It’s been said that the role of a good preacher is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. If that’s true, this series has been a success. Thank you for taking the journey through our immigration series together. These topics are emotional and politically charged, but they’re issues we must think about Biblically. God calls us not just to shape culture but to accomplish his mission—and that’s what today is all about.

A Dream Born on the Docks

In 1887, a fiery preacher named A.B. Simpson took a call to pastor a prestigious church in New York City. Immigration was at an all-time high—nine million people arrived in a decade, and 70% landed in New York. Simpson went to the docks, where he met immigrants who needed Jesus: Italians, Irish, Jews, Greeks, Poles. He preached, brought them lunch, and welcomed them. But when he invited them to church, the congregation resisted. They didn’t want these “different” people mixing in.

Simpson knew his calling was to reach all people. Rather than split the church, he gave up his secure job to start something new. He invited others to a prayer meeting in a cold dance hall. Seven people showed up. They opened their Bibles and landed on Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord God Almighty.” They knew they didn’t have much might or power—and God used them anyway.

That tiny group grew into the Gospel Tabernacle, then the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). Today, the C&MA includes 6.3 million people worshipping in 180 languages in 24,000 churches worldwide—all born from a passion for reaching immigrants.

The Biblical Vision for Reaching All People

A.B. Simpson’s dream came from a mind shaped by Scripture and the mission in the book of Acts:

• Acts 1:8 gives the outline: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
• The early church started strong in Jerusalem: the Spirit came, and disciples preached in 15 languages to visitors from all nations.
• Acts 4 shows a multiethnic church of 5,000 men—10,000 people from many ethnicities.
• Acts 6 reveals the first ethnic conflict in the church. Greek widows felt overlooked compared to Hebrew widows. The apostles resolved it by appointing deacons—proving when you go multiethnic, you’ll face multiethnic problems, but God provides wisdom.
• Yet the church hesitated to go beyond Jerusalem. It took persecution (Acts 8) to scatter believers to Judea and Samaria. Philip went to Samaria and then led an African official to Christ, who took the gospel to Ethiopia—the first fulfillment of reaching “the ends of the earth.”

As Acts continues:

• Acts 10: Peter preaches to Cornelius, a Roman immigrant and military man, breaking deep racial barriers.
• Acts 13: The church in Antioch sends Paul and Barnabas as missionaries to new cultures.
• Acts 15: The early church decides the gospel is for everyone, not just those who become culturally Jewish first.
• Acts 28: The gospel reaches Rome, the Empire’s heart, making worldwide spread possible.

The book of Acts is full of immigrants, refugees, and cultural crossings.

It’s no wonder A.B. Simpson said, “We are unbiblical if we don’t reach immigrants.”

CCC’s Legacy of Loving Immigrants

Our own church’s history reflects this same mission. Christ Community Church began in Omaha in 1921 with R.R. Brown, who picked Zechariah 4:6 as our theme verse. From the start, CCC welcomed Italian, Polish, and Czech immigrants. Over the decades, CCC sent missionaries, built hospitals, planted churches, and trained leaders around the world.

But God flipped the mission field: he brought the least-reached peoples here. Today, over 400 unreached people groups live in North America, including many in Omaha.

Stories of God’s Faithfulness

• After the Vietnam War, Vietnamese refugees arrived in Omaha. CCC welcomed them with love, and soon a Vietnamese church was born. One CCC family, the Snodgrasses, traces their faith back to this ministry. Eden Snodgrass shared: “Without CCC aiding refugees, my mom wouldn’t have met my dad or helped convert him. My family wouldn’t even exist, and my aunt wouldn’t have become a missionary spreading Jesus worldwide.”
• Fifteen years ago, Nepali-Bhutanese refugees came to Omaha. Mark and Lori Kaiser, former missionaries to Nepal, prayed: “God, help us reach Nepal from Omaha.” God answered by bringing Nepali-Bhutanese friends here. CCC members helped them settle, find housing, and navigate life. Soon, a community of 40 worshipped in our balcony. When they asked, “Can you help us plant a church?” we partnered with them, launching a thriving Nepali-Bhutanese congregation that now has 250 people. These friends are now helping plant churches among unreached people groups in Asia—an incredible story of mission multiplication. Watch Nar’s Story to see how God moved in powerful ways through this community.

Entertaining Angels

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia—literally “love of foreigners.” Could God send angels disguised as immigrants, testing our hearts? Entertaining immigrants might just mean entertaining angels.

What Can We Do?

1. Make a Friend.
Reach out. Invite someone to church. Volunteer with ESL. Build real friendships.

2. Change How We Talk About CCC.
CCC isn’t a “white West Omaha church.” It’s a beautifully multiethnic church at Omaha’s center. Today, we preach the gospel in six languages every Sunday—English, Spanish, Nepali, Dinka, Hmong, and ASL—serving people from 29 countries.

3. Give Generously.
Our REFUGE fund helps immigrants with essential needs—housing, food, legal fees, and more. As we keep reaching friends, we will meet real financial needs. Every gift makes a difference.

4. Pray Boldly.
Pray that CCC will look like heaven: a place where every tribe, tongue, and nation worship together.

Revelation 7:9-10 reminds us:
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”

Let’s reach the world, one neighbor at a time, right here in Omaha.

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Message recap adapted from June 29, 2025, message by Minister Mark Ashton

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