Discovering God's Heart for the Nations | Fall 2025 | Lesson 7

Throughout human history, God has been working toward bringing people from every nation, tribe, and language into His kingdom. This redemptive plan has moved through distinct phases - from the Patriarchs to Israel's captivity, through the periods of Judges and Kings, to Christ's coming and the early church, and finally to the ends of the earth where we are now. The spread of Christianity from a small movement in Jerusalem to a worldwide faith is truly remarkable. Three key figures represent the eras of modern missionary movements: William Carey (the father of Protestant missions who focused on coastlands), Hudson Taylor (who founded the China Inland Mission to reach interior regions), and William Cameron Townsend (who established Wycliffe Bible Translators after realizing the importance of reaching people in their native languages). Despite their efforts and those of countless others, billions of people in the '10/40 Window' still have little or no access to the Gospel. However, Revelation 7:9-12 assures us that eventually people from every nation, tribe, and language will stand before God's throne. Heaven will be a place of unspeakable joy and peace in Jesus' presence, where sin is completely removed. As C.S. Lewis beautifully expressed, all of our earthly existence will be just the cover and title page of the Great Story that continues forever in eternity.