as richly as we can. Woe to us if God’s Word is readily available around every corner, if there are Bibles on every shelf, yet they are left unread and unopened. May God revive us to be people of the Word and then to preach the Word to all nations who need the Word in their own languages.
Lord, the harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few. Many people worldwide do not have the Bible in their own language, let alone pastors or written resources to help them understand the Word correctly. Forgive us, for we have all the resources and pastors we want, and we do not have the slightest hunger to know Your Word. People out there are begging to hear Your truth, and we easily neglect it. Revive us, Lord. Give us hunger to know You and Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
