Zambia Hunt

For five days in March, I visited Morocco, a beautiful nation known as the western outpost of the Islamic world. There are 37 million people who live here, and 99% of them are Muslim. The percentage of evangelicals in Morocco is 0.0%! This means that less than 1 in 1000 people are saved! As I rubbed shoulders with the multitudes on the streets of Morocco, I was overwhelmed by the reality that it was likely that NONE of the thousands of people I saw knew Christ! There were multitudes of men, women, and children stumbling along the cobblestone streets to hell! 

Travel east from Morocco, and the story is the same! Your trip will take you through Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt before entering the Middle East. If you change directions in Egypt and travel south along the eastern side of the African continent, you will travel through Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia; in all, 26 nations, 860 million people, and some of the fastest-growing populations in the world. This region contains some of the least reached, least accessible, most governmentally hostile people on earth, an overwhelming bloc of resistance to the gospel. Yet, in the providence of God, there are places where there are opportunities for gospel work.

In our effort to take the gospel to the “ends of the earth,” it is imperative that we pray, plan, and labor to bring the gospel to the 40% who are yet unreached. The 10/40 window is where the majority of unreached people live. It is estimated that there are 2 billion Muslims, and 95% live in the 10/40 window. Many people live under Sharia law, where the penalty is death for those who apostatize from Islam. Many of these countries are 0.0% evangelical – less than 1 in 1000 born-again Christians. This region contains some of the least reached, least accessible, most governmentally hostile people on earth, an overwhelming bloc of resistance to the gospel. Yet, in the providence of God, there are places where there are opportunities for gospel work. 

We can divide the world into four categories of gospel work. Understanding the percentages below may help us recognize that the world’s population is about 8 billion. Ten percent of the world’s population is equal to 800 million people. (10% = 800m)

10% – Saved Reached. These people have a clear understanding of the gospel and have placed faith in Jesus Christ as the only hope of eternal life.

20% – Unsaved Reached – There are people who profess to be culturally Christian; they have been exposed to the gospel and the scriptures and know of Christ’s death and resurrection, but they have not placed saving faith in Christ.

30%—Partially reached—These people have some exposure to the gospel. They may have never been “churched,” but they could find a Bible or church if they wanted it.

40% – Unreached – no Bible, no church, no gospel witness!

What is God’s will regarding the 40%?

William Carey, the founder of the English Baptist Missionary Society (1792) and a lifelong missionary to India, said, “To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.” To open the Scriptures, we will soon discover that the redemption of men forms the central storyline. God’s purpose in redeeming mankind is to be carried out by obedient disciples. All authority was given to Jesus Christ, who commissioned us to take the gospel to every person (Matthew 28:18). Therefore, there is not a people, religious or ethnic bloc, or any place on earth that the gospel cannot penetrate, and that gospel workers must not enter. As we develop strategies in Africa for leveraging and participating in the mission of God, we must pray, plan, and send our best to reach the nations in the north. The Scriptures make it very clear that the elect are scattered among all nations, and we are to broadcast God’s glorious work of redemption to all people, delivering God’s command to repent to every false worshipper. 

Consider these passages:

Matthew 13:33 – Kingdom is like leaven that permeates everywhere. There is no place on the earth outside the purpose of God’s redemption.

John 10:16 – Other sheep are to be included in one flock. Jesus will gather those sheep and bring them in.

John 11:52-52 – His elect people are scattered among all nations. We are to go and bring them in.

Psalm 9:2-3 – His glorious work is to be broadcast among the nations. The people of every nation are to hear of God’s fame and glory, and they are to submit to His sovereign rule!

Acts 17:13 – Idol worshippers are ignorant and must be commanded to repent. All people everywhere are commanded to repent.

The clear mission of God and the reality that 40% of the world has yet to be reached for the first time should press upon our souls! God, who commanded us to go and proclaim His fame, will hold us accountable for our obedience.

Luke 12:47-48 – The servant knows the master’s will but does not prepare himself will get a severe beating. The one who did not know will receive a light beating. We know the Great Commission – we are accountable! Do we prepare and act accordingly?

Luke 3:8-11 – God expects us to bear fruit that reflects the repentance that we profess. One fruit of repentance is obedience to the Great Commission! If you have something, share it with the one who has none – if we share our earthly possessions with those with physical needs, how much more must we share the spiritual possessions that we possess? A person with two tunics does not have responsibilities to others who already have two tunics but to those who have none. We are to take the tunic and give it to the one who has none! There is a gospel mission application here! We must give to the people who have none – invest in the gospel!

Conclusion:

There is an urgency for the church to respond to the Great Commission, particularly in the least reached corners of our world. The staggering reality that vast multitudes live in darkness, unaware of the hope and salvation offered through Christ, should stir us into action—prayer, strategic planning, and bold engagement in missions are not optional but imperative. We must venture into the 10/40 window where the gospel has not penetrated. Let’s mobilize resources, support missionary efforts, and personally engage in the life-transforming work of spreading the Gospel to every nation, tribe, people, and language.