Answering the Call: Missions for All Nations

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Call to Missions

The call to missions is a profound invitation for every believer to participate in God's work, either as a goer or a sender. This calling is not limited to a specific group of people; it is for anyone who feels compelled by God to cross cultural boundaries and share the gospel. The task of sending is as crucial as going, as both roles are essential in fulfilling the Great Commission. This calling requires a deep trust in God's provision and guidance, knowing that He will equip those who respond to His call. [01:34]

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" (Mark 16:15, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you support as a sender, and how can you actively participate in their mission work today?

Day 2: Understanding God's Sovereign Choice

The narrative of Isaac and Ishmael, and later Jacob and Esau, illustrates God's sovereign choice in fulfilling His promises. God's election is not based on human merit or distinction but on His divine will. This understanding should humble us and remind us that our salvation and calling are acts of God's grace. It is a reminder that God's plans are beyond human understanding, and His choices are rooted in His perfect wisdom and love. [19:05]

"For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'" (Romans 9:15, ESV)

Reflection: How does recognizing God's sovereignty in your life change the way you view your own plans and decisions today?

Day 3: The Universal Reach of the Gospel

The promise to Abraham that all families of the earth will be blessed through his offspring finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. This message of salvation is for all people, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. The gospel's reach is universal, and we are called to share it with everyone. This universal invitation is a testament to God's love for all humanity and His desire for everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth. [28:47]

"And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.'" (Galatians 3:8, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community or workplace might be open to hearing the gospel, and how can you share it with them in a meaningful way today?

Day 4: Experiencing the Power of the Gospel

The gospel is a message of hope and transformation, offering salvation to all who call upon the name of the Lord. It transcends cultural and religious barriers, inviting everyone to experience the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. This is the message we are entrusted to proclaim to the world, a message that has the power to transform lives and bring hope to the hopeless. [30:44]

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the transformative power of the gospel in your own life, and how can you share that testimony with someone today?

Day 5: Responding to God's Call with Faith

For those sensing a call to missions, it is important to respond with faith and obedience, even if all the details are not clear. God promises His presence and power to those who go in His name. This assurance should embolden us to step out in faith and trust that God will lead and provide. Responding to God's call is an act of faith, trusting that He will guide and equip us for the journey ahead. [39:15]

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'" (Isaiah 6:8, ESV)

Reflection: What is one step of faith you can take today in response to God's call, trusting that He will provide and guide you?

Sermon Summary

In this sacred moment, we gather to reflect on the profound calling that God places on our lives, particularly the call to cross cultures and bring the gospel to those who have yet to hear it. We are reminded that each of us is either a goer, a sender, or disobedient to the mission God has set before us. The task of sending is as crucial as going, especially in our broken culture where the challenges are immense. Today, however, our focus is on those who feel compelled to go, those who sense a divine compulsion to take the gospel to the nations.

The narrative of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob serves as a backdrop to our mission. God's choice of Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau illustrates His sovereign will and the miraculous nature of His covenant. This covenant, initially narrowed down to a single lineage, ultimately expands to include all nations through Jesus Christ, the ultimate offspring. In Christ, the promise to bless all families of the earth is fulfilled, and we are called to participate in this mission by sharing the gospel with every tribe, tongue, and nation.

As we consider the vastness of this calling, we recognize that it is not limited to any specific ethnic or religious group. The gospel is for everyone—Muslims, Jews, Arabs, Americans, and beyond. The invitation is universal: "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters." This is the message we are entrusted with, a message of hope and salvation for all who call upon the name of the Lord.

For those who feel the stirring of God's call to go, this is a moment of decision. It is not about having all the answers or knowing every detail of the journey ahead. It is about responding to the divine compulsion and trusting that God will provide the power and presence needed for the mission. As we pray and seek God's guidance, may we be unified in our resolve to follow where He leads, whether as goers or as radical senders supporting those who go.

Key Takeaways

1. changing power of Jesus Christ. This is the message we are entrusted to proclaim to the world. [30:44]
5. Responding to God's Call: For those sensing a call to missions, it is important to respond with faith and obedience, even if all the details are not clear. God promises His presence and power to those who go in His name. This assurance should embolden us to step out in faith and trust that God will lead and provide.

** [30:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:19] - Introduction to Missions Focus
[01:08] - The Role of Goers and Senders
[02:25] - The Call to the Nations
[03:36] - Prayer for Guidance
[05:34] - Exploring Romans 9 and Genesis
[06:41] - The Global Context
[08:31] - God's Unconditional Call
[10:21] - Historical Context of Isaac and Ishmael
[12:18] - The Promise to Abraham
[14:02] - The Miracle of Isaac's Birth
[19:05] - Jacob and Esau: God's Sovereign Choice
[23:31] - The Promise to All Nations
[25:31] - Jesus: The Fulfillment of the Promise
[30:44] - The Universal Invitation
[36:11] - The Call to Missions
[40:40] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Genesis 12:3 - "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Romans 9:6-13 - This passage discusses God's sovereign choice in the lineage of Isaac and Jacob.
Galatians 3:8-9, 16, 29 - These verses explain how the promise to Abraham is fulfilled in Christ and extends to all who belong to Him.

