The Glory of the Impossible: Samuel Zwemer's Call to the Unreached

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to share something with you that stirred my soul deeply—a challenge from Samuel Marinus Zwemer, nicknamed "The Apostle to Islam." Zwemer lived from 1867 to 1952, and he was an American missionary who served in Arabia—in places like Busrah and Bahrein—from 1891 to 1905.

Here's what's remarkable about Zwemer: He was famously turned down by the American Missionary Society. They wouldn't send him. So he went overseas alone anyway! He founded and edited the publication "The Moslem World," and his greatest contribution to missions was stirring Christians to the need for evangelism among Muslims.

And I believe that need should be stirred again today! The Muslim world remains one of the most unreached populations on earth. Muslims comprise a vast majority of the 10/40 Window—that rectangle stretching from West Africa across the Middle East to Asia where most of the world's unreached peoples live. In some Muslim regions, there are as few as three missionaries per million Muslims. Think about that—three missionaries for a million people!

Islam is the second-fastest growing religion in the world, after Christianity. And yet, how much of our missionary effort is focused there? How many young people are preparing to take the Gospel to Muslims? How many churches are praying for and supporting work in the Muslim world?

What I want to share with you today is Zwemer's message called "The Glory of the Impossible." I'm going to walk through his main ideas, translating his powerful 19th-century language into something we can grasp today. Listen carefully, and let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart.

[First main idea - Faith transforms sacrifice]

Zwemer begins with this foundational truth: Our willingness to sacrifice for something is always in proportion to our faith in it. If you really believe in something, you'll give everything for it. Faith, he says, has the genius of transforming what seems barely possible into actual reality.

Think about it—once you're dominated by the conviction that something must be done, you won't stop until it's accomplished. That's what real pioneers are like. They don't get discouraged by setbacks. They don't quit when things fail. In fact, even when missionaries are martyred, it only motivates them more! Opposition just makes them work harder.

Zwemer says it bluntly: Great victory has never been possible without great sacrifice. If winning a battle requires soldiers willing to die, then we can't expect to reach the hardest mission fields without loss of life. And here's his penetrating question: Does it really matter how many die or how much money we spend if we truly believe that missions is warfare and the King's glory is at stake?

War always costs blood and treasure. Our only concern should be fighting aggressively and winning the victory, regardless of cost. Then Zwemer says something powerful: "The unoccupied fields of the world must have their Calvary before they can have their Pentecost."

Just as Jesus had to go to the cross before the Holy Spirit could come at Pentecost, the unreached fields must see sacrifice before they'll see breakthrough. There's no resurrection without crucifixion. There's no Pentecost without Calvary.

[Second main idea - Following Jesus means suffering]

Zwemer then reminds us that the unoccupied fields await those willing to be lonely for the sake of Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, "As my Father has sent Me, even so I send you." How was Jesus sent? His welcome was derision—people mocked Him. His life was suffering. His throne was the cross.

If that's how Jesus came, Zwemer says, then that's how we should expect to go. We must follow in His footprints. The pioneer missionary has the privilege not only of knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection, but also the fellowship of His sufferings.

And what is that suffering? Zwemer calls it "the glory of the impossible!" Who would naturally choose to leave the warmth and comfort of home and family to go after a lost sheep whose cry we've barely heard in the howling storm? Nobody! Yet that's the glory of the task—it's so important that neither family ties nor personal needs can hold back those who've caught the vision of the Great Shepherd.

Why? Because the lost ones are His sheep, and He's made us His shepherds, not hired hands who run away when danger comes. We must bring them back.

[Third main idea - Avoiding the calculating spirit]

Here's where Zwemer really challenges us. He points out that in the early days of Christianity, there was an absence of what he calls "the calculating spirit." Most of the apostles died outside of Palestine, even though human logic would have said they should stay there until their own country was fully Christian.

The calculating instinct is death to faith! If the apostles had been calculating, they would have said: "The need in Jerusalem is so huge, our responsibility to our own people so obvious, that we need to focus here first. Charity begins at home, right? After we've won Jerusalem and Judea, then we'll go abroad. We have so many unsolved problems right here that it's absurd to take on a new burden."

Sound familiar? That's what we say today! "We have so many problems in America—why go overseas? We need to fix our own country first!" But that's the calculating spirit, and Zwemer says it's death to faith.

