What is happening around the world is spectacular!

• Example: Bogota team, 125 people since March, 60 baptisms, 23 in January 2004.
• I am praying for a great harvest of souls around the world. What is occurring in India is amazing.
• We must pray for our own community. God has the world ready, the church ready, this church ready, our community ready, our neighbors ready, lost souls ready, your friends and family ready.

Ready for the Great Commission: evangelizing, maturing, teaching. We are spiritual EMTs. We are part of a global search for the lost. God wants people saved. He has done all that is necessary for people to be saved, but people are not saved without accepting that good news. Universalism cannot be right; people must be called to be followers of the king.

Everywhere I go, I encourage every church to set outreach goals. I have outreach goals. We must contact, invite and teach those in our mission fields. We must involve God in this work for it is his work. Pray for one another and for our community, pray for those we will invite. Pray about those God will lead us to invite. Our challenge is to catch the vision of a growing, vibrant church reaching out and making a difference around the world.

God Has the World Ready!

I. 2000 years ago, God had the world for Jesus to come.

• A. This is a clear NT statement, Gal. 4:4. By studying history, we understand that this was a combination of factors--the Pax Romana, a highly developed transportation system, communication in the Koine Greek. But let's begin at the beginning.
• B. Judaism was ready; OT prophecy, Matt. 2:3-6, Micah 5:2; Isa. 7:14. Lk. 2:28-32
• C. The political world was ripe. The Roman world was ready. Greek language and culture dominated, Acts 21:37; with a common language/trade language. Resulted from work/conquests of Alex the Great, 336-323 BC, and in conquering Persia, Egypt, Middle East, the Greek language spread to all of his territories. In God's time, this provided an almost universal language to carry the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean world, and eventually beyond. Thus the NT was written in the international language of the day, although OT was written in Hebrew, the language of one people. Greek language made possible events like Acts 2:4-12, to find believers in all nations, kindreds, and peoples. The rule of Augustus Caesar brought peace, allowing missionaries to travel in relative safety.
• D. The social world was ready. As Jewish society intermingled with pagan society, as cultural attainments diminished moral standards of lawnessness and indulgence. Human life was cheap; murder was frequent. Divorce was easy to obtain and generally accepted in society. Corruption in politics, debauchery in pleasure, fraud in business, deceit and superstition in religion made life depressing and unendurable.
• E. The religious world was ready, for many Greeks had lost faith in their pagan gods and were open to a real faith that would answer the questions of life, Acts 17:15-34.
• F. Religious division was rampant, in Judaism, and beyond, with a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Many were searching for answers, Illustration: within Judaism we know of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Essenes, Qumran, Zealots.

II. God has the world ready 2000 years later.

• A. General interest in religion. There is a world wide interest in Jesus, WWJD. Jesus is in view, in the eyes of other religions an other peoples (Prothero).
• B. Ours is a world of political changes. The Fall of Iron Curtain/Berlin Wall, new countries, new political entities, many generally open to development. China is open and opening more. Even in some traditionally Muslim nations, evangelism is possible. And the divisions among Muslims are more and more obvious--Shiites vs Sunnis.
• C. Ours is a world of religious changes. We can easily see the weakness of traditional religious structures. Yet, in the world movement of Jews for Christ, many are turning to gospel. The weakness of traditional religion, churches, denominations is opening the door for a new movement of God in this world.
• D. We see all around us intellectual changes. Postmodern world, which may not be a barrier but a support (e.g. The Jesus proposal)
• E. Virtually all are aware of scientific changes. Technology, travel, communication.
• F. The bases of power are changing. Emergence of US as sole power.
• G. Morality changing and declining. Moral and religious decline in US, more missionaries sent to US from other countries than missionaries from US. According to George Barna, recent Sunday, 32 mill Prot and 30 mill Catholics in church on a given Sunday. 62 mill, out of 293 million people. Do the math. 21.16%. 1 out of 5 in church. We are only behind India and China in the number of unchurched people in our nation.
• H. Christianity is changing--at least in its geographic center. Missions is changing-- people wanting to study the Bible.
• J. A world of problems. Receptivity of people in US to seeking God, attend religious services, but not always at the church house. 40% of all people who are changing religions are seeking God. 20% of our nation moves each year, and 50% of those change religions. Millions are attending to religion for first time. Many want their children to study the Bible. We must reach out to children. Many are disillusioned with traditional religion. According to Barna, 2 million people drop out of traditional churches each year in the US.

III. What will we do?
God has the world ready. I do not know how we could make clearer, God has the world ready.

Question: Are you aware that this city is receptive to gospel? How many people could you get to come to church in a month if you really tried? Which of your friends, neighbors, coworkers would respond positively? What are the problems we face?

I believe the place we begin is in prayer. God has done what God is going to do. It is up to us. It is an old story, but worth repeating as we close:

Illus: "I have no other plan."