All Nations, All Peoples: Understanding God's Heart for the Unreached

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to talk about something that's at the very heart of God's purposes for the world—something that appears throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. It's captured beautifully in the shortest chapter in the entire Bible: Psalm 117.

Let me read it to you—all two verses:

"Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!"

This tiny psalm contains a massive vision: ALL nations praising the Lord. ALL peoples extolling Him. Not some. Not many. ALL. And today, I want to unpack what that means, why it matters, and what it calls us to do. Much of what I'm sharing comes from a powerful sermon by John Piper called "Everlasting Truth for the Joy of All Peoples," and it's challenged me deeply.

[Defining the terms - what are "nations" and "peoples"?]

First, we need to understand what the Bible means by "nations" and "peoples." When Psalm 117 says "all nations" and "all peoples," it's not talking about political states like America, Spain, Brazil, or China. It's referring to ethnic, language, or cultural groupings within these political states.

For example, if you look at China, there aren't just "Chinese people." There are the Hui, the Dulong, the Li, the Lisu, the Shui, the Salar, the Yao, and dozens more distinct people groups—each with their own language, culture, and identity. In the Bible, you read about "the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites" (Genesis 10:16-18).

So when Psalm 117:1 says, "Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!" it means: "Praise the Lord, Hui of China! Praise the Lord, Bahing of Nepal! Praise the Lord, Baluch of Pakistan! Praise the Lord, Maninka of Guinea! Praise the Lord, Saluwan of Indonesia! Praise the Lord, Dakota of South Dakota!"

[Jesus and the nations - the Great Commission]

These are the kinds of groups Jesus was referring to when He said after His resurrection in Matthew 28:18-19: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations"—literally "panta ta ethne," all the ethnic groups, all the people groups. This is the same phrase used in Psalm 117:1.

And these are the groups Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 24:14: "This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Not just all countries. All peoples. All ethnic groups. All language groups. All distinct cultures.

[The crucial question - how many remain unreached?]

So here's the huge question for followers of Jesus today—and it should be on our minds constantly: How many peoples are there, and how many of them are still unreached with the gospel of the kingdom? How many still have no church that obeys Psalm 117 and praises the Lord?

Let me give you some current statistics from Joshua Project, one of the most reliable research organizations tracking unreached peoples. As of 2025, there are approximately 17,446 distinct people groups in the world. Of these, about 7,401 are considered unreached—meaning they have little to no access to the Gospel, with less than 2% evangelical Christians among them.

These unreached people groups represent approximately 3.4 billion individuals—that's 42% of the world's population! Think about that: Nearly half of all people alive today belong to people groups where there's virtually no Christian witness, no churches, no believers who could share the Gospel with them in their own language and cultural context.

Let me break this down further. Among these unreached groups, 243 have populations over 1 million people. Some mega-peoples are still largely unreached: the Shaikh of Bangladesh (150 million), the Yadav of India (50 million), the Pashtun of Afghanistan and Pakistan (49 million), the Japanese (123 million). These aren't small, isolated tribes hidden in jungles—these are massive people groups that have somehow been overlooked or proven resistant to the Gospel.

[The myth of "missions is over" - addressing wrong thinking]

Now, if you hear someone say that the day of Western missions is over, you know something is amiss in their head or in their heart. Let me be direct about this because I hear this sentiment sometimes, and it's deeply troubling. When people say Western missions is over, they may not believe that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus is to be praised by all peoples. Or they may not believe that anyone is really perishing without the Gospel. Or they may believe that local people can do a better job than Western people.

But here's what that last argument misunderstands: The very definition of "unreached" means there aren't any—or aren't strong enough—local people capable of doing the work. That's what unreached means! And nearby reached peoples may actually be less culturally acceptable than Westerners in many contexts. For example, Chinese Christians may have an easier time reaching certain Muslim peoples than Arab Christians would, simply because there's no historical religious conflict between Chinese and Muslims.

The day of Western missions is not over. And the day we think it is will be the day you can write "forsaken" over the doors of our churches. God means for us to engage with Him to bring about Psalm 117: "Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!"

[Teaching the next generation - practical application]

If you have children who don't know about the "nations," let me give you some practical suggestions. Subscribe to resources like the Global Prayer Digest or visit websites like Joshua Project's "Unreached of the Day." Read a story to your children about a different unreached people group each day and pray for them.

