Embracing God's Call: The Mystery of Missions

Devotional

Day 1: The Divine Mystery of God's Calling

The journey of being called to missions is a profound mystery orchestrated by God. It involves a divine interplay of messages, relationships, experiences, and the Bible itself. This calling is not something that can be fully understood or quantified by human means. It is a reminder that God alone can move hearts towards His global purpose. Those who feel this calling are encouraged to trust in God's guidance and equipping for fruitful ministry. [00:22]

"For who has understood the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" (Romans 11:34, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a time when you felt a nudge towards a particular purpose or mission. How can you open your heart to God's mysterious calling today, trusting Him to guide you?

Day 2: The Personal Nature of Saving Faith

Saving faith is a deeply personal experience that occurs within the individual soul. While the Bible speaks of nations and peoples, the miracle of regeneration happens in the heart. This understanding emphasizes the importance of personal faith and the transformative power of God's work within each person. It is a reminder that while missions focus on groups, the heart of the mission is the individual soul. [08:27]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your own journey of faith. How has God transformed your heart, and how can you share this personal experience with someone who may need encouragement in their faith journey today?

Day 3: God's Providential Design in Diversity

The diversity of ethnicities, cultures, and languages is part of God's providential design. This diversity highlights the importance of reaching unreached peoples as part of His redemptive plan. Over the past decades, there has been a shift in focus from countries to peoples, transforming global missions. This shift emphasizes the need to reach every tribe and language, recognizing the beauty and purpose in God's diverse creation. [16:01]

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands." (Revelation 7:9, ESV)

Reflection: Think about the diverse communities around you. How can you actively engage with and learn from someone from a different cultural background this week, recognizing the beauty of God's diverse creation?

Day 4: The Essence of Praise in Salvation

The ultimate goal of salvation is the praise of the glory of God's grace. The essence of praise is the admiring gladness of the human heart in God's glory, making the heart the centerpiece of His purpose. This understanding calls believers to find joy in God's glory and to express this joy through praise, recognizing that salvation is not just about personal redemption but about glorifying God. [45:02]

"Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" (Psalm 96:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate praise into your daily routine, not just as a response to blessings but as a continual expression of joy in God's glory?

Day 5: The Glory of Diversity in God's Creation

The diversity of nations magnifies the glory of God's grace. The fame and worth of God shine brighter when praised by a diverse multitude, reflecting the beauty of His creation. This is the ultimate reason for missions: to bring together a diverse people who find their joy in the glory of God. The diversity of the nations serves to magnify the glory of God's grace, showcasing the beauty of His creation. [49:04]

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations." (Psalm 67:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity and diversity of your church community, ensuring that it reflects the beauty of God's creation and the glory of His grace?

Sermon Summary

In our time together, we explored the profound mystery of how God moves individuals from their current state to a lifelong commitment to world missions, particularly among unreached peoples. This journey is not easily quantifiable or fully understandable, as it involves a divine orchestration of messages, relationships, experiences, and the Bible itself. Yet, at its core, it is a mystery that God alone can accomplish. We prayed for God to work this mystery in the hearts of those willing to serve among the unreached, trusting that He will guide and equip them for fruitful ministry.

Reflecting on my own experiences, I shared how God has consistently encouraged me to engage with His global purpose. Through various encounters and stories, such as a pastor's vision to send missionaries and a young woman's journey to Chad, I have been reminded that this calling is not extraneous but central to my life's work. These stories serve as a testament to God's power and the necessity of both reformed theology and charismatic experience in understanding His mission.

We delved into the Great Commission, examining the meaning of "nations" and emphasizing that saving faith is a deeply personal experience, occurring within the individual human soul. While the Bible speaks of nations, tribes, and peoples, the miracle of regeneration happens in the heart. This understanding shapes our approach to missions, focusing on individuals within these groups.

The diversity of ethnicities, cultures, and languages is part of God's providential design. It highlights the importance of reaching unreached peoples, not just individuals, as part of His redemptive plan. This shift in focus from countries to peoples has transformed global missions over the past decades, emphasizing the need to reach every tribe and language.

Ultimately, the diversity of the nations serves to magnify the glory of God's grace. The fame and worth of God shine brighter when praised by a diverse multitude, reflecting the beauty of His creation. This is why missions exist: to bring together a diverse people who find their joy in the glory of God.

Key Takeaways

1. The mystery of God's calling to missions is beyond human comprehension, involving a divine orchestration of various elements. It is a reminder that God alone can move hearts towards His global purpose. [00:22]
2. Saving faith is a personal experience that occurs within the individual soul. While the Bible speaks of nations and peoples, the miracle of regeneration happens in the heart, emphasizing the importance of personal faith. [08:27]
3. The diversity of ethnicities and cultures is part of God's providential design, highlighting the need to reach unreached peoples as part of His redemptive plan. This shift in focus has transformed global missions. [16:01]
4. The ultimate goal of salvation is the praise of the glory of God's grace. The essence of praise is the admiring gladness of the human heart in God's glory, making the heart the centerpiece of His purpose. [45:02]
5. The diversity of nations magnifies the glory of God's grace. The fame and worth of God shine brighter when praised by a diverse multitude, reflecting the beauty of His creation and the ultimate reason for missions. [49:04]
** [49:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:08] - Opening Prayer
[00:22] - The Mystery of God's Calling
[01:41] - Personal Encouragements
[02:14] - Vision for Missions
[03:12] - Power of God in Conversion
[04:08] - Testimony from Chad
[05:11] - Missions Conference for Boomers
[06:14] - The Sin of Wasting Life
[07:20] - Who Are the Nations?
[08:27] - Saving Faith in the Individual
[11:04] - The Great Commission
[16:01] - Diversity in God's Design
[23:26] - Understanding Ethne
[25:14] - Revelation 5:9 as a Missionary Text
[29:10] - Genesis and the Nations
[33:38] - Paul's Missionary Calling
[41:30] - Returning to Matthew 28:19
[45:02] - The Essence of Praise
[49:04] - The Glory of Diversity
[50:18] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Matthew 28:19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Revelation 5:9 - "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.'"
Genesis 12:2-3 - "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Observation Questions:

