Sharing God’s Mission - 230404

SPEAKER A Hello, I'm Rod Butler. Welcome to let God speak. God wants all of us to partner with him in the work of sharing the gospel with the world. It starts with his call to us individually to share his love with those around us. Today we're going to focus on three attributes of Abraham that allowed him to effectively share God's love with those around him. Are these attributes important for us today? Me stay with us and find out. On our panel today, we have Gayl Fong and Uriah St Juste. Welcome, Gayl. SPEAKER B Welcome, Uriah. SPEAKER A Thank you. Before we start our program, let's bow for prayer. Gracious Father, we ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us as we discuss aspects of Abraham's character that enabled him to share in God's mission. May we see how these characteristics are important for us today as we, too, share in God's mission? We pray in Jesus name. Amen. SPEAKER B Amen. SPEAKER A Well, the story of Abraham is fascinating and is spread over 14 chapters, from Genesis eleven to Genesis, chapter 25. Abraham was a vital component in God's plan to reveal the character, his character and love to the heathen. Canaanites we're going to look at how Abraham shared in God's mission. Firstly, what do we mean when we say mission? What do you think that means? SPEAKER B Gayl well, a mission is a special assignment given to a person, individual or a group. And we're actually each called by God for a special assignment, and that is his plan is through us, is to share the love of God with the world around us. Now, the way I carry out my special assignment or mission may be very different to the way that you carry out your special assignment according to our individuality and giftedness that we have. But ultimately, the goal is the same, that we share God's love with the world, even though the method of how we share it may be slightly different. SPEAKER A Yeah. Thank you. It's good to make that clarification. We all have different aspects and different missions, but the goal is the same. So let's talk about Abraham and your eye. What were the circumstances regarding Abraham's calling to mission? SPEAKER C Well, Abraham and his family, they were a bit interesting because not only did they follow the true God, but they also worshipped idols, as a matter of fact. And God called him to leave his ancestral home into a place that he would prepare for him. And if we turn to Genesis, chapter 15, verse seven, it says, then he said to him, I am the Lord who brought you out of Er of the Chaldeans to give you this land and to inherit it. So Abraham's leaving home was a mission, a mission from God to leave his home and to go to a specific place. So he was led by God, and he traveled quite a distance, about a thousand kilometers, following the Euthrages River with his father and his brother's family. And they stopped in a place called Haran, which is today in modern day southeast Turkey, or as it said now, Turkey. SPEAKER A Turkey. SPEAKER C Yes. SPEAKER A Okay. Well, that's quite a decision to uproot and leave. Gayl, did Abraham question this call? SPEAKER B He didn't. That's the amazing thing. He obeyed the call. And when he heard God's voice, he didn't question it. And he could have. He could have disregarded the voice of God. But I believe Abraham was called by God because he was a man of faith and he didn't rationalize away the voice and the calling that God gave him. That seemed totally to us. It'd be very difficult to leave your family and your homeland, but he didn't rationalize away that and think, well, that was just a fignont of his imagination. He accepted that God did speak to Him and he submitted to the will of God and he left his father's household. And it says in Genesis twelve, verse four, so Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him, so he followed the call instantaneously. SPEAKER A Basically, yeah, that's an important point. He didn't sit there and meditate or procrastinate. God spoke and he acted well. Abraham knew that God spoke to him. What about us today, Uriah? Does God call us the same way? How do we know that God is really calling us for mission? SPEAKER C So God calls all of his children, all of his disciples, to mission. And today God speaks to us through his word, the Bible. And the Bible tells us in Matthew, chapter 28, verse 18 to 20, it says, and Jesus came and spake to them, saying, all authority is given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. So this is a general call to mission that every disciple of Jesus has placed upon them. But God also today speaks to people individually and gives them special missions, special tasks to do something special for Him. And that comes by the way of a very strong impression that's not your own thought, but an impression through His Holy Spirit. SPEAKER A And that impression, that calling should be in line with the word of God. SPEAKER C It absolutely should be. That's one of the ways you can know that it's a call from God. Because if I believe God is wanting to enrich me by robbing a bank, I can know that's not a call from Him, because it doesn't line up with His Word. SPEAKER A Yeah. Thou shalt not steal. That's right. Well, Gayl, let's drill down into Abraham's calling. What did God actually ask Abraham to do? SPEAKER B Well, just reading from Genesis, chapter twelve and verses one to three, the Bible says, now the Lord had said to abram, get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you, all the families of the Earth shall be blessed. So