Pratt encourages students to proclaim the Gospel during Global Missions Week chapel

God’s people must share the Gospel with the world, preached Zane Pratt, vice president for global training at the International Mission Board, during a September 13 chapel message at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College.

The chapel service was part of Global Missions Week, which allows students, faculty, and staff learn about Gospel needs from around the world. Cantico Nuevo of Southwestern’s School of Church Music and Worship led the assembly in worship and a processional of students carried flags from forty countries, representing some of the nations among the native lands of the student body. 

Preaching from Acts 1:1-11, Pratt explained how the disciples and Jesus had different agendas, but the most important agenda Jesus had for the disciples was summarized in the Great Commission. 

“Believers of Jesus are called to equip and mobilize people until He comes back,” he said. “The Holy Spirit inspires right instruction, convicts us of sin, gives us a new birth, works in us to put sin to death and produce in us the fruit of the Spirit, and gives us gifts for service in the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us power for missions.”

First, Pratt explained the Holy Spirit has the power to transform believers. “We don’t use the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit uses us,” he said. 

Additionally, the Holy Spirit gives power for preaching as “Gospel proclamation lies at the heart of the church. You have to know Him to be able to witness,” he said. Pratt emphasized that believers’ lives must back up what they say to give them credibility.

Pratt repeatedly underscored the importance of sharing the Gospel. 

“If there is no Gospel sharing, then it is not missions,” he said. “It’s never enough for the Gospel to be where it already is. It’s never enough for the Gospel to just be where we happen to be; it has to go where it hasn’t gone. A disciple of Jesus will be zealous for good works. We are to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.”

Pratt cited statistics about the dire need for the Gospel among the unreached in the nations. “One-third of the world calls themselves Christian, but only 4 percent of the world is evangelical,” he said. Further, he stated “over 3 billion people do not have access to the Gospel. Central Asia is 0.025% Christian.” 

In the face of such lostness, Pratt said the IMB has more resources to send people than they have missionaries to send. 

Pratt explained the qualifications the IMB seeks in missionaries, some of which must be true of any true Christian, including growing as a disciple, sharing the Gospel where one is, faithfully serving in a local church, using the tools the seminary has to offer, and, finally, asking one’s self, “‘Why not me?’ The world needs the Gospel more than anything else,” stated Pratt. 

Pratt began serving with the IMB in the early 1990s as a missionary in Central Asia. Before serving in his current role with the mission board, Pratt served as dean of the Billy Graham School at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2011 to 2013. Pratt has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. 

Pratt’s entire sermon can be viewed here.

The events of Global Missions Week can be found here.

Chapel is held every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10 a.m. (CT) in MacGorman Chapel on the campus of Southwestern Seminary and TBC. Chapel may be viewed live at swbts.live.