In 2011, a Christianity Today reporter interviewed Billy Graham at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, about life and faith. Seated in his chair, Graham was asked, “What are the most important issues facing evangelicals today?” Despite being in his early 90s and struggling with Parkinson’s and other health issues, Graham, reflecting on decades of gospel ministry, offered these sobering words:
“The most important issue we face today is the same one the church has faced in every century: Will we reach our world for Christ? In other words, will we prioritize Christ’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Or will we turn increasingly inward, caught up in our own internal affairs or controversies, or simply become more and more comfortable with the status quo?”
Nearly fourteen years later, Graham’s response seemed to carry a prophetic force. These questions are relevant and timely in our day. They are deeply challenging and convicting, but questions every follower of Christ should ask themself: Will you reach your world for Christ? Will you go?
These are questions that have been burning in my heart since the day God met me as a lonely college student in the Fall of 2016. I was fully set on my own plans and ambitions, but when Christ became my Lord, he gave me a new mission: To win the world to Himself. However, despite this burning desire, I must confess that there have been many days that I have struggled with feelings of complacency towards the mission of God. Like many of you, I have realized that I must continually pray for the Holy Spirit’s reviving power to stir my heart for the lost. I have to get outside of my self-absorbed, comfort-seeking disposition and lift my eyes to see that the harvest truly is plentiful.
I long to see college students, seminary, and everyday Christians, both young and old, take their testimonies and the gospel to the public square to boldly proclaim Christ in their cities. And I believe that when we do, our nation will begin to see revival. My hope and aim in this article is to ignite a fire and passion inside you to do just that. I plan to do this today in two ways: first, by shedding light on a potential blind spot I’ve observed in our mission efforts, and second, to reveal what I believe in many ways is an unseen spiritual crisis in our backyard.