What do you think of when you hear the words populated, busy, and traffic? How about nightlife, museums, and restaurants? Do you think of a place where you might live? A place where you might want to live? With God calling us to be ‘fishers of men’, would it be beneficial to seek out a place encapsulating the words mentioned above?
With over half of the world’s population living in cities, it’s no wonder long-time church planter and GEM worker Stephen Beck encourages Christian believers to fulfill the great commission within them.
“Cities are where decisions of the future of the world are being made,” Stephen starts.
“They’re places of productivity and creativity; where universities and businesses are; where the poor look for work and survival; they’re gathering places of special interest groups,” says Stephen. “The city is a magnet that draws all kinds of people with all kinds of backgrounds to itself. If we’re going to think missions, we need to understand that the world is moving into cities.”
Take Brussels, for instance. The capital city of Belgium is home to over 185 nationalities. Like a growing number of other cities in Europe, Brussels has attracted a melting pot of cultures. The nations of the world have been flocking to the cities, bringing a diversity of religions and beliefs with them.
“If winning the nations is the goal, into the cities we should go.”
Stephen Beck
We can see God’s heart for cities through Nineveh, one of the more famous of pagan biblical cities. Jonah, horrified at the thought of being sent there, offers us something to consider—how much do we relate with him? How often do we feel superior to those living sinfully in the cities around us? How often do we choose to, instead of leading them to Christ, avoid or ignore their behavior altogether?
Is God still concerned for the Ninevehs of today?
“We need to replace our indifference with zeal, and our dislike for the city with compassion,” Stephen offers. “In Matthew 9:38, Jesus went through the city and saw many who were confused and lost. Today, many people in cities don’t know who Jesus is—they’re still confused and lost.” We need to participate in God’s mission for the people.
With years of church planting involvement in Canada, Germany, and now the US, Stephen’s seasoned experience sheds light on the ways God can move when we’re obedient, especially regarding planting churches within cities.
“Church planting is a mission strategy for people who don’t know Jesus,” he states. With the presence of spiritual warfare evident in both urban and rural areas, it’s important to have these ‘beacons of light’ for non-believers to find the Truth.
“Church plants should be Gospel-centered, where there are no expectations for non-Christians to instantly fit into a church code of behavior, but have an open-arms approach, being patient as new Christians go on their journey,” Stephen says. “As we plant churches, we need to include all nations and languages; multiculturalism is the way to go, because nations are gathering in cities.”
As we make our way into the cities, we need to be patient and prayerful. We live in a world where many believe they don’t need God. Men and women try to prove they can make it on their own and can decide what is true. When they discover that they themselves can’t fulfill what their souls are aching for, we need to be ready to offer true fulfillment.
“If we’re going to reach the nations, we need to reach our nation. To reach our nation, we need to reach the cities. We need to be concerned, have compassion for the people in our cities. We need to be fishers of men—it is our purpose. We need to be proactive missionaries with hearts burning for the people where we live,” Stephen concludes.
Cities—with all they offer and contain—offer such rich opportunities for Christians to make an impact. Will you choose to be part of the movement, going after the people in the places where they gather?
Pray with me.
Lord, give us a heart for the people—a heart that longs to see them set free, even if it means stepping out of our comfort zones and into the busyness of the city to find them. We pray for you to instill in us a heart for Your mission, that all may hear Your name and be set free.
Amen
To hear Stephen’s sermon in its entirety, click here.
