Missions: a wake up call, Galatians 2: 11-14

During the time of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Greg L. was asked to give a “missions minute” at a large evangelical church on the East Coast. Since he had only one minute to speak, he decided to ask them only two questions. The first one was, “How many of you are praying for the 52 Americans hostages being held in Iran?” 4000 hands went straight up and he said, “Praise the Lord!

Now, put your hands down and let me ask you another question. How many of you are praying for the 42 million Iranians being held hostage to Islam?” four hands went up. He said, “What are you guys? Americans first and Christians second? I thought this was a Bible-believing church!” (Mission Frontiers, May – June 1994)

This rebuke by Greg L. served as a wake up call to the church and helped Mission minded Christians see the need to pray for Muslims. This mission minute was used in a dramatic way to lead to what has been called by mission experts as “the ‘decade of Muslims’ in praying Christians hearts.” (The Commission April 2000 p. 12)

There are times when God uses a rebuke to make significant impact in keeping his people focused on His purposes. One of the clear examples of this in Scripture is when Paul rebuked Peter to his face. Not only Peter, but the other important church leaders like Barnabus and James had lost sight of God’s purpose for all Nations.

Read: Galatians 2: 11-14
11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.
12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabus was led astray.
14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, ” You are a Jew, yet you live like a gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

I) The mistakes of Peter
Jesus has told us that he hates the lukewarm Christian. This attitude of being neither hot nor cold would never describe Peter. He was passionate and spoke his mind. Maybe it was the fisherman in him that made him so intense. Whatever the reason it made for Peter being mentioned more times in the Gospels than anyone else, besides Jesus.

When you think about Peters life, you probably remember a lot of mistakes. It is not necessarily a kind thing to do to Peter, but lets just take a moment to remember some of the very colorful mistakes Peter made.

When Peter steps out of the boat on the raging sea of Galilee, he takes his eyes off Jesus to see the wind and the waves. Peter looks at his circumstances and sinks in the water. Jesus words for Peter are, “you of little faith” and “why did you doubt”? ( Matthew 14:28)

Even when Peter asked Jesus a question, he has the ability to put his foot in his mouth. “We left everything to follow you Lord”, He said to Jesus. Then Peter asks, “What will there be for us? (Matthew 19:27) Not only does Peter misunderstand the nature of Jesus ministry, there is a selfish aspect to his question.

This lack of Peter’s understanding of Jesus and his purposes was epitomized after Jesus spoke to the disciples about his coming death. Following Jesus’ disturbing disclosure, Peter took Jesus aside to forbid him to go to the cross. Peter managed to get the strongest of possible rebukes for this bad idea. Jesus scolds Peter with, “get behind me Satan.” (Matthew 16:22-23)

Peter blew it again when the Lord washed the disciples feet. “Never shall you wash my feet Lord,” Peter said. When the Lord corrects him Peter goes overboard in the other direction. He requests Jesus to wash his hands and head as well. He just was not tuned in to the purposes of Jesus. (John 13:8) When Peter asked Jesus to explain the parable of the clean and the unclean Jesus asked, “are you still so dull? (Matthew 15:15-16)

Peter slept after the Lord told him to watch and pray in the Garden of Gathsemene. Then the impulsive Peter cuts off the servant’s ear when the temple guards come to arrest his Lord. Jesus commanded Peter, “put the Sword away!” (John 18:11) Again Peter was not understanding the purpose of Christ despite the fact Jesus spoke to his disciples concerning his death.

The mistake or rather the complete failure that Peter is most famous for is his denial of Christ. This is what caused Peter to weep bitterly when Jesus looked straight at him. Peter remembered the words the Lord had spoken to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times”. (Luke 22: 61-62)

II) The Heroics of Peter
If we would plot Peters life on a seismograph to measure the highs and lows the needle would move all over the charts. Yes, Peter had his failures and they were tragic ones. But as for the greatness of Peter his high points were phenomenal.

We normally think of Peter’s greatness after Jesus resurrection, and especially following Pentecost. We can however, see glimpses of Peters greatness in the Gospels. Peter was in insider to Jesus. Peter was not only one of Jesus chosen twelve, but he was part of the inside three to Jesus.

At times Jesus called Peter dull, but at other moments his perception of Christ was unparalleled. Jesus asked his disciples, the crowds left, will you too depart? Peter answered, “where would we go, You have the Words of Eternal Life”. (John 6:68) Peter made one of the most significant statements of all times in what we now call the Great Confession (Matt 16:16). “You are the Christ, son of the living God”.

Peters heroics at and following Pentecost are numerous. His preaching is filled with brilliant insight into the purposes of God in the Cross. It was incredible insight when just forty days ago he was still thinking Jesus had come to establish an earthly kingdom. Look at Acts 2:39, he preached of all those “far off.” The response to this sermon set the stage for the advance of the early church. People were cut to the heart and 3,000 were saved and baptized that day.

