What About That ONE? Thoughts On Reached And Unreached People Groups

Hi Everyone,

I have been thinking about something for awhile. I haven´t been sure about posting this because I don´t want people to misunderstand it or take it the wrong way.

But I´ve been thinking a lot about reached and unreached people groups. Honestly I am not quite sure what the statistics are for a country or people group to be considered "reached" with the gospel. I am not against us going out to reach unreached people groups and nations. We definitely need to be doing that! Jesus said in Matthew 28 to go into all the world.

But sometimes I wonder if in our enthususiasm to reach the unreached, that we might forget about the lost that are right around us. Every day here in Mexico, I am amazed in an appauling sense that even if 10% of the population were believers (I am not sure if the statistics are really that high so don´t think it as correct. I am just giving an example), that would still mean that 90% of the population was dying without Jesus....and we are considered reached in many but not all places here.

Talking to people for my research paper has made this just so much more evident to me--how deceived and lost so many people that I see every day are!

So my thoughts are this--YES! Let´s make every effort to reach and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the unreached people groups----BUT let´s not forget those around us that don´t know Him.

I think of this parable JESUS gave. Luke 15:1-7 "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus told them this parable, "Suppose one of you has one hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn´t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me, I have found my lost sheep." I tell you that in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over nonety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

That ONE is a neighbor, a person in the Middle East or India, a co-worker, a friend.

Lord, use us as fervent lights for you wherever we are with every day that we live. May we live lives of purpose to this end.