What thrilled the early church? The bigness of the task! The difficulty! The apparent impossibility was the glory. The worldwide scope was the grandeur. And the same is true today.

[Fourth main idea - Plowing in hope]

Zwemer encourages pioneer missionaries with this promise: Those who plow virgin soil should plow in hope. God never disappoints His farmers. The harvest always follows the planting season.

He shares a testimony from missionary Hogberg in Central Asia. When Hogberg first arrived, it was impossible to gather even a few people to hear the Gospel. They couldn't get children for school. They couldn't give away Gospels or tracts. When they built a chapel, they wondered if it would ever be filled with Muslims listening to the Gospel.

But guess what happened? The chapel filled up! They needed a bigger room! Day after day they preached, and Muslims no longer objected to hearing about Jesus. One Muslim told Hogberg, "Before you came here, no one spoke or thought of Jesus Christ. Now everywhere one hears His name." At first, Muslims threw away the Gospels or burned them. Now they buy them, kiss them, touch them to their foreheads, press them to their hearts—showing the highest honor a Muslim can show a book!

But here's the key: The pioneer must have long patience. Results don't come overnight.

[Fifth main idea - The prospects are bright]

Zwemer tells the story of Adoniram Judson, the great missionary to Burma. Judson was thrown in prison, loaded with chains. A fellow prisoner sneered at him and asked about the prospects for converting the heathen. Judson calmly answered: "The prospects are as bright as the promises of God."

That's our confidence! Not in our abilities, not in favorable circumstances, not in easy access—but in God's promises! And Zwemer says there's scarcely a country today that's harder to reach than Burma was when Judson faced it and overcame.

So the prospects for evangelizing all the unoccupied fields are as bright as the promises of God. Why should we wait any longer?

[Sixth main idea - Making a life, not just a living]

Then Zwemer issues a challenge to talented young people. Is there a more heroic test for human potential than pioneer missionary work? Here's an opportunity for those who may never find room at home for all their abilities, who may never find adequate scope for all their powers.

There are hundreds of Christian college graduates planning to spend their lives practicing law or working in business just to make money. Yet they have enough strength and talent to go to unreached fields! There are young doctors who could gather thousands of suffering people at a new mission station and lift their burden of pain. But instead they confine themselves to comfortable practices where healthcare is measured in cash and competition.

Zwemer's devastating line: "They are making a living; they might be making a life."

What are you doing? Making a living, or making a life? There's a difference!

[Seventh main idea - Pray for power, not ease]

Zwemer quotes Bishop Phillips Brooks: "Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle."

Perfect words for the challenge of reaching the unreached! God can give us power for the task. He was sufficient for those who went out in the past, and He's sufficient for those who go out today.

[Eighth main idea - It's no sacrifice]

Finally, Zwemer closes with David Livingstone's famous words when he visited Cambridge University in 1857 to appeal for missionaries to Africa. Livingstone said:

"For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God appointed me to such work. People talk of the sacrifice I made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paying back a small part of a great debt we owe to God? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blessed reward in healthy activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of glorious destiny? Away with such a word! It's emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it's a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger now and then may make us pause and cause our spirit to waver and our soul to sink—but only for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice."

[Personal application and challenge]

So let me bring this home. Zwemer's message is clear: The unreached fields of the world are waiting for Christians who will embrace the glory of the impossible. They're waiting for believers who will say, "The bigger and harder the task, the more glorious it is! The impossibility is what makes it worthy of Christ!"

Right now, there are 7,401 unreached people groups representing 3.4 billion people. There are Muslim regions with only three missionaries per million people. There are Buddhist peoples, Hindu peoples, animist peoples who have never heard Jesus's name. The unoccupied fields still await.

Are you making a living, or making a life? Are you spending your talents in comfortable careers that benefit you, or are you investing them in eternal work that glorifies God? Are you calculating what's safe and reasonable, or are you embracing what seems impossible because of your faith in God's promises?

The prospects are as bright as the promises of God! God never disappoints His farmers—the harvest follows the planting. The unoccupied fields must have their Calvary before their Pentecost. And it's no sacrifice—it's a privilege!

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray: 

The glory of the impossible awaits! Will you embrace it?

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and don't settle for making a living when you could be making a life!

Spotify podcast

Do Not Fear the Muslims: God's Call to Reach 1.9 Billion People

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to talk about something that might make some of you uncomfortable—but it's something we desperately need to hear.

A few episodes ago, I talked about Afghanistan and the incredible things God is doing even in the midst of darkness and persecution. We've seen how God is reaching the unreachable, how He's appearing in dreams and visions, how His Gospel is penetrating the hardest places. But I want to address something that I believe is holding back the Western Church from fully participating in what God is doing in the Muslim world: fear.

[The biblical command - do not fear]

Deuteronomy 1:29 says, "Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them.'" The Bible tells us more than 365 times—one for every day of the year—not to be afraid, do not fear. But friends, do we hear Him? Do we believe God when He says He will be with us and that we should not be afraid?

Because here's the truth: The Muslim world terrifies many Christians. Images of terrorists, burning towers, mobs chanting and lifting weapons—these images seem to have immobilized the progress of the Christian Church into the Muslim world. The statistics speak this truth plainly.

[The sobering statistics - where we're not going]

The greatest concentration of Muslims is in a place called the 10/40 Window, which includes North Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Asia. There are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims in the world today—that's nearly a quarter of the global population. Many countries in the 10/40 Window are predominantly Muslim, with some having populations that are 95-99% Muslim.

Yet according to Jason Mandryk in "State of the Gospel," the Western Church sends only 1 out of every 40 missionaries to this region. Think about that! Only 2.5% of our missionary force is going to reach 25% of the world's population. In many Muslim countries, there are fewer than three missionaries per one million people. In some countries, like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, there are virtually no resident missionaries at all.

Why the imbalance? Partly it’s that some of these countries, like Afghanistan, make it virtually impossible for a Western Christian to live there. With that said, I believe a significant part of it is that many in the Western Christian Church fear the Muslims. We've allowed images of extremism to define an entire people group in our minds. We've let fear—not faith—determine our missions strategy.

[God's answer to fear - power, love, and sound mind]

Listen to what 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Friends, fear doesn't come from God! When we're controlled by fear of Muslims, we're not operating in the Spirit God gave us. We're operating in a spirit that's contrary to who God is and what He's called us to do.

The Church needs to believe in the power of God to overcome the obstacles Satan has placed in the 10/40 Window. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that "the gates of Hades will not prevail" against His Church. Gates are defensive structures. Jesus is saying that when we advance, the forces of darkness cannot hold us back! We need to believe this and move out in trust, wisdom, and power.

[Learning about Muslims - breaking down fear through understanding]

So how do we overcome our fear? We start by learning about Muslims. What do they believe? What is their family life like? What makes them happy, sad, concerned? As we learn about them as real people—not just statistics or stereotypes—God can begin to break our hearts for them.

Let me share some things you might not know. Muslims value family highly, often more than Western cultures do. They practice hospitality generously—in many Muslim cultures, a guest is treated with incredible honor and care. They pray five times a day, showing a discipline in spiritual practice that should humble many of us. They fast during Ramadan, denying themselves food and drink from sunrise to sunset for an entire month. Friends, these are people who take their faith seriously! And guess what, they are open to talking about their faith and listening to you talk about yours. In fact, they think it odd that most Western Christians don’t easily talk about what they believe. 

But here's what breaks my heart: Despite all their prayers, fasting, and religious devotion, they don't have assurance of salvation. They live in fear of judgment, hoping their good deeds will outweigh their bad. They don't know the love of a Father who sent His Son to pay for their sins. They've never experienced the peace that comes from knowing Jesus.

[What God is doing - the incredible harvest]

And here's what we saw in our Afghanistan series: Muslims are responding to the Gospel in unprecedented numbers! According to missions researchers, more Muslims have come to Christ in the last 30 years than in the previous 1,400 years of Islamic history combined. God is appearing to Muslims in dreams and visions across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. In Iran alone, it's estimated that hundreds of thousands—possibly over a million—have come to Christ despite intense persecution.

In Afghanistan, as we discussed, there are now thousands of believers where there were virtually none 20 years ago. In Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, there's a growing underground church. In North Africa and Sudan, entire villages are coming to Christ. This is what God is doing! The question is: Will we partner with Him, or will we let fear keep us on the sidelines?

[Real stories - God uses willing servants]

Let me share a powerful story of what happens when someone overcomes fear and goes. In a majority Muslim country, a young American girl, who I have had the privilege of getting to know, is attending college to learn Pashtun. In her home city, many Muslims have immigrated. God put on her heart the desire to learn their language so she could share Christ with them. So, she got on a plane, put on a burka when she arrived and lives among Muslims. 

She has had to give up many “freedoms” that American girls take for granted, but she is walking in a faith and courage that I truly admire! And God is using her mightily! She is sharing Jesus with her classmates. She is advocating for better living conditions and treatment of the young women. And after two years of school, she has gained so much respect. Doors are opened and seeds are being planted that I KNOW will bring forth fruit. 

[The cost of our fear - who's paying the price?]

But here's what we need to face: Our fear has consequences. While we're staying comfortable and safe in our Western churches, 1.9 billion Muslims are living and dying without ever hearing the name of Jesus. Every day, approximately 160,000 Muslims die—and the vast majority of them have never had a single opportunity to respond to the Gospel.

Romans 10:14 asks, "How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Friends, they can't! And if we're too afraid to go, too afraid to send, too afraid even to pray for them—their blood is on our hands. That's a sobering thought, but it's biblical truth.

[Practical steps - what we can do today]

So what can we do? Let me give you five practical ways to overcome fear and reach Muslims with God's love. First, pray for them specifically. Get a copy of "30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World" or use the Joshua Project app to find unreached Muslim people groups. Pray for them by name. As you pray, God will replace your fear with love.

Second, learn about Islam. Read books like "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus" by Nabeel Qureshi, “Son of Hamas” by Moses Hassan Yousef or my recent favorite “In the Land of Blue Burqas” by Kate McCord. Understanding what Muslims believe will help you engage them with the Gospel more effectively. Third, befriend Muslims in your community. There are likely Muslim immigrants, refugees, or international students in your city. Invite them for coffee. Show them genuine hospitality. Build real friendships.

Fourth, support missionaries working in Muslim contexts. Give financially and pray regularly for those on the front lines. Organizations like Frontiers, Pioneers, and Arab World Ministries specifically focus on reaching Muslims. And fifth, ask God if He's calling you to go. Maybe short-term, maybe long-term. Maybe to a closed country, maybe to Muslim refugees in Europe or Muslims in your own city. But ask Him! Don't let fear make that decision for you.

[The stakes - eternity hangs in the balance]

Friends, I know this is challenging. I know it's easier to focus on comfortable, safe ministry opportunities. But we need to understand what's at stake. Jesus came to seek and save the lost—all the lost, including Muslims. He died for them just as much as He died for us. And He's commanded us to take the Gospel to all nations, not just the easy ones.

In our Afghanistan series, we saw that difficulty doesn't stop God. Persecution doesn't stop God. Even death doesn't stop the spread of the Gospel when His people are obedient. The question isn't whether God can reach Muslims—He clearly can and is! The question is whether we'll partner with Him in that work or let fear keep us from obedience.

[Closing encouragement and prayer]

Jesus is waiting, friends. But He needs obedient servants. He needs people who will cast aside fear and follow His call into the Muslim world—whether that's across the ocean or across the street. We can begin today by praying for Muslims specifically, learning about them, and then asking God how He would have us reach out.

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me. This message connects directly to what we've been learning about Afghanistan and God's work in impossible places. Don't let fear rob you of the joy of seeing Muslims come to Christ. They need to hear of Jesus's love, and they need someone willing to tell them.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the nation and remember—do not fear. God has given us power, love, and a sound mind.

Spotify podcast

30 Days of Prayer for Muslims: Ramadan 2026

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. For the next 30 days, I'm asking you to join me in something powerful—prayer for the Muslim people. Prayer that God would move mightily among them, showing them His love and His salvation, and that they might come to know Jesus as their Savior.

Why now? Because of Ramadan.

[What is Ramadan?]

Muslims throughout the world will observe Ramadan beginning tomorrow evening, February 17, and continuing through March 19. During these 30 days, they will fast during daylight hours in an effort to break bad habits and seek forgiveness of sins.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed by Muslims worldwide with dawn-to-dusk fasting. This provides them with an opportunity to practice one of the "obligations" (also known as the "five pillars") of their religion—sawm, or fasting.