In our homeschool, we've made this a regular part of our routine. We'll learn about a people group—where they live, what they believe, how they live, why they haven't heard the Gospel—and then we pray specifically for them. They're growing up with a God-sized vision of the world, not a me-sized vision of their own comfort.

[Breaking free from small worlds - the call to bigger vision]

John Piper writes: "Oh, that children and teenagers and adults in Christ's Church would break free from our tiny little worlds of family and friends and church and Western culture! Jesus Christ is building His church around the world. We are meant to think and feel and work with Him in this cause."

Then he says something that really convicted me: "Who knows how many of our personal problems are owing to narrowness of thinking and smallness of affections in relation to God's global purposes."

Think about that! How many of our anxieties, our discontent, our sense of purposelessness stem from the fact that we're focused only on our small circle? We're worried about our comfort, our plans, our preferences, our problems—when God is orchestrating the greatest movement in history: bringing worshipers from every tribe, tongue, and nation to His throne!

When we expand our vision to include God's global purposes, our personal problems often shrink to their proper size. When we're praying for unreached Buddhists in Mongolia or persecuted Christians in Nigeria or hidden believers in North Korea, suddenly our complaint about the worship style at church or frustration about our schedule seems petty.

[The dramatic shift - Christianity's new center]

Now, here's something crucial we need to understand: The world and the church have changed dramatically in the last 100 years—truly the greatest missionary century in history. Listen to what missiologist Andrew Walls wrote in his book "The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History":

"[The twentieth century] has seen this great recession from the Christian faith in the West, there has been an equally massive accession to that faith in the non-Western world. [At the beginning of the century] well over 80 percent of those who professed Christianity lived in Europe or North America. Now, approaching 60 percent live in the southern continents of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific, and that proportion grows annually. Christianity began the twentieth century as a Western religion, and indeed, the Western religion; it ended the century as a non-Western religion, on track to become progressively more so."

Updated statistics for 2025 show this trend has accelerated. Today, approximately 67% of Christians live in the Global South—Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. Only 33% live in Europe and North America. The church's center of gravity has shifted dramatically southward and eastward.

[We are not the center - humility and rejoicing]

Here's what this means: We in the West are not at the center anymore. God may or may not be done with us in our self-absorbed prosperity in America. But He certainly is putting others on the Christian map to humble us and call us to confess and rejoice that others may be far more effective in finishing the Great Commission than we are.

The dynamics of church and missions will never be the same. And that's not something to mourn—it's something to celebrate! God is raising up missionary movements in South Korea, Brazil, Nigeria, India, and China. Korean missionaries are reaching Central Asia. Brazilian missionaries are reaching North Africa. Nigerian missionaries are reaching unreached peoples across West Africa. Chinese believers are taking the Gospel along the Belt and Road Initiative.

John Piper gives a small example of this shift: "There are more Anglicans in Nigeria than in England and America put together. Their bishops are biblically conservative, and they vote. Who would have dreamed just thirty years ago that powerful, liberal Western bishops would be called to account biblically by the churches they planted in Africa?"

This is the new world we live in. It is the world that God is guiding and shaping for His glory. And we need to adjust our thinking accordingly. We're not the only ones reaching the unreached anymore—and that's wonderful! But it doesn't mean our job is done.

[The ongoing call - goers and senders]

So let's join God in His great global purpose and not be limited in our thinking, feeling, and acting to our local concerns. Let's give ourselves to missions—either as goers or as senders. Because here's what Psalm 117 makes crystal clear: God will not be satisfied until every people group on earth praises Him. Not just some. Not just the easy-to-reach ones. ALL.

[The ultimate purpose - God's glory among all peoples]

Here's what we need to understand at the deepest level: Missions isn't ultimately about helping poor people or making the world a better place or even saving souls—as important as all those things are. Missions is ultimately about God's glory being displayed among all peoples. It's about Psalm 117 being fulfilled. It's about every tribe, tongue, and nation gathered around the throne in Revelation 7:9 worshiping the Lamb.

God created diversity—different languages, cultures, peoples—not as a problem to be overcome, but as a canvas on which to display the infinite beauty of His glory. When a Mongolian nomad worships Jesus, it reveals something about God's character that an American suburban worshiper can't reveal. When a Fulani herdsman sings praise to Jesus, it displays God's glory in a way that a Brazilian city-dweller can't. God wants all the colors, all the sounds, all the cultural expressions of humanity praising Him—because only then is His glory fully displayed.