Peter seems to underscore his understanding in his second sermon, (Acts 3:25-26) He said, “Jesus was sent first to the Jews”. Peter took for granted that Jesus was sent next to the Gentiles. (Perspectives, Stott, A-15) Peter continued to preach boldly and many miracles came through him. Peter told the lame beggar, “silver and Gold have I none, get up, in the name of Jesus walk.” When the man leaped to his feet the onlookers were astonished. They released this miracle came by the power of God.

People were brought to Peter so that even his shadow might fall on some as they passed by. (Acts 5:15) His bold theme was “we must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) Peter prayed for Dorcus after her death and commanded her to get up. She did get up and many people believed in the Lord as a result.

Peter is the one who was sent to Samaria when news came the Gospel had reached these despised people. (Acts 6:1-5) Through the ministry of Peter the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:17) Peter is great! Who else walked on water and raised the dead? Except for our Lord, Peter is the only one.

III) The Sheet Experience

The early church began with one people group, the Jews (there were more than a dozen sub-groups of Diaspora Jews baptized at Pentecost). God’s purposes for all the peoples was in the process of becoming reality. Following the Gospel reaching the Samaritans comes the account of the Gospel to the first Gentiles. A gentile, Cornelius, an officer of the Roman army, respected by all Jewish people, was about to become the first Gentile recorded in the New Testament to know the saving grace in Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:22)

Cornelius was a devout God fearing and generous Italian. The Lord gave him a vision where he was told to send for Peter. At the same time the Lord gave Peter the sheet visions. A vision intended to get Gods purposes for all people groups through to Peter. Peter had the sheet vision, once then a second vision and even a third time. The purpose was for Peter to understand what he should have already known. He in fact had already been preaching this truth, that the Gospel is for all communities (people groups).

The vision of the sheet came to Peter three times. When you take into account the vision that Cornelius had, there were a total of four visions to underscore the purpose of God. It came to Peter as an, Aha moment, and is expressed in Acts 10:34. “Now I realize that God accepts men from every nation” (people group). This was followed by another experience among the gentiles of what happened at Pentecost among the Jews. (Acts 10:45-46)

Peter should have known already what God impressed on him in this vision. When Peter preached at Pentecost he articulated the very idea that was intended in this vision, that salvation in Jesus Christ is for all People. Everyone who calls on the name of our Lord will be saved.

Jews from 15 different regions, Jews of Diaspora, spoke Aramaic or Hebrew. These Diaspora Jews also knew the gentile languages. They came to Jerusalem to worship in Hebrew. The Acts 2 event with the Holy Spirit coming and all hearing the Gospel in there own language was a symbolic reversal of what happened at Babel, immediately preceding Abram’s call to be a blessing to all the families (people groups) of the earth. (Gen. 12:1-3)

IV) Peter Now Defends the Gospel for all people groups

What a wonderful moment in world history when Peter shared Jesus with Cornelius and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles. God’s purpose in Jesus Christ for the nations (people groups) was underway. This was not, however, such a joyous thought to everyone. As a matter of fact, the first century Christians did not like to see people groups outside there own community come to Christ. When the Christians heard the Gospel went to the Gentiles they criticized Peter for even associating with these Italian people. They took up issue with Peter about this (Acts 11:1-3)

Peter explained the whole situation of the vision and how the Gospel went to the Gentiles. Now even the first century church gets it! The Gospel is for the Gentiles. (Vs 11:18) No further objections. At least not until a church of Gentiles was organized at Antioch.

The Jewish church in Jerusalem sent Barnabus to look into this Gentile congregation at Antioch. Barnabas encouraged them. This is when Barnabas goes off to find Paul, who by now this “Jew of Jews” had been called as an apostle to the Gentiles (people groups). This group of Gentile Christians took up an offering for the needs of the Jewish Christians as a result of a famine. The other great ministry Antioch performs is to send out Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey to reach other Gentiles.

Paul and Barnabas went out from Antioch turning the world upside down. God opened the door to more Gentiles. At this time there was trouble back in Antioch. In Acts Chapter 15 we find Christian Jews from Judea went to Antioch teaching them that one must first become a Jew to become a Christian. This resulted in Paul and Barnabas having a sharp dispute. This time not with each other, but with the men of Judea.

We read in Acts 15 (during what is known as the Jerusalem Council) that Paul and Barnabas reported the ministry among the gentiles. At first this was accepted and then some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees argued the case that a gentile must first become a Jew. It was Peter who was the hero of the hour. Peter convinced the council that salvation is by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be it Jew or Gentile. This was confirmed when James convinced by Peters argument, quoted Amos and Isaiah that the Gospel is for Gentiles. (Act 15:16-18) Hurray for Peter and his role in seeing the purpose of God to all the families of the earth be carried out!

VI) Wake up call

Isn’t this the end story, a resolved issue, regarding the Gospel to the Gentiles? No! Even though it was essentially laid out by Jesus in the Great Commission and numerous other times there was further confirmation needed for the early church to really accept and carry this out.

Sometimes Peter understood Christ’s Mission with insight that could only come from the Heavenly Father. Sometimes he was dull. A wave of dullness washed over Peter, even after all that had transpired. It took a vision, three times, for Peter to understand what should have already been so clear.

Could Peter have blown it on the Gospel for the Gentiles after he was so used by God at the Jerusalem council? Yes, there is one last big goof in Peter’s life. This is the reason Paul rebuked Peter to his face.

“We are not told when the confrontation between Paul and Peter took place. The book of Acts makes no mention of it. Some interpreters feel this incident took place soon after the Jerusalem conference. It seems unlikely however that the circumcision party could have recouped its forces and increased its influence so soon.” (Curtis Vaughan, Bible Study Commentary, Galatians p 47)

Why did Paul have to rebuke Peter to his face? Peter completely forgot what he had said in Acts 10:34. If anybody should have been a “Great Commission Christian”, taking the Gospel to all people groups, Peter should have been the one.

A “Great Commission Christian” is a person who’s mission is missions. A person who takes the commission of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 to make disciples of all nations (people groups). Peter is slow to understand the mission of Christ. Again!

Conclusion
This was Peters great mistake. When Peter pulled away from the Gentiles in Antioch, he forgot the Gospel is for all people groups. When he denied Christ, the Holy Spirit had not come. But this time his mistake was made after preaching Pentecost, raising the dead, calling the lame to walk and after his sheet vision.

When Peter separated himself from the Gentile Christians at Antioch (Gal 2:12) it was a tragic mistake. Peter was as Paul said, “clearly in the wrong.” This mistake came after he shared the Gospel to gentiles and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit followed. This mistake came after Peter convinced the Jerusalem council leaders that the Gospel is for the Gentiles (people groups).

If Peter can get off track regarding God’s purposes for the peoples, then we also should be on the alert, lest we get derailed. If we are not doing our strategic thinking in ministry based on God’s purposes for all peoples (The Ta Ethne factor) it will mean missing God’s best for our lives.

The church sometimes, like Peter, is needing a correction and a call back to God’s Great Commission purpose. William Carey was a man who gave a wake up call to the church in his day. His talk of Missions was countered with, “Sit down young man, if God wants to reach the Heathen, He will do it without your help or mine ” Carey did not stay quiet. He rebuked the church much like Paul rebuked Peter. William Carey preached his “broad tent sermon” from where we get “Expect Great things from God. Attempt Great things for God.” He accomplished great things and woke up his denomination, the Baptists in England, along with it, the entire Christian community.

Fast forward from William Carey by 190 years to 1979, the Missions Minute of Greg L. during the Iranian hostage crises. The Lord used that challenge to give a wake up call for the Gospel to the Muslim world. “More Muslims in Iran have come to Christ since 1980 than in all the previous 1,000 years combined.” (Blessed to Be a Blessing, Mission Frontiers, India p. 13)

Today we may again need a wake up call. This time we must wake up and see the challenge in taking the Gospel to the Hindu world. This block of peoples contain over half the worlds languages (1,700 of 3,500). This part of the world contains over fifty percent of the worlds least evangelized peoples. (The Commission, April 2000. Page 12)

When we returned to the USA my wife’s Aunt Rebecca’s told us of her dream. She believed God gave her the dream. In her dream she saw a map of the world. She saw a hand reach out and point to India. The only words in the dream were, “here, here.” When she awoke she thought about her niece and family in India. She thought we may be in some kind of trouble so she prayed for us.

My wife and I both looked at each other when she told us of this dream. We thought the same thing. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that we were in some kind of trouble and God wanted her to pray. But, we thought that if this dream was from God, it more likely was a message that it is God saying this is His time for the Hindu of India to know Him.

Some mission experts now believe that, as the 1990’s was the decade for the Muslims for praying Christians, this will be the decade for the Hindu. (The Commission April 2000, p 12) India and the Hindu peoples is the great need to fulfill the Great Commission. There are thousands of Hindu people groups according to the Anthropological survey of India.

From the life of Peter we can see how we can so easily get off track for Missions. Today let us wake-up and pray for the Hindu world to know the love of Christ. “Only One life will soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Missions:A Future Glimpse, Revelation 5:9

Missions: A future glimpse (Rev 5:9)

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)

Intro

While I was preparing this message, I was traveling from a meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I had a window seat on my flight so I was able to observe Chiang from an aerial view. I looked at the city square incased by a moat. I could see from that vantage point many of the two hundred or so Buddhist temples in that small confined area.

I looked for the temple that contained the founding pillar of the city and the tree there at the temple that represented a covenant that the founding fathers of Chiang Mai made. A covenant that they would worship the guardian spirit as long as the tree would stand. As my flight came to Bangkok I was once again struck by the vivid architecture of the many Buddhist temples. The design of the temples are unique and, no doubt, designed to give honor to some unseen power, whether that be spirits or to a god.