Muslims fast during Ramadan because they believe this is the time of year in which the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, received "recitations" from the angel Gabriel. These were later compiled to form the Qur'an.

[The Night of Power - Laylat al-Qadr]

The most important night of Ramadan—and of the entire Islamic year—is called Laylat al-Qadr. In 2026, this "Night of Power" is expected to fall around March 14-15 (it's traditionally observed on one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of Ramadan). It is described in the Qur'an as being "better than a thousand months" (97:3).

"Any action done on this night," writes one Islamic scholar, "such as reciting the Qur'an, remembering Allah, etc., is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the Night of Qadr."

During Ramadan, especially on the Night of Power, Muslims "ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds." Many are desperately and genuinely seeking to be cleansed from their transgressions and find favor with God.

[Why Christians should pray during Ramadan]

This is why Christians should be praying! During Ramadan, millions of Muslims are spiritually hungry, seeking God with unusual intensity. They want forgiveness. They want cleansing. They want to know God.

But Islam cannot give them what they're looking for. Only Jesus can forgive sins. Only Jesus can cleanse us from unrighteousness. Only Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Since 1993, Christians all over the world have been setting aside the thirty days of Ramadan to pray specifically for Muslims. For intercessors, this month-long observance is a chance to see precious souls set free from spiritual bondage and introduced to the Savior of all mankind: Jesus Christ.

[The scope - who are we praying for?]

Let me give you a sense of who we're praying for. There are approximately 2 billion Muslims in the world today—about 25% of the global population. Islam is the world's second-largest religion and the fastest-growing major religion.

Muslims live in virtually every country on earth. The countries with the largest Muslim populations include Indonesia (over 230 million), Pakistan (over 220 million), India (over 200 million), Bangladesh (over 150 million), and Egypt (over 100 million). Significant Muslim populations also exist throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and increasingly in Europe and North America.

The vast majority of Muslims have never had a Christian friend, never read the Bible, and never heard the Gospel explained clearly. Many live in countries where converting to Christianity is illegal and can result in imprisonment or death.

[How God is moving among Muslims]

But here's the exciting news: God is moving powerfully among Muslims! More Muslims have come to faith in Christ in the last 25 years than in the previous 14 centuries combined. Missiologists report that the Muslim world is more open to the Gospel than ever before.

How is this happening? Through dreams and visions, through satellite TV and internet, through the witness of Christians, through Bible translation, and through prayer. Many Muslim-background believers report that Jesus appeared to them in dreams during Ramadan, when they were seeking God most intensely.

Organizations working in the Muslim world report thousands of conversions every year. Underground churches are growing in Iran, Algeria, and other historically resistant countries. Former Muslims are being baptized and discipled, even at great personal risk.

[How to pray during Ramadan]

So how should we pray during these 30 days? Let me give you some specific focuses.

First, pray that Muslims would have encounters with Jesus—through dreams, visions, Scripture, or the witness of believers. Many Muslims have reported that Jesus appeared to them and invited them to follow Him.

Second, pray for spiritual hunger and dissatisfaction with Islam. Pray that as Muslims fast and seek forgiveness, they would realize that their efforts cannot cleanse them—only Jesus can.

Third, pray for Christians living in Muslim-majority countries to be bold and faithful witnesses. Pray for their protection and for divine appointments with seeking Muslims.

Fourth, pray for Muslim-background believers who face persecution from family and community. Pray for their faith to remain strong and for them to find fellowship with other believers.

Fifth, pray for the Night of Power specifically (around March 14-15). Pray that as Muslims seek God with unusual intensity, the true God would reveal Himself to them.

Sixth, pray for Bible translation and distribution into languages spoken by Muslims. Millions still don't have Scripture in their heart language.

Seventh, pray for missionaries and ministries working among Muslims. Pray for wisdom, protection, and fruitfulness.

[Resources for prayer]

There are excellent resources to help you pray during Ramadan. The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World network (30daysprayer.com) produces an annual prayer guide with daily focuses on specific Muslim people groups, countries, and topics. I highly recommend getting their 2026 guide and using it throughout Ramadan.

