Transcription
If you run in Christian circles, you've probably heard people talk about the lost and the unreached. These are two common terms that Christians use to describe people who aren't followers of Jesus. But where do these terms come from, and what's the difference between the two of them? [Music]
The term "lost" comes from a few references in the Bible. According to Scripture, all people are born lost. It is a universal symptom. The Father God created people to be in a right relationship with Him. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and created a separation between man and God. Jesus said He came to seek and save that which was lost. He came like a beacon, offering to rescue anyone who will admit that they are lost and that He is the way to be found. Those who have not yet received His offer are referred to as lost people.
Now, the word "unreached" refers to lost people who will most likely never have the chance to hear that there is a way to be found. People groups are considered unreached when less than 2% of their population is following Jesus. They often have no access to the gospel in their culture or language, which means that they will never encounter the gospel unless something about their environment changes. [Music]
There are still large numbers of people who have never heard—people who live far away and are hard to reach, or people who are born into societies where the message of Jesus is not known. Followers of Jesus are still working hard to tell everyone that they can be found. But out of all the missionaries who are going and telling, less than 10% of them ever make it to the unreached people of the world.
So what is the difference between being lost and being unreached? Well, in a word: access. Everyone who hasn't trusted in Jesus is lost, but not every lost person is unreached. Many lost people can pick up a Bible, walk into a church, ask a friend, search the internet, or even simply wrestle with the things that they've heard about Jesus. But unreached people either haven't heard anything about Jesus or don't have the access to material or people who can help answer their questions.
It is a big task to bring the message of the gospel to the hardest-to-reach places. But as the Apostle Paul says, "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on Him in whom they do not believe? And how will they believe if they have not heard? And how will they hear without someone preaching? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news." [Music]