Tag: Missions

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Isaiah- Week 10- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

The People of the Mission

(1)  Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

(6)  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 

(Isaiah 49:1, 6)

Explanation:

This week’s passage is Isaiah 49:1-7, and it is an incredible passage. It may be helpful to read all seven verses before jumping into the ones that we are highlighting today.

To understand this passage, you must understand four different parties that are referenced in the passage.   

1. Servant.  (v.1,3)

This is the speaker right at the beginning.  Notice all the personal pronouns in verse 1.

(1)  Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 

More will be revealed about him as we read, and it will become clear that this is the Messiah.

2. Gentiles (v.1,6)

The Servant calls out to the “isles” and to the “people, from afar”.  He calls on them to listen, but to what?  He wants them to know about what “the Lord” has called Him to do.  He includes them in on the contents of a conversation between Him and the Lord, letting Him know that God has always had a plan to include the Gentiles in His plan of salvation.  In verse 6, the Lord tells the servant, “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” 

3. The Lord (v.1)

The Lord is God, the Father, and is referenced throughout the passage.  He is the owner of the mission that He is calling the servant to do. 

4. Israel/Jacob (v.3, 5)

There is another group included in this passage.  The narrator of the passage is called both “servant” and “Israel” in verse three.  Yet, this naming of the servant as Israel is a reference to this Servant as an ideal Israel.  Why do we say this?  Because this servant is called to “bring Jacob again to him, though Israel be not gathered…” in verse 5.  In verse 6 the servant is called “to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel.”  Israel is distinct from the Gentiles, and the servant has a mission to both the Jew and the Gentile.

Now that you know who the players are in this passage you get a context.  The servant calls on the gentiles to listen to an incredible conversation between the Lord and His servant.  Included in the context of this conversation are details about the mission of God to restore Israel and save the gentiles from every nation, tribe and tongue.

Application:

God planned out His mission by which you and I can be saved before we were ever born.  The prophet Isaiah was writing this passage some 700 years before the coming of Christ.  As you hear this passage you will see the detail to which God foretold how His mission would come to pass in the person of Jesus Christ.  This is not the earliest foretelling of the details of God’s mission, but it certainly is a foretelling.  It is His mission.  He owns it.

God keeps His promises.  God does not forsake Israel or replace Israel with the nations.  His mission includes keeping all of His promises to Israel and to the nations.  If Israel can trust God, so can we.

God includes everyone in His mission.  He owns it.  His Son purchased it.  His mission is to Jew and Gentile.  Every nation, tribe and tongue are included in who needs salvation.  It’s as large as the whole world, and as applicable as every individual who ever lived.

Response:

Are you part of the mission field, or are you a missionary?

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Romans- Week 14- Day 4- Romans 15:30-32

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;  (31)  That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;  (32)  That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Rom 15:30-32 

Explanation:

Paul begins his final conclusion of the letter by asking the local church at Rome for prayer. He prays for them to strive with him in prayer, saying that he is already praying for the requests for which he is about to ask. He asks for prayer regarding his relationships with three specific groups of people.

1. “Those who do not believe in Judaea”- There were many people in and around Jerusalem and Judea which saw the Gospel of Jesus Christ as heretical and a threat to their position and power in Judaism. Much of the church was scattering from Jerusalem because of persection there. Paul was asking for freedom from them so that he could make it eventually to Rome and beyond.

2. The saints in Jerusalem- Paul’s desire was that the gift and ministry that he was taking to Jerusalem would be accepted by those in Christ that were there.

3. Church at Rome- Paul prayed that He would make it to Rome and that He and they would be used to refresh together upon his arrival.

It is interesting that these three groups all had an effect on Gospel. There were those who would hinder the gospel mission that Paul prays to be delivered from. Then there were those who he wanted to minster to and partner with that would help the Gospel to be advanced.

Application:

Prayer is essential for effective Gospel ministry. It is right and proper for leaders to ask for people to pray. It is essential that leaders pray themselves. We should pray for deliverance from those who would hinder Gospel proclamation. We should also pray for partnership with fellow believers to proclaim God’s Word.   Of course we should also pray for the lost, those who have not heard, that the Gospel would be proclaimed to them.

Response:

Take some time to pray for the Gospel to be advanced today by your life and around the world.

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Romans- Week 14- Day 3- Romans 15:20-21

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:  (21)  But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.   

Romans 15:20-21

Explanation:

Paul has been describing God’s calling on his life as a proclaimer of the Gospel to the gentiles as the rationale for writing this letter to a church he did not found and had not met.  As he writes these verses he declares his desire to preach the Gospel where Christ was previously unknown.  His desire and calling was to be a pioneer, proclaiming the Gospel where it had previously not been spoken.  He quotes Isaiah 52:15, which says,

So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah 52:15 

This passage in Isaiah is speaking of the “suffering servant”, Jesus Christ, who will come and “sprinkle many nations”.  Just as the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant to cleanse the people of their sins, so the coming of Jesus would provide the opportunity for cleansing to the gentile nations of the earth.  Isaiah prophesied these gentile kings will see and consdier what had not been revealed to them before. 

We know that Paul had the opportunity to preach Christ to gentile kings.  Paul’s preaching to the gentiles had begun the fulfillment of this prophecy.  God’s intention to save the gentiles that had been prophecied was being fulfilled through Paul, and is being fulfilled by missionary efforts throughout the nations.

Application:

Paul’s responsibility and calling may be different than ours in scope, but not necessarily in substance.  God has called us to proclaim the Gospel to ever creature.  We have a responsibility to those who have never heard.

Response:

Are you involved in the missions program of your church, giving so that people who have never heard may have local, new testament, Gospel preaching churches established to disciple people in places where the Gospel has not been proclaimed?

Are you involved in shareing the Gospel where you are?  Who do you need to tell today?

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Romans: Week 1- Day 2- Romans 1:5-7

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:  (6)  Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:  (7)  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 1:5-7 

Explanation:

Christ was the source of grace for Paul by which He was saved.  He also said that it was by Christ and His grace that He had been called to be an apostle or sent one.  Christ was the source of His salvation, and also the source of his sending.

Why was he sent?  There were two reasons for his sending mentioned here.  First, that there would be people among all the nations of the earth that would become obedient to the faith.  They would believe the Gospel.  There is a body of doctrinal truth that God wants us to know, believe, and live out. When that process happens the second reason for his sending is realized- that God’s name would be made known and exalted among the nations.

Christ’s purposes in saving and sending Paul were being realized by the Romans obedience to the faith.  Paul is writing to them and saying from the beginning that there existence as people who believe and obey the Gospel is evidence of what God was doing in the world. He tells them that they are loved by God, called to be sanctified or set apart ones, and then greets them with a Gospel greeting.  

Application:

Because of salvation we have both grace from God and peace with God through Jesus.  God can give us what we don’t deserve (grace), and doesn’t have to give us what we do deserve (judgement) because of what Christ endured on the cross for us. Thus we have peace with God instead of condemnation.

Response:

Take a few moments  to think through what the Gospel means for the nations.  What should a believer in Christ do when it comes to evangelizing the nations?