Other organizations like Frontiers, Pioneers, and the International Mission Board also produce Ramadan prayer resources. Find one that works for you and commit to praying daily during these 30 days.

[A call to action]

My focus in my podcasts for the next 30 days will be on Muslims—who they are, how God is moving among them, and how we can pray for them. I'll be sharing stories, statistics, and prayer points to help you intercede effectively.

Please pray for them during this time. God loves Muslims just as He loves you and me. He has a plan for their lives. Jesus died for them just as He died for us. And God will work in their hearts as we pray for them.

Imagine what could happen if millions of Christians around the world committed to praying for Muslims during Ramadan! Imagine the dreams and visions, the divine appointments, the spiritual breakthroughs! This is spiritual warfare at its most strategic—praying for those who are actively seeking God but don't yet know Jesus.

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray to launch us into these 30 days:

Thank you for joining me in this vital prayer initiative. The next 30 days could change lives for eternity. Will you commit to praying daily for Muslims during Ramadan 2026?

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and pray for the Muslim world!

Spotify podcast

Missions Should Not Come First: The Real Source of Lasting Passion

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to share something personal—something about why I do this podcast and write about missions. And I want to challenge an idea that might surprise you: Missions should not come first in your heart.

Wait—isn't this a missions podcast? Haven't I been encouraging you to care about unreached peoples, to support missionaries, to go to the nations? Yes! But today I want to talk about what actually sustains that passion long-term, because I've learned something important through my own journey.

Let me start with a question I've asked myself many times: What is the purpose of this podcast? Why do I spend my limited time creating content that only a handful of people may ever hear?

Does it stem from all that I read about the horrible things happening in this world? Does it stem from the thought, the belief, that I can make a difference—that I, through my words, can somehow cause a listener to take action, to do something about the lost in this world?

No. The reason I do this is obedience and a desire to see His glory.

[What I really want]

I want to see God's glory. I want to see His Kingdom come to this earth. I want to be a part of what He is doing and to let everyone I can know about it!

But here's what I've learned: I'm not going to change one heart, one mind about the Great Commission and what our involvement should be. Only God can do that.

So what is it, ultimately, that will cause our mission focus to grow? Is it an increase in compassion and commitment for the lost in the Christian's heart? Is it an increase in information about the lost and encouragement to share Christ with them? Is it sharing statistics and stories about the plight of those without Jesus?

None of these.

[The real source of lasting passion]

I believe it only comes through the Holy Spirit intensifying our passion and love for Christ so that His heart's passion becomes ours as well.

Here's the key: Jesus must be first in our hearts, not missions.

When He is first, He will "break our hearts for what breaks His," and missions will become an intense passion. But if we try to put missions first—if we try to manufacture compassion for the lost without first deepening our love for Christ—we will burn out. I know because I've been there.

[My own journey - from despair to hope]

Let me be honest about my own journey. When I first started learning about unreached peoples, persecuted Christians, orphans, and human trafficking, I was overwhelmed. I focused on all the needs, all the hurts, all the atrocities done to others in the world. The sadness, despair, and depression of the situation became crushing.

There were times I was very discouraged by all that I was learning. The statistics were staggering. The suffering was unimaginable. And I felt so small, so helpless against such massive problems.

Our human compassion can only take us so far before burnout sets in. Compassion fatigue is real. If you focus only on the darkness, the darkness will swallow you.

[The turning point - refocusing on God]

But as I grew closer to the Lord—spending time daily with Him in prayer and Bible study, constantly asking Him to make my heart more like His—He began to refocus my thoughts toward Himself rather than on the world.

I began to realize that the way to call people to mission concern is not to focus entirely on all the bad. People usually know the bad. They see the news. They know the world is broken. But they often have no idea about all the good that God is doing in the world!

I began to see that the Bible doesn't focus on the bad so much as it focuses on God! Yes, Scripture acknowledges evil and suffering. But the overwhelming message is about who God is, what He has done, and what He will do.

[The example of Christmas]

Think about when Jesus was born. People in Judea already knew about the bad. They were living under Roman occupation. They faced poverty, injustice, and oppression. They didn't need angels to tell them about the bad.

Instead, the angels gave them "good news of great joy which will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). Good news from God was the message—and it should still be the message today!

Jesus won the victory on the cross! Our salvation is sure and His Kingdom will not be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). We are not fighting the battles on our own. God is fighting the battles and asking us to join Him.

