The work of missions hasn’t ever been easy. From the beginning, the call to go to all peoples would require a complete trust in Jesus’ authority and a yielding to His call to even go outside of our comfort zones.
Observations:
You can’t understand “all nations” without understanding the way the Jews heard it – ethnocentricity
- enemies (political)
- unrighteous (spiritual)
- unclean (societal)
- unworthy (cultural)
Why did Israel fail at the mission of reaching the Gentiles where Jesus succeeded?
- Objection rooted in politics
- Objection rooted in spiritual immaturity & blindness
- Objection rooted in nationalism
- Objection rooted in cultural ethnocentricity
Conclusions:
- God’s strategy for His glory goes beyond your borders
- Your own cultural, political, and societal norms do not make you any more deserving
- God’s mission requires a changed identity that sees “all nations” as potential brothers & sisters
Application:
- Open your eyes to God’s family by God’s design
Past – we all come from the same family in the garden
Present – the church is meant to be a family from all nations
Future – the family of God will have all peoples worshipping Jesus
Acts 15:1;5
“Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
“Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
Matthew 5:43-44
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Jonah 4:1-3
“This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “Oh, Lord, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish, because I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment. So now, Lord, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!”
Matthew 8:10-11
“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”
John 10:16
“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
Acts 1:6
“Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Romans 9:6-7
“It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Revelation 5:8-9
“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Revelation 7:9-10
“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. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”