from March 20, 2011 prayer update

It has been nearly 27 years since I graduated from seminary. I can recall studying eschatology (the last days) in one of my systematic theology classes. My personal doctrinal beliefs regarding eschatology have not changed much since those days, but two important things related to them have:
• I have become convinced that there is no value in being dogmatic about the details of my beliefs concerning the last days. I should never allow them to become something divisive.
• I believe that many evangelical believers who share my beliefs do not see the forest for the trees.

This past week I taught 3 Perspectives classes in the Kansas City area (lesson 9, “the task remaining”). In the class we discussed four phenomenon that demonstrate the remarkable progress of the gospel through the centuries. All four reveal exponential growth since the mid twentieth century.
• the growing percentage of genuine believers worldwide
• the growing ratio of churches to unreached people groups globally
• the emerging evangelical and charismatic Church worldwide
• the emerging non-Western Church

We then shifted our attention to what will it take to say we have brought closure to (completed) the Great Commission. We considered what I believe are the 10 greatest challenges that lie ahead.
1. 6 religious megaspheres
2. 6900 languages
3. 6900 ethnolinguistic unreached people groups
4. the 10-40 window
5. the Muslim world
6. India
7. 64 restricted access countries
8. emerging urban centers
9. shrinking U.S. missionary forces
10. misallocated resources

We concluded our time by reflecting on Matthew 24:14, which I believe should be the bottom line of every evangelical Christian’s eschatological convictions. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (people groups), and then the end will come.”

With the recent rise of unrest in the Arab world and the steady onslaught of major natural disasters, it is easy to focus our attention on these events, and lose sight of what is primary. Although they are signs that Christ’s return for His bride may be near, they are not what is driving the process. God is a purposive and missional God. He gave the Church a compelling job to do: “disciple the nations (people groups)”. He will return for His Church when the job is done.