In 1792, William Carey preached a sermon at Nottingham that would lead to a redefining of the work of missions and evangelism; “Expect Great things from God, Attempt Great things for God” would be the battle cry for missions for centuries to follow. This sermon being the product of the words of the prophet Isaiah stirred within William Carey’s soul and compelled him to leave his home to take the gospel to those who had not heard the words of good news leading to salvation. “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will be spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:2-3 ESV). William Carey saw a great promise in this passage that was more than just a land grab for the people of God; Israel. This was less to do with property rights and more to do with the nature of the tent. The tent that is being enlarged is the tent of God’s people, this tent possesses “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9 ESV). Carey took these word to heart and realized the great work God was doing among all people. I too have taken this charge to heart. I realize that there are more people than those who live on my street. I realize that there are more people than those who are like me, than those who share my beliefs, my culture, my ideologies. There are more people than those who look like me, speak like me and think like me. I am but a blip on the radar, but this blip has been seen by God Almighty. This blip has experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ, I have been washed by the blood, my sin had been atoned for, my heart has been replaced with a living heart and my life is anew and not my own. Because of this great work I have received by no merit of my own, I desire that others too may have such glorious knowledge. I too desire that the tent, the place I dwell be enlarged. Not this earthly house that we live in; though we are reaching max capacity with three children and one on the way; I desire the tent of Jesus Christ be expanded and stretched and opened up to people who would not otherwise hear the gospel of Jesus Christ lest I go and tell.

This gospel message that we are commissioned with demands that we go and tell. This is not to say that we all are to go overseas to foreign lands and share the gospel with people we do not know. Yet we as Christians ought to be the most joyous people ready to share the good news that we possess. Foreign missions is not a glamorous lifestyle; rather it is life lived out daily just as it is in America. It is a difficult life, one often faced with persecution, one that is hard as you leave family and friends behind to make to good news known to all people. Some must go as they desire and are called; others however must send. It is the job of all Christians to make the gospel known to all nations. Senders must send people, prayers and provisions. They must be willing to encourage and lift up those living in hard places. They must not neglect the tent of their own home. The tent is large in America, but there is much room for expansion. There are still many who have not heard the gospel and the further we go down this road of post-Christian modernity we will find more and more who are growing to adulthood never hearing the name of Jesus Christ. So today I urge Christians to, in the words of William Carey; expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.