I don't know, maybe you've heard of Jesus. Maybe you've sung songs about him, maybe even since you were a little kid. Maybe you've been inside a church building before. Maybe even a church service. Maybe you grew up in church? Maybe.
But then again, maybe you know Jesus. And maybe you follow Jesus.
As for me, I did grow up in church, singing songs about him, going to camps about him, and all the like. And I do know him and I do follow him.
And even so, I didn't learn until 14 years after I started following Jesus what "freedom in Christ" or my "identity in Christ" was (and if you don't know about those things, I urge you to find out because it changes everything).
But my journey with Christ is not the point. The point is that I have a journey with Christ because somebody told me about Christ.
All of that being said, I have to present the harsh flip-side of my reality. Brace yourself, because these are truths so unbearable that I had to drop out of school because I couldn't stop crying. So if you're wondering why I left Samford, these are my reasons:
2.91 billion people in the world have never heard the Gospel.
What's more is that only eight percent (yes, 8%) of missionaries go to people that have not heard the Gospel. To be clear, that's not 8% of people, that's 8% of missionaries.
Zero-point-zero-one percent of the WORLD'S Christians' income goes to reaching the unreached. (Yes, that's 0.01%).
Do you know that a church could be planted in EVERY SINGLE unreached people group with only 2% of the world's Christians' income? Meaning the great commission could have easily already been fulfilled by now.
Fifty thousand people die each day without ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ even one time. That's twenty-six million per year.
Where are we, church?
And I don't mean, churches. No. I mean, all of us who are witnesses of Christ's resurrection. Where are we? Paul said that he knew nothing, NOTHING, except Jesus Christ and him crucified. That was his response to witnessing Jesus.
Take a moment to nakedly ask yourself, "Who is Jesus?" and "Do I believe?"
Because this is what scripture says:
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).
And then says:
"for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:13&14).
And yet, only 8% of missionaries go to people that do not already have the Gospel. So, what is it that we're believing? Are we choosing to believe a gospel that says "Jesus is the only way, but anyone who doesn't 'get the chance' to hear won't go to hell"? Look, I know this will make your heart and stomach sick, and I know it's controversial, but the truth is: Jesus didn't preach that gospel. And furthermore, does the way those truths make you feel determine whether or not they are true? I think that Jesus' life on earth, as portrayed in the Bible, proved that the God of the Bible is not scared of brokenness, sickness, or controversy. He said to heal the sick, he said to raise the dead, he said to set the captives free, he said to go into all the world and preach the good news of Jesus Christ, the good news that the kingdom is coming soon.
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." (Matthew 13:44)
Who is Jesus? Do you believe? What are you going to do about it?