These grand temples are designed to give honor. It is however, a misplaced honor. It is an honor that is due to Jesus Christ alone. He is the one who created every human being, including all temple architects. Jesus is the provider of every Orchid flower and every fruit, even of those laid in their spirit house. Jesus is the one who creates and sustains. His name is whom all honor and glory is due. He is worthy!

God’s desire is that the name of Jesus, the name above all names be utterly lifted up, exalted and adored. He longs to see His name revealed in a distinct and clear way. The result of His purpose is that the name of Jesus would be distinguished from any other god, or spirit or system.

That has not yet taken place. We can look around and see so many places where God’s name does not receive the honor due. This is the condition as we have it now. We can see God is not receiving the honor due his name. This is not the way it should be. We have recorded here in scripture the clear testimony that it will not remain this way. God will fulfill his purposes. His name will be honored. We have an assurance from the Word of God that He will fulfill his purposes.

We should align our lives with the purposes of God. His purpose is to bring honor due his name in every nation. The fulfillment of God’s redemptive purpose in Jesus, not only in every nation but also among every language. Not just every language, but among every people group. He will accomplish His grand plan and we have the opportunity to be a part of this mission. “Blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and take it to heart.” (Rev 1:3)

I) Jesus is worthy (Rev 5:9)
And they sang a new song: You are worthy

John saw the purposes of God fulfilled among every tribe, people and language. God gave John the privilege to see His future plan unfolded. He gave John a future glimpse of what it will be like when God’s purposes are accomplished. The fulfillment of the great commission.

John’s vision provides hope to us. John received this vision while being held as a prisoner on the island of Patmos. It was in this context of severe troubles that John saw the vision of Jesus getting the honor due His name. At the time of John’s vision the emperor required people to ascribe him the honor due Christ alone. Those, like John, who refused to worship the emperor, were persecuted. In the midst of the discouraging situation comes this marvelous vision!

Was John the first to see such a vision? No. Daniel was another who saw it. The scripture vividly describes Daniel seeing the same vision John saw. The words describing their vision are almost identical. Daniel saw the exalted Christ. He saw Him receiving the authority and glory and the sovereign power due his name. Daniel saw the extent of God’s purposes. God desires his name to be known and honored to the ends of the earth. Daniel saw the worship and the Glory of Christ extending to, “all peoples, nations and language.” (Daniel 7: 13-14)

Since Daniel saw this vision before John, we can ask, is there anyone else recorded in Scripture, who saw this vision? Again, the answer is yes. Abraham saw it too! Jesus said, “Abraham saw my day and rejoiced.” (John 8: 56)

“This is the stand out treasure of Abraham Hebraic reality, hope. There is going to be something powerful and lovely in the end. God took Abraham out into the night sky and said, ‘Count those stars, if you can.’ It is going to be that extensive, that vast. Abraham believed God and saw the night sky. Jesus actually says Abraham saw my day and rejoiced. That night he actually saw the day of Christ. Not just when Jesus would come, but a flourishing among all peoples. This is the substance of hope. That there is a great finish a culmination.” (SH)

John saw the Abrahmic covenant fulfilled. John saw the Great Commission Crescendo. In the book of Revelation, Christ is revealed, but also the purpose of Christ is revealed to us. We see what it looks like fulfilled. Probably John would not have realized as a persecuted prisoner on Patmos what a privilege would be his. That he would receive this glorious vision of Christ and a glimpse of His purposes fulfilled. This is the climax, the zenith, and the pinnacle of all that was promised to Abraham. All the families of the earth will be blessed! (Gen. 12:3)

In Revelation we have the ultimate outcome. The enemy is doomed to defeat. God holds the future and He has revealed the outcome to us. All the strongholds will be broken. Strongholds are designed to restrain Christ being obeyed and honored. We see what the prophet Habakkuk also saw. Not only are the strongholds broken, but “the Glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the water covers the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

At present this honor due Jesus Christ goes in countless misplaced directions.” You will hardly find men who will not worship God or some other power. If atheistic thinkers or scientists, filled with the materialistic outlook, do not worship God, they often tend to worship great men or heroes or some ideal which they have exalted into a power. Buddha did not teach anything about God. The result was, his followers began to worship him. In China people began to worship ancestors, as they were not taught to worship God. In short, man cannot but worship, this desire has been created in him by his creator, so that led by this desire he may have communion with his creator.” (Religion and Reality, Sadhu Sunder Singh)

A question was put to John, “Who is worthy to open the scroll?” There was no one on earth, in Heaven who was worthy. John wept when no one was worthy. No one, that is except Jesus. Jesus is worthy. When Jesus took the scroll the heavenly creatures, the twenty-four elders all bowed down before Him.

