The Key to World Evangelization?

So I saw this book (One Church, Many Tribes : Following Jesus the Way God Made You) as I was at the pharmacy the other day getting meds for samuel who has an ear infection and mercy who has many skin related problems and asthma from living in the moldy house.  The author believes “no other people group is so uniquely positioned by God for world evangelization as the First Nations Peoples” (Back Cover).”    I thought this was an interesting take and I did not read the book while waiting so I have not idea how he builds his case (though it is of interest to me because we do work with Native Americans here in the Park).

But it got me thinking – I have heard others share similar viewpoints though not necessarily with the First Nations Peoples – but also with another unmentioned ethnic group – so it got me thinking, what really is the key to world evangelization?  I don’t mean to denigrate this book or others who have similar thoughts but I want to share with you what I think is the key to world evangelization.

Ready?  You aren’t going to like it – or you might agree with it in theory but so few of us will live it out….

I believe the key to world evangelization is not necessarily through a specific people group but through a particular mode of living….

Complete and total sacrificial living is the key to world evangelization and nothing less.

It’ll only be when Christians are willing to give of themselves for the cause of the gospel and nothing else that there will be significant progress in world evangelization.  It will only be when Christians are willing to die to themselves, their own agendas, their own goals, even their own hopes and dreams, and leave behind security, money, convenience, even family to follow Christ wholeheartely.  Only when they would abandon everything for the gospel.  Only when we truely take up our crosses daily…

The task belongs to every Christian and not just a few – every Christian can and should in some sense be involved in the task be it through praying, sending, giving or going – all can and should have a part.  Until then the task of world evangelization will remain a daunting task.

So that is my take on the key to world evangelization.

That said, this is not to se necessarily that perhaps certain groups of people might be effective in carrying out world evangelization than perhaps some others – obviously strategy and strategic thinking about this task is needed but I think at the heart of the issue is the need for some pretty serious and radical Christian living along the lines of those put forth in David Platt’s recent book: Radical: Taking back your faith from the American Dream (Random House 2010).

Even better than my take is David Platt’s: