Tell Me the Stories of Jesus: Reaching Oral Learners

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to share something that might change how you think about missions—a method of sharing the Gospel that's reaching people in some of the hardest places on earth. It starts with a simple plea that echoes in hearts around the world:

"Tell me the stories of Jesus, I want to hear Things I would ask Him to tell me, if He were here..."

This is the longing of billions of people who have never heard about the One who loves them, who died for them, and who desires to live with them forever. But what if these people live where there is resistance to the Gospel? Where there is no written language, no alphabet, no books or Bible, no JESUS film? Where there is, at most, a small church, few if any believers, and even fewer missionaries?

This describes many parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. But there is hope! That hope is something called "storying."

[Khalim's story - storying in action]

Let me share a true account that illustrates this beautifully. There's a believer named Khalim who lives in a country closed to Christianity. His village is in a remote area. The nearest well with somewhat drinkable water is three kilometers away. Goats wander freely around the village. On the roofs of the mud houses are drying piles of dung to be used for cooking fuel. In the evenings, people gather in doorways and by mud walls in clusters. The connection they have with each other's families comes from centuries of being in a survival community.

Khalim is the only known Christian among his people. So how does he share the Gospel? As Khalim has tea with people in his village, he simply says, "Let me share a story with you..." and tells a three-minute story from the Bible in their own language.

When he's done, the men sit around talking about it, eating some bread and nuts, drinking tea, shooing the goats away from their small gardens. Friends come and go in the discussion, which might last for ten minutes or an hour. The next evening, he shares another story. A few days later, another.

[What's happening - the power of storying]

So what's happening here? Think about it: People are getting into God's Word, and God's Word is getting into people—in a place that has never had the Bible talked about before! They're talking about it freely, exploring it in community. This is happening very naturally in environments that are safe and comfortable.

Here's what's brilliant about this approach: People aren't extracted from their communities and labeled "infidels" as they are on their spiritual journey. Because it's natural in style and not threatening, people are taking these stories home where they're sharing them with their families and friends in other villages. The Gospel is spreading organically!

While this is happening, credibility for God's Word is being built. Stories from God's Holy Book aren't seen as a tool of the "Western corrupted church." They're just stories—powerful, life-changing stories about Jesus.

And here's the practical benefit: Khalim and his neighbors aren't in trouble with the local religious authorities. They don't have a print copy of the Bible in their possession, and they aren't doing anything illegal. They're simply talking over tea. It's a way of getting people into God's Word and God's Word into people with the fewest obstacles possible.

[The fruit - a friend believes]

Several months after Khalim began sharing stories, he was on a ridge at night watching the sheep of a friend. As they sat on top of the ridge, his friend sat quietly looking up at the stars. Then he spoke: "Khalim... I think I believe in this Jesus that you keep telling stories about. Tell me more..."

That's the power of storying! Not a formal evangelism presentation. Not a tract. Not a church service. Just stories about Jesus, shared over tea, leading to faith under the stars.

[Why storying works - oral learners]

Throughout history, the most enduring form of communication has been stories. Think about it. What do you do when you get together with friends or family? You tell stories. What part of a sermon does an audience wake up for? The stories. What do kids want before going to bed? A story.

Here's a statistic that should reshape how we think about missions: Today, approximately 80% of the world's unreached people groups are made up of oral preference learners. That's about 5.7 billion people worldwide who prefer to learn through oral or narrative means rather than through reading.

Many of these groups don't have an alphabet in their native language. And even if they do, they prefer to learn by oral means. They communicate their history, laws, values, and religion through stories, proverbs, songs, and drama. They've done it this way for centuries.

So when we come with printed Bibles and literacy-based evangelism, we're using a method that doesn't connect with how they learn! These people need to be approached in a way that fits their culture. They need to hear the story of Jesus in a style that's familiar to them.

[Storying methodology - how it works]

So how does storying actually work? Missionaries and local believers are trained to tell Bible stories—from Creation to the Fall, from Abraham to Moses, from the prophets to Jesus—in a connected narrative that builds toward the Gospel. They tell these stories in the local language, in culturally appropriate settings, in a way that invites discussion and questions.

The stories aren't just randomly selected. They're carefully chosen to build an understanding of who God is, what sin is, why we need a Savior, and who Jesus is. By the time listeners hear the story of the cross and resurrection, they have the context to understand why it matters.

And because stories are memorable and shareable, listeners naturally retell them to their families and neighbors. The Gospel spreads from person to person, village to village, without the need for literacy or printed materials or church buildings.

[Organizations involved in storying]

There are many organizations doing incredible work in oral Bible storying. Let me mention a few:

Simply The Story (simplythestory.org) trains people to share Bible stories in a way that lets the text speak for itself.

Spoken Worldwide (spokenworldwide.org) works to make God's Word available in audio and oral formats for oral learners.

Story Runners, part of Cru (storyrunners.org), trains and sends teams to share Bible stories among unreached people groups.

Faith Comes By Hearing (faithcomesbyhearing.com) provides audio Bibles in over 1,800 languages, perfect for oral learners.

The International Orality Network (orality.net) connects organizations working in oral strategies for missions.

These organizations understand that for most of the world's unreached, the Gospel will come through their ears, not their eyes. And they're equipping believers to share the stories of Jesus in culturally appropriate ways.

[Why this matters for the unreached]

Let me give you some updated statistics that show why storying is so important. There are approximately 7,400 unreached people groups in the world—that's about 3.3 billion people with little or no access to the Gospel. The majority of these are in the 10/40 Window—that band across North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia where most of the world's Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists live.

Many of these peoples live in places closed to traditional missionaries. You can't build a church. You can't hand out Bibles. You can't show the JESUS film. But you can share stories over tea. You can tell the story of Creation while watching sheep. You can share about Jesus while working in the fields.

Storying gets past barriers that stop other methods. It's indigenous, not foreign. It's oral, not literate. It's relational, not institutional. It's natural, not threatening. It's exactly what's needed to reach the hardest places.

[How you can be involved]

So how can you be involved? First, pray for oral Bible storying efforts around the world. Pray for believers like Khalim who are sharing stories in dangerous places. Pray for new believers who are learning about Jesus through stories.

Second, support organizations doing this work. They need resources to train storytellers, develop story sets in new languages, and reach new people groups.

Third, learn to use storying yourself! You don't have to go overseas. There are oral learners in your own community—immigrants, refugees, people who simply learn better through stories than through reading. Learn to share the Gospel through stories and use it locally.

Fourth, consider going. Organizations like Story Runners are always looking for people willing to be trained and sent to share Bible stories among unreached peoples. Could God be calling you?

[Closing reflection]

I love storying because it's so simple and so biblical. Jesus was a storyteller! He taught in parables. He used everyday images—seeds and soil, sheep and shepherds, fathers and sons—to communicate profound truth. He knew that stories stick in ways that lectures don't.

And storying connects beautifully with the persecuted church. In places where owning a Bible is illegal, believers can carry hundreds of stories in their hearts. In places where gathering for church is dangerous, stories can be shared over tea. The Word of God, planted in hearts through stories, cannot be confiscated or burned.

"Tell me the stories of Jesus, I want to hear..." Billions of people are waiting to hear. Will we tell them?

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray: 

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and tell them the stories of Jesus!

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Christianity and Political Power: When the Church Trades the Cross for the Crown

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to talk about something that's very much on people's minds right now—the relationship between Christianity and political power. With Donald Trump back in the White House in 2025, with many professing Christians in his cabinet, and with a conservative majority in Congress, many American Christians are feeling hopeful, even triumphant. Finally, we think, we have Christians in power who can turn this nation around!

But I want us to pause and ask a crucial question: Was Christianity meant to be used as a political force? And does Christianity actually flourish when it has political power, or does it flourish through a different means entirely?

[The parallel - then and now]

Let me draw a parallel. The year is 30 AD, the place is Jerusalem and Judea. The problem—the nation was faltering, backsliding, failing under Roman occupation. The solution, in many minds—Jesus, a conquering Messiah who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel to its glory days under King David.

But Jesus didn't do that. He didn't seek political power. He didn't overthrow Rome. He didn't establish an earthly kingdom. Instead, He came as a servant, speaking truth, loving others, and placing power struggles in God's hands. And many Jews rejected Him because He wouldn't give them the political salvation they wanted.

Now fast forward to 2026. The place is America. The problem—many Christians feel our nation has been faltering morally and spiritually. The solution, in many minds—Christian political power. Get the right people in the White House, in Congress, on the Supreme Court, and everything will change.

