The Big Idea is Not an Original Idea

I recall somewhere in my time of research over the past two+ years that a great pastor/evangelist/theologian called the Church to fulfill the Great Commission by 1900.  Here are two great finds from this website article:

• DL Moody and others sought to evangelize the globe by the year 1900.  As this obviously did not happen, it makes you wonder if having a deadline is against God’s will (see Matthew 24:36).
• Moody is not the only one: “It was near to our place of meeting that, in 1747, at Northampton, Jonathan Edwards sent forth his trumpet-peal, calling upon disciples everywhere to unite the whole habitable globe.” (Missionfrontiers.org, 2019)

The work of these men is certainly worth more looking into and will provide a great resource in fulfilling the Great Commission.

According to recent research, we don’t even need the entirety of the Church to unite.  The ESV Study Bible says…

Although individual Christians, and the church in general, tend to fall short of the fullness of unity that the Lord intends, whenever such unity is even partially realized (never at the expense of truth or holiness; v. 17) the result will always be a deep joy (v. 13), a persuasive witness to the world (vv. 21, 23), and a display of God’s glory (v. 22).
(ESV Study Bible, 2008)

There is much to dig up and organize, still.  Six hours in to what I originally thought will be a 150 hour project?  That was just a guess.  Love you, all, and prayers are welcome!  Here is one for us and our Church:

Lord, thank you for this day.  It seems most certainly that you have planted the idea on the hearts of your servants that we should all come together as the Church to fulfill your Great Commission.  Thank you for working through the generations.  Will you please grant us wisdom as to what this means for the Church, why you allowed these ideas to not come to fruition for DL Moody, Jonathan Edwards, and any others, and what you would have us do today in this generation?  We love you, God and desperately want to be obedient to you in all things, Sir.  We love you, Sir.  Please unite your Church and fulfill your Great Commission, to you be all the glory, and it’s in Jesus’ name, by the power of the Holy Spirit we pray, amen.

Missionfrontiers.org. (2019). The Original-“Appeal to Disciples Everywhere”: D. L. Moody and his committee of six looked forward to completing world evangelization by the year 1900.. [online] Available at: https://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/the-original-appeal-to-disciples-everywhere [Accessed 16 Nov. 2019].

ESV Study Bible. (2008). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway.