Post by disciple on Jun 3, 2010 13:51:03 GMT -5
ALL NATIONS: THE NATURE OF THE TASK (I)
·HOW DO WE DECIDE WHAT THE TASK OF MISSIONS IS, OR WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE SUCH A THING?
o OUR RESPONSIBILITY: TO DEFINE MISSIONS AS GOD DEFINES IT, THEN OBEY. WE MUST CAREFULLY INVESTIGATE HOW THE BIBLE PORTRAYS THE MISSIONARY TASK & THE CONCEPT OF “ALL PEOPLES.”
o EX: 2 SINKING OCEAN LINERS WITH EQUAL NEED (p. 155-6)—LOVE ALONE WOULD NOT CAUSE US TO LEAVE WHERE WE ARE TO GO TO THE OTHER. LOVE ALONE, FROM OUR LIMITED HUMAN PERSPECTIVE, MAY NOT SEE THE TASK AS GOD DOES.
o GOD’S WILL FOR MISSIONS IS THAT PEOPLE OF ALL “NATIONS” BE REACHED FOR HIM (NOT JUST ABOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SAVED PEOPLE OR THE NUMBER OF DISCIPLES, ALTHOUGH THAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT)
·“PEOPLE BLINDNESS”
o TODAY, EVEN THOUGH EVERY COUNTRY HAS BEEN REACHED, OVER 40% OF THE WORLD IS UNREACHED & ANOTHER 15-20% IS “BARELY” OR “PARTIALLY” REACHED. WHY?
o BARRIERS ARE CULTURAL AND/OR LINGUISTIC, NOT GEOGRAPHIC.
o PEOPLE GROUP: LARGE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WITH A COMMON LANGUAGE, ETHNICITY, RESIDENCE, ETC; THE LARGEST GROUP WITHIN WHICH THE GOSPEL CAN SPREAD WITHOUT ENCOUNTERING BARRIERS TO UNDERSTANDING OR ACCEPTANCE
·THE BIBLE’S MANDATE TO MISSIONS (MATT. 28:18-20)
o IS IT TO…
REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE?
REACH ALL OF THE “FIELDS OF SERVICE”?
REACH GOD’S ELECT FROM ALL PEOPLE GROUPS?
o GREAT COMMISSION’S PROMISE & COMMAND IS STILL BINDING ON THE CHURCH & INDIVIDUALS (“TO THE END OF THE AGE”)
o SHOWS CHRIST’S AUTHORITY (v. 18), PURPOSE (v. 19), AND PROMISE (v. 20)
·ALL THE NATIONS (GR. “PANTA TA ETHNE”)
o SINGULAR USE OF “ETHNOS” IN NT: ALWAYS REFERS TO A PEOPLE GROUP OR NATION, NEVER AN INDIVIDUAL
o PLURAL USE OF “ETHNOS” IN NT: CAN REFER TO A GROUP OR INDIVIDUALS (INDIVIDUALS: AC. 13:48, EPH. 3:6; PEOPLE GROUPS: AC. 13:19, ROM. 4:17)
o USES OF “PANTA TA ETHNE” IN NT: MATT. 24:14, 28:19; MK. 11:17; LK. 24:47; AC. 15:16-17; ROM. 1:5; GAL. 3:8; REV. 15:4
o MEANING OF “PANTA TA ETHNE” LEANS HEAVILY TOWARDS MEANING “ALL PEOPLE GROUPS,” ESPECIALLY IN THE OT.
·OT VERSES ABOUT GOD BEING WORSHIPPED BY ALL NATIONS
GEN. 12:1-3: 1ST TIME MENTIONED. THE BLESSING IS TO BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH & TO “FAMILY GROUPS,” OR SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE
GAL. 3:6-8 (QUOTING OT): REFERS BOTH TO INDIVIDUALS AND TO PEOPLES (IT’S ABOUT ALL PEOPLE AND ALL PEOPLES)
o OT EXHORTATIONS THAT GOD’S GLORY BE DECLARED & PRAISED AMONG & BY THE NATIONS: PS. 96:3, 7, 10; ISA. 12:4, 34:1
o OT PROMISES THAT THE NATIONS WILL ONE DAY WORSHIP GOD: PS. 2:8, 86:9, 102:15, 111:6; ISA. 49:6, 52:10, 55:5, 66:18-19
o OT PRAYERS THAT GOD BE PRAISED AMONG THE NATIONS: PS. 67:1-5, 72:17
o OT PLANS TO MAKE GOD’S GREATNESS KNOWN AMONG THE NATIONS: PS. 57:9
·ISRAEL WAS BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING TO ALL NATIONS (PS. 67:1-2, LK. 2:10), AND THE SAME IS TRUE TODAY FOR “SPIRITUAL ISRAEL,” THE BODY OF CHRIST.