But is that really God's plan?

[The question we must ask]

Here's the question we need to wrestle with: Does Christianity flourish when it is the law of the land, backed by political power? Or does it flourish when it is spread one humble servant to the next, in love, humility, and sacrifice?

History gives us a sobering answer.

[The Roman Empire - a cautionary tale]

Consider the Roman Empire. Christianity was once a persecuted religion under emperors like Nero, who burned Christians alive as torches to light his gardens. But in 313 AD, Constantine legalized Christianity, and by 380 AD, it became the official religion of Rome.

Victory, right? Finally, Christians had political power! But here's what happened: When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the faith was altered. As missiologist Ralph Winter writes: "The political triumph of what eventually came to be known as Christianity was in fact a mixed blessing...because when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire it became ill-equipped by its very form to complete the Great Commission among any populace that was anti-Roman."

Think about that! The people of other nations saw Christianity as strictly a Roman religion. So whatever wrong things the Roman government did, in the minds of other nations, it was Christianity doing the wrong. Christianity became associated with Roman imperialism, Roman oppression, Roman corruption.

[Historical patterns - the same mistake repeated]

We see this same pattern throughout history. Muslims view Christianity negatively because of the Crusades—military campaigns launched in Christ's name. Indians are skeptical of Christianity because of England's colonization of India under the banner of "Christian civilization." Eastern Europeans associate Christianity with Russian Orthodox political power. Jews associate Christianity with the Holocaust…perpetrated by Germany, a “Christian” nation. In each case, when Christianity aligned itself with political and military might, it damaged the witness of the Gospel.

When Christianity takes on political power, it often becomes corrupt and power-hungry, as we saw in the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. Our human nature wants to make our religion supreme and in charge. We want power and authority—but of a worldly kind. This is exactly what the Jews were looking for when Jesus arrived. When He didn't provide it, many rejected Him.

[The danger of political Christianity]

Here's the sad truth: When Christianity becomes the main religion of the masses, officially recognized and promoted by the government, and persecution stops, often the fervor for outreach stops too. When it becomes easy to be a Christian, it becomes easy to be content in this world. When we're content in this world, we stop seeking after the Lord with urgency. We stop anticipating His return. And the fervor for the Great Commission dwindles.

Difficulty draws us closer to the Lord and thus closer to His heart for the nations. Ease in life makes us complacent and content with the status quo.

[Why Jesus avoided political power]

It may be for this very reason that Jesus never sought political power for Himself on earth. He didn't want faith in Him to be linked to Jewish or Roman political authorities. God is not tied to any one government or people group. He is King. He is Lord. He doesn't need the help of any government to spread His love and truth throughout the world.

Think about Jesus's words in John 18:36, when He stood before Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Jesus explicitly rejected the path of earthly political power. His kingdom operates differently—through love, sacrifice, service, and the foolishness of the cross.

[America's blessings and responsibilities]

Now, let me be clear: America has been greatly blessed by God with freedom and prosperity for many years. We as a nation have done much good, bringing the Gospel and freedom to many other nations. I'm grateful for that heritage! And yes, having Christians in government who will protect religious freedom, defend the unborn, and uphold biblical values is a good thing.

But we've also failed God in many ways. The moral decline in our culture, the embrace of materialism and decadence, the self-absorption of much of American Christianity—these don't speak well of us. And here's the critical question: Has our prosperity made us better missionaries, or has it made us complacent?

[The shift happening now]

Ralph Winter writes: "If we in the West insist on keeping our blessing instead of sharing it, then we will, like other nations before us (Israel, Rome, etc.) perhaps have to 'lose' our blessing in order for the remaining nations to receive it."

And here's what we need to understand: God is already shifting His blessings! The center of Christianity has moved from the West to the Global South. As we've discussed in previous episodes, 67% of Christians now live in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. The Chinese church is sending missionaries. The Korean church is sending over 27,000 missionaries. The Nigerian church is sending missionaries. The Brazilian church is sending missionaries.

God doesn't need America to accomplish His purposes! If we're not faithful, He'll use others.

[What should our response be?]

So what should be the American church's response to having Christians in political power in 2026? First, we should be grateful for religious freedom and use it while we have it. We should pray for our leaders, support policies that align with biblical values, and engage politically as responsible citizens.

