God’s interests extend further than our immediate surroundings.
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
Most of us are very familiar with John 3:16, but I’ll bet we’ve missed one of the lessons it contains. “God so loved the world” tells us something very important about God’s love. It is for all the peoples of the world. He has a global focus. He never concentrates in one area at the expense of all the rest.
He carries this same focus when He relates to us personally and our churches. He is burdened for the masses around the world who have yet to hear His message of grace and salvation. This is clear in the very clear commands of Scripture:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all I have commanded” (Matt. 28:19-20).
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
AS I SEE IT
If we truly love God, we will love what He loves—all the people of the world. His desire is that no one would perish, regardless of where he lives. He has another reason for wanting more and more people to be saved and to become part of the Kingdom of God:
I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say: “Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13)
God’s desire is that “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11). How would God do that? Through the Church—His chosen instrument. The Great Commission is a command for the Church to go into all the world, not just a portion of it.
Most churches, however, have adopted a much smaller outlook. They claim that they are much too small to have a global impact. Their limited resources make Jesus’ command impossible. Sound familiar? Think about what this answer implies. It implies that God is no bigger than their earthly resources. It shows the church’s real view of the God its members (and especially, leaders) claim to serve. It’s a dangerous position to take.
We should rejoice when God asks us to do something that seems impossible. We should believe with all our hearts that nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37). When God asks us to do something that only He can do, we should be eager with anticipation as we wait on Him to bring His plans to fruition.
Why would we ever expect the world to take notice when we only do what the world expects us to do—that which is possible for mortal men. When they start seeing churches do what only God can do, they will start paying attention. When a small church starts to have a global impact, it will be because God is at work, and He always finishes what He begins, and the results will be truly amazing.
When I started writing my newsletters and blogs, I had no idea how many countries I would reach. I simply wanted to follow the Lord’s leading in what I felt He had called me to do. I am constantly amazed by what He has done. If He can do this through one person, think of what He could do with an entire church, however small it may be, dedicated to fulfill our Lord’s command to take the good news to all the peoples of the world.
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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
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