This is a picture of me as a missionary in the remote village of Malinaltepec, Guerrero, Mexico in 1991.
We can find shadows of this great call of World Missions throughout the entire bible…and specific evidence of this fact in the life of Abraham. “Now God said to Abram, go from your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will shew you: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you will be a blessing: And I will bless those that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-5
Abraham was a man sent out by God from his home, land, family, and possessions...on what probably became the world’s first missionary venture.
God did not send out Abraham to propagate himself...but rather his faith in God. He was a pilgrim on this earth…living by faith and believing that where God would guide...God would provide. He promised him that he would raise up a mighty nation from his seed. This He spoke concerning not only his physical seed (his children) but also the seed of his faith. In other words, He promised Abraham that because of his initial faith, millions more would also follow in his footsteps, and also put their trust under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty. Abraham truly was…the first apostle of faith to the nations.
King David also gave testimony to this purpose of reaching the world for the glory of God. God confirmed this call to David. “Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.” Psalms 2:8.
As a result, David was constantly concerned about how other nations viewed Israel, and more importantly...how they viewed God. He prayed that God would bless his people, so that the nations would not bring reproach against his Heavenly Father, nor his people. He had a true zeal that the nations would have a chance to know The Creator ...just as he had come to know Him.
David’s desire was to bring the nations of the world under the Lordship of God, and into the realm of His Kingdom through His redemptive power! He had a deep understanding and revelation that God's purposes extended far beyond Israel...he knew that God had intentions, not just upon Israel...but upon the whole earth!
God confirmed this promise to him once again in Psalms 60:6-12 saying, “… I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe (Cast out my shoe was the gesture of the redemption and adoption of a life...as shown in the book of Ruth 4:8 by Boaz).: Philistia, you will triumph because of me.”
As it was under the old covenant with Abraham and David before Christ...so it is even more so under the new covenant with Him. Jesus took twelve disciples and gently began to separate them from the things of this world. Things that would bind them and render them ineffective for the cause of propagating the word of truth around the world.
Then, when the time was right, Jesus laid his hands upon these simple men, and sent them out saying to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized will be saved: but he that believes not...will be condemned.”
However, they were not sent out as mere disciples...but now...much more as apostles...”sent out ones”...little Abrahams of the faith…and as small seeds of the truth according to Jesus Christ. Their main goal was to share the specific values of this truth, with its foundation based upon grace …not works… and with real spiritual and physical freedoms becoming the glorious outcomes of its propagation!
And this they did. After the day of Pentecost was fully come, and they were all baptized in the Holy Spirit and with fire (a burning Passion for God). God empowered them to be witnesses of the gospel throughout the entire world. “Therefore, they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” Acts 8:4
These sent out ones continue to go out and propagate this truth….even to this present day…but not without great sacrifice. The truth can only spread as far as God’s people are willing to bring it...people even as Abraham....people without a place, and willing to leave all else behind...in order to follow after the voice of God. David Livingstone, a great missionary to Africa writes, "If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come…only if there is no road at all."
This process of going, speaking forth truth, and living as a light… has continued for centuries. Generation after generation has unveiled its own “sent out ones” propagating the truth throughout the world at all cost.
This is the means to the end. Every purpose of God’s people points to the ultimate task of establishing His Kingdom upon the earth...a kingdom of peace, joy, and justice…an eternal kingdom of which there will be no end...and it is upon this task, which his children must continue to be focused!!
This is our final conquest, and we are ever so close…but yet still so far. “Until the good news of this kingdom is established throughout the entire world as a witness to all nations; the job will not be done!” Matthew 24:14
This blog is brought to you by the Dream World Foundation. Check out our continued efforts in Mexico at www.dreamcentermx.org