Global Missions & the Heart of God

This past Sunday I kicked-off our church's Missions Emphasis month with a message entitled, "Jesus, the Gospel, and Global Missions." My aim in the message was to point out from the Word the overwhelming truth that God's activity in the world is about calling out a redeemed people from all the Nations. My focus was to exposit & connect three primary passages to show God's people that the Story-line of the Bible is really God glorifying Himself through a redeemed people who see and savor Jesus Christ in and through the gospel.

The 3 texts I chose were Genesis 12:1-3, Matthew 28:18-20, and Revelation 5:9-10. Taking a bird's-eye view, these passages show three important elements of God's plan to be glorified through the Nations by Jesus Christ and the gospel:

God's Promise
In Genesis 12, we find God's sovereign covenant with Abram. Here, God intervenes in human history with the promise that "in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (v.3). The astonishing point about this passage is that in one sentence, God reveals, in short-hand form, His plan for the world. Notice that "in you" is a reference to Christ (cf. Gal. 3:16), "shall be blessed" is a reference to the gospel (cf. Gal. 3:8), and "all the families of the earth" is an obvious reference to global missions. So it is clear that the subsequent unfolding of redemptive history as it relates to this Abrahamic Covenant is about Christ, the gospel, and global missions.

Our Performance

That led us to Matthew 28, where the risen Jesus commissions His disciples to carry out God's promise of Global Missions by going into all the world to make disciples of the Nations. Having accomplished redemption through His life and death on the Cross, Jesus has now received resurrected authority over every square inch of the universe, enabling Him as the King to send out His subjects to providentially perform God's plan to call a people unto Himself in connection with faith in Christ as preached through the gospel. What a privilege to be able to participate in the unfolding of God's plan for the world.

Heaven's Picture

And lest God's people become overwhelmed with the task of reaching the world for Christ's sake, we've been given the marvelous picture of the finished product in the book of Revelation chapter 5. Here is the great company of redeemed saints, which no man can number, taken from "every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (v. 9, cf. 7:9-10). The picture is clear. God's promise will be fulfilled. His people will perform the task. There will be a new humanity from every Nation that will worship God and Jesus Christ throughout eternity having believed the gospel and tasted of the goodness of the Lord.

And so, I challenged our congregation to wholeheartedly embrace what God is doing in this world. His heart is Global Missions, and as biblical Christians our hearts must beat with the same passion to reach the Nations with the saving gospel of the risen Christ so that God will be glorified forever. Every Christian, every local church, big or small, should be praying regularly, giving sacrificially, and planning strategically in order to maximize our joy in seeing the heart of God envelop the Nations through His Son Jesus Christ as freely offered in the gospel.

This is really Hard

Blogging is really hard. "So why do it?" you ask. Well, because it's hard. And because I will not be defeated. At any rate, I'm off to my books for some inspiration!!! I will return and attempt to actually post something worth reading.

Father's Day Sadness

Father’s Day is always a highlight for me. I am overwhelmed with the reality that God is so gracious as to allow me to shepherd the hearts of five precious souls. And to think that they actually enjoy being my kids is something that never ceases to amaze me. I am sure I’m not the only father that feels this way.

But as wonderful as my Father’s Day was on yesterday, it was sprinkled with a bit of sadness. Interestingly, the sadness snuck up on me as I was driving with my kids in route to pick up my father for an afternoon of pizza and bowling. The cause of my sadness was the visible silence that spoke so clearly of the state of fatherhood, particularly in the African-American community.

As I drove down Crenshaw Blvd. I became acutely aware of the absence of any corner vendors selling gifts for fathers. Why did that make me sad? Because just a month ago that same stretch of road was strewn with hundreds of vendors selling various gifts for Mother’s Day, and folks were crowded around them like bees on honey. But nothing for fathers! Absolutely nothing! Now, granted there are far more gifts that are appropriate for mothers; but no vendors at all? Not even someone selling ties, hats or socks. Surely some of us fathers like coffee mugs and T-shirts that say #1 Dad. But nothing! And that made me sad.

But it made me sad at a deeper level – a level that pains me to talk about. For what I saw, or did not see, was simply a metaphor in my mind for the horrid state of fatherhood in my community. It said to me that fathers don’t really matter. The absence of the vendors on the corner signified to me the absence of fathers in the home. To our own demise, we have learned how to live without fathers, which is not living at all. For God designed the home to have a head, and that head is the father (Eph. 6:4). But if the father is not there, with all do respect to God-fearing praying mothers, that family is headless. And headless things can’t survive for long, if at all.

So my Father’s Day was good, but it reminded me of the great need of the gospel of Jesus Christ for my community, particularly in the area of family life. For only Jesus Christ can “restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Mal. 3:6). I pray that if the Lord tarries and I live to see another Father’s Day that Crenshaw Blvd. will be filled with corner vendors selling their goods in recognition of the essential nature and role of fathers.

My God is in Charge!

