Blessed to Be a Blessing: Genesis 12's Mission

God chooses one random man, Abram, and essentially says, Abram, I've gotta start somewhere, and so I'm gonna start with you. I'm going to invite you to follow me and go where I tell you to go. And in doing so, I'm going to make you into a great nation. And eventually, from that nation and the family that I'm going to start with you, I will ultimately bless every single nation on the earth. Got that? [00:48:22] (27 seconds)  #GodStartsSomewhere

And what god says here in in Genesis twelve and fifteen, this is not a one off promise. From Genesis 12 to Genesis 28, the creator God repeats the promise to Abraham, to his son Isaac, to his grandson Jacob, no less than eight times. It comes in different forms and phrases, but the essence remains the same. God's shalom or blessing is going to be returned to every single people group on planet Earth, ultimately. [00:57:09] (30 seconds)  #BlessingToAllNations

And at the end of the scriptures in the book of Revelation, the apostle John has this incredible scene that he sees of all nations represented around the throne of the lamb. All nations. They're all there. They're all there. And in my kind of crazy sanctified imagination, I wonder I just wonder if in eternity, we're gonna be sharing origin stories with one another. Like, how did you get here? How did you how did you end up here? How did your people group, you know, end up here in heaven with the rest of us? [01:09:07] (39 seconds)  #OriginStoriesInHeaven

And God says, essentially, my intention is to return the world back to the place that it was in the beginning. In the beginning, the god had this had this this intention for the world and he wants to return it back to that place. And his he makes this commitment in Genesis 12. He basically says this, I am not content to leave the world in the state of affairs that it is in. I'm going to return my blessing, my shalom, my peace, my rule and reign onto all the earth, but I have to start somewhere. [00:46:39] (41 seconds)  #RestoringCreation

And friends, my prayer is that we will always be a church that finds its identity in the context of God's mission. What he has said that he is about from the very beginning of time. That he is on a mission to restore and reconcile people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. And the people of Ellenbrook Church will continue to step up to the plate and say, I believe in this. I believe that this is the narrative of the scriptures. This is what God is up to, and I will be a part of giving generously to it. [01:08:25] (38 seconds)  #MissionShapedIdentity

I'm not going to override mankind's free will and rebellion, but in the midst of his free will and rebellion, I'm going to act and I'm going to redeem and I'm going to restore and I'm going to bless. And this blessing will ultimately extend to every nation and every people group on the planet. So we read Genesis 12. [00:47:20] (23 seconds)  #RedeemAndRestore

That is so awesome. Wouldn't it be cool that if eternity, we share our origin stories, they they say, how did your people group end up here? And they said, oh, yeah. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was this church in Brookfield, Wisconsin who believed so much in Genesis 12 and what God was up to that he is on mission to restore people for every nation that they gave. And they sent their very own to go and share the good news. And now here we are. And there's a whole lot of us here because historically, this church didn't hesitate to step into what God was doing. [01:10:15] (44 seconds)  #LegacyOfSending

Remind us of the fact that what you began in Genesis 12 verses one to three with Abram, you will not stop until all nations have a chance to hear and respond and obey. And you're inviting us to be a part of that. Know, this is what I'm up to, Elmbrook. This is what I'm doing, and I want you to be a part of it. [01:12:04] (30 seconds)  #UntilAllHaveHeard