By Russ Mitchell

Russ is the field director for One Challenge (OC International) in Romania – www.oci.ro.

God’s Judgment

Take, for example, the judgment theme. Three times the psalmist says the Lord will judge the peoples, each time stressing a different attribute of God:

“He will judge the peoples with equity” (v. 10).

“He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness” (v. 13).

By emphasizing God’s character in relation to judgment, the psalmist suggests that the peoples can escape the coming judgment by turning to the Lord now.

God’s future judgment of the nations heightens the importance of the message we have to proclaim to the nations. Christopher Wright well states this point:

“If it were not the case that all nations stand under the impending judgment of God, there would be no need to proclaim the Gospel. If it were not for the fact that God deals in mercy and forgiveness with all who repent, there would be no gospel to proclaim.” (The Mission of God, p. 462)

By stressing that God is coming to judge the world in righteousness, the psalmist presents a strong motive for people to turn to the Lord from the vain worship of idols.

God’s future judgment of the nations is also a strong motive for us to go beyond our own people, our own nation, our own culture, to those people groups who are least reached, because their eternal destiny is at stake.

Theologian Carl F.H. Henry once said, “The Gospel is only good news if it arrives in time.” For many in the world today, the “good news” is not arriving in time.

Specialists estimate that 40% of the population of the earth is least reached and 28% virtually have no chance to hear about Jesus because there is no viable, witnessing church in their culture. Some 66,000 people die each day never having an opportunity to hear the good news.

Should not these least reached peoples also have an opportunity to hear about the greatness of God? Indeed!

But this will require hundreds of thousands of wholly devoted believers working together to fulfill the Great Commission. It requires a new generation of young people intent on proclaiming God’s glory among the nations. Are you a part of their number? What will your response be?

How Should the Peoples Respond to God?

This leads to the final point of the psalmist’s message: how should the peoples respond to God?

First, he calls the peoples to become true worshippers of God, turning from the worship of idols to serve the Lord.

Second he calls the peoples to become message bearers, proclaiming “good tidings of His salvation from day to day,” telling “of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples,” saying, “among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns.’” We too must challenge people to respond to the Lord by becoming true worshippers and to take the good news to those who have not heard.

I am amazed by the breadth and depth of the psalmist’s knowledge of God! He speaks clearly about the identity of God and what he is like. He speaks of the Lord’s mighty deeds as Creator, Savior, Lord and coming judge. He points out how the peoples should respond to God. This is a very well rounded message, one we would do well to use as a model for our own.

An Even Greater Message Today

Still for us today, who know the rest of God’s story, we have an even greater message for the nations. We can complete the message recorded here by adding Jesus is God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1,2).

Jesus is Creator.

“All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3).

Jesus is Savior!

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).

Jesus is Lord!

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

Jesus is coming again!

“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Hebrews 9:27,28).

What a great message we have for the nations!

“But we, who know the rest of the story, also have an even greater motivation to take the glad tidings of God’s salvation to the peoples as we look forward to and hasten the day when “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11).

May God find us faithful to the great mandate that he has given to us.

By Russ Mitchell

Russ is the field director for One Challenge (OC International) in Romania – www.oci.ro.

As we have been looking at Psalm 96, we have made a number of important discoveries about God’s mission and our part in it.

First, we discovered that God’s mission or purpose is to be known, worshipped and obeyed by all peoples. We also discovered that we have an important part in God’s mission.

Even in the Old Testament we see a clear mandate that God’s people are to take the good news of salvation to those peoples who have yet not heard about the greatness of God.

Also we discovered something important about our motivation to take God’s message to the peoples; namely message bearers are motivated by the desire to see God worshipped by the nations and realize that they, having come to know God, are responsible to make his greatness known to all peoples.

Still this Psalm has much more to say to us, specifically about our message. Three times we are told to tell the nations about God. But want shall we say? Let’s look once again at Psalm 96 asking ourselves what we can learn about God so that we can tell this to the nations. Specifically we want to ask: Who is God? What is he like? What has he done? And how should we respond to him?

The Identity of God

So let’s begin by looking at the identity of God. Just as in the psalmist’s day, there are still many different “gods” worshipped by the peoples. So they will want to know which god we are talking about.

The psalmist is very specific about the identity of God. He is the LORD. In Hebrew “LORD” is the special covenant name of God, Yahweh.

In most English translations of the Bible this word is type set in small caps to differentiate the covenant name of God, Yahweh, from another Hebrew word translated Lord, Adonai. Eleven times in this Psalm the writer uses the covenant name of God.

Thus, the psalmist clearly identifies who he is talking about. He is talking about the God who made the heavens and the earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who delivered his people from slavery in Egypt and continues to make himself known, not only to his people Israel, but also to the nations. Thus our message should clearly answer the question, “Who is God?”

God’s Character

Second, the psalmist speaks of God’s excellent greatness or his character. He speaks of God’s glory (v. 3) and his greatness (v. 4); he ascribes to the Lord splendor, majesty, strength and beauty (v. 6). In the second part of the Psalm he speaks of God’s holiness, equity, righteousness and faithfulness. All these describe what God is like.