[Closing challenge and prayer]

So I want to challenge you: Don't be satisfied with a faith that's focused only on your personal salvation and comfort. Don't be content with a Christianity that's all about your needs being met and your problems being solved. Expand your heart to embrace God's passion for all peoples!

Ask yourself: When was the last time I prayed for an unreached people group? When was the last time I gave money specifically to reach the unreached? Have I ever seriously considered whether God might be calling me to go? Am I raising my children with a vision for all nations, or just a vision for their own success?

God is building His church among all peoples. The question is: Will we join Him in that work, or will we stay focused on our tiny worlds while billions remain unreached?

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me today. Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and live for the fulfillment of Psalm 117!

Spotify podcast

The Mongol Missed Opportunity: When the Church Said No to History's Greatest Open Door

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to talk about one of the most heartbreaking stories in Christian history—a story that still makes me sad every time I think about it.

It's about a missed opportunity. An opportunity so massive that if the Church had seized it, the entire map of world Christianity might look completely different today. Asia might be predominantly Christian. Buddhism might never have taken the hold it has. And billions of people throughout history might have heard the Gospel who never did.

Friends, this is the story of what happened when Kublai Khan asked for missionaries—and the Catholic Church said no.

[Setting the stage - the Mongol Empire's unprecedented reach]

While homeschooling my children, I came across an article by Scott W. Sundquist entitled "Asian Christianity," and I was deeply saddened by what I learned.

In the 13th century, when Genghis Khan ruled, the Mongol Empire stretched from China to Central Europe—a kingdom larger even than those of Alexander the Great and the Roman Caesars. It covered all of Asia, Indochina, and even Eastern Europe. Friends, no nation has yet rivaled the magnitude of the Mongolian Empire! This was the largest contiguous land empire in all of human history.

[Kublai Khan - a ruler open to Christianity]

Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan, ruled when the Mongol Empire had reached its limit. It could not expand any farther, so Kublai concentrated on maintaining peace within his borders and consolidating his vast territory. And here's what's crucial: Kublai had a mother who was a Christian. He had been exposed to Christianity from childhood!

When Marco Polo journeyed to China between 1271 and 1295, he found evidence of Christian communities already there—remnants of earlier Nestorian missionary efforts. Marco Polo served in the court of Kublai Khan and became the Khan's trusted friend. Through their friendship and conversations, Kublai became genuinely interested in Christianity.

[The request - 100 missionaries wanted]

And then Kublai Khan did something extraordinary. He specifically requested from Pope Gregory X that 100 missionaries be sent to the Mongol Empire to teach himself and his people about the Christian faith. Think about that for a moment, friends! The ruler of the largest empire the world had ever seen was asking—requesting, inviting, begging—for Christian missionaries to come teach him and his people about Jesus!

This wasn't a resistant people group that might cause the Christian missionaries to face persecution and martyrdom. This wasn't a closed country where missionaries had to sneak in under the cover of darkness. This was an open invitation from the most powerful ruler on earth to bring the Gospel to hundreds of millions of people!

[The tragic response - defending instead of extending]

So what happened? Sadly and regretfully, the request was never fulfilled. Why? Because the Popes in Europe were more concerned about defending themselves militarily than they were interested in extending the Gospel spiritually. They were worried about political conflicts in Europe, about maintaining their own power, about military threats closer to home.

Friends, this may be one of the greatest lost missionary opportunities of all time! And it breaks my heart every time I think about it.

[What could have been - imagining obedience]

If I had been Pope Gregory X—and I know that's easy to say from the comfort of my home centuries later—but if I had been him, I would have immediately fulfilled that request! He was in charge of the vast Christian Church. Popes had been able to stir up huge support for the Crusades in the past, sending thousands of men, and even children, to fight in the Middle East. Surely he could have found 100 monks who were willing to go to Asia to share the Gospel of Christ!

God was opening a door of opportunity for Christianity to spread to the largest empire the world had ever seen through a man whose mother was a Christian. Think about what could have happened! Look at how God used one monk, St. Patrick, to convert Ireland. Or Columba to convert Scotland. What could have been done with 100 monks who were requested specifically by the Mongol leader himself?

[What actually happened - Buddhism fills the void]

Instead, here's what happened. It was during the time of the Great Khans that the Tibetan form of Buddhism gained influence in Mongolia. Without Christianity filling that spiritual vacuum, Buddhism became the predominant religion in the Mongolian territories. The very space that could have been filled with the Gospel was filled with another religion instead.

