Jesus + Mission Part 3 - The Ends of the Earth

Great to be here with you again in a little bit chilly in Billings Montana, but it was worse up and have her when I left yesterday. So that makes it better here. So but it's going to get better when I get to the Philippines by Wednesday this week so that we would be more aware of your grace and your mercy and your love for us and Lord that we would be challenged Lord to reach out to those people around us that you love so much and Lord. We need to learn to love as well. And so Lord. May you speak to us this morning and just help us Lord to do understand just what it is that you were doing in the world and what you want us to be apart of in Jesus name we pray. Amen. I know that you have been looking at the ministry of Jesus and last week. I I live good listen to Kendall sermon from last week so I could know what you been doing and what you already know, you know everything from last week and so I can just build on that, right? Okay. You were at your looked at last week you had Acts chapter 1 verse 8 you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my Witnesses both in Jerusalem and Judea Samaria in the into the ends of the Earth of the remote parts of the earth. Some of your versions will say and end today. I want to talk to you about the ends of the Earth and the ends of the Earth could easily be defined by everywhere that Kendall didn't talk about last week. You know, I don't talk about Jerusalem the people in the air by Handel talked about Judea the people that we have some form of your connections with and and the Sumerians the people that we we know but maybe are not inclined to go to them, but God loves them. And today we're going to talk about the ends of the Earth all of the other people of the world that that are not in some way connected with Christians in the world. And and we have to make some extended effort in order to go to them in to reach to them. And so goddamn out in that verse in Acts chapter 1 verse 8, I believe he's laying out his strategy or so strategy of the holy spirit for reaching the world, you know, the church is the messenger but the strategy belongs to the Holy Spirit and we need to be fully aware of that than and that's something that that had to be pounded into my head into my heart over the years. I've been 33 years now full time in the in the mission field and supposedly retired five years ago, but It's a guys whenever the boss says that things are finished is finished. And so, you know, they're there you go. There's all of these people of the world that God wants us to go to I think God has a strategy for reaching them and we are part of the strategy and what we have to think about is the fact that there was a time when our ancestors were the ends of the Earth there was a time that somewhere back, you know, so many generations or maybe one generation or whatever it was that we were our ancestors. Our family was part of the ends of the Earth and there was a time when we were somebody's Jerusalem And there was a time when we were somebody's today or where you were somebody Samaria. There you go. There's always this thing that's going on in the world and there's a time when when things came to wash and this whole process that God is laying out here in going to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the ends of the Earth is something that really works is something that works and we are a living testimony standing here today or sitting here in the church where a living testimony that this strategy does indeed work somehow the message of the Lord came to us and somehow we came into a relationship with God. And I think when it says that you shall receive power and then be my Witnesses really means that you have entered into a relationship that we were talking about just a little earlier. It's all about relationships and we've end entered into a special relationship where the power of the holy spirit is come upon us and God wants us to be involved in what he is doing in the world. God wants us to be a witness or give testimony to what he is doing or what he has done in our lives or what he wants to do in the world. Dad wants us involved with it and he's empowering us to to do that. Any lunch this to go out into witness in to show what he's doing in word and In Deed.

NES Power Reveals, His presence, you know when we go and we preach the word. Are we going? We just love on people are we going and we and we do something to to promote the kingdom of God in the world. You know, it's something that we need to be seeking that it be empowered by him and he's offering that to us. He says you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and so you are empowered to go out and do something beyond the ordinary.

He wants you involved in what he is doing and are empowered witness is to show what he's doing in the world today. Is power Reveals His presence his power Reveals His ownership over the process? It makes it real. It makes it something that's not us, but it's God.

And when Paul went went to the ends of the Earth. When Paul went around you knows all of the missionary stories of Paul, you're one of the places that they went is is the city of Athens and Acts chapter 17. He said something that really his yellow stuck in my mind for years and years and years and Acts chapter 17 verses 26 and 27. He says from one man. He made all nations that they would inhabit the whole earth and and he marked out the appointed times and the history and the boundaries of their lands God did this so that they would see him and perhaps reach out for him and find him though. He's not far from any one of us, you know, if you have a great deal in that and it's something I think that that he learned and one thing that it's saying is saying it's all about what God is doing. It's not about what Paul is doing. It's not about what they'll Mueller is doing. What about what you were doing is really identifying and working along with what God is doing in the world. He's arranging everything in God is arranging history to give an opportunity for people to seek him. God arranged history and God arrange the events and God arranged the the circumstances of your life in my life. So that there would come a time that we would seek Him find out that be aware that he is near near to us.

