Let me start by saying that the motivation for engaging other nations outside our own is not primarily an act of benevolence, but an act of worship. Long before we can talk about a strategy for reaching all nations, we must have a conviction to reach all nations. We won’t ever arrive at proper designs until God gives us the proper desires.
From the first days of the garden, God’s plan for creation is clear. God’s creation is to be a place where God is honored and praised. It’s that simple. While we speak often of the countless benefits of his people, we know the primary design of man is to give God glory. This is nothing new for pastors of gospel-centered churches. We know this, we preach about this, we write volumes on this very topic. We plead with others to realize that God made man in his image and then commanded this image-bearer to fill the earth.
While this first command to multiply may seem a simple call to procreate, we see the beauty of God’s design in it. We see a future world full of God’s image bearers, under God’s reign, reflecting God’s glory and majesty. We see what Habakkuk spoke of:
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)
It should be no surprise for us that God’s desire for us is to make disciples of Christ from all the nations. Jesus does not simply tell us to make disciples of more people, but he points us to make disciples of more kinds of people. From Genesis 1 to Genesis 12:2 to the Prophets to the Great Commission we can see God declaring His glory through His people to all nations. God’s economy is founded on his blessing of a people who will become a blessing, so that others may glorify him.
We want to participate with God. As we have been blessed in Christ through the gospel, we want to be used to be a blessing to all nations that God might be glorified among the nations.