But—and this is crucial—we must not put our hope in political power. We must not think that Christian politicians will solve our spiritual problems. We must not become so focused on maintaining power that we forget the Great Commission.

Second, we should be humble. We don't "deserve" any of the blessings we've been given. As Winter writes, each American Christian could just as likely have been born a Dalit girl in India or a persecuted believer in North Korea. God chose to place us in a prosperous country so we might share His blessings with those who have never heard His name. If we're not doing this, He has every right to give those blessings to others who will be faithful.

Third, we should celebrate what God is doing globally! We shouldn't feel threatened or sad that the Western church is declining while the non-Western church is exploding. We need to look at the big picture. We're first and foremost part of the body of Christ worldwide. In heaven, our nationality won't matter. So on earth, we should be overjoyed at the growth of the church in non-Western lands!

[The real mission - not political victory]

Here's what I want us to understand: The mission of the church has never been to gain political power. It's to make disciples of all nations. It's to go into all the world preaching the Gospel. It's to storm the gates of hell, not the halls of Congress.

When we have political influence, let's use it to protect religious freedom so the Gospel can advance. But let's not confuse political victory with spiritual victory. Let's not trade the cross for the crown. Let's not repeat the mistake of Constantine's Rome, believing that Christianity is best advanced through government power rather than through sacrificial love and humble service.

[The question for 2026]

So as we navigate 2026 with Christians in the White House and throughout the government, let me ask you: Are you more excited about political developments than about the lost coming to Christ? Are you spending more time arguing about politics than sharing the Gospel? Are you putting more hope in elected officials than in the Holy Spirit?

If so, you've fallen into the same trap the Jews fell into when they rejected Jesus because He wouldn't be their political Messiah.

[Closing challenge and prayer]

Let me challenge you: Be grateful for Christian political leaders, but don't idolize political power. Engage politically as a responsible citizen, but don't mistake political activism for the Great Commission. Pray for your leaders, but spend more time praying for the unreached. Support policies that align with Scripture, but don't think that laws will transform hearts—only the Gospel does that.

And most importantly, join what God is doing globally! Support missionaries. Give to missions. Go on short-term trips. Consider going long-term yourself. Celebrate the explosive growth of Christianity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Partner with believers in other nations who are reaching the unreached with far less resources than we have.

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me today. Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, not on Washington D.C.!

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Why God Commands Praise: The Purpose of Missions

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to answer a question that trips up a lot of people—both Christians and non-Christians. Why does God command us to praise Him? Doesn't that make Him sound vain and egotistical? And what does this have to do with missions?

These questions are at the heart of Psalm 117, that shortest chapter in the Bible we looked at before. Let me read it again:

"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!"

Today I want to focus on that command: "Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!" This is God's purpose—that He be praised by all the peoples, that He be made much of, that He be seen and savored and shown to be great. But why? This insight comes from John Piper's sermon "Everlasting Truth for the Joy of All Peoples."

[What is missions? - the definition]

Piper defines missions this way: "Missions is a cross-cultural movement aimed at helping people stop making much of themselves and start making much of their Creator."

Think about that! Missions isn't primarily about helping poor people or building schools or drilling wells—as good as those things are. Missions is about transforming people's hearts so that God is felt to be more praiseworthy than sports stars or military might or artistic achievements or anything else He has made.

Missions is helping people experience God as their Treasure above all earthly treasures forever. To see Him as the Pearl of Great Price. It's a life-and-death struggle to give people eternal life, which consists in knowing and enjoying God forever.

[How missions works - not just commands]

So missionaries don't just say, "Praise the LORD, all nations!" They also explain why. Piper writes: "We give reasons. We explain who He is and what He is like and how He has worked in history and spoken to us in the Bible and in His Son. We give reasons for why praising God is the only safe and satisfying response to God. We make clear: Not to praise is to perish."

This is crucial! We're not just barking commands at people. We're showing them the beauty and greatness of God. We're giving evidence that praising Him is good. We're explaining how Jesus made a way for sinners to approach God and worship Him.

[The objection - doesn't this make God vain?]