It's so when we enter into this process or into this relationship with God. Is a witness as all of it. We realize that God is preparing the way. Not us. Paul. And I think that's what Paul was saying in part to the people of Athens who really were the ends of the Earth at that time. You saying that though he says I realize that God has put us together at this time at this place for a specific reason. And whether you realize it or not God brought you here and God brought you into this world for a specific purpose.

And that's especially true when we think about the ends of the Earth, but it's it's true about your Jerusalem is true about your your Judaism true about your Samaria is true about the relationships that you will have even after you leave this place today or while you're here at this place.

It's true that God has arranged something for a purpose and we have to understand ourselves as being empowered by the Holy Spirit to be Witnesses of God wherever he places Us in this life. And we need to be aware of what God is doing in us and around us.

And and be a part of it then in and participate.

Not be aware that God is doing something even apart from us, but he's waiting for us to enter in. So what is going on? And that's especially true when I when you go to the ends of the Earth, but it's also true and all the other places. He's arranging the X in the places in the history as Paul said

and I think you can see this in a lot of lot of the Things that went on between Jesus and his disciples and I'm just going to share with you one short story this morning, but from The Book of John chapter 12 last week. You looked at John chapter 11 Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and that was a great event and lots of people were Amazed by that than you would think that when people saw that they would immediately say, it's this is God. This is this is this is this is what I'm looking for. This is what I need. This is somebody who has the power over every situation of my

Or even over over death itself. and Jesus was teaching his disciples through these things that happened and walking along the way in and then there were other Miracles that took place but picking up in John chapter 12 verse beginning and verse 37 It goes like this. It says after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presents. They still would not believe in him and this it was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet. Lord who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed for this reason, they could not could not believe because as Isaiah elsewhere said elsewhere He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts. And so that they can neither see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts North turn to him and I would heal it Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus and spoke about him.

Now this is all in the context when this week this came up and this this passage of Prophecy that was given by the prophet Isaiah happened to fit in with the story. This was all done in the context of huge crowds following after Jesus they were so they were following after him because of what happened with Lazarus that you looked at last week. You look just to take a pic back at chapter 12 verse 9. It says meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found found out that Jesus was there and came not only because of him but also to see Lazarus for me raised from the dead so they were done with Lazar. They were following after this guy. And I need to go to verse 17. It says now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continue to spread the word. And so all of these people were going along with him. But yet in that context they were marveling at the unbelief. The people that that just couldn't believe what Jesus said this couldn't believe that this was the Messiah just couldn't believe that this was the Savior for their life just couldn't believe that that that kid come to to show God's love to them that he had come to to reveal to them that the the way to eternal life. So they were marveling at the unbelief of all these people even though they were on following him because of the miracle with Lazarus. So they all were impressed with what it happened and they were probably waiting for something else like that to happen.

They were just following along. Let's go and see what else you'll do it. Maybe I'll race somebody else from the dead. Maybe I'll do something even more extreme. But yep, they would not believe there were so many of them would not believe.

And they marveled at their sent and that he and the disciples were marveling at this sand. And yeah, we could reflect upon our own situation as we spread the gospel and witness even to the ends of the Earth or even you and your local situation. You know how many people do hear the gospel in this day and age even over radio TV or and all the other means that we have to spread the grass gospel all the great expansion efforts that we make to go especially to the ends of the Earth go to the Philippines and go to China and go to other places like that. All of these great efforts that we making the money that we send.