God called Abraham to go to a country that he didn't know. God knew where he was going, but Abraham didn't. He was going to be following by faith. So God was leading him, and he's made so many promises to Abraham I will do this. I will bless you. And Abraham obeyed even when he did not know where he was going. And it is true, through Abraham, all the families of the Earth have been blessed because it's through his lineage that Christ was born. SPEAKER A Amen. Amen. So Abraham ends up in Canaan, a country with a different culture. Uriah, once he got there, how did he carry out his mission? SPEAKER C Well, since God called Abraham and God was leading him, God also blessed him. He acquired quite a bit of wealth, actually. He had servants, he had herdsmen. And in all his when you add up his family and those who worked for him, you're talking about 1000 people there. As a matter of fact, in Genesis chapter 14, it says that he had 318 trained male servants. And so even by Canaanite standards, he was quite a wealthy man. But he was very careful to set up an altar for daily family worship wherever he traveled. And that was something the Canaanites saw. These altars were witnesses to the Canaanites. So not only did they observe his wealth, but they also observed him worshipping and had a chance to be exposed to the God whom he worshipped and who was the source of his wealth. Let's turn to Genesis chapter 18 and verse 19. And this is what the Bible says for I have known him in order that he may command his children and his household after him that they may keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has spoken of him. So here we can see that God was blessing Abraham. Abraham was worshipping God, following God, and God was blessing him with prosperity. But also the people had the opportunity to see how he commanded his household and see that he was a blessed man and therefore being exposed to the God of his blessing. SPEAKER A You can imagine if he was blessed with wealth that would attract the Canaanite. It would. That alone, yes. Well, look, you've gone to Genesis 1819. Let's stay with Genesis 18. Chapter 18. In Genesis chapter 18, abraham's been in Canaan now for about 25 years. And this chapter demonstrates three attributes of Abraham. There's the attribute of hospitality, his love for people, and his intercessory prayer. So let's go through each one of these gal, starting with you on the first one. How in Genesis 18 does Abraham demonstrate his hospitality? SPEAKER B Yes, well, just reading in Genesis 18 and verses one to five about this mighty man of faith. Then the Lord appeared to him by the terabinth trees of Mumray as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked and behold, three men were standing by him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground. And he said, My Lord, if I have now found favor in your sight, do not pass on by your servant. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by inasmuch as you have come to your servant. So as soon as he sees these strangers, he doesn't think twice. He just rushes out to meet them. It must be very hot on the desert that day and in the heat of the day, as the Bible says, so he immediately gives that initiative. He has this enormous welcome for them to come and spend time and he doesn't know them, they're strangers to him. But then he doesn't only bring them into the shade, but he invites them. In verse three he says that if they've found favor, do not pass by your servant. In other words, come and stay. Come and stay with me. He's inviting them home and that's a very hospitable thing to do. And then in verse four, of course, it's so refreshing if you're in a hot country to have your feet washed in cold water and have your hands washed. And so they bring water for them to wash the wash the dust off. And that is a very welcoming thing to have be a recipient of. And then he's also going to provide them food but not just any sort of food. He's going to go and get the best that he can give them. So he's just oozing in hospitality towards. SPEAKER A He'S gone out of his way to make his guests feel extremely comfortable. I mean, I've been invited for lunch but no one's washed my feet. This is quite amazing how he really looked after them. SPEAKER B I remember when I went to Samor for the first time and the town used to close down for an hour and a half in the daytime but before you ate the water would come out and we would just wash our feet and hands. It was just so refreshing. SPEAKER A Very good. Very nice. So Uriah, this is amazing hospitality. Do we see that level of hospitality in our world today? SPEAKER C Well, there are still Middle Eastern countries that practice this extremely well. There are Middle Eastern cultures where if a guest or stranger visitor knocks on your door at any time or day or night, you have to welcome them in and feed them, give them a place to sleep. So it is believed that this practice today is directly connected with the ancient practice that we saw Abraham doing. But even within Christianity, in Hebrews, chapter 13 and verse two, this is a New Testament. So this is for Christians. It says here, do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels. So for Christians today, the Command is there that you must also be hospitable to strangers. And the idea of strangers includes also those who are not of your kind, foreigners. So there's no room for Xenophobia. In Christianity, we must welcome strangers. And that is exactly what Abraham did, because you never know whom you