But here's the problem many people have. Piper quotes Michael Prowse, writing in the London Financial Times: "Worship is an aspect of religion that I always found difficult to understand. Suppose we postulate an omnipotent being who, for reasons inscrutable to us, decided to create something other than himself. Why should he expect us to worship him? We didn't ask to be created. We know that human tyrants, puffed up with pride, crave adulation and homage. But a morally perfect God would surely have no character defects."

Do you hear the objection? When human leaders demand praise, it's because they're insecure, vain, needy. So doesn't God's command to praise Him suggest He has the same character defect?

[The breakthrough - praise completes our joy]

But what if we have it backwards? Piper asks: "What if we have the need, and the need is to see infinite beauty and enjoy it so much that it spills over in authentic praise? What if admiration really is the highest pleasure and God is the most admirable being in the universe? If that were the case, wouldn't God's demand that we praise Him be a demand for our maximum joy. And do we not call that love?"

This is the breakthrough! God isn't seeking praise because He needs it. He's seeking our praise because we need to give it! He's not trying to fill some deficiency in Himself—He's trying to fill the God-shaped hole in us!

[C.S. Lewis's discovery - praise completes enjoyment]

C.S. Lewis struggled with this same question and made a profound discovery. He writes: "I thought of praise in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it."

Think about it! When you enjoy something, you naturally praise it. Lovers praise their beloved. Readers praise their favorite books. Sports fans praise their teams. Food lovers praise delicious meals. Hikers praise beautiful mountains. When we experience something wonderful, we can't help but talk about it!

Lewis continues: "I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: 'Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?'"

When we love something, we don't just praise it—we want others to praise it too! We want them to experience the same joy we're experiencing. That's exactly what the Psalmists are doing when they tell everyone to praise God!

[The key insight - praise completes enjoyment]

Then Lewis says something brilliant: "I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation."

Did you catch that? Praise doesn't just express our enjoyment—it completes it! You haven't fully enjoyed something until you've praised it, until you've shared it, until you've celebrated it with others.

[Why God seeks our praise - for our happiness]

So here's the answer to our question: Why does God command us to praise Him? Piper writes: "The reason God seeks our praise is not because He won't be complete until He gets it. He is seeking our praise because we won't be happy until we give it."

God is complete in Himself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have enjoyed perfect love and joy and glory from all eternity. God doesn't need anything from us. But we desperately need to praise Him because that's what we were created for! We'll never be fully happy, fully satisfied, fully complete until we're praising the One who is infinitely praiseworthy.

Psalm 147:1 says, "Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant." Praising God is good for us. It's pleasant. It brings us joy!

[Missions is love, not arrogance]

Piper writes: "Therefore when we say that missions is the cross-cultural effort to help the peoples praise God, we mean that missions is love not arrogance."

We're calling the world to do what they were created to do—to enjoy making much of God forever. If missions doesn't reach a people with the Gospel, God will be dishonored and the people will be miserable forever.

[Two motives that are really one]

Piper concludes: "Therefore we are driven by two motives (which turn out to be one): the glory of God, and the good of man. They are one because praise to God is the consummation of pleasure in God."

We care about missions because we want God to be glorified—praised by all nations. But we also care about missions because we want people to be happy—truly, deeply, eternally happy. And those two things are the same! People are most happy when they're praising God. God is most glorified when people are most satisfied in Him.

[Practical application - worship and witness]

So what does this mean practically? First, examine your own heart. Are you praising God? Not out of duty, but out of delight? If you're not enjoying God, you won't be effective in calling others to enjoy Him. Missionaries can't export what they don't possess.

Second, understand that worship is the fuel and goal of missions. We worship, and that worship overflows into mission. We go on mission so that others can join us in worship. John Piper famously said, "Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions."

Third, when you share the Gospel, don't just give commands. Give reasons! Show people who God is. Explain what He's like. Tell them what He's done in history and in your life. Help them see that God is beautiful, glorious, worthy of praise. Make them hungry to know Him!

[Closing challenge]

As we close, let me challenge you: God is calling all nations, all peoples to praise Him. Not because He's a cosmic egotist, but because He's an infinitely loving Father who knows that we'll never be happy until we're praising the One we were created to praise.

So praise Him yourself! And then, like those Alpine shepherds we talked about, call out to others: "Praise the LORD! For it is good! For it is pleasant!" Invite them to experience the joy you've found. That's what missions is—love in action, calling the world to the happiness found only in making much of God.

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me today. Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and help them discover the joy of praising God!

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