Why so few believe and some believe and they fade away? Jesus actually quoted the same passage of scripture from Isaiah after the parable of the soils back in Matthew 13, we won't go there. But but Jesus did the same thing remember the parable of the soils. This is so typical of what happens in our life, you know where yo the seed is sown the word of God is so annoying and some of it falls on Rocky places in in routes up, but doesn't amount to much some balls along the road and and still there. It is eventually it dies out some Falls among the thorns in the Thorns choke it out then and it's not able to grow and and then some files on good soil. And so there's all this understanding that when we share the gospel. Sometimes it's just not going to stick in some people's hearts. And Jesus applied the scripture and then from memory. I'm sure John wrote the same thing down here. Brought the same thing down and said well did these people's hearts are calloused their eyes are blind and they just can't see the truth is right in front of their eyes. Or they won't listen.

Something kind of like some of your parents when you tell your kids. Why don't you listen? I just said it can't you see

And they were marveling at this and probably talk to you about it kind of in that in that way. In both places in where Jesus quoted it in after the parable of the soils in here and John 12 in both places. Starts and closed eyes and ears.

And here in John chapter 12 what we read the bit ago. It actually says that has blinded their eyes. Meaning God has blinded their eyes and he has hardened their hearts.

That's what it said. And that should give us a little bit of pause to to think about. And when it says that God is the one who hardened their hearts. Remember it said that even way back in in in Exodus with me when Moses was was speaking to God said I hardened his heart is not going to believe you is not going to act. What is going on in this we need to understand that because when you go and witness, that's exactly what you run into. Even you go out in the power of the Holy Spirit by go to the Philippines in the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm going to run into people with Palace hearts. They're running the people who you can show them very plainly. What the truth is Sunday so I don't see it. Or that were ejected.

As long as there's something going on here, you're knowing this is the truth of the scripture. There's something going on here that is beyond the normal Beyond normal understanding and thinking logic. How did they become blind and calloused? The people that we talked to and some of them just will will not listen. How did they become that way? How did they become blind to the truth or calloused in their heart? Were they born that way?

I don't think so. No more than we were born with calluses on our hands is a calluses come from. Resistance calluses come from repeated interference or a resistance to to do the movement of our hands before talking about our hands.

Where is not being capricious or is he is he just kind of arbitrarily saying well, this one's has a callus start. That one doesn't.

You know, if it is that way we can fall into the Trap of thinking well J. It's not really worth while to share the gospel. If God is blinding them and making them calloused.

cc to get discouraged we could go to if you go to Philippines or China or Africa or somewhere to take the word for sure. You're going to run into this. Where do you go to your Neighbour you're going to run into it? Nnn, we need to understand it and understand how this is part of the process that God is that it that God is revealing to us. If we don't understand it, if we don't take God's God's a revelation about this and we can easily just paint it won't give up.

Wasting my time with that person. But actually I I believe that no person is a waste of time.

From God's point of view. I I believe that he loves every single person in this world and every single person is is is the object of God's desire for us to go and and minister to them. But yet there's a lot of Calla starts and blind eyes.

I think we can gain some insight by going really going back to Isaiah chapter 6 where this all comes from the the scripture that Jesus is quoting a John is quoting. It was at and Isaiah chapter 6 is a time when Isaiah was being called to be a prophet and he had a vision of heaven and he saw the Throne of God and he saw God and All His glory and Isaiah chapter 6 verse 5, maybe a verse that you're familiar with. He says woe to me. I cried I am ruined for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among the people of unclean lips in my eyes have seen the king the Lord Almighty.

And here I stand before the Holiness and glory of God.

Y'all end and and and he he thought that that was his aunt. And remember you remember what it said in John chapter 12 verse 41. I got it on the bottom there where where Jesus where is said that Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus is Glory. And spoke about it. SOG, Isaiah was already looking upon the throne of Jesus Christ the son of God.

Miss all the glory and and and he was fearful for his life. But then if you go onto verse 7 UC is that an angel touched it with a call from the Alder if you look at verse 7 just to kind of get the high points of this story. You look at burst 7 it says with it he took a call from the the altar Before the Throne of God and he touched my mouth and they said see this is touched your lips and your guilt is taken away. And you're saying is that on for now? We would say that something like well Jesus has become Our Savior Jesus is the one who atone for our sins and Jesus Paid the price for it on the crossing and we come to him in and we we realize that but that in that situation that's that's how Isaiah but it all together. But then the interesting things that he heard a voice record the voice of God. Once he was the sins were atone for a heard the voice of God and verse 8. It says that I heard the voice of God saying whom shall I send and who will go who will go for us? Bombshell, I send and who will go for us.

