Have you ever wondered why the rapture hasn’t happened yet? Why Jesus hasn’t returned, even though we desperately want Him to? The answer, according to this sermon from Dean Padayhag of Things to Come Mission, is found in the mission God has given us — and it’s not finished yet.
Dean and his family serve in South Africa, planting churches and training up national pastors and church planters through Grace Theological Education and Ministry School (G-TEAMS). With nine campuses across South Africa and 109 students this year alone, God is on the move. But Dean’s message to Grace Bible Church wasn’t just a missions update — it was a reminder that every believer has a part in God’s mission, whether they’re standing on foreign soil or standing in their own backyard.
It’s God’s Mission First
Dean opens with a crucial reframe: this isn’t Things to Come Mission’s mission, or Grace Bible Church’s mission. It’s God’s mission. And it started with God seeking man first.
Genesis 3:9 records a question from an all-knowing God: “Where art thou?” Adam and Eve had just sinned. They were hiding, naked and ashamed. But God — who already knew exactly where they were — was calling out to them in love. He was longing for fellowship with His creation, even in their fallen state.
“And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”
— Genesis 3:9
When God asks questions in the Bible, Dean reminds us, it’s never because He needs the information. It’s because He wants us to pay attention. And in this moment, God was saying: “I love you. I’m here to redeem you.”
The Promise of a Redeemer
Right there in the same chapter — immediately after sin entered the world — God promised a Savior. Genesis 3:15, often called the “protoevangelium” (the first gospel), declares:
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; and it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
— Genesis 3:15
This is the first messianic prophecy in Scripture. The “seed of the woman” who would bruise the serpent’s head — that’s Jesus Christ on the cross. God didn’t wait for humanity to clean itself up. He made a plan of redemption before Adam and Eve left the garden.
The Rapture Depends on Mission
Here’s where things get practical. Dean points to Romans 11:25 to explain why this matters for us today:
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”
— Romans 11:25
The “fullness of the Gentiles” — the completion of the body of Christ — is a prerequisite for the rapture. God isn’t going to snatch His church away until every person He’s called into relationship with Him has been brought in. That means mission isn’t optional. It’s a countdown.
Dean puts it plainly: “Rapture will only happen when the dispensation of grace will come to a close and when the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. The plane must be full before it will fly away.”
Every person who puts their faith in Christ adds someone else to that plane. That’s why missionaries go. That’s why churches support missionaries. That’s why you share your faith at work, at school, and in your neighborhood. God wants more people on that plane.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Paul unpacks what it means to be part of God’s mission:
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation… And hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
If you’re saved, you’re in Christ. And if you’re in Christ, you’re already part of the ministry of reconciliation. God is reconciling the world to Himself — and He’s doing it through you.
Dean notes something important: the “word of reconciliation” is fixed and permanent. We don’t get to modify the gospel or water it down for the sake of numerical growth. But the “ministry of reconciliation” takes many forms. Some preach. Some give. Some pray. Some go. All of it matters.
Why Imperfect People?
Dean gets honest about his own insecurities. His English isn’t perfect. He’s not the tallest or most charismatic speaker. He arrived in South Africa at 25, skinny and young, surrounded by tall Afrikaners who spoke English better than he did. He’s asked God: “Why me?”
But that’s exactly the point. God could have used angels. Angels could preach powerful sermons, cast out demons, and never need a support team. But He chooses to work through imperfect, struggling, everyday believers — because that’s what brings Him glory.
“It pleases God to partner with us. God could have used angels to accomplish this mission. It would have been much more powerful, impactful, quicker, and cheaper. But it pleases God to partner with you and me — members of the body of Christ — to save the lost and to edify the saints.”
— Dean Padayhag
Two Parts of the Body
Dean poses two questions every believer must answer:
- Are you a member of the body of Christ? This is a salvation question. Have you trusted Christ as Lord and Savior? If not, nothing else matters.
- Which part are you in the body? Even if you’re saved, have you found your place and purpose? (1 Corinthians 12:18-27)
Dean shares that for years he thought he couldn’t serve because he couldn’t sing. Then he realized: he can talk. And in a Bible school where he was the only teacher, that became his ministry. Every part of the body has a function. If you haven’t found yours, you’re probably in the wrong seat — or trying to do someone else’s part.
Go or Send
Acts 13:3 gives the two phases of mission: “When they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
- The senders — the believers who stay home, pray, give financially, and communicate with missionaries
- The goers — those willing to cross borders, cultures, and languages for the sake of the gospel
Dean says something convicting: missionaries on the field sometimes feel forgotten. A letter, a text message, an email saying “we’re praying for you” means the world. “Never underestimate what you can do to those missionaries in a foreign land,” Dean urges. “You are their mouths, their arms, and their legs.”
And for those sensing a call to go? Dean doesn’t waste time: “If God is calling you to be a missionary, say yes right away. Don’t be like Jonah.”
What’s Stopping You?
The mission is still continuing because the rapture hasn’t come yet. That means the window is still open. Someone, somewhere, still hasn’t heard the gospel. And God has placed you in your specific job, neighborhood, family, and church for such a time as this.
Whether you go, give, or pray — be a participant in God’s mission. The plane isn’t full yet. And God wants you on it.
Scripture References
- Genesis 3:9 — God calls to Adam: “Where art thou?”
- Genesis 3:15 — The first promise of a Redeemer
- Genesis 3:21 — God clothes Adam and Eve with skins (first shedding of blood for sin)
- 1 Timothy 2:3-4 — God desires all people to be saved
- Romans 11:25 — The fullness of the Gentiles must come in before the rapture
- 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 — The ministry and word of reconciliation
- 1 Corinthians 12:18-27 — Every member of the body has a function
- Acts 13:3 — The sending of Barnabas and Saul