Gospel urgency or eschatological fad?

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) — In the last half of this decade there appears to be a discovery like a nugget of truth hidden but now revealed in these latter days. The discovery is a renewed application of Matthew 24:14, “This good news of the Kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come” (HCSB).

Seems the news of this discovery was heard first in Richmond, then in Nashville and throughout the Southern Baptist Convention. Announce it far and wide that once every nation (ethno-linguistic group) hears the Gospel, then all the signs are fulfilled and the Lord Jesus will return.

In September, the SBC Executive Committee heard SBC President Bryant Wright appeal to the Southern Baptist Convention and state conventions to “re-prioritize” their outreach to the nations.

“What Christ is concerned about is that we preach the Gospel to every people group on earth. That means that we’re to get the Gospel out to the tough places … [and] do whatever it takes to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission,” Wright accurately challenged Executive Committee members.

To amplify his point, Wright picked up the eschatological trend floating around the SBC, saying, “Because we’re to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to every ethnos, every people group … and then Jesus says He will come. Now folks, listen, are you listening? ... He ain’t comin’ until we take the Gospel to every ethnos.”

Why is this a problem? The landscape of Christian history is littered with efforts to motivate a particular generation using an eschatological fad such as a particular war, the devastation of multiple earthquakes or a popular proof-text. This led some to make imprudent choices that eventually precipitated into personal disillusionment, fractured families and crippled Gospel outreach to generations.

It was obvious that the SBC president’s primary purpose was to emphasize the urgency of the hour in reaching the nations. It is a challenge Southern Baptists need desperately to hear so they can push back the allure of the American dream. However, to state in eschatological terms “He ain’t comin’ until we get the Gospel to every ethnos” is a step too far.

If this statement is taken to its logical conclusion, one of the dangers is that people are tempted to invest the whole of their energy and resources in an immediate action that leaves future generations with minimal resources. This kind of eschatological teaching is at the expense of mission endeavors that demand people invest their lives and assets in self-sacrificing, long-term, relational strategies that not only evangelize but also transform a culture.

The context of Matthew 24 is that Jesus gives us important signs that the end is near but the Father still holds the timetable (verse 36). We can neither delay nor advance the return of the Lord Jesus. Using Matthew 24:14 to say that sharing the Gospel with the last people group will cause the Lord to return is at the very least questionable.

Most evangelical scholars who hold impeccable credentials including Craig Blomberg (New American Commentary, Matthew, pages 351-365) believe all the signs to an extent were fulfilled by the end of the first century. Consequently, every generation has the sense of urgency that they could be the last one (Matt. 24:34-36).

For the 21st-century believer, verse 14 does create tension in that we know which tribes have heard and which have not. Globalization and technology have caused the earth to shrink. We know now through demographic research who the last remaining ethno-linguistic groups are.

For the believer, a sense of urgency to share the Gospel is part of our spiritual DNA. However, we must consider: Is our motivation for sharing the Gospel so we can fulfill the signs of the Lord’s return or because Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations....”?

Every generation must live with urgency to reach the people in their generation and balance that with a strategy that reaches future generations. It is important for a follower of Christ to both witness now and invest time in building relationships for future witnessing opportunities.

A cooperative, generational approach for global witness is obviously out of vogue in Southern Baptist life. If you listen to the rhetoric, the value of state and national cooperative institutions for the purpose of evangelizing and discipling generations sounds passé. Today’s ecclesiastical fashion statement is to jettison long-term partnerships in favor of the “silver-bullet, point of the spear” measures that invest in a church planting strategy more aligned with consumerism than a people-oriented, biblical partnership.

Every generation must examine the effectiveness of cooperative ministries. For over a century, Southern Baptists have opted for cooperative methodologies that underpin multi-generational strategies. That’s why, until recent decisions, partner conventions in various jurisdictions were better suited for strategic church planting and evangelism than a “suit” in Alpharetta, Richmond or Nashville.

In our zeal will we embrace an eschatological fad based on a proof-text that has the potential to collapse our powerful cooperative multi-generational ministries? Or is Jesus’ command in Acts 1:8 sufficient to create urgency for building comprehensive strategies for reaching all the nations both now and the future?

There is urgency. There must be urgency to share the Gospel now and to train others for future evangelistic ministries. The souls of lost men and women in the rain forests of Southeast Asia, the Louisiana bayou, the housing projects of Detroit, the sub-Sahara, or the halls of a legislature are waiting for us. The Lord’s commission in Acts 1:8 is the marching order for every believer to deploy to every place in a simultaneous strategy that requires cooperation to reach people “in all the world.”

Therefore, let’s be bold and strategic about doing the Lord’s command.

John L. Yeats is recording secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention and director of communications for the Louisiana Baptist Convention.