Nice, I'm sure you've heard this before says here. I am send me. In that situation, he just looked upon the glory of God and he just spent his sins it been atone for it. And now the voice of God was saying who's going to go? Well, whatever what could he say? What when do we say when we are we are confronted with the truth of God, and we know that Jesus has cleansed us and prepared us for a purpose. We know that the holy spirit is come upon us and empowered whatever we do in his name will be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We can't say that we're weak now. We're empowered by the Holy Spirit. And we can't say that. Well, I'm a sinner. Well, yes you are and I am too. but our sins have been a tone.

It's Isaiah gave the only answer that was that was possible at the time. He says here. I am send me.

And of course again it was he thought he was talking to Jesus at the time. the same thought of the Great Commission when when God calls us to go and make disciples of all Nations what our response Well, I response should be if we're fully aware of what God is doing in our life if we're fully aware of what Jesus has done for us if we're fully aware that we have receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us if we're fully aware of all of that if we just focus on that and see that it's real. Our response should be okay. I am. Send me.

Then it goes on and Isaiah chapter 6 verse 9. 6 person died in the same thing. We heard that Jesus was quoting and and John was quoting again. He said go and tell these people be ever hearing but ever never understanding and ever seeing but never perceiving and Neil and then he's talking to him about that. Then then goes on to verse 10 and it says make the heart of this people playlist. Mather heart their ears doll and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes and in here with their ears and understand what their hearts and turn and be healed. There it is again. But now noticed how is quoted tooth to Isaiah. Isaiah is the one who said here. I am send me I will go with your word. I will go with your message. God said directly to Isaiah you. I'll go and make their there. They're their eyes doll and their ears ears not hearing and their their hearts callous you go make the calluses. What is making the calluses what is making them blind? It is actually seeing the word of God is actually hearing the word of God is actually seeing the the the word of God in action. And then they resist it to are calluses come from.

It's consistent with what we saw in John chapter 12. Here's how I understand this kind of hinted at this as we've talked. But there's something there that I is a missionary had to come to grips with. I had to come to grips with that. There's going to be extreme difficulty at times and taking this word out. Now when you look at the reality of it, we don't have any skills. God has cleansed us. God has brought us into his kingdom. He's made us his children. He's adopted us into his family.

And he's given us the power of the Holy Spirit.

But how come how come we have all of this resistance out there?

In the act of going and telling people we make a callus cart and don't years and closed eyes.

And maybe they even resist the love of God. Maybe they even resist the good things that we're trying to do. In fact any encounter with God there's an opportunity to respond. when we resist calluses form that can happen even in us as Christians if we hear the word of God, which we hear the call of God, if we hear God telling us to do something in our lives whether beta go witness or weather be at 2 to take care of some situation and our life if we resisted calluses form

and if in if we do that over and over and over again it get the calluses become thick in in the ears become doll.

When we resist this is this is what happens in this all about consistent rejection. It's all about the word of God. That's the goodness of God going forward and people of the world rejecting it. And we don't have to be thinking about just taking the word of God. God is revealed in in lots of things you've revealed in nature is revealed in truth. He's been rebuilding what is right. We see God yellow and you're either in in knowing what is right and what is wrong?

And we see this in all all over the world that is written on our hearts. It says in Jeremiah that his word is written Upon Our Hearts. Whether we know it or not and whether we're in Jerusalem, or whether we're in the at the ends of the Earth.

That was true that we see God most clearly in his Revelation through his word. But we encounter God in all kinds of places in our life be even before we hear his word.

You probably have seen this season. Y'all friends and family. It certainly we see it at the ends of the Earth. You can go to the most remote tribe and you can find out that there are people there that know right and wrong and the ones that resists the right and do the wrong. Are very calloused? Calloused Heart come from encounters with God. And some sort of resistance to what God is revealing in this world. That's why it's important to see what Paul was saying to the people in Athens. God is the one going out before is arranging all of the events of History. God is arranging the times in the places and got his putting people in places where they have an opportunity to respond to his goodness.

