Spreading the Gospel to Everyone by 2033

2033 

Dr. Wilson calls our attention to the year 2033 for several very important reasons: it will be the 2000-year anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. “We believe that the decade leading to 2033 will be one of unprecedented evangelism,” he says, "through which everyone on Earth can be reached with the good news.” He is careful to note that he is not saying that everyone will be saved, which is universalism, but that everyone could be reached with the good news of the gospel, fulfilling the Great Commission. 

ONE AT A TIME

“On November 15, 2022, the United Nations reported that the world population reached eight billion people and is expected to reach eight and one-half billion by 2030,” Dr. Wilson cites. Clearly, the challenge of reaching that many people is daunting at best and seemingly impossible, he notes. “Just to count to eight billion would take a lifetime, possibly 100 years or more, depending on how fast you were to count.” He points out that since only 30% of these eight billion people currently identify themselves as followers of Christ, the task is massive. “How will we ever reach so many people and give every single one a legitimate opportunity to have an encounter with Jesus Christ? The answer remains: one person at a time.”  

Dr. Wilson assures us the assignment can be completed. He gives the example of one person sharing the gospel with one other, the next day, both sharing with two more, and likewise onward. “Finishing the task to share the amazing news of Jesus with every person on Earth would only require thirty-three days! Even if every believer just shared the good news with one new person each week, it would take less than thirty-three weeks (eight months) to reach everyone on Earth.” He says that with the power of today’s technology, television networks, social media, movies, print media, digital connections, telephone capabilities, and even AI, the Metaverse, and tools yet to be developed, we stand uniquely positioned at the greatest opportunity and history for fulfilling the Great Commission.  

RE-PERSONALIZATION AND GENERATION Z

It used to be that people talked to one another in public, on planes, and in lines, Dr. Wilson observes. Since the i-Phone came on the scene in 2007, we see people, heads down, staring at their phones. “These everyday life scenarios underscore the rise of individualism in our world and the growing tendency toward self-absorption. God is calling today’s church to re-personalize the Great Commission and once again focus on individual people,” he believes. Dr. Wilson illustrates his point through the generation born between 1995 and 2015, known as Generation Z. It boasts nearly three billion people, adding up to more than thirty per cent of the world’s total population. This is why he believes they are key to the world evangelistic goal. “One of our greatest human desires and perhaps needs is to be fully known and loved. This desire has escalated in Generation Z,” he says.  

“Tied to the effects of social media while living in a world with more than eight billion other human beings, this generation has become fragile and needs to be validated and feel accepted. With a renewed focus on the individual, we can invite a generation to come and see that they are truly known by God. ‘God sees you. He knows everything about you. He sees your joy and sorrow, your passion and pain. He loves you and has a great plan for your life. He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for you, and He is inviting you to personally know Him and be saved.”  

THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS 

“By reaching one, God will help us reach the masses,” Dr. Wilson teaches. He points to a few examples from Jesus’ earthly ministry: the Gerasene demoniac, whose witness of being without his many demons reached countless others, the woman at the well, who told everyone she knew about Jesus’ knowledge of her life, and the oft-quoted thief on the cross. In each case, Jesus demonstrated the importance of focusing on the one person, which resulted in a harvest of multitudes.  

“I am convinced that the testimony of the dying thief who repented with his last breaths has served to lead more people to receive Jesus Christ and be saved from destruction than any other account in Scripture. Millions of people will be in heaven because, at the very end of their life, someone shared with them this story about a thief who – at the end of his life – turned to Jesus and received eternal life. This story gives them hope that ‘If He forgave the thief hanging beside Him, He can also forgive me.’”  

Discover more about Dr. Billy Wilson and purchase your copy of The Power of One at: www.DrBillyWilsonbooks.com.