Observation Questions:

What does the sermon suggest about the roles of "goers" and "senders" in the mission of the church? How are these roles described as essential? [01:34]
How does the sermon explain the significance of God's choice of Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau? What does this illustrate about God's sovereign will? [19:05]
According to the sermon, how is the promise to Abraham fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and what is its significance for all nations? [28:47]
What is the universal invitation mentioned in the sermon, and how does it relate to the message of the gospel? [30:44]

Interpretation Questions:

How does the sermon interpret the story of Isaac and Ishmael in the context of God's sovereign choice? What implications does this have for understanding God's grace? [19:05]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that the gospel transcends cultural and religious barriers? How does this understanding impact the mission of the church? [30:44]
How does the sermon describe the role of faith and obedience in responding to God's call to missions? What does this mean for individuals sensing a call to go? [39:15]
What does the sermon imply about the relationship between God's promises to Abraham and the mission of the church today? How does this shape our understanding of the Great Commission? [28:47]

Application Questions:

Reflect on your current role in the mission of the church. Do you see yourself as a "goer" or a "sender"? How can you actively engage in this role to support the Great Commission? [01:34]
Consider the story of Isaac and Ishmael. How does understanding God's sovereign choice challenge or encourage you in your personal faith journey? [19:05]
The sermon emphasizes the universal scope of the gospel. How can you personally contribute to sharing this message with people from different cultural or religious backgrounds? [30:44]
If you feel a stirring to respond to God's call to missions, what steps can you take to discern and prepare for this journey? How can you seek guidance and support from your church community? [39:15]
The sermon highlights the power of the gospel to transform lives. Can you identify a specific area in your life where you need to experience this transformative power? How can you invite God into this process? [30:44]
How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's provision and guidance as you consider your role in the mission of the church? What practical steps can you take to strengthen this trust? [01:34]
Reflect on the invitation to "come to the waters" mentioned in the sermon. How can you extend this invitation to those around you who are seeking hope and salvation? [35:28]

Sermon Clips

"Everybody is a goer, or a sender, or is disobedient. God considers goers and senders as very precious and both as essential to accomplishing the mission of the church. There has to be both. In fact, in view of the fact that our culture is so broken here and our families are so lost and our neighbors are so lost, the challenges for senders are huge as they stay behind and send in a manner worthy of God, living here in this lost and broken culture." [00:01:17]

"I'm praying that what God has been doing in your lives and what he will do now in the next 35 minutes or so will be to coalesce to distill maybe a lifetime of factors that are coming together for you in your 60s, 50s, 40s, 30s, 20s, teens, child so that you know it has reached a level of compulsion. It's reached a level of if he doesn't intervene to change my mind, I'm on my way to the nation's long term." [00:02:16]

"The crucified risen reigning Lord Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, is ready and more than able to empower his people in reaching the Muslim peoples of the world near and far. Even though we're naming Muslims in this sermon as a feature, don't get the idea this sermon has only to do with Muslim peoples. The point of Romans 9:6 to 13 and its background in Genesis is that God calls unconditionally." [00:08:10]

"God promises to Abraham there's going to be an offspring, there's going to be an heir, and through this heir is going to be a people, and through that people I'm gonna be their God and eventually I'm gonna be the god of the families of the earth, and that's a saving relationship that I'm gonna have with a people through this offspring because God is not the god of the dead, he is the god of the living." [00:13:18]

"Here's how the fulfillment unfolds in Genesis chapter 15. Abraham complains to God, I am old and I have no son, my wife is barren, and all I have in my household is a slave named Eliezer, and if I don't have a son, which I can't have, he will be my heir, and this promise will not come true that I will have an offspring." [00:14:15]

"God is saying, I will not make the line of my covenant a line that represents human power, human wisdom, human manipulation, human control, human will. I won't do it that way. I will make my covenant flow through a miracle line, a supernatural line, a line of the spirit, not a line of the flesh. Watch me. This is the way everybody gets saved." [00:17:10]

"Paul saw that God, in order to make really clear what he had done in choosing Isaac and not Ishmael, he did it again with Jacob and Esau. He made it even clearer what he was doing. So what was the situation with Isaac now and Rebekah his wife? She's barren. He gets an accident. It's not an accident. It's the way God makes babies when he's making a point." [00:18:57]

"Jesus came in you, Abraham, and in your offspring, Jesus, all the families of the earth will be blessed. How will they be blessed? Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved. That's how sweeping it is. Everyone, all the family of Ishmael now coming round, all the children of Esau, all the Egyptians, all the Americans, Asians, Africans who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." [00:28:38]

"If you belong to Christ, you are an heir of the promise made to Abraham. You're part of this line that in Jesus Christ is now a saving line, and it doesn't matter what your ethnicity was, doesn't matter what your religion was, doesn't matter whether you came from Arabia or not from Arabia, this no matter what you did at any point in your life up till now." [00:30:15]

"God is calling every one of us to have beautiful feet like this, namely tell everybody you know all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Having a good time telling stories to my grandchildren who come over for babysitting, they tell story, daddy kills the story, tells a Bible story. This is filling to me, just fill them up with God's or tell everybody tell every chance you have." [00:36:50]

"God has been working to rumble in your heart to move you toward the nation's to move you into missions to move you across a culture, a different language, a different way of life, a different set of relationships, a different set of dangers, a different set of unknowns. God said his son to die and rise again to open the door to everyone to the blessing of Abraham." [00:37:57]

"I can promise that if you come in the name of Jesus and resolve to go in the name of Jesus as he leads, you will have power and you will have his presence because that's what he promised. All authority in heaven and on earth is mine. Go make disciples of all nations. I'll be with you to the end of the age. That is a precious and incontrovertible promise." [00:40:03]

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Answering the Call: Missions for All Nations

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Call to Missions

Day 2: Understanding God's Sovereign Choice

Day 3: The Universal Reach of the Gospel

Day 4: Experiencing the Power of the Gospel

Day 5: Responding to God's Call with Faith

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Answering the Call: Missions for All Nations

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