And that may be long before there's any word of God. Eleni preach the word of God that comes to them. But still there people who are resisting the goodness of God.

MSA resist there are these calluses in dog ears and blind eyes eyes turning away refusing to listen rejecting the truth rejecting the love of God. But still God is at work.

Look at it another way when we encounter hard hearts and blind eyes and ears understand that God has already revealed himself to that person. And that can be at the ends of the Earth or it can be in your Jerusalem. If you encounter somebody with the stitched blinded in to see the truth, if you encounter somebody who has a calloused heart and bad attitudes about what God is revealing to them. God is already revealed himself. That's where the callus comes from.

And for me, it's a missionary. When I when I run across somebody with a calloused heart or blind eyes that gives me hope. Is the opposite of what logic would tell you because weldlogic would tell you?

But in God what it reveals to us is that God has already been arranging the details the times in the places and this person is there for a very specific reason and you were there for a very specific Grease. In the person is already resisted the the revelation of God through whatever means.

But that's already been there. That's already working. We have to understand when we're going to Jerusalem Judea Samaria and the ends of the Earth. We have to understand that we are not taking God there. God is already there.

That's the thing that comes out of all of this and I think that's the thing. They that the even the disciples were learning from the events with Jesus. We are not the one who text Scott. We are the one who goes there and witnesses to them.

These guys already here. You just don't know he's right next to you. It's close to you already.

Maybe you in certainly you've resisted him to some extent. God is already determining the X in the places. So what do we do? We just be obedient to God's work, even though they can't see they can't they got calloused hearts are resisting and every way this go. Make more calluses. Sometimes that's what it amounts to do when we go to the ends of the Earth. You go there and for a certain part of what you do you realize you're just making calluses what he's telling Isaiah. Go make some calluses.

So the obvious question is how long? It's kind of like when Peter asked Jesus. Well, how many times should I forgive? You don't because you know, I forgave them once and they became calloused.

And Jesus said, you know seventy times seven basically just saying keep on forgiving. And he says the same thing to Isaiah. If you won't let us go on to Isaiah 6 verse 11. It says then I said how long Lord obvious question if they're going to resist them and reject this is how long And any answer they says until the cities lie in ruin and without inhabitants until the houses are left deserted than the fields are running. It sounds kind of extreme.

But isn't that what's happening in the world today? Because the world is resisting the word of God. Everything's in a mess. Everywhere you go. Is men a mess here is in a mess broad is in the mess at the ends of the Earth. And everything is kind of getting mixed up because people are resisting to do to listen and respond to the word of God.

So in the context of Isaiah and he was living in Judah the country of the province of Judea at the time. problems go on in the mix of Destruction but remember Isaiah was looking Upon Jesus himself and later. It is revealed. If you go this chapter 7 verse 14 skip a bunch of stuff here. But he says therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. You will call him Emmanuel. He says I will be with you. And that's the same thing that's coming up in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you I will be with you just go do what God has called you to do. Yes, you're making calluses. Yes, you are you're finding people that resist, but we must just keep on going. Now if some of you I hope some all of you can come around for the presentation later. I've got lots of pictures and different things and then lots of stories to tell you about what has happened over in the Philippines in different places. One of the things you remember you gave up a harvest offering a while back and that's already designated already working in a place where there has been lots of resistance there were people so calloused in their hearts. They threw stones at us when we first went there. But now it's opened up and imma show you some pictures of the land that we already bought and a place where we're going to build a church. And your Harvest offering is going to be a big part of that now go to stopped a long time ago because I said all these people that they'll never believe

they had the here and keep piling on the word of God, you know that the word of God Des it a certain point the calluses get so thick that you want to start digging them off. And I think that's what happened so you don't want him and that's what kept me in the mission field for all of these years is understanding that God is working. ahead of me God is working with me. Just know the holy spirit is come upon me as power is powered to witness and that's what is going on in the world today. And that's what's going on even in your neighborhood as you minister to your Jerusalem. and so That's my word for you this morning. I want you to understand now. I am most likely I'm over time. Kendall's nodding that's another thing that happens with missionary something and I don't think God didn't say anything about watch your time.

But anyway, thank you very much for having me here. I appreciate being a part of your congregation. God bless you all.

housekeeping