There is a continual theme through Revelation to the worth of Jesus Christ. Standing before the Lamb they sang a new song. They praised the one who is worthy. Jesus is portrayed as Lion and Lamb revelation. The song that could not be sung until Jesus took the scroll.

All in heaven fell down and worshipped Jesus because He is worthy. Our goal is to be part of seeing Jesus receive due honor among all the peoples. We begin first, with ourselves. We desire to see Jesus praised. We must give him the praise and honor due his name. He is worthy!

Because we desire to see Him honored we praise Him. We desire that all should express praise to Him in every unique culture on this earth. “In the Lords prayer, Hallowed be your name, means that God’s name be sanctified. It is actually that His name be distinguished. God’s name is to be lifted up, exalted, adored. That His name be revealed so clearly that He would be distinguished from any other god, spirit or ism.” (SH)

That is what God is doing to work for his renown amongst the nations. He works to reveal the truth for his names sake. That God would exalt and distinguish his name among all peoples. That is what he has purposed to do. The song moves from four creatures to thousands and ten thousands of angels. They sing that Jesus is worthy of all the honor glory and praise. The psalmist says, “let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Jesus is praised by a number so great that no one could count the worshipers.

People should know it is the hand of God that is at work all around them. The important thing is that God is honored. “People should know that we are living in the midst of a wonderful time where God is blessing the earth and fulfilling His purpose.” (SH)

II) Purchase of men
Because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God

There was only one found worthy to open the scroll. In the cross there is full declaration that Christ is, and ought to be worshipped. Jesus redeemed us with His blood from the bondage of sin. Satan and all strongholds lose their grip on us through the power in the blood of Christ.

The Scroll with seven seals represents God’s plan of redemption. Jesus is worthy to open the scroll. He died the just for the unjust. The worth of Jesus Christ and the blood shed at the cross go hand in hand.

Before Jesus went to the cross he gathered his disciples for the Last Supper. He took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
It is matter of good news of great joy for all men that God deals with us in through the blood of Christ. Like slaves on an auction block we were bound to sin. But he purchased us through His blood.

He has not only purchased men for God, but He has bestowed upon us the highest honor as kings and priests. When we submit to Christ through faith his cleansing blood saves us. His blood will ultimately redeem from among every tribe people and language.

This is God’s redemption through His blood. It is the power for the transforming of individual lives and extends to all tribes and nations. We look to God for people groups and whole nations to know the redemption in the blood of Christ. This is what God said He would do. The means of Gods purposes was brought about through the blood of Christ, shed on the cross.

At the time of the crucifixion, the temple veil was torn in two. The temple veil was separating the Holy of Holies where the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. Now the torn veil represents the way made available for people everywhere. This is because Christ shed his blood. He purchased men. The blood of Christ is the stronghold breaker.

Jesus is pure and blameless and perfect in holiness. Jesus the eternal high priest made himself an eternal sacrifice, once for all. His sacrifice is able to cleanse us of our sin. His blood shed for us removes our guilt. The Passover Lamb has been slain. When we view ourselves in light of Christ our spiritual poverty is exposed. We need the redemption that only Jesus gives through His blood.

“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22) We have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus. This confidence is based upon the pouring out of his blood on the cross. (Ephesians 1:7) His blood made atonement for our sins. He took upon himself the punishment for sin. Christ’s death on the cross made it possible for all things to be reconciled. He made peace through his blood. (Colossians 1:20)

III) Every people group
From every tribe and language and people and nation.

The purpose of God is to bring his renown and redemption to every ethno-linguistic people group on earth. Jesus used a very unusual strategy to accomplish this work to reach every tribe, tongue and nation. Jesus called out and trained a mono-ethnic group of disciples to accomplish His all-inclusive multi-ethnic purposes.

“All of the disciples were Jews and at least ten, and possibly eleven were Galilean Jews. This was a multi-racial, multi-creedal society. During this training He confined them to work with their own people. They were expressly forbidden to go to others. And during most of their training they were in the general area of their homes, among relatives and neighbors. When the training was complete he entrusted his church entirely to them. He charged them as a group to go to groups with the gospel.” (The Dynamics of Church Growth form every tribe and people and tongue, 44-45, J W. Pickett)

But the Lord modeled His purposes. The disciples marveled when Jesus went to the ethnically down caste Samaritan woman. His commission was to go and make disciples of all ethnic groups. His purposes only became more clearly defined as Paul received his call on the Damascus road to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

God desires worship. That worship comes from a multiplicity of cultures and is expressed in a variety of ways. Missions takes the message of Christ to the neglected fields. To the people who do not yet honor Christ. Missions should not transport cultural. People with different ways of seeing things will begin to worship, doing different things based on the tapestry of human diversity. We should follow the example of Stanley Jones, missionary to India, who made it a deliberate strategy to carry the message of Christ to where He was not previously honored.