For centuries, Mongolia remained firmly Buddhist. Even today, though there are some Christians and Mongolia doesn't persecute them, Buddhism is still the predominant religion. Many Mongolians firmly believe that Buddhism is the only true religion, partly as a reaction to later Christian missionary efforts that came much too late.

[The ripple effects - Asia's spiritual landscape]

Think about the ripple effects of this missed opportunity! If Christianity had been the religion that Kublai Khan and his followers embraced, Mongolia and possibly other countries in Asia today might be predominantly Christian. Christianity might have swept across Asia the way it did across Europe in the centuries before.

The strongholds of Buddhism, Islam, and later Communism in Asia might never have gained the foothold they did if Christianity had been the predominant religion established under Kublai Khan's rule. We can't know for certain what would have happened, but we do know what didn't happen—and that's heartbreaking.

[Biblical foundation - open doors must be walked through]

This is a huge lesson for the Christian Church today, and it's rooted in Scripture. In Colossians 4:3, Paul asks for prayer "that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ." God opens doors! And when He does, we must walk through them!

In Revelation 3:8, Jesus says to the church in Philadelphia, "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." Friends, God places open doors before us. But we have to actually walk through them! An open door means nothing if we're too afraid, too distracted, or too comfortable to step through it.

[The lesson for us - don't miss God's open doors]

So here's the lesson: We must take every opportunity given to us to share the Gospel with those who are lost, no matter their religion, their location, or their culture. When God opens a door, we cannot let fear, politics, comfort, or distraction keep us from walking through it.

Think about the opportunities we've had in recent history. After the fall of the Soviet Union, there was an incredible openness to the Gospel in Russia and Eastern Europe. Many missionaries went, but did we send enough? Did we seize that opportunity fully? After the U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, there were windows of access to reach people in those nations. Did the American Church—a nation with enormous resources and Christian heritage—send the "100 missionaries" to share the love of Jesus? Or were we, like the Popes of old, more concerned about defending ourselves militarily than we were interested in extending the Gospel spiritually?

[Current opportunities - where are today's open doors?]

Friends, there are open doors right now that we need to walk through! According to recent mission research, there are still over 7,000 unreached people groups representing 3.4 billion people. But some of those groups are more open than others. Some are asking for help, asking for education, asking for development—and those requests are open doors for the Gospel!

Chinese students are flooding into Western universities—that's an open door! Refugees from closed countries are being resettled in American cities—that's an open door! Digital technology allows us to reach people in closed countries through the internet—that's an open door! God is still opening doors. The question is: Will we walk through them this time?

[Mongolia today - God's redemptive work]

Now, I want to end with some encouraging news, because friends, even though the Church missed that opportunity in the 13th century, God is still at work in Mongolia today! And this is a beautiful reminder that while we can miss opportunities, God's purposes will ultimately prevail.

For most of the 20th century, Mongolia was under Communist rule and virtually closed to Christianity. There were essentially zero known Christians in Mongolia by 1989. But after the collapse of Communism in 1990, something remarkable began to happen. Missionaries were finally able to enter Mongolia, and the Gospel began to spread!

[The modern Mongolian revival - unprecedented growth]

According to recent reports from organizations like OMF International and Joshua Project, Christianity has experienced explosive growth in Mongolia over the past three decades. From zero believers in 1989, there are now estimated to be over 80,000 Christians in Mongolia—and some estimates suggest even more!

Hundreds of churches have been planted across the country. Mongolian believers are translating the Bible, writing worship songs in their own language, and even sending out their own missionaries to other nations! The Mongolian church is young, vibrant, and growing rapidly, particularly among young people in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.

Friends, God didn't give up on Mongolia! Even though the Church missed that incredible opportunity in Kublai Khan's time, God has been faithful to open another door—and this time, missionaries walked through it!

[Five lessons from the Mongol opportunity]

Let me share five critical lessons from this story. First, open doors don't stay open forever. Kublai Khan's invitation was a limited-time opportunity. When he died and his successors chose Buddhism, that door closed. We must act when God opens doors, not assume they'll always be available.

Second, political concerns should never overshadow Gospel opportunities. The Popes were worried about European conflicts and military defense. Those seemed important at the time. But from an eternal perspective, what mattered more—a political squabble in Europe or the evangelization of the world's largest empire? Third, one generation's missed opportunity can affect many generations. Because the Church didn't go to Mongolia in the 1200s, millions of people throughout subsequent centuries never heard the Gospel. Our obedience or disobedience has ripple effects we can't fully see.

