This coming week the world’s population is projected to hit a milestone: eight billion people. At the turn of this new century on January 1, 2000, the world's population stood at 6.14 billion. A century before it stood at 1.6 billion. And on January 1, 1800, it was estimated that there were as many as a billion people living on planet Earth.
We’ve come a long way since Noah left the ark.
What’s interesting is that the rate of growth of the world’s population is increasing. Since the 1950s, the world’s population has tripled. And this week it will hit a new milestone.
Eight billion people.
When some look at that number, they worry that the things we struggle with now will only get worse as the world’s population continues to grow. Things like food and water shortages, housing shortages, poverty, illness and disease, crime, injustice, corruption and war.
The world’s problems may indeed get worse — and not just because there are more people, but because of sin.
It may be that we are living in the end times. Look at Paul’s picture of the end times in 2 Timothy 3. It’s not a pretty one!
“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. {2} For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, {3} heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, {4} treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, {5} having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Sounds a bit like our time, doesn’t it?
I don’t know if the end is near or not. But I know this: a great many of the eight billion people living on planet earth do not yet know about Jesus. Many who do know of Him are not in a saved relationship with Him. And many of the “saved” aren’t acting like it.
We’ve got a lot of work to do!
We must introduce those who do not know Jesus to the One we know and love.
“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’. {14} How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? {15} And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:13-15)
We must help them enter into a saved relationship with God and His Son.
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. {16} Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
And we must live our lives in such a way that we give glory to God and cause those around us to ask what it is we have which they do not.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)
Eight billion people means we have a lot of work to do!
And this work begins right where we are — in our community, in our neighborhood, at our place of work, even in our own homes.
In Matthew 9:36-37, we read:
“When He [Jesus] saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. {37} Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.’”
Jesus looked out over the crowd of people following Him and was touched by their desire to know God. The harvest was plentiful! However, He acknowledged that much of that harvest might not be gleaned simply because “the laborers were few.”
As the world’s population hits an important milestone, let us also acknowledge that the harvest is truly plentiful. We must take advantage of every opportunity we have to reach as many as possible.
Let it not be said of our generation that the great harvest of souls wasn’t brought in simply because the laborers were few.