might actually be showing hospitality to. So in our churches today, it's a customary practice that you're invited home for lunch. And although your feet may have never been washed, but I know every time I go to someone's house, they do tell me, here's the bathroom, and you can wash your hands there before you eat. So that practice of generosity still takes place today. SPEAKER A It's amazing when you think about that level of generosity, you're treated like you under the family, and that makes you extremely comfortable and relaxed in the home. That's right. And the comment about the entertaining angels, it'll be a sad day in heaven, we find out we've had angels knock at our door and we've turned them away. So, Gayl, just from what you read, what's your takeaway lesson? That applies to what do we do today to learn from Abraham's example of hospitality? SPEAKER B Well, Abraham really gave us a wonderful example in hospitality as two strangers, as we've been sharing here together. But hospitality is one of the gifts of the Spirit. And just reading in the Book of Romans, romans Twelve and verses ten to 13, the Bible says, be kindly, affectionate to one another, with brotherly love in honor, giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. And so this beautiful gift of hospitality, it gave Abraham an opportunity to get to know the strangers. They were strangers when they came, but when they left, they were not strangers to Him anymore. And people today, they respond to hospitality, and it gives a wonderful opportunity to make friends. And when you make a friend, it's like building a bridge so that you can share Jesus with them. And really, that's the most precious gift you want to give them, is you want to give them that wonderful hope in the Lord. SPEAKER A It's all about mission, isn't it? All about making that friendship so you can relate to people, and they will listen to you when you speak to them, because you've got that bond, that friendship. Well, let's move to his second quality. His second quality is his love for people, his great love for people. Now, Abraham was ruling over a vast household and as you said, there was a huge number of people. It probably was a small village, in fact. And we read in Genesis 13 and verse two that Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. So God was clearly blessing Abraham in a mighty way and he had lots of people. Again, in Genesis 14, it says he had 318 trained servants. So there probably could have been easy over a thousand people in his household. And this second quality had was love for people. And that love for people didn't just extend to his household, that extended to all people, as he said. As Gayl was saying, he entertained strangers. And where he was located at memory, that was about 40 km from the cities of the plane. And the cities of the plane at that stage were quite well known for what they were up to. And Abraham discovers that his guests were angels. Now, Uriah, what actually happened when he discovered what their mission was? How do we see the love for Abraham when he discovers the mission of the angels? SPEAKER C So Abraham realized very quickly that these strangers were angels and God himself. And God revealed to Abraham what he intended to do, the decision to bring judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. And in Genesis chapter 18, verse 20 and 21, it says and the Lord said, because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to me. And if not, I will know. So God revealed to Abraham beforehand what he was going to do. And when we read further, we can see Abraham's love for people, including those who did not follow God, including those who were also classed as evil. So we can see his genuine love for people revealed not just by entertaining strangers, but even interceding for those who are about to be destroyed. SPEAKER A Very good, Gayl. Let's just read forward as Uriah said, read the next few verses and let's see how explain to us how he showed his love, how it was demonstrated for all people. SPEAKER B Yes, well, as Uriah has just shared there, yes, he truly exemplified love for others because he knew that Sodom and Gomorrah was a sinful city. They had very different values to what Abraham had. But he also had a nephew there. Lot was there in his family. But it wasn't just for Lot and his family. He was concerned for all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the imminent destruction that was possibly going to come upon them. So regardless of their lifestyle, their race, their gender, their religion or their language, he loved them, and he did not want to see anyone destroyed. And so with humility and reverence, he intercedes for them. And I'll just like to read Genesis 18 and verse 23 to 25. And Abraham came near and said, would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were 50 righteous within the city. Would you also destroy the place and not spare it for 50 righteous that were in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Far be it from you. You should not judge sorry. You should not the judge of all the earth do right. So he's talking with God. He's opening up his heart to God, and he's starting to intercede for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. SPEAKER A Just on that point, we have different kinds of prayers, intercessory prayers, when we're praying for other people as opposed to praying for ourself. So your eye just on that by asking God to save all the people if so many righteous were found. What was he really