Fourth, God's purposes will ultimately prevail even when we fail. The Church missed the opportunity with Kublai Khan, but God is still reaching Mongolia today! Our failures don't stop God, but they do delay His work and cause unnecessary suffering. And fifth, we must constantly ask: What doors is God opening right now that we're missing? We can't change history, but we can learn from it!

[Personal application - examining our priorities]

So friends, let me ask you: What opportunities is God placing before you right now? Is there an international student in your city you could befriend? Is there a refugee family you could serve? Is there a people group God is calling you to pray for or support financially? Is there a mission trip you've been putting off?

Don't let comfort, fear, or distraction cause you to miss God's open doors! Don't let future generations look back at our time and say, "If only they had walked through the doors God opened for them, millions more would know Jesus today."

Let me pray:

Thank you for joining me today, friends. This story both breaks my heart and challenges me. Let's not be the generation that history looks back on with regret. Let's be the generation that walked through every door God opened.

"Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and walk through every door God opens before it closes."

Spotify podcast

Korea Part 3: The Korean Church Today—Lessons from the Land of Morning Calm

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. This is part three of our series on the Korean church, and today we're going to talk about what makes Korean Christianity so unique and powerful—and what we in the West can learn from it.

When our family lived in Seoul from 2006 to 2008, we experienced Korean Christianity firsthand at Jubilee Church, and it completely transformed our understanding of what vibrant faith looks like. The vibrant prayer, the expectation that every believer would evangelize and disciple others, the passion in worship that made many American church services seem almost sleepy by comparison!

And now, as our daughter prepares to go to Korea next March for five months with Youth With A Mission, I find myself reflecting on what made the Korean church experience so powerful—and why Korean Christianity has become one of the most significant missionary forces in the world today.

[The numbers - South Korea's Christian explosion]

Let me start with some remarkable statistics. In 1900, Korea had virtually no Christians—maybe a few thousand at most. Today, South Korea is approximately 30% Christian, with about 10 million Protestants and 5 million Catholics in a population of 51 million. That's an astounding transformation in just over a century!

Seoul, the capital where we lived, has been called the "city of churches." There are an estimated 20,000 churches in the greater Seoul metropolitan area—that's one church for every 500 people! And many of these aren't small congregations. South Korea is home to 16 of the world's 50 largest churches, including Yoido Full Gospel Church with over 580,000 members today.

But it's not just about numbers or size. What makes Korean Christianity remarkable is its intensity, its commitment to missions, and its prayer culture. Let me break down what makes the Korean church unique.

[The prayer culture - the foundation of everything]

First and foremost, Korean Christians pray like their lives depend on it—because historically, they did! Remember, this is a church built by believers who survived Japanese persecution and Communist threats. They learned that prayer isn't optional—it's survival.

Korean churches hold early morning prayer meetings called "Saebyek Kido" that start between 4:30 and 5:30 AM every single day. Not once a week—every day! And these aren't small gatherings with a handful of dedicated intercessors. Hundreds, sometimes thousands of people attend these daily prayer meetings before work.

The prayer wasn't quiet or contemplative—it was intense! People would pray out loud simultaneously, crying out to God with passion and expectation. They called it "tongsung kido" (unified prayer), and it created an atmosphere of spiritual intensity I'd never experienced. Pastor Dave led us in this type of prayer every Sunday and it was amazing! I miss it. 

Many Korean churches also hold all-night prayer meetings—"Cheolya Kido"—that run from evening until dawn, often weekly! People pray, worship, fast, and seek God's face for hours. Prayer mountains—retreat centers dedicated specifically to prayer and fasting—dot the Korean landscape, with thousands gathering there regularly.

One of the most remarkable of these prayer mountains is found at Osanri Prayer Mountain, also known as the Choi Ja-sil Memorial Fasting Prayer Mountain, located in Paju near Seoul. Established in 1973 by Yoido Full Gospel Church—this mountain retreat has become a spiritual landmark for millions of believers. Open 365 days a year, it welcomes visitors from all over the world who come to fast, pray, and seek renewal in quiet “prayer caves” or in massive worship gatherings that can host thousands. The atmosphere is deeply Pentecostal and prayer-driven, emphasizing the power of the Holy Spirit, healing, and personal revival. In many ways, Prayer Mountain reflects the heartbeat of South Korean Christianity itself—fervent, disciplined, community-centered, and passionate about encountering God through prayer.