[A different kind of motivation]

When we focus on God's glory and His Kingdom rather than all the horrible problems in the world, something shifts. We cease to look at missions as our arduous responsibility and instead see it as God's responsibility—and God is more than able!

This type of focus, rather than depressing us and overwhelming us with sorrow, strongly encourages us to seize the hope set before us—"a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul" (Hebrews 6:18-19).

It's not up to us and our meager efforts. God is inviting us to join with Him in pursuing His purpose in the world. He is the One who sets the agenda, grants the wisdom to proceed, and gives the strength to endure.

This is God's world. His battle. His victory.

[From duty to delight]

With this type of motivation, something beautiful happens. As theologian Tim Dearborn writes, "Participation in God's mission is no longer a somber duty. It becomes a joyous privilege and an adventure of passion and hope."

Do you hear the difference? Not somber duty—joyous privilege! Not overwhelming responsibility—an adventure of passion and hope!

When Jesus is first in your heart, missions flows naturally from that love. You don't have to manufacture compassion for the lost—it grows from your love for Christ. You don't have to guilt yourself into caring about unreached peoples—you care because you love the One who loves them.

[The danger of focusing on storms]

Remember Peter walking on water? As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked. But when he looked at the storms—the wind, the waves, the impossibility of his situation—he began to sink.

The same is true for us. If we look at all the "storms"—the horrible things happening in our world, the billions who don't know Christ, the suffering of the persecuted church, the plight of orphans—we will begin to sink in sadness, weariness, and despair.

But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, when we understand the promises of Scripture and look for His hand in history and our modern times, we will see that the Kingdom of God is advancing—and God is calling us to be part of it.

[Compassion alone won't sustain you]

Here's a hard truth: Compassion for people—for the lost, for orphans, for the persecuted church—is not what will ultimately compel and motivate us for mission. Only our hope for God's glory and His Kingdom will cause us to endure.

Compassion is good! It's right to feel compassion. Jesus felt compassion for the crowds. But compassion alone will burn you out. The needs are too great. The suffering is too vast. Your compassion will run dry.

But hope in God's glory never runs dry. The promise that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord—that never gets old. The vision of Revelation 7:9, with people from every nation, tribe, people, and language worshiping around the throne—that sustains you when compassion fatigue sets in.

[Practical application - how to reorder your heart]

So how do we put Jesus first and let missions flow from that? Let me give you some practical steps.

First, prioritize your relationship with Christ above your activism for Christ. Spend time with Him daily in prayer and Scripture before you spend time doing things for Him. Abide in the vine before you try to bear fruit.

Second, when you read or hear about suffering in the world, don't stop there. Ask God to show you what He is doing in the midst of it. Look for the good news, the advancing Kingdom, the victories He is winning.

Third, meditate on God's promises about His Kingdom. Read passages like Psalm 2, Isaiah 11, Revelation 21-22. Let the certainty of Christ's victory anchor your soul.

Fourth, worship regularly. Singing praise to God reorients your heart toward His glory. It reminds you that this is His world, His battle, His victory.

Fifth, serve from overflow, not obligation. If you're burned out on missions, that might be a sign that you've been running on compassion instead of hope. Return to the Lord. Let Him refill you. Then serve from that overflow.

[The good news about missions]

Here's the good news: When your motivation shifts from compassion to hope in God's glory, you actually become more effective, not less. You have more energy. You have more joy. You have more endurance. You're no longer carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders—because it was never yours to carry.

God is inviting you to join Him. He's not dumping responsibility on you and walking away. He's fighting the battle and inviting you into the victory. What a privilege!

[Closing challenge]

So here's my challenge: If missions has become a somber duty for you, if you're overwhelmed by the needs and burning out on compassion, stop. Return to Jesus. Fall in love with Him again. Let Him become first in your heart.

And then watch what happens. As you love Him more, you'll love what He loves. As you treasure His glory, you'll long to see it spread to all peoples. As you hope in His Kingdom, you'll want everyone to be part of it.

Missions should not come first. Jesus should come first. And when He does, missions becomes an adventure of passion and hope.

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me today. I pray this reorients your heart the way it reoriented mine.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on Jesus, and the nations will follow.

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