God's Strategy For The World

A Biblical Perspective  -  God’s Will For Reaching The Nations

 (Written by Kevin. A. Hall 04.08.17)

The Evangelization of the world has been the mission of God since the beginning of time. The God of the Bible is a “sending God” with a heart for the peoples of all nations. We see his passion demonstrated throughout the pages of biblical history and supported by natural history and sciences. God is missional. God's purpose and goal is His entire creation. One can say that the lives of people lived over thousands of years is a divine drama “divided into a series of Acts following the lives of the people it portrays as they struggle with the reality of a broken world and their own yearnings to connect to the One in whose image they are made” (Moreau, 25).

God reaches out to the nations through Mission, working through His people (Missionaries) who engage the world through acts of Missions.

Mission -  This is everything the church is doing that points toward the kingdom of God Missions – This is specific work conducted by the church and agencies in the task of reaching                        people for Christ by crossing cultural boundaries Missionaries – A prepared Disciple whom God sends into the world with His resources to make                            Disciples for His Kingdom                                                                                                                 (Moreau, 17 – 18)

                                                   The Mission of God in Scriptures

To gain an understanding of God’s heart for all the nations of the world, it is necessary to view it through the pages of Scripture, beginning with the Old Testament. Mission “arises from the heart of God himself and is communicated from His heart to ours.(Wright, 24). Let’s investigate this divine drama unfolding through a series of seven (7) "Acts" described by Moreau throughout the pages of biblical history. As you review this, try to place the many biblical figures and stories you have been taught in Bible studies and Sunday School within each "Act":

A Global Outreach to a Global People by a Global God

Divine Act	Biblical References
Act 1  - The Creation and the Fall	Genesis 1 – 11
Act 2  - Calling a People through Abraham	Genesis 12 – 50
Act 3  - Rescuing and Separating a People:                      The Exodus and The Monarchy	Exodus through the Prophets
Act 4  - Maintaining God’s Holiness	The Exile
Acts 5 – Saving a People: Jesus the Messiah	Matthew  through John
Act 6 -   Gathering a People : The Church	Acts through Jude
Act 7 – Renewing All Creation:                The Consummation	Revelation

                                                                                                                                                                        (Moreau, 29)                                                               The Divine Story

Act 1 – The Creation and the Fall

In this very first Book of the Bible, we see a sovereign God who created the entire universe. We see an omnipresent, omnipotent God who creates out of his own character of goodness. He declares this in Genesis 1:31 with reference “very good”. God creates the earth and everything in it within days. He then creates mankind, starting with Adam, then Eve. Their home is the Garden of Eden. They were created in His image (Gen 1: 26 -27) and given dominion over every created thing. Adam and Eve were instructed to be fruitful and multiply and to subdue. They were given choice/free will, which resulted in the Fall. Adam and Eve listened to satanic influence in the form of a serpent who tricked them into bypassing God’s will for their lives. The result was a curse upon them and the serpent. This curse also affected the earth (Genesis 3:14-16)

In this we see the beginning of the struggle between God and the devil, good and evil, man and God, man and the devil. The divine drama unfolds from this point onward with God putting in place His plan to redeem mankind back to Himself. Adam and Eve’s choice (the Fall) would have lasting effects upon perpetual generations. Although very broken, Adam and Eve were given the promise of a blessing in the form of a seed of Eve who would be the redemption necessary to repair the broken relationship between God and mankind – God’s mission to the nations.

Act 2 – Calling a People Through Abraham

From Genesis 3 through Genesis 11, we see the effects of the Fall on display. Mankind grew worse and worse. God responded with a flood that destroyed the world, except for those inside the ark (Noah and his family and the contents thereof). As with the curse at the Fall, God made a promise to “Dwell in the tents of Shem” (Gen. 9:27). This was an act of grace and a commitment to living in the midst of a group of people (the line of Shem- Noah’s son) to be their God. Yet another crisis occurred as the people rejected God’s will and sought to build “a name for themselves” through the building of the Tower at Babel (Gen. 11). God responded by confusing their language and scattering them abroad. This chapter opens the door to the Call of Abraham, a Semite (from the line of Shem) who would become a blessing to the nations.