The sovereignty of God is one of the most precious of doctrines in the Bible. I confess that this is becoming more of a reality in my life on what seems to be a daily basis. Whether it be the annoyance to my schedule caused by a hit and run driver, or the lack of sleep produced by a defective home alarm system that goes off at 2am, or the unforeseen seizure that appears to almost take my 3 year old daughter's life -- in all of this, if it were not for the truth of the sovereignty of God, I would be hopelessly despairing at this point. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just now discovering the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, for it is unmistakeably clear in Scripture. How could anyone ever argue with texts like:

"All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; And no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Dan. 4:36)

"I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2)

"But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases" (Ps. 115:3)

"The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord" (Prov. 16:33)

" . . . according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:11)

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things . . . " (Rom. 11:36)

No, no, I've affirmed this doctrine for years, but its reality and sweetness is gripping my heart with a freshness for which I am deeply thankful and humbled. Let me explain. I know that God's hand is on His people for good and only for good, which means that whatever He sovereignly allows to come into our lives (the bad and the good), it must be for our good. Therefore, even the things that are unjust, or inconvenient, or painfully scary are expressions of God's gracious love for us as He works in and through them for our good. Even what men & devils mean for evil, He means it for good (Gen. 50:20). Hallelujah, what a God!

So, when I read in Matthew 10:29, that not even a sparrow "will fall to the ground apart from your Father", surely our Lord is teaching me that God's sovereign will covers everything, even the falling to the ground of insignificant birds. And if that be the case, how much more does it cover my precious little girl's seizure? And since it does, He must then mean it for her good, my good, and most importantly, His glory; and that is enough for me. Yea, I love the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Where would I be with out it?

And So It Begins!

It's the day after, and everyone appears to still be reveling in the afterglow of the historical inauguration of the first African-American president. For all who witnessed this event, I'm sure its impressions will last for a long time. The pagentry, the symbolism, the significance, the sense of unity are all worthy of note, and to the extent that President Barak Obama was the reason for it, he is to be commended.

But now for the reality check. All of the fanfare is over, all of the parades past and the music has stopped playing. And what does President Barak Obama do? He makes known his plan to honor the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade by reversing the ban on the use of federal dollars by non-governmental organizations around the globe that discuss or provide abortions. (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/21/obama-lift-ban-funding-groups-providing-abortions-overseas/)

In other words, President Obama is committing our money to the destruction of innocent life around the world. Boy, isn't it interesting that so many people were up-in-arms over President Bush's use of our money to "destroy innocent lives" in his wars. I wonder if people will be just as outraged about President's Obama's use of our money to destroy innocent life in the war against unborn babies? Ah, probably not! Yea, I know he isn't directly killing innocent unborn babies, but does anyone believe that he doesn't know that these dollars will be used for abortions?

And so it has begun. The agenda is unfolding. God only knows what will be next.

Thanksgiving Day Gratitude

On this Thursday millions will gather together to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. For many, it will be a time for food, family visits, laughter, and entertainment. Folks will have a good time giving thanks for what they find important in their lives.

As I think about what I'm going to do this Thursday, I'm reminded of what really makes this holiday a holy-day for me. It is the fact that my sins have been forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That's what I am supremely grateful for. It is the reality that on Calvary Jesus Christ took on Himself my sins and bore the wrath of God in my place. I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful that the perfect life that Jesus lived made Him an acceptable and perfect sacrifice which was received by God making atonement for me. I am so grateful.

In Christ I now have everything -- everything pertaining to life and godliness, and for that I am thankful. O' what a Savior. He has brought me to God by sealing my pardon, healing my diseases, rescuing me from the pit, lavishing me with covenant love and tender mercies, and satisfying my soul with His own presence. Jesus will be the centerpiece of the table upon which I dine tomorrow. For it is His sweet sacrificial love for me that makes me so thankful.

So yes, I'm certainly going to enjoy food, my family, and some football, but all of that will pale in comparison of my enjoyment of being right with God through my Savior Jesus Christ. And I hope that as Christians we will all be reminded of the blessed benefits of our great salvation.

A New Day: Musings from Election Night

Well, it's official. Barack Obama is in fact the new President of the United States of America. He is the first African-American to be such, and as Americans, we should cherish this profound moment in our Nation's history.

As I watched Obama's acceptance speech with my family, I was filled with a mixture of emotions. I was experiencing joy, concern, pride, and a sense of sorrow as well. My joy was due to the triumph of the human spirit as Barack Obama accomplished something that I'm sure he was told he could never do. And as I watched him I rejoiced that God has set in the human spirit an ability to strive and endure and persevere beyond one's own imagination, and that brought me great joy as I was reminded of the strength of the human spirit. I was concerned as well; partly because of Obama's political left-wing leanings, but more acutely, because of the apparent shift in the American view of the world. It seems clear to me that the conservative values that held sway in this country for so long have now been abandoned and defeated. The culture war is over. Conservatism is dying a slow death, and there is indeed "change" in the air.

Pride welled up in my heart for obvious reasons. I'm African-American and so is Barack Obama. To see that black man walk across that stage stimulated something deep down within my heart that cried out, "Yes!" That ol' glass ceiling has finally fallen, and thank God I lived long enough to see it along with my children, especially with my sons. Dare I say, "Yes we can." And finally, my sense of sorrow was due to the memory of the recent death of some old saints who would have loved to see a black man become president. It would have been nice to share this moment with them.

So, it has begun. The new day. The new era. We are indeed living in interesting times. My prayer is that President Barack Obama will carry the weight of history with dignity, integrity and strength. For as I'm sure he must be aware of, just as he has opened a door for generations to come, he could also shut that door if he fails.