Illustration: When missionary Stanley Jones, came to India he, for nearly ten years served the church as pastor and district superintendent in the Methodist church in Lucknow, and other places. There was one significant event that turned his life. He and his daughter Eunice joined an officers club for tennis and tea. Stanley Jones was a young man and very fashionable and cultured and the Indian people would very much love a person like him to belong to their club.

One day it happened. They sat down after the playing tennis. A judge, a Hindu, and Indian, he spoke up, Mr. Jones why do you Christian people only go after the Dalits, the poor? The Hindus at that time were seeing a lot. Hundreds of thousands of poor were coming to Christ. Leather makers, Chamars and other lower caste people in Uttar Pradesh had already become Christians. They saw that Stanley Jones was district superintendent, of whom, these low-caste people. So, the question of the judge was why was the church so altogether sold on reaching the low caste.

And the mission at that time had a very patent answer and Stanley Jones was familiar with it. He said, because they are responsive, and the higher caste, they are not responsive. That was his answer. And the judge replied forthwith, No. That is wrong. We are responsive if you come in the right way.

My, that word changed Stanley Jones, and he is known for that. He is not known for his district superintendent work. He is known for his ministry to the educated classes in India.

No one in India has seen more, among Brahmins and Hindu intellectuals come to honor Christ than Stanley Jones, in mission history. Even today when I go out to Bombay where I have my Satsangs I meet so many people, Hindus who now worship Christ, so fond of Stanley Jones. (DPT)

If we are giving our lives to the purposes of God then we will seek to see His name honored among all peoples. It will mean strategic prayer and it will mean we present the Gospel in a culturally relevant way to unreached people groups. It is too late in history to ignore this. What is a very acceptable approach to the Gospel for one people may not work for another. Not only the language must change, but the manner in which we present the good news.

Conclusion

Too many of the unreached people groups see Jesus as a foreign God. We must work according to God’s purposes so that they see He is not foreign God. He made them. He shed his blood to purchase them. At any given moment He sustains them with the air they breathe. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. God desires that they acknowledge His goodness.

We are called to share Jesus Christ with all the peoples and languages. We must pray, mobilize laborers and go. Jesus calls for whoever thirsts to come to Him. We find the thirsty peoples all about us. We see the final outcome that some from every people will come to Christ. There is going to be a great and final blessing among all peoples. The gates of hell cannot prevail against it. The outcome is certain. It will come forth. The glory of Christ will be known. The day will dawn.

We see the fulfillment in this multi-cultural, multi-linguistic, multi-ethnic host praising God. The great conclusion of all people groups around the throne. The revelation of Jesus Christ, and his plan for all peoples.

The Mission Song, Psalm 67:1-7

When I served as Assistant Pastor of the Baptist Church, in Scotland, one of the first things I wanted to do was memorize Numbers 6:24- 26. Why the priority to memorize Numbers 6? This is because our Pastor would repeat this scripture as the benediction, at the close of every service.

I knew, as the young assistant from America, I would be leading the services when he was away. I realized that you just don’t read the benediction in the Highlands of Scotland. No way! You look directly at the congregation, raise your hands and you “pronounce” the benediction, loud and boldly. This meant that I had to really get to know Numbers 6:24-26. It would not be good to “mess up” on the blessing!

I learned this blessing and was able to pronounce it: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26) Pronouncing the blessing went well for me every time, but I always remained a little worried when I came to the, “lift up his countenance” part.

When I got over the intimidation of memorizing and pronouncing this verse, I realized its great significance. This is the blessing that God himself gave through Moses for Aaron to bless the Israelites. It was the blessing pronounced by Aaron, and later those who held his priestly office, at the public assemblies.

Our passage, Psalm 67 is derived from this Aaronic benediction. The Aaronic blessing is contained in the seven verses of Psalm 67. But here, Psalm 67 goes beyond the blessing in Numbers 6. Here in Psalm 67 we find the purpose of God’s blessing. This purpose, for all the peoples to know salvation, is what makes Psalm 67 one of the foundational scriptures as the Biblical basis of Missions. Psalm 67 is a glorious Missions song. Psalm 67:1 -7

I) Why to all nations? First Bless Us! (Vs 1-3)
Some Psalms are intended for individual worship. In these Psalms the individual worshipper of God should be alone pouring out his heart to God. Other Psalms are for corporate worship, when the assembly collectively gives praise. This Psalm is for corporate worship.

Psalm 67 was probably sung corporately every year at the Feast of Pentecost. As Christians, at the mention of Pentecost, we immediately think of Acts Chapter 2. Our minds take us to the time when the Holy Spirit came in power. This great event happened when Israel was celebrating the Pentecost Festival, thus we call the coming of the Holy Spirit Pentecost. This festival is also referred to as the Harvest Feast.