God made a covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3). “Through Abraham, the kingdom revealed in creation and rejected by Adam and Eve is restored and begins its advance” (Moreau, 32). Through Abraham, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

Act 3 – Rescuing and Separating a People: The Exodus and the Monarchy

Here we find the descendants of Abraham in the land of Egypt. They first entered Egypt as guests and were now slaves. Through them, God “showed himself strong against the Egyptians” and delivered the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land. The nations of the earth came to know and recognize the God of heaven through the story of the Exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. It is to this nation that God reveals his missionary intent – His universal mission to the nations:

ü  “God blessed Israel so that when the peoples of the world looked at Israel, they will see God’s hand and come to know him” (Moreau, 34)

ü  The nation of Israel was called to be a Light for the Gentiles – They were to serve as a kingdom of priests, God’s special possession, living as a holy nation unto God. We can see God’s mission on display here -  the seed of Abraham, set apart for the service of God to be a witness to the Gentile World (Isa. 42:6;49:6; Deut. 14:1-2; Exodus 19:4-6)

Act 4 – Maintaining God’s Holiness: The Exile

Israel was rescued from Egypt and brought into the Promised Land to be God’s people. Sadly, they did not walk in his ways. God issues a judgment upon them and they are sent into exile (as an example to the nations), but this would only be for a time. During the time of exile, God provided hope and encouragement through faithful Prophets and Judges and Kings. Their capital city of Jerusalem was rebuilt in splendor, becoming a source of praise to the nations” (Moreau, 37)

Act 5 -  Saving A People: Jesus The Messiah

The ultimate hope of the Jews and the world finally arrived with the birth of Jesus the Messiah. He was the promised seed of Eve who would save the people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). We see the acts of Jesus throughout the pages of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and the Book of John). Jesus declared his Mission in Luke 4:18- 19, then spent the next three (3) years travelling throughout the land teaching, preaching the kingdom of God and healing every disease and sickness (Mat. 9:35-38). He extended His message to the Gentiles to the dismay of the Jews who rejected Him; but that was His mission – The whole world (Matthew 24:14). Jesus crossed cultural barriers, breaking all the man-made rules to make disciples of all nations, beginning with the discourse with the Samaritan woman in John 4. He called disciples to Himself and set expectations of them. He was the "sent one" who lived, ministered to the needs of people, suffered at their hands, died for their sins, then rose from the dead to give people from every nation “living water”- salvation, the blessing promised to Abraham (Luke 24:46-48)

Act 6 – Gathering a People: The Church

The mission of God continues as the message is delivered to the nations of the world beginning in Jerusalem. The promised Spirit of God was poured out on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. It is here that Peter declared “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The Church of God grew and began to face persecution. This led to the scattering of this multi-ethnic church into communities far and wide – leading to the ends of the earth.

Through many trials and persecutions, the church continued to grow and its reach to the nations of the world extended. During these Acts in the life of the Church, we encounter several familiar missionaries which include Peter, Phillip, Barnabas, Paul, John Mark, Silas and Timothy. Through partnerships, the Apostle Paul conducted three missionary trips, performed great miracles, established several churches, appointed countless leaders, reached many nations of the then known world.

The Church of God continues to pursue God's mandate to Go, Reach, Teach and Make Disciples.

Act 7 – Renewing All Creation – The Consummation

In this final Act, God will restore the universe to its original state, just as He declared in Genesis 1:31. The church will cease to exist, nations will be gathered to him and will include “every nation, tribe, people and language” (Rev. 7:9) People from every nation will be gathered around God’s throne in worship of Him, on a new redeemed earth, all things reconciled to the Lord Jesus Christ for His glory.

The Mission of God continues through the Church – You & Me!

References:

Moreau, S. Corwin, G. McGee, G. “Introducing World Missions”. U.S.A. Baker Publishing Group: (2004)

Wright, C. “The Mission of God’s People”. Grand Rapids MI: (2010)

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