Audio Transcript:

Welcome to Missions on Point, the Propempo perspective on Church and Missions. Hello, and welcome to episode 50 of Missions on Point. We're at the end of a series, our fifth part of discovering missions throughout the Bible, and this time I want to talk about practical applications of these things we've been talking about. But, before I begin, let me just say, please leave comments. Of course, we love it when you subscribe or follow the podcast, but we need your input. Do you agree, disagree with things that are being said? Please give suggestions for topics and episode content through your app. As we begin talking about practical application of discovering missions throughout the Bible, I just want to give this one caution, don't go looking for specific missions content in every paragraph of the Bible. It is a consistent major theme throughout the Bible, the major overarching purpose of God being His glory and that expressed to all nations and through the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is not hardwired into every context.

If you've been listening to the series, you'll know from episode 46, that the primary thing we need to see is the glory of God, as both the purpose of His action with man throughout history, but also the purpose of the Bible and the flow of all that God has to say, in relation to man is for His glory. Think of it this way. God is the hero of the Bible. He is the protagonist. He is the main character behind every story. So, if you're looking at the stories and flow of all the Bible, you'll begin to see the clear picture that God is behind it all, and He's the one who ultimately gets the credit for it all.

Secondly, it's episode 47, seeing Christ the Gospel and missions in the Bible, having these things rise up off the page, as it were, and show themselves in a way that describes how God gets glory for Himself. The third one is, look for the nations and equivalent phrases. The nations are woven all throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, the idea that ultimately, in Revelation we see people from every tongue and tribe and nation, every ethnicity around the throne worshiping Christ, that is woven throughout the Bible. The fourth one from episode 49, is to think deeply about the Great Commission, what it really means in practice, what it means in application and implementations through the New Testament, and even into our day now, to think deeply about the Great Commission.

Today, I want to point out four areas for practical application. The first is, you can, now that you know these things, expect to see direct and implied references to God's heart for the nations, to God's universal call to repentance and faith, and to God's fulfillment of His promises, to bless all nations through Abraham's seed, the Lord Jesus Christ. So hopefully, with a little orientation and familiarity with these concepts, as you read the Bible in your regular Bible reading, no matter where you are in all of the 66 books, you'll begin to see these things more frequently, just in your regular Bible reading. The second big concept is, you should be looking for these missions references in your Bible reading and study. References like the glory of God, Himself, as the big overarching purpose of the history of man and God's own sovereign design in all of history, the things concerning himself, as Christ taught his disciples, in Christ's post resurrection appearances that are found in all of the scriptures. We see things about Christ implied, prophesied, promised, hinted at, and it's woven throughout the scriptures.

Another one is, elements of the gospel of grace, God's provision for sinners. It's His redemption and spiritual salvation plan woven through the stories, the poetry, the teachings, the wisdom that God chose to include and record in the inspired word of God, that is in our hands. In addition, you'll start seeing connections to the nations throughout the Old Testament and the Gospels and expanded through the New Testament, that is references to people from outside of Israel or outside what we would normally think of as the people of God, who are included in the stories. In fact, this is very, very clear in Luke four, for example, as Jesus chose two stories from the Old Testament to illustrate God's mercy and grace, extended to Naaman, the Syrian leper, and the widow of Zarephath in Sidon as specific examples of the good news extended across neighboring cultures. The whole story of Ruth captures some of this heart of God for people from other cultures and the genealogies in Matthew and Luke highlight in collusion of people that would otherwise have been considered foreigners in the people of God, in the line of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Now that you are more aware, you should not only be seeing information or listings or references to nations specifically, but to those times when God extended His grace and mercy to sinners for redemption and drawing them into the family of God. When we think deeply about both the historic and present obedience to the Great Commission, we're going to have additional fuel for our prayers. This is very practical. To be able to see and understand God's heart from the scriptures, enables us to see the world news in a different light. Information that we get from overseas, and even internally, in the US, in our multi-ethnic culture, to see our prayers coinciding and paralleling the concern of God and the Great Commission to reach all nations. It should help stir our worship to understand that God is getting this job done through his people, particularly, through churches sending missionaries to go reach other nations.

It should change our lifestyle. If we are Great Commission Christians, then that means we are world Christians, and we need to be very alert and aware to people around us, we should live within our means, so that we can give generously to see this purpose of God in the Great Commission fulfilled. We should practically have missions wired into our regular budget, so that we have a significant individual part in fulfilling the Great Commission, as senders or as goers. It also motivates our commitments. Exactly who do we commit to? What kind of ministry work do we commit to, that is in line with fulfilling the Great Commission? And, if you followed along my theme, through Propempo thinking, the Propempo perspective on church and missions, you'll know that that must include the end result of seeing indigenous local churches planted among all the nation. It motivates our commitments.

It also compels us to be on the lookout to send well or go well ourselves. Perhaps God may be calling you to be a personal part of fulfilling the Great Commission and going to a different place, a different people, in order to share the gospel. Even if we're not a goer, we are all senders and we must be involved with praying for, encouraging, shepherding, caring for, and supporting financially, those who are going. Fourthly, all together, these thoughts on discovering missions throughout the Bible ought to result in our own radical commitment to our own local church. The local church is the primary agent of God to fulfill the Great Commission in our day. We need to see healthy, biblical churches planted in every ethnicity and language group on Earth. So, we need to be involved in our local church, we need to be involved with organizations and individuals that are intending to do just that, and we should be longing for the ultimate fulfillment of the Great Commission and the return of Christ, the convocation of ultimate worship around the throne of heaven, worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here's what that looks like from Revelation chapter seven verses nine and 10. After this, I looked and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice. Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Ultimately, by God's grace, He will fulfill all of His promises. We will see that grand scene in heaven, and He will use us to help accomplish His purposes on earth.

Lastly, the final point of practical application is to teach others also. You need to be faithful to take things that you've learned and share it with others, share it with your family, share it with your friends, share it with others from church. Make sure that they understand these same things that we've been looking at together, and it's okay if you want to mention that you learned it from Missions on Point.

Missions on Point does need your help. If you would suggest in comments, other episodes or whether you agree or disagree with the things that we've been putting out on the podcast, we would really appreciate it. Also, if you would love to contribute, we are supported by friends like you and we would appreciate your donation to help us keep doing this. Just go to Propempo.com/donate and select Missions on Point Podcast for your donation. Thanks for joining us today on Missions on Point, the Propempo perspective on church and missions. I trust that you'll find more help and resources on the website, Propempo.com. Please preferably consider supporting this ministry. Now, to God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever, amen.