It came fifty days after Passover. We could compare our American Thanksgiving Holiday in November as something similar for us, as to what the Pentecost was for Israel. A time we thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. The most Basic prayer for any of us is to ask God to bless us. We ask, “Father meet my needs, Bless me!” In celebrating the harvest, there is, especially for the agricultural society, a keen sense of dependence on God. Give us the rain and the sunshine needed to grow the crops and sustain our life. Protect us from natural disasters. A calamity that will destroy them is just a natural disaster away.

God is praised at the Harvest Feast. God has blessed Israel with an abundant harvest. But this kind of cry to God is not limited to the agricultural society. Everyone is crying to God, “help me, heal me, sustain me, Oh God, bless me!” Even the animistic societies are looking for a blessing. There is a basic human need to be blessed by God.

The tribal, wherever they are, might not have a biblical view of God, but they share the basic desire expressed in this verse, Bless me God! The desire to be blessed by God is shared by all people in all places, of all religions.

The next aspect of this scripture though, is unique. The Hebrews don’t stop with their desire to be blessed. They don’t ask God just for mercy, grace and for God’s face to shine on them, like Aaron’s blessing. Here in Psalm 67 we find the deeper meaning behind God’s blessing.

That through those God has blessed, others will in turn be blessed with the salvation God gives! This Psalm reveals God’s missionary purpose that all nations may know God’s salivation! Here in this missionary Psalm the name used for God is different than what was used in Aaron’s blessing.

In Numbers Chapter 6 the reference for God is YHWH or Jehovah (strong # 3068). This name is Israel’s covenant name for God. It is an intimate name for the relationship Israel enjoyed with God. Numbers Chapter 6 is a blessing for Israel, the covenant people. In Psalm 67 the Hebrew name used for God is Elohim (Strong # 430).

If God himself gave the Aaronic blessing, why make a change in the name used for God? Because in Numbers Chapter 6 God is giving a blessing for Israel. In Psalm 67 we have the purpose for God blessing Israel. That is that all peoples everywhere are blessed with God’s salvation. This name, Elohim, used in Psalm 67 is used to refer to God’s relationship to all men. There is an important change in emphasis here.

That emphasis centers on the missionary heart of God, for all peoples to know Him. Psalm 67 asks that God’s purpose come to pass. That in blessing Israel all the nations of the earth might come to know Him as well. We are blessed by God in order to bless others. Gods blessing to us is meant to be a thoroughfare not a dead end street.

When we are blessed by God others should be blessed. They should see that our God, the God of the Bible, the God of the Psalmist, the God of Abraham is the one true God. We all have a universal desire to be blessed of God, but only Jehovah God can fulfill that desire. The blessing of Psalm 67 is similar to what we find in God’s blessing to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) God blesses Abraham, that all the families of the earth may be blessed. God blesses his people that his salvation may be known among the nations (Psalm 67:2).

This Pentecost blessing asks for God to bless, but the scope of this blessing goes beyond a good crop at harvest time. God blesses with spiritual Salvation to all nations. May the People groups be glad. (Vs 4-5) There are three different Hebrew terms used for people in Psalm 67. In verse 3 the word is the plural form of am, people ammim. (Strongs # 5971).

In verse 4 the Hebrew word for people is Ieow (Strongs #3816). This is a group of individuals with a corporate identity, like the people of Israel, or the people of Syria. In verse 2 the word for nations is goyim (strongs # 1471). This is sometimes translated heathen in the King James. This refers to a nation, a heathen nation, gentiles or a people.

This blessing goes to other people besides Israel and yes, Israel is asking for God’s salvation to go to the gentile when they sing this Psalm. We usually think of nations in terms of political nations. Because of this we often interpret God’s plan by political boundaries.

When Jesus said go and make disciples of all nations it is better to understand his command in terms of People Groups, rather than political nations.

Let’s define “a people group” and an “unreached people group”. A People Group is “a significantly large grouping of individuals who perceive themselves to have a common affinity for one another because of their shared language, religion, ethnicity, residence, occupation, class or caste, situation, etc., or combinations of these.” For evangelistic purposes it is “the largest group within which the gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance.” An Unreached People Group is “a people group within which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians able to evangelize this people group.”

In Mark 11:17 Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7, my house shall be a house of prayer for all nations. The Hebrew word used is the term peoples (ammin strong # 5971). When the phrase is found in the Greek in Mark 11:17 the Greek word is the one that we use to get our word ethnic (strong # 1484 ethnos).

Our churches should be places where we pray for the people groups of the world. We can understand that Jesus has called his church (us) to pray for all people groups. Another Missionary Psalm, Psalm 47:1 says, “Clap your hands all you nations (people groups). Clap your hands, Tibetans, Lingayats, Mina, Lambani. God has poured out his blessing that thousands of people groups will know Him. Our God is the God of the people groups! If only the unreached people groups knew what God desires for them. Let the nations be glad!

