Acts 17:26-27
From one person God created every human nation to live on the whole earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. God made the nations so they would seek him, perhaps even reach out to him and find him. In fact, God isn’t far away from any of us.
In his address to the cosmopolitan people of Athens, the apostle Paul gives us an incredible picture of the sovereignty of God over all the people groups in the world. God made “every nation” from one man, Adam, which means all people groups are part of the same race, the human race. We have different ethnicities, languages, and cultural backgrounds, but all people groups are made by God. And God has even determined “allotted periods” and the “boundaries” of where they live.
Consider what this means for today’s refugee crisis and the unprecedented movements of people across the globe. Even in a world tainted by sin, where a variety of sinful factors cause the displacement of people, God is ultimately sovereign. And he is able to redeem all situations to draw people to himself. When you look at the world through this lens, you realize that the movements of people are not an accident. There is a sovereign God who desires all people groups to know him, and sometimes he brings these people groups right to our doorstep. Whether it’s international students, families fleeing violence in their home country, or simply individuals looking to build a better life, the “nations” are right around us.
So let’s take advantage of these sovereignly-orchestrated opportunities to make disciples of all nations right where we live, work, and play. This means being alert to those of different ethnicities in our communities and being intentional about demonstrating and sharing the gospel with them. We might be their first opportunity to meet a Christian face-to-face. The movements of people might be one way that God provides unprecedented gospel access in our day.
The Outreach Team