[The cell group system - every believer a disciple-maker]

Second, Korean churches pioneered the cell group system that's now used worldwide. Rather than expecting people to just attend Sunday services, Korean churches organize members into small groups that meet weekly in homes for Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and evangelism.

David Yonggi Cho, founding pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, developed this system when his church grew too large for him to personally shepherd everyone. He trained lay leaders—many of them women—to lead small groups of 10-15 people. Each cell group became a mini-church where people could be known, cared for, discipled, and equipped for ministry.

This system allowed churches to grow exponentially while maintaining intimate community. Every believer was part of a small group where they were accountable, where they studied Scripture in depth, where they learned to pray and evangelize. This created mature disciples, not just passive attendees.

[The evangelism expectation - every Christian a witness]

Third, Korean Christians have an expectation that every believer should actively evangelize. This isn't just the pastor's job or something for specially gifted people—it's normal Christianity. Korean believers will pray for opportunities to share Christ, initiate spiritual conversations with strangers, invite people to church, and follow up persistently.

When we lived in Seoul, we noticed that Korean Christians weren't shy about their faith. They wore Christian symbols openly. They talked about Jesus naturally. They invited people to church without embarrassment. There was no assumption that faith should be private or that evangelism was pushy.

This evangelistic culture stems partly from the church's history. Many Korean Christians are first or second-generation believers who remember what life was like before Christ. They've experienced such radical transformation that they can't help but share it. They know what they've been saved from, so they're passionate about others experiencing that same salvation.

[The missions movement - Korea as a sending nation]

Fourth, and most remarkably, South Korea has become the second-largest missionary-sending nation in the world! With a population of only 51 million—much smaller than the United States or China—Korea sends out over 27,000 missionaries serving in more than 170 countries. Only the United States sends more missionaries, and the U.S. has a population six times larger!

Korean missionaries serve everywhere—in the hardest places, the most dangerous regions, among the most unreached people groups. They go to Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and even back to their own cultural neighbors in North Korea (working through China). Many Korean missionaries are willing to go where Western missionaries can't because of visa restrictions or security concerns.

What drives this missions passion? Several factors. First, Koreans remember when missionaries came to them—Robert Jermain Thomas dying on a burning ship, throwing Bibles to shore. They feel a debt to pass on what they received. Second, Korean Christians have a strong eschatological urgency—they believe Jesus is returning soon and the Gospel must reach every nation first. Third, Korean churches teach missions from the beginning, making it normative for Christians to either go, send, or support those who go.

[The persecution memory - never forgetting the cost]

Fifth, Korean Christians never forgot what their faith cost previous generations. Stories of martyrs like Pastor Joo Ki-Chul and Esther Ahn Kim are taught in churches. The history of Japanese persecution and Communist oppression is kept alive. This creates a deep appreciation for religious freedom and a determination not to take it for granted.

It also creates empathy for persecuted Christians elsewhere. Korean churches are among the most generous supporters of ministries like Voice of the Martyrs. They pray fervently for North Korean believers and persecuted Christians in other nations because they remember when their own church was underground.

[The challenges - not everything is perfect]

Now, I need to be honest that Korean Christianity faces challenges too. The rapid growth has sometimes led to problems. There's been excessive focus on numbers and size, with some mega-church pastors building personal empires rather than serving humbly. Scandals involving church leaders have damaged the church's reputation. Some churches have become materialistic, adopting a prosperity gospel that contradicts the sacrificial faith of earlier generations.

Additionally, the younger generation in Korea is less religious than their parents. Church attendance among Korean youth has declined. The same secularizing trends affecting Western Christianity are beginning to impact Korea. Some young Koreans see Christianity as old-fashioned or associated with right-wing politics.

But despite these challenges, Korean Christianity remains remarkably vibrant compared to declining churches in Europe or nominally Christian cultures in the West. And the missions movement continues strong, with young Koreans still responding to God's call to reach unreached peoples.

[What we can learn - five lessons for Western Christians]

So what can we in the West learn from Korean Christianity? Let me give you five practical lessons. First, prioritize prayer above programs. Korean churches built their growth on prayer, not slick marketing or entertainment. They believe prayer changes things—and they pray accordingly. What would happen if Western churches held early morning prayer meetings six days a week? What if we held all-night prayer vigils regularly?

