It’s NCF’s mission to see every person reached and restored by the love of Christ. So, when we learned about Gather25, a global event aimed at uniting the world in evangelism, we were glad to sponsor it. We’ve invited Jennie Allen, Bible teacher and organizer of Gather25, to share what sparked this idea. We pray you’ll be inspired by her words here and will join us in speeding The Great Commission and Jesus’ return.
What if we knew Jesus was coming back in 10 years? What changes would you make in your life? What shifts would occur in the global Church? These were the thoughts tumbling around in my brain when the idea for Gather25, the first gathering of the global Church, began to form.
When I launched IF:Gathering in 2014, I had a vision for discipling and equipping a generation of women to spread the message and hope of Jesus Christ. A decade later, and more than 1,000,000 women in 179 countries reached, I found myself in a place of exhaustion and weariness in my ministry, unsure of the path forward.
As I prayed for clarity, I had a dream – a dream that Jesus was coming back in 10 years. Though I have no idea if Jesus will actually come back in 10 years, what I do know is this dream changed me.
New and invigorating questions began swimming around in my head. And here’s what I came to know down deep in my core: If we as a Church knew Jesus was coming back in 10 years, it would change everything. We would shift from a divided people driven by selfishness to a united global Church called on a mission. What’s the difference?
Driven people …
- Need affirmation before they feel good about something
- Compare their results to others’
- Constantly look to arrive at an achievement
- Live frustrated at their lack of opportunities
But called people …
- Have nothing to lose and nothing to prove
- Celebrate others’ successes easily
- Enjoy the work that God has for them, no matter the results
- Enjoy Jesus
So, what would the global Church look like if we knew Jesus’ return was on the horizon? Here’s what I believe:
1. We would know our mission
Matthew 28:18-20 tells us Jesus’ last words to his disciples: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
Jesus couldn’t have been clearer. The mission of the Church is discipleship. Discipleship is leading someone who doesn’t know God to the ways of Jesus. If we knew Jesus was coming back in 10 years, we would be obsessed with helping the lost know Jesus. This mission to “go and make disciples” would feel crystal clear and incredibly urgent.
There are 2.5 billion Christians on Earth, and 5.5 billion people on earth who don’t know Jesus yet. How could the world be changed if each and every Jesus follower discovered, resolved, and were commissioned into the cause of making Jesus known?
2. We would come together
When we’re all looking for significance, we tend to separate from each other. We live isolated and become lonely as we focus on our own drive. But when we lean into living as called people, we come together for the only thing that will last: the Kingdom of God.
Acts 2:42-47 describes the early Church this way: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
If we are living like Jesus is coming back in 10 years, we, the Church, will come together in a similar way. We will fellowship together. We will be devoted to the teaching of the Word. We will praise God together. We will sacrificially love our neighbors. We will need each other and will all be caught up in the big story of God.
3. We would hate our sin
Hebrews 12:1-3 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
If we, the Church, knew that Jesus was coming back in 10 years, I believe we would hate our sin. We would fix our eyes on Jesus instead of the trivial pursuits that do nothing but distract us from our mission.
We would not be consumed with materialism. We would not numb ourselves with entertainment. We would not gossip or be critical of others. We would not be addicted to our phones, to food, or to the approval of others.
Holiness is the way to show people our God. It’s the way Israel showed people their God, and it’s the way Jesus called us to show people. The more we become like Jesus, with holiness, truth, grace, and love coming together in our lives, the more we spread Jesus to the world.
Gather25
Whether it’s 10 years from now or tomorrow, we know for sure that Jesus is coming back. And he longs for us to know our mission, come together, and hate our sin, so we can fulfill his call to make disciples of all nations. This is why my team is organizing Gather25. Our dream is to gather the global Church – every man, woman, and child who follows Jesus – for 25 hours of prayer, worship, repentance, and commissioning. Every time zone. Every language. Every denomination. Every generation. Will you join us?