What does the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 instruct believers to do, and how does it relate to the concept of "nations"? [07:31]
How does Revelation 5:9 describe the scope of Jesus' redemptive work, and what does this imply about the diversity of those who are saved? [26:01]
In Genesis 12:2-3, what promise does God make to Abram, and how does this relate to the idea of blessing all families of the earth? [31:04]
According to the sermon, what is the significance of the diversity of ethnicities and cultures in God's redemptive plan? [16:01]

Interpretation Questions:

How does the concept of "nations" in the Great Commission challenge our understanding of missions today? What implications does this have for how we approach evangelism? [07:31]
In what ways does the diversity of those who are redeemed, as described in Revelation 5:9, enhance the glory of God? [49:04]
How does the promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2-3 set the stage for God's plan to bless all nations, and what does this reveal about God's heart for the world? [31:04]
The sermon mentions the mystery of God's calling to missions. How can this mystery be understood in light of the Bible passages discussed? [00:22]

Application Questions:

Reflect on your own life. Have you ever felt a mysterious calling or nudge from God towards a specific purpose or mission? How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [00:22]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of personal faith. How can you cultivate a deeper, more personal relationship with God in your daily life? [08:27]
Consider the diversity of your own community. How can you engage with and reach out to people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds in a way that reflects God's redemptive plan? [16:01]
The sermon highlights the ultimate goal of salvation as the praise of God's glory. How can you incorporate this perspective into your worship and daily life? [45:02]
Think about a time when you witnessed or experienced the beauty of diversity in worship or community. How did it impact your understanding of God's grace and glory? [49:04]
Identify one practical step you can take this week to support or participate in missions, whether locally or globally. How can you involve others in this effort? [07:31]
How can you encourage others in your church or community to embrace the call to missions and engage with God's global purpose? What role can you play in fostering this vision? [02:14]

Sermon Clips

I'm struck father with the mystery, the real baffling, unquantifiable mystery of how you move people from where they are to a lifelong commitment to world missions in an unreached people. That is a great mystery, and I know that part of it is that you use messages, you use books, you use experiences, you use relationships, you use the Bible, you use friends who confirm or not are calling, and in the end, there is something that cannot be identified. It is a mystery. [00:14:48]

There is only one organ of saving faith, and that is the individual human soul. Families, tribes, peoples, nations do not have the organ of saving faith that is the organ by which one can believe. They don't. The place where the miracle of regeneration intersects the fallen world is the individual human soul, nowhere else. Passing from death to life through the divine gift of saving faith happens only in the human soul or as it's sometimes called, the heart. [08:39:04]

The diversity of ethnicities, cultures, and languages is part of God's providential design. It highlights the importance of reaching unreached peoples, not just individuals, as part of His redemptive plan. This shift in focus from countries to peoples has transformed global missions over the past decades, emphasizing the need to reach every tribe and language. [16:01:00]

The ultimate goal of salvation is the praise of the glory of God's grace. The essence of praise is the admiring gladness of the human heart in the glory of God's grace, making the heart the centerpiece of His purpose. God has made glad, trusting, admiring, treasuring of the glory of His grace in the human heart the centerpiece of His ultimate purpose for the universe. [45:02:00]

The fame and greatness and worth of an object of beauty shines with greater brightness in direct proportion to the diversity of those who rejoice in its beauty. If all believing human hearts were of one people group, the full glad praise of God in that group would be a wonderful glory to God for His salvation. [49:04:00]

The Great Commission points in that direction. We'll start there just to give some biblical warrant for what I'm saying besides Second Corinthians 4:6. Make disciples of all nations, Greek ethne, plural neuter, and in inflected languages, pronouns that come after agree with their antecedent in gender, case, number. [11:04:00]

In the atonement, God ransomed by the blood of the Lamb a people from every tribe and language and people and nation, and now our missionary calling correlates with that. You go get what He bought. Go get Him. You know the Moravians were not the only missionaries inspired by Revelation 5, but probably the Moravians gave expression to the beauty of the missionary implications of this text better than anybody. [29:10:00]

The essence of praise is not the movement of lips. This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, Matthew 15:8. The essence of praise is the admiring gladness of the human heart in the glory of the grace of God. The essence of praise is the admiring gladness of the human heart in the glory of the grace of God. [45:02:00]

The diversity of the nations serves to magnify the glory of God's grace. The fame and worth of God shine brighter when praised by a diverse multitude, reflecting the beauty of His creation. This is why missions exist: to bring together a diverse people who find their joy in the glory of God. [49:04:00]

God decided that the human heart would be the point where His saving grace takes hold of humanity because the goal of salvation, according to Ephesians 1:6, is the praise of the glory of the grace of God. That's the ultimate goal of the universe, the praise of the glory of the grace of God. [45:02:00]

The miracle of passing from death to life, from being a child of wrath to a child of God, a new creation in Christ, that miracle happens in the human heart only. Second Corinthians 4:6, God who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. [08:39:04]

The Moravians were not the only missionaries inspired by Revelation 5, but probably the Moravians gave expression to the beauty of the missionary implications of this text better than anybody. In the middle of the 18th century, they would get on their ships in North Germany to disappear forever out of their families' lives to peoples they had no idea where they'd eat them or not. [29:10:00]

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