God's Heart for the Peoples

Each issue of The CHURCH LEADER IN AFRICA features a sermon outline designed to help you prepare a sermon on the focus topic. Though they are brief, we hope these outlines, along with illustrations given elsewhere in this magazine, will assist you in your preaching ministry.

Teaching on Missions

PRIMARY TEXTS: Genesis 3:8-24, Genesis 12:l-5, Galations 3:6-9, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Matthew 24:14 and Revelation 7:9-1-l.

I. Who was the first missionary?

A. Paul comes to mind, as he traveled far and wide spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. His particular goal was to take the Gospel wherever the Name of Jesus had not been heard.

B. Some say Jesus and He certainly can be considered a missionary. He left heaven, laid aside his divine rights and privileges, and emptied himself to come in flesh like ours, to reveal the Father to us.

C. But the first missionary described in the Bible is God Himself, (Gen. 3:8-24) as He reached out to man to reconcile man to Himself. In verses 2l-24, God addressed Adam's physical nakedness and then His Spiritual nakedness. (Rom. 5:12-21)

II. How did God's plan develop for restoring His relationship with humanity?

A. Genesis 12:l-5, The Lord told Abraham that, "I will bless you...and you will be a blessing...all peoples (ethnic groups or tribes) on earth will be blessed through you."

Abraham was not just to bless God's chosen people Israel but every people group and tribe on the earth. But how could this blessing go beyond Israel?

Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the Gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham,..." (Gal. 3:6-9)

We are good at receiving the blessings of God, but how good are we at sharing the blessing with others who are without the Gospel?

B. The Old Testament is full of references to God's desire for the peoples of the earth. A few examples:

1. Solomon's prayer for the nations to see God's great Temple and come to worship Him. (2 Chronicles 6:32-33)

2. The whole book of Jonah gives a glimpse of a reluctant messenger of blessings to an enemy of the people Israel.

C. The New Testament gives a clearer picture of God's plan to bless the peoples of the earth. Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (ethne, peoples or tribes), baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (Matt. 28:18-20)

Then Jesus reminded His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Paul's entire life and ministry were an example of going to new ethne and being a blessing to them with the Gospel. (See Rom. 15:20-21)

III. The end of history will depend upon our missionary effort. How can I say that?

Jesus tells us that, "This Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (ethne, peoples or tribes), and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:14)

Revelation 7:9-l1 provides us with a picture of what it will be like at the end of time. There will be people from every tongue, tribe and nation (ethne) worshipping before the Lamb and before His throne.

CLOSING CHALLENGE: If blessing all the peoples of the earth is so important to God, shouldn't it be important to us in our church?

Consider these facts:

A. Kenya has 22 unreached people groups or tribes.

B. Sudan has the most unreached people groups in the world.

C. Somalia as a country has been estimated to have only 15 Christians in the entire country.

D. How will we as a church cooperate with God in His plan to bring the Gospel to these "nations?"