Why Go to the Unreached?

How much is an immortal soul worth? 

We see in scripture that your immortal soul is worth the life of the Son of God. Furthermore, He was not reluctant to give up His life. So, when we’re confronted with the Great Commission that He gave us, it raises the question: is an immortal soul worthy of your life? 

Why would you give your life to this endeavor, an endeavor that's sure to cost you everything? Because there is no more important event which occurs in our world than the new birth of an immortal soul. That is central to our understanding of Christianity and to our understanding of missions. That's what we preach to the nations. 

Now why do I emphasize unreached language groups? America's descending into spiritual darkness, as is Europe. So, why send missionaries to these places where the gospel has never been? Of course, I’m not saying it's bad to reach your neighbors. But there's something we can't miss. It's all across the pages of scriptures. Let me give you three reasons why I emphasize going to the unreached. 

Go to Gather

First, we emphasize going to unreached language groups because Jesus commands that we gather those who belong to him.

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and earth have been given to me. Listen, therefore go and make disciples of all the nations.” To paraphrase, Jesus is telling us to go out and claim what's His. Note that we’re not to go out and make them His. They already belong to Him. Every tribe and tongue and nation has been put into His hand. 

Next, “All nations” is most fundamentally a reference to all language groups. Genesis 1-11 talks about the creation and fall of man and the devolution of man into sin and the spreading of man across the earth divided by languages into every tribe and tongue and nation. Their division into those nations is on the basis of God confusing their languages at the Tower of Babel. Genesis 12 all the way through Revelation 22 is the resolution to that problem we read about in Genesis 3-11. All the families were divided on the basis of language, and someday all the families of the earth will be blessed. They'll be blessed in this man's offspring who is the Christ.

Interestingly enough, this imperative to “Go” is not new. Abraham is told to “Go” as well. That's the first word Abraham's told. “Go” is the command that controls everything else. And so, when Pentecost comes and there are people there from the nations, the Holy Spirit is poured out, the Spirit who will empower the Church, the Spirit who is the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit is the spirit of missions. He comes not so that you can do little stunts. He comes so that Christians will “Go” and make Christ known in all the earth. 

Go for Hope

Second, we emphasize going to the unreached languages because hearing the name of Jesus is their only hope of being saved. Look at Romans 10:13. Paul has just said there's no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord of them all. And then look at what he says in verses 13 and 14: “For everyone who calls in the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they've not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they've never heard?”

If you don't hear the voice of the Shepherd calling, you won't be gathered as a sheep. You have to hear His voice. That's why Paul in Ephesians 2:17 can say that Jesus preached the gospel to you who are far off. Because “How can they believe in Him whom they've not heard? How can they hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Paul’s not citing Isaiah 52 here just because it’s clever. Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful are the feet of him upon the mountains who brings the good news.” Who's the one with beautiful feet? The Lord Jesus! And now Paul takes that and changes the pronoun: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Those who are sent out by Christ's church stand in the place of Christ and speak on his behalf Christ speaking through them. 

Friends, every time you speak on the behalf of Christ, when you tell someone the gospel, Jesus speaks through you to them.

John G. Paton was a wildly successful minister in Glasgow and he gave up his life to go to an unreached language group. He gave his life to that end. He knew those people can't call the name of the Lord if they don't believe and they can't believe if they don't hear Him speak and they can't hear Him speak unless someone's sent to them to preach, someone to preach to them in a language they can hear and understand. Christ has claimed every language and He has laid down His life for every language group and He will save His people from every tribe and tongue and nation and they will all sing to His glory. 

We emphasize this because if we don't send people they can't hear. It’s that simple and that critical. These unreached language groups have no access to the gospel unless we send people. They dwell in utter darkness with no light unless we go, learn their language, and tell them how much an immortal soul is worth. Is it worth that effort?

Go for Honor

Third, we emphasize going to the unreached languages because it's our unparalleled honor to do so. Look at Romans 15:20. Paul tells the church in Rome why he's not yet come to them. He's been out doing ministry. Look at what he says about his honor: “and thus I make it my ambition.” It's his ambition because he seeks this unparalleled honor. It's my honor to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named.. Where does he want to go? “Not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. But as it is written, those who have never been told of him will see and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul is applying Isaiah 52 to himself. The gospel minister is united to Christ by faith and has the privilege of speaking on behalf of Christ. He's Christ's ambassador. He is His mouthpiece. God Himself is making His appeal through us and thus we implore people on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. 

So do you hear the great honor? Now this is an honor not shared solely by pastors and missionaries, but shared particularly by them. Our whole lives are dedicated to this end of being sent to speak on behalf of the Lord Himself. The voice of the good Shepherd comes through gospel ministers. It's shocking and marvelous and humbling. That doesn't merely apply to gospel ministers though. When you share Christ with someone, the good shepherd speaks through you. Think of what an honor that is to open your mouth and have Jesus the Lord of glory, the Savior of the world, speak through you to call His sheep to Himself!

It is an unparalleled honor to hear the name of the Lord Jesus sung from the lips of a people who've never heard His name before, to know that they understand the gospel of their salvation in their Lord Jesus Christ and sing of Him in their tongue for the first time in human history. That, my friends, is something worth giving your life for. It is worthy of God and it's worthy of everything you have. 

But everything you have won’t be enough. How will our feeble men and women get this job done? If you gaze upon yourself, you will be discouraged. God's purposes will stand. If you're sitting around looking at yourself rather than gazing upon the Lord and the fact that He is with you, you will not have confidence to go forward. 

Remember, God chose what is weak in this world to shame the wise. Do you imagine that when you come to heaven that you will discover a better use of the few evil days the Lord granted you than to see Christ named where He has never been named? This is why we go to the unreached.

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