Embracing Our Missionary Calling: Blessing All Nations
Summary
Psalm 67 serves as a profound reminder of our missionary calling as followers of Christ. The psalm begins with a plea for God's grace and blessing, echoing the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6. However, the psalmist shifts the focus from individual blessing to a collective purpose: that God's ways may be known on earth and His saving power among all nations. This is not just a call for personal enrichment but a call to be a conduit of God's blessing to the world. The heart of Psalm 67 is a call to mission, a call to spread the knowledge of God to all peoples, nations, and tongues.
The psalmist envisions a world where all nations praise God, a prophecy that aligns with the overarching narrative of the Bible. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God's desire has been for all nations to know Him. This is evident in the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations. The church, therefore, is not just a community of believers but a missionary entity tasked with spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth.
The history of Israel shows a pattern of failure in fulfilling this missionary calling, which underscores the necessity of divine intervention. God sent His Son, Jesus, who embodied the true missionary spirit and established a new covenant. Through Jesus, the church inherits this missionary calling, becoming the primary means through which God brings salvation to the world.
As modern believers, we are part of this unfolding story of redemption. We are the ends of the earth that have been reached by the gospel, and now we are called to continue this mission. Our role in global missions is not a favor to others but a continuation of the grace that brought us into the faith. We are blessed to be a blessing, and our calling is to make God's glory known among all nations.
Key Takeaways:
- Missionary Calling: Psalm 67 highlights our collective responsibility to spread God's ways and saving power to all nations. This is not just a personal blessing but a call to be a blessing to others, fulfilling the Great Commission. [41:02]
- God's Heart for All Nations: The Bible consistently reveals God's desire for all nations to know Him. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God's plan has always included the redemption of all peoples, emphasizing the church's role in this mission. [44:22]
- The Church as a Missionary Entity: The church is not merely a gathering of believers but a missionary body tasked with spreading the gospel. This calling is inherited from Jesus, who fulfilled Israel's missionary role and established a new covenant. [55:49]
- Divine Intervention and Fulfillment: Israel's failure to fulfill its missionary calling highlights the need for divine intervention. Jesus, as the true and better Israel, embodies this calling, and through Him, the church continues the mission to the ends of the earth. [57:13]
- Our Role in Global Missions: As recipients of the gospel, we are part of the ends of the earth that have been reached. Our involvement in global missions is not a favor but a continuation of the grace that brought us into the faith. We are called to join in this mission and be a blessing to others. [01:00:59]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:41] - Introduction to Psalm 67
- [01:02] - The Missionary Call in Romans and Isaiah
- [02:21] - The Urgency of Global Missions
- [03:22] - The Church's Missionary Identity
- [04:22] - Understanding Psalm 67's Structure
- [05:21] - The Nations in the Psalms
- [06:21] - The Blessing of Israel and the Nations
- [07:33] - The Purpose of God's Blessing
- [08:29] - The Church's Role in God's Plan
- [09:34] - Israel's Missionary Failure and Jesus' Fulfillment
- [10:49] - The Church's Inheritance of the Mission
- [11:13] - The Power of God's People
- [12:06] - The Future Vision of Psalm 67
- [13:16] - Our Place in the Story of Redemption
- [14:07] - The Call to Global Missions
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Psalm 67 and Our Missionary Calling
Bible Reading:
- Psalm 67
- Romans 10:14-15
- Isaiah 6:8
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Observation Questions:
1. What is the primary request made by the psalmist in Psalm 67:1-2, and how does it relate to the priestly blessing in Numbers 6? [50:33]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of the phrase "let the peoples praise you, O God" repeated in Psalm 67? [46:21]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of the church in fulfilling the missionary calling outlined in Psalm 67? [54:34]
4. What examples from the sermon illustrate the urgency of global missions today? [42:21]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon interpret the shift from individual blessing to a collective purpose in Psalm 67, and what implications does this have for the church's mission? [52:50]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church today can learn from Israel's historical failures in fulfilling their missionary calling? [54:34]
3. How does the sermon connect the Great Commission in the New Testament with the themes of Psalm 67? [44:22]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between God's blessing and the church's responsibility to the nations? [52:50]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your personal understanding of being "blessed to be a blessing." How can you actively live out this calling in your daily life? [52:50]
2. The sermon emphasizes the church's role as a missionary entity. How can your local church better embody this identity, and what role can you play in this effort? [54:34]
3. Consider the statement that "mission lies at the very heart of God." How does this perspective challenge or affirm your current involvement in missions? [44:22]
4. The sermon highlights the urgency of global missions. What practical steps can you take to support or engage in missions, both locally and globally? [42:21]
5. How can you cultivate a heart for the nations, as encouraged in the sermon, in your personal prayer life and community involvement? [01:03:46]
6. Reflect on the idea that our role in global missions is not a favor but a continuation of grace. How does this change your perspective on mission work? [01:00:59]
7. Identify one person or group in your life who has not heard the gospel. What specific actions can you take to share God's love and message with them this week? [42:21]
Devotional
Day 1: Our Missionary Responsibility
Psalm 67 calls believers to embrace their collective responsibility to spread God's ways and saving power to all nations. This is not merely a call for personal blessing but a directive to be a blessing to others, fulfilling the Great Commission. The psalmist's vision is for God's ways to be known on earth, and His saving power to be experienced by all nations. This mission is not optional but integral to the identity of the church, which is called to be a conduit of God's grace to the world. The call to mission is a call to action, urging believers to actively participate in God's redemptive plan for humanity. [41:02]
Isaiah 49:6 (ESV): "He says: 'It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.'"
Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear about God's saving power today, and how can you be a light to them?
Day 2: God's Universal Desire
The Bible consistently reveals God's desire for all nations to know Him. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God's plan has always included the redemption of all peoples. This is evident in the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations. The church's role in this mission is crucial, as it is tasked with spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. God's heart for all nations is a reminder that His love and salvation are not limited to a select few but are available to everyone. Believers are called to reflect this inclusive love in their own lives, reaching out to those who have yet to experience God's grace. [44:22]
Acts 13:47 (ESV): "For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
Reflection: How can you demonstrate God's inclusive love to someone from a different culture or background this week?
Day 3: The Church's Missionary Identity
The church is not merely a gathering of believers but a missionary body tasked with spreading the gospel. This calling is inherited from Jesus, who fulfilled Israel's missionary role and established a new covenant. Through Jesus, the church becomes the primary means through which God brings salvation to the world. The church's missionary identity is a reminder that believers are not called to be passive recipients of God's grace but active participants in His mission. This identity challenges the church to look beyond its walls and engage with the world, sharing the hope and love of Christ with those who have yet to hear the good news. [55:49]
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in your church's mission to reach the community around you?
Day 4: Divine Intervention and Fulfillment
Israel's failure to fulfill its missionary calling highlights the need for divine intervention. God sent His Son, Jesus, who embodied the true missionary spirit and established a new covenant. Through Jesus, the church inherits this missionary calling, becoming the primary means through which God brings salvation to the world. This divine intervention is a testament to God's faithfulness and His commitment to His redemptive plan. Believers are reminded that their efforts in mission are not in vain, as God is actively working through them to accomplish His purposes. The church is called to rely on God's strength and guidance as it continues the mission to the ends of the earth. [57:13]
Romans 10:14-15 (ESV): "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"
Reflection: What steps can you take to rely more on God's strength and guidance in your personal mission efforts?
Day 5: Our Role in Global Missions
As recipients of the gospel, believers are part of the ends of the earth that have been reached. Our involvement in global missions is not a favor but a continuation of the grace that brought us into the faith. We are called to join in this mission and be a blessing to others. This calling challenges believers to look beyond their immediate surroundings and consider how they can contribute to the global spread of the gospel. Whether through prayer, financial support, or personal involvement, every believer has a role to play in God's mission. The call to global missions is a reminder that the gospel is for everyone, and believers are privileged to be part of God's redemptive work in the world. [01:00:59]
Matthew 24:14 (ESV): "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
Reflection: What is one practical way you can support global missions today, whether through prayer, giving, or going?
Quotes
And for this morning's Psalm 67, this question is the missionary call of the church. It is our call as followers of Christ, and the call is to go and tell them in obedience to God. The call is to go and tell it on the mountain. And who is them? [00:42:21]
John Stott, the late John Stott in his books, Authentic Christianity and the Contemporary Christian, he writes about the missionary calling of the church, and he argues that God is a missionary God, and therefore the Church of the New Testament is a missionary church. [00:43:32]
And he goes on to say, a church without mission is no longer a church. It is contradicting an essential part of its identity. The church is mission, says John Stott. Here's what we mean by the mission of the church. [00:44:07]
Very simply, the mission of the church is the great commission, making disciples by bearing witness to Jesus Christ, the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. [00:44:22]
And Psalm 67 helps us to understand our missionary call, and you notice as you read those few verses, it does this in two ways. When you look at Psalm 67, the first two verses make up what I want to call this morning the heart of the psalm. [00:44:39]
And the psalmist is asking God to be gracious to his people, Israel, to bless them and to make his face shine upon them. And then the rest of the psalm, verses 3 to 7, is the hope, or call it the prophecy, that flows from the first two verses. [00:45:19]
The hope here is that all the nations of the world will worship God. Look at verse 3. Let the peoples praise your God, Let all the peoples praise you. And any time you see the word like peoples in the plural, in the Old Testament and especially in Psalms, it's talking about all the nations of the world outside of Israel. [00:45:59]
These are Gentile pagan nations and sometimes the enemies of Israel. They are peoples who are not ethnic Israel. We're talking about all non-Jewish people. The Apostle Paul calls them strangers to the covenants of promise in Ephesians 2 verse 12. [00:46:33]
The church, in other words, is God's primary means of bringing salvation to the world. Of bringing salvation to the nations of the world. When the nations of the world that do not know God want to see what God is doing, where do they go? Well, they go to the people of God. [00:54:23]
But one thing the Old Testament history makes clear is that as we look at the story of Israel, the people of God in the Old Testament, they failed the missionary calling of God dismally. And the only way that Israel could fulfill her missionary calling is if God intervened and did something. [00:55:01]
And so what does God do? God sends his son, Jesus. Jesus himself became the true and better Israel. He embodied the missionary calling of Israel. And by calling all people to himself, he began to create a new Israel, reconstituted under a new covenant. [00:55:25]
The church of Jesus receives the missionary calling of Jesus. Jesus himself, the calling God has always meant for his people. And we see this unfolding in Acts as the gospel advances to the nations, to the Gentiles. [00:56:20]
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