hoping for here? SPEAKER C Now, if we just step back a little bit and reflect on our topic mission. And we've seen that God called Abraham out of er. He was living in a city where there was paganism worshipping or false, and God called him out of that to a particular place where there was also the presence of evil. But Abraham here is interceding on behalf of the people to God. He's pleading with God. So you see, Abraham did not want anyone to die. And his hope was not just that the righteous would be saved, but that God would relent and even those who are wicked would be saved as well. And God made that assurance. At the end of verse 26 of chapter 18, he says, then I will spare all the place for the sake of the righteous. So we can see Abraham's mission and understanding why God sent him to that particular place so that God's grace can be extended not just to the righteous, but even to the evil as well. SPEAKER A Yes. So, Gayl, where did Abraham get this great love for people? SPEAKER B He got it from God, because God is love. And just reading First John, chapter four and verse 19, it says, we love him because he first loved us. And Abraham had experienced personally that love that God had for him. He understood that his sins were forgiven. He was accepted in the beloved, and that he had that open communication with God. So Abraham, as the priest and head of his household, he had daily family worship has been shared. And he and Sarah had led many of their servants to the worship of the living God. And also many of the Canaanites around them also understood about the worship of the true and living God. Because of Abraham's prayer life and because of the altars that were erected there. So when we focus our attention on God and we learn of his character and God who is full of love, he is love. It's such a limitless word. But by beholding, we become changed. And Abraham had experienced God's love in his life, that grace, that mercy, that patience that God has for him, that forgiveness, and God has that for us. And just reading two Corinthians three, verse 18, but we all with unveiled faith. Beholding, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of the Lord. And I think of Abraham under the starry heavens and looking up and thinking, who is God that he's mindful of me? He knew God personally. SPEAKER A Yes. It's amazing when you think of his life. Uriah, how important is that love for people, for us today, to be sharing God's mission? SPEAKER C Very important. So important that Jesus put it in a commandment. In John chapter 13, verse 34 and 35, Jesus says, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. So the very first thing we need to be doing when we're doing mission is to love each other within the church, within God's family. And that's how the outside will know that we are authentic, we are genuine when we have that genuine love, one for another. So I pray every day that God would teach me to learn to love people because that's the only way we can reach them for Jesus. SPEAKER A Because if you don't have that love for people, you won't have the hospitality and you won't want to reach across for the strangers and it will come. SPEAKER C Out as being fake and not yes. SPEAKER A Yes, indeed. So, Uriah, just staying with you, abraham interceded for the sodomites that God would save them if so many righteous were found. What part does intercessory prayer play in our mission today? SPEAKER C We cannot do anything without prayer. We will have no success if we do not pray, because it's not just our strategic thinking and our planning and our eloquence that will actually see people being drawn to Jesus. I just want to read John 17, verse 20 words of Jesus again, and this is what he says. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. So even Jesus is praying for those whom he is working with. He's trying to draw that they will believe in him. So before we even embark on mission, prayer has to be the engine room of any missional program that we have. Jesus did it. He relied on prayer, he relied on his Father. So without prayer, our mission will simply be a failure. SPEAKER A And Gayl, sadly, sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. What can we learn from that fact? SPEAKER B Well, sadly, not everyone's going to be saved. Jesus says in Matthew seven, verse 13 and 14, enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. SPEAKER A Yeah. Very sobering. SPEAKER B It comes down to personal choice. SPEAKER A Very sobering. Well, that's all we have time for. Thank you, Gayl. Thank you, Uriah. The life of Abraham reveals that he had three great spiritual qualities. He had hospitality for strangers, he had love for all people. And he interceded that God would withhold his judgment to give sinners time to repent. Now, these qualities are vital as we share in God's mission to reach people with the Gospel. Jesus offers salvation to everyone and he is soon to return. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give you these spiritual qualities as well. We're glad you're with us today. On let God speak. You can watch this program again, download teachers notes or catch up on our website, 3abnaustralia.org.au. Email us on [email protected] and join us again next time. And God bless you. SPEAKER D You have been listening to Let God Speak, a production of Three ABN, Australia. Television. To catch up on past programs, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au Call us in Australia on 024-973-3456 or email [email protected] We'd love to hear from you.