We’ve passed a new milestone this week!  According to the United Nations we now have 7 billion people on planet earth.  A billion is a huge number, it’s not just a little more than a million, consider the following  comparison (but don’t think too much about the national debt as you look at the size of a trillion):

A million seconds is 12 days.

A billion seconds is 31 years.

A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.

Not only is a billion a huge number but consider the following statistics of the world’s population from the 2011 World Population Data Sheet:

             1 billion circa 1800

2 billion in 1930

3 billion in 1960

4 billion in 1974

5 billion in 1987

6 billion in 1999

7 billion in 2011

Note the exponential growth of the population, sociologists refer to this phenomenon as a J curve – there is a sharp increase as time goes on.  As we think of taking the Gospel to the world we can feel overwhelmed since there are so many people and more are coming – how can we finish the task?

Jesus has given us a proven strategy that is effective if we follow through.  Jesus invested his brief period of time on earth with just twelve men.  He was not simply making converts but disciples – men who could reproduce themselves in others.  Robert Coleman in his classic book, The Master Plan of Evangelism outlines Jesus’ strategy for evangelism and it is a book about discipleship!  The Apostle Paul recommends this same strategy in 2 Timothy 2:2, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

On the average there are 382,351 babies born every day – who is going to reach them?  We must not only share the good news with others but we must equip men and women who can also make disciples – we must reproduce ourselves in others.  As you look at the task ahead of you don’t lose heart but with fresh resolve follow Jesus’ strategy and you will have the joy of being part of a world-wide movement bringing redemption to mankind!