United in Christ
Throughout the book of Revelation, we have heard this phrase, “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” In this phrase, John is giving us a heavenly explanation of our earthly reality. What is that earthly reality? That the gospel is for all people, at all times, and in all places. So, we should be concerned for all people to hear and have an opportunity to respond to the gospel. John is not merely telling us that this “all peoples vision” is a possibility but is going to be a very real part of eternity. And John’s words go in line with what Jesus taught and commanded of the disciples. He instructed them that they were to make disciples as they went about their lives (Great Commission: Mat 28:18-20) and that they were to bear witness to the resurrection in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). As they faithfully obeyed Jesus the nations and its people would hear and respond to the gospel. We even see specific events in the New Testament where God is intentionally spreading the gospel into the nations. Acts contains a striking list of the nations that were gathered at Pentecost,
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. … Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:5,9-11)
That is quite a list of cultures and countries! And all of them experienced the gift of eternal life through Jesus. It can be easy to get caught up in our time and our context. We can ask if God is moving like this anymore. Thankfully, it is in moments like this that we are to remember that we are part of something bigger than us. And, yes, God is still moving in radical ways. As a local church, that is, a local expression of the global body of Christ, we get to partner in and hear about how God is moving among the nations through our global partners. The reality is that we belong to a global body of believers and not just in a supporting relationship. We are, in a more complete sense, bound together as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a family, a global family of Christians. Have you ever thought of your connection to believers in other counties, states, and countries that way before? We are part of something bigger than just the local expression we engage in weekly, and that is a wonderful gift that is made real through Christ’s work on the cross. As a family, we are to be concerned for one another, support one another, and encourage one another.
Church can feel small and local (that’s not bad), but the beautiful reality is that as we gather locally, we are reminded that we are part of something bigger. We are truly united with brothers and sisters around the globe because of the work of Jesus. One day, when we are in eternity, we will be greeted by brothers and sisters from all over the globe because of the work of Christ.