Second, expect every believer to evangelize. Korean churches don't have professional evangelism teams while everyone else just attends services. They equip every member to share Christ naturally in daily life. We need to recover this New Testament expectation that all Christians are witnesses, not just pastors or "evangelistic" people.

Third, organize for discipleship, not just attendance. The cell group system ensures that every believer is in a small group where they're known, accountable, and growing. Many Western churches have hundreds or thousands of attendees but no real discipleship happening. We need structures that produce mature disciples, not just crowds.

Fourth, cultivate missions passion from the beginning. Korean churches teach about missions to children, teenagers, and new believers. They send short-term mission teams regularly. They support multiple missionaries personally. They make missions central, not peripheral. What if every Christian child grew up expecting that God might call them to unreached peoples?

And fifth, remember what it cost to bring you the Gospel. Korean Christians remember Robert Thomas, remember the martyrs under Japanese occupation, remember the suffering of believers in the North. That memory creates gratitude and responsibility. We need to study church history, learn about persecuted Christians today, and let that knowledge fuel our own faithfulness.

[The future - next generation challenges and opportunities]

What does the future hold for Korean Christianity? The church faces real challenges with declining youth participation and increasing secularization. In episode 9 I spoke about the recent and increasing persecution and even arrest of South Korean pastors under the new liberal, Communist-sympathetic government. But there are also exciting opportunities. Korean missionaries are positioned to reach some of the world's hardest places. The Korean diaspora—Koreans living around the world—creates natural bridges for the Gospel. And the longing for reunification with North Korea could spark the greatest missionary opportunity of the 21st century.

Imagine when North Korea finally opens! South Korean churches are preparing for that day—training missionaries, printing Bibles, developing discipleship materials, planning how to rebuild churches in the North. When the bamboo curtain falls, Korean Christians will be ready to flood the North with the Gospel that was suppressed for 70 years.

[Personal reflection - what Korea taught us]

Living in Korea transformed our family's faith. Before Seoul, we thought we were committed Christians. But experiencing Korean prayer culture, witnessing their passion for missions, seeing their expectation that every believer would actively share Christ—it challenged our comfortable American Christianity.

When we returned to the United States, we couldn't go back to business as usual. We started praying more intentionally. We became more involved in missions. We raised our children with stories of Korean martyrs alongside stories of Western missionaries. And now, our youngest daughter going to Korea for YWAM training feels like God's full-circle moment—He fueled our hearts for prayer and missions in Korea, and now He's calling the next generation back.

[The testimony continues - Robert Thomas's seed still growing]

And here's what moves me most: The seed that Robert Jermain Thomas planted when he threw Bibles from that burning ship in 1866—that seed is still growing! Every Korean missionary serving in Central Asia or the Middle East is fruit from that seed. Every early morning prayer meeting in Seoul is fruit from that seed. Every North Korean believer memorizing Scripture in hiding is fruit from that seed.

Thomas died without seeing a single Korean convert. But today, there are 15 million Korean Christians. He threw Bibles to people on shore. Today, Korean Christians are taking Bibles to unreached peoples around the world. He prayed for Korea as he died. Today, millions of Koreans pray for the world. That's the power of one faithful seed planted in obedience to God.

[Closing challenge - becoming a seed]

So here's my closing challenge: Are you willing to be a seed? Are you willing to plant faithfully even if you never see the harvest? Are you willing to pray like Korean Christians pray—early, often, passionately? Are you willing to make missions central to your life rather than peripheral? Are you willing to evangelize naturally, expecting God to use you?

The Korean church shows us what's possible when believers take Jesus seriously, when they pray expectantly, when they obey radically, when they remember the cost, and when they live for something bigger than their own comfort. They went from 0% Christian in 1900 to 30% today. They went from receiving missionaries to sending missionaries. They went from persecution under Japan to explosive growth under freedom.

What God did in Korea, He can do anywhere—including in your life, your church, your nation. The question is: Will we learn from their example? Will we pray like they pray? Will we go like they go? Will we sacrifice like they sacrifice?

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me for this three-part series on the Korean church. I hope these episodes have inspired you as much as researching and recording them has inspired me. Korea holds a special place in our family's heart, and I pray God uses these stories to ignite passion for missions and prayer in your heart too.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and pray like Korean Christians pray!

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