Throughout human history, God has been working toward bringing people from every nation, tribe, and language into His kingdom. This redemptive plan has moved through distinct phases - from the Patriarchs to Israel's captivity, through the periods of Judges and Kings, to Christ's coming and the early church, and finally to the ends of the earth where we are now. The spread of Christianity from a small movement in Jerusalem to a worldwide faith is truly remarkable. Three key figures represent the eras of modern missionary movements: William Carey (the father of Protestant missions who focused on coastlands), Hudson Taylor (who founded the China Inland Mission to reach interior regions), and William Cameron Townsend (who established Wycliffe Bible Translators after realizing the importance of reaching people in their native languages). Despite their efforts and those of countless others, billions of people in the '10/40 Window' still have little or no access to the Gospel. However, Revelation 7:9-12 assures us that eventually people from every nation, tribe, and language will stand before God's throne. Heaven will be a place of unspeakable joy and peace in Jesus' presence, where sin is completely removed. As C.S. Lewis beautifully expressed, all of our earthly existence will be just the cover and title page of the Great Story that continues forever in eternity.

Jesus challenged conventional wisdom when He taught that in God's kingdom, the path to greatness runs through service. Unlike worldly leadership that exercises control over others, kingdom leadership means becoming a servant to all. This radical concept is exemplified by Jesus Himself, who came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. Serving others requires genuine humility—counting others as more significant than ourselves, just as Christ demonstrated by emptying Himself and taking the form of a servant. As believers, we've each received spiritual gifts that we're called to steward by using them to serve others for God's glory. There's a profound difference between serving out of obligation versus serving from joy; the latter flows from our identity in Christ and brings fulfillment even amid fatigue.

Our financial stewardship also reflects our understanding that everything we have belongs to God and that we're simply managing what He has entrusted us. When we serve through love, we experience true freedom. Ironically, those most focused on themselves tend to be most miserable, while those who consistently serve others often experience the most joy and contentment. By identifying opportunities to serve, assessing our spiritual gifts, examining our giving habits, and looking for ways to serve even in difficult seasons, we can live out the values of God's upside-down kingdom.

Jesus strategically spread His message by investing deeply in twelve ordinary individuals. Over three years, He taught them and modeled ministry before sending them out in pairs to practice what they had learned. This approach established a divine pattern for spreading the Gospel, emphasizing the importance of discipleship—learning, following, and teaching others.

The early church exemplified this as the twelve disciples grew into thousands of believers, each becoming a potential disciple-maker. Today, you are part of this lineage. Someone invested in you and helped you grow in faith, and now you have the privilege of continuing this divine pattern by investing in others—an essential commission Jesus gave to all His followers.