Let the unreached people groups be glad. God has in store for them what he announced at Christmas to the shepherds. The angels proclaimed it as the “good news of exceeding great joy!” God is a righteous judge. There is another crying need, a universal heartfelt plea for one who governs righteously. God is the fulfillment of all the hearts desire. Then the refrain of the mission song comes again.

We have it in verse 3 and here in verse 5. “Let thy peoples praise thee, Oh God, let all the people praise thee.” The Chorus in Vs 3 and Vs 5 uses the plural form of the word people. We can interpret this as people groups. Let all the people groups praise you. The Chorus, let the people groups praise you Lord. That chorus of Psalm 67 could be a theme song for any mission conference. It is the desire of God for all the peoples on earth to praise him. It is our privilege and mission task to carry the good news of Jesus Christ to the peoples.

Our missionary task is to take the Gospel to them in a culturally relevant way so that God’s salvation will be known to these people groups (nations) and they may be glad! When we see the Missions task from the Biblical perspective of People groups we can sharpen our focus. India is one political nation, but according to the Anthropological Survey of India, it is made up of 4,600 distinct people groups. This way of looking at our world brings us the real missions challenge.

This is why Patrick Johnstone can make a statement that, “sixty-percent of the world’s least evangelized people live in India.” (The Commission Magazine, April 2000, page 12) Your blessings are something to be joyful about. God has blessed you so that you may bless the unreached people groups with Jesus. Your righteousness in Christ, is meant to bless the nations.

III) The harmonious Plan (Vs 6-7)
Remember, this Psalm is a harvest festival song. There is so much here about God’s plan for the nations that we have to be reminded why Israel sung this song every year at Pentecost. It was to praise God for another year of provision. It was to worship the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God will bless us as we share the blessings. God will give us an abundant harvest when we follow his divine plan. In verse 7 the phrase, “ends of the earth” (strong # 657) refers to the remote places that will know God’s salvation.

We are reminded of the missionary plan that Jesus laid out in Acts 1:8, for his disciples to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the remotest parts of the earth. His missionary purposes extend to the remote places. Matthew Henry commented on the missionary significance of Psalm 67.

He said, “If nothing had been spoken in Scripture respecting the conversion of the heathen, we might think it vain to attempt so hopeless a work. But when we see with what confidence it is declared in the Scriptures, we may engage in missionary labors, assured that God will fulfill his own word” This is a harvest song, but not just about agriculture.

This is a song that is about the spiritual harvest and the plan and heart of God. God blesses us, in order that we bless others, the Lord our creator is worshiped and praise God, his plan is fulfilled.

God created man in the image of God. There was fellowship between God and man in the Garden of Eden. But sin damaged that relationship. Following the original sin things went from bad to worse. There was a human degeneration to such a state that God flooded the earth.

Again in the wickedness of man, following the flood man wanted the Glory for themselves that was due God. At the tower of Babel in Genesis Chapter 11, we read God scattered the people and scrambled the languages. People previously were one people speaking one language.

After the tower of Babel humanity was divided into people groups. Then God called Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) and promised He would pour out his blessing on him to be a blessing for all the people groups (families of the earth). This promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:8). God’s purposes for all the families of the earth was continually announced in the Scriptures.

God did not set Israel apart for there own sake. They were the chosen ones through whom the Messiah for all peoples would come. This Psalm is a reminder of God’s purposes that Jesus so clearly articulated in the Great commission. Go and make disciples of all nations (peoples). When John looked at the conclusion of God’s saving activity he saw that the purpose of God fulfilled.

God’s salvation reached people from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9; 7:9) We must share the Gospel with the unreached people groups. Israel sang in Psalm 67 of their great responsibility for the nations. Their actions were far from the missionary words they sung at the Harvest festival. William Carey complained about inaction of his day. “Multitudes sit at ease with no concern about the lost. We must not be content with praying, without exercising the means for obtaining of those things we pray for.”

After Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem and resurrected on the third day he appeared to his disciples on various occasions. His very last words to his disciples are recorded in Acts 1:4-8. He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit. When you receive the Holy Spirit you will receive power to by witnesses to the ends of the earth. Jesus ascended into heaven and the disciples waited in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost day.

Pentecost is the event where God poured out his Spirit for the church to carry the blessing to all the peoples! This Psalm may well have been sung by the Jews gathered in Jerusalem, fifty days after the Passover day when Jesus died on the cross. It was on this Pentecost, Harvest Festival day when the Holy Spirit fell to empower the Church to fulfill God’s purposes for the peoples.

The spiritual harvest began on the day of the Harvest Festival. Three Thousand were saved on that day. People heard the Gospel message in twelve languages that day. It is at Pentecost, the Harvest Festival, God enacted his announced plan to bless every tribe nation and people. God has blessed us in so many ways. We have salvation in Jesus Christ. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to empower us to share the blessing. We are part of God’s grand plan to bless all the peoples of the earth.

If we are available before God he will use us in incredible ways to spread the Gospel message to the unreached peoples. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you!