When you envision heaven, what is one of the things you are most excited about experiencing?
Read Revelation 7:9-10
- As you envision what these verses are describing, what is your reaction?
- What do these verses tell you about God’s heart for the world?
- Can you see yourself as part of making that happen?
This scene is one of the things we can anticipate in heaven: worshipping God together with people from all over the world and throughout history. This gives us a glimpse into what God is doing in the world, and his heart for people. When we look at our lives and the world around us through God’s lens, our purpose and goal—both on campus and as Christians in general—starts to come into focus.
God’s Plan for Getting There
Read Matthew 24:14 and 28:18-20
- What do these verses say about how the world will hear about Jesus?
- Imagine if the first disciples had only shared the gospel in their own country. How would your life be different now?
- How does it make you feel to know that you are a part of God’s plan to get from where we are now to what we see in Revelation 7?
The Gospel in the World Today
- In the world today, how many people would you guess have no access to the gospel?
- Check out the Joshua Project website to find out, and feel free to take a few minutes to explore their website together.
Below is a map of an area of the world sometimes called the 10/40 window – those Asian, African and European countries that are between 10 and 40 degrees of latitude north of the equator.
- Looking at this map, what are some of the countries in the 10/40 window? What are some things these countries have in common?
- Two things these countries have in common is that they are some of the most populous, and some of the least reached, with the gospel. Within this window are most of the 3 billion people who are still waiting to hear the good news of Jesus.
- As we look at the continued need for Christians to make disciples of all nations, what is your response? How does this make you feel?
Our Role in God’s Mission
- We are all called to be a part of God’s mission in the world, but there are different ways in which he calls us to be involved in different areas. Here are a few to think about:
- Pray: We can pray for unreached people groups from anywhere in the world. We can pray for the missionaries and indigenous believers seeking to reach them.
- Give: We can give financially by partnering with those seeking to share the gospel with those who haven’t yet heard.
- Go: We can go and be a part of this mission ourselves, wherever God may be calling us.
- Multiply: As we build up other Christians, we can help them know God’s heart for the world and how he is calling them to participate in it.
- How could you be involved in these four things?
God’s Vision Fulfilled
Read Revelation 7:9-10 again
These verses help us see God’s heart for the world, but they also remind us of God’s sovereignty in accomplishing his work. The scene in these verses is a look at what heaven will be like. As daunting as the task can seem, God will bring about the fulfillment of his mission. Be encouraged that God is moving, and he is the one who will empower you by his Spirit even as he calls you into this mission.
Take some time now to pray. Pray that God would give you his heart for the world! Pray into this mission of making disciples. Pray that God would raise up students from your own campus, maybe even you, to be a part of fulfilling his vision.