It is important to make clear God’s excellent greatness so that peoples will come to appreciate the beauty of his character, recognize that he is worthy of praise and respond in worship, as we see in verses 7-9.

God’s Marvelous Deeds

Third, the psalmist focuses on the Lord’s marvelous deeds. We see that “the LORD made the heavens” (v.5), that is to say, he is the creator. We are to “proclaim good tidings of his salvation from day to day” (v. 2). So the Lord is our savior. We are to “say among the nations, the LORD reigns” (v. 10). So he is Lord.

We also see that “the LORD…is coming to judge the earth” (v. 13). Observe the breadth of God’s wonderful deeds! In the past he made the heavens; he is the creator. In the past, he has acted to deliver us; he is our savior. In the present, he reigns. He is Lord. In the future, he will come as the righteous judge of all peoples. These four marvelous deeds have much meaning and relevance for all peoples.

By Russ Mitchell

Russ is the field director for One Challenge (OC International) in Romania – www.oci.ro.

As we have been looking at Psalm 96, we have made two astounding “discoveries” thus far. We observed that all peoples from every nation are called to worship God and those who know God are called to make him known to those peoples who have not yet heard.

These two calls form the basis of the message bearer’s mandate. To me this is astounding – that in the Old Testament there is such a strong mandate for God’s people to declare his greatness among the peoples.

Yet it is our nature, especially when confronted with such a great vision, to ask the question, why? Why should the peoples worship God? Why should we make an effort to take God’s message to them?

The psalmist seems to anticipate these very questions for in verses 4-6, he presents numerous reasons why the peoples should worship God, reasons which also pertain to the message bearer’s motivation.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
Psalm 96:4-6 NIV

Note that these verses begin with the word “for,” which alerts us to the reasons for what was commanded in verses 1-3. Here is the first reason: “For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise.” Why should the peoples worship the Lord? Simply put, because he is great and truly merits the praise of all peoples.

Next the psalmist adds, “He is to be feared above all gods.” Some will ponder, why should the Lord be feared above all gods?

Again the psalmist anticipates our question with the second couplet: “For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.” (Note again the repetition of the word “for” – a word which introduces the reason for what was just said.)

This couplet sets up the contrast between the Lord and the gods which the peoples worship. The psalmist points out that they are “idols.” There are many words are used in the Old Testament for idols. This particular word literally means “something worthless.” Its root meaning is “to be weak, deficient.”

To paraphrase, the psalmist is saying “all the gods of the peoples are worthless weaklings.” So here are two striking contrasts between the gods whom the peoples worship and the Lord.

The gods of the peoples are worthless, but the Lord is worthy of praise.

The gods of the peoples are weaklings, but the Lord made the heavens, which shows his limitless power and wisdom.

Thus the psalmist asserts the absolute superiority of the Lord over the “gods.” He alone truly merits the worship of the peoples.

The final couplet rounds out the psalmist’s argument. “Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and glory are in His sanctuary.” Here the character of the Lord is highlighted, providing further reasons for the peoples to worship the Lord. Because of his excellent greatness, he alone truly merits the worship of the peoples.

Although we have been looking at the reasons why the peoples should worship the Lord, the psalmist uses the same reasons to explain why we should take the message about God to the peoples.

Message bearers have discovered the greatness and saving power of the Lord. Enthralled by his excellent greatness, message bearers are motivated by the desire to see God worshipped by the nations and realize that they, having come to know God, are responsible to make his greatness known to all peoples.

It is interesting what reasons are not given to support the mandate to tell the peoples about the true God.

• We don’t see that we should go to the peoples because they are lost – though they are.
• We don’t see that we should do this because we are commanded or called – though we are.
• We don’t see that being a message bearer makes you a better person, more fulfilled, happy or prosperous – though it might.

These not mentioned because the focus here is not on you, but God. Being a message bearer is not about helping people or doing something great for God. It is all about Him. He alone truly merits the worship of the peoples. He alone merits your worship and wholehearted devotion.

So on a scale of one to ten, what is your motivation like? Do you know the Lord? Are you wholly devoted to him? Does your heart burn to see God worshipped by the nations?

If so, you are well on your way to becoming a message bearer.

On the other hand, it is possible that you see within your own heart significant obstacles to overcome in order to tell others about the excellent greatness of God. If so, you first step might be to tell God what these obstacles are. Be honest with him. Ask him to change your heart so that you can be fully devoted to him.

By Russ Mitchell

Russ is the field director for One Challenge (OC International) in Romania – www.oci.ro.

Psalm 96 highlights two ways by which we can become involved in God’s mission. Let’s take a look at these.

Share the message locally

“Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.” Psalm 96:2

This is something we can do right now, locally, where we are. Each one of us should strive to declare every day the glad tidings of God’s salvation.

Consider too the opportunities you have to share the wonderful news of God’s salvation with other peoples in your area. You need not to go far to tell another people about God’s wonderful deeds!

Share the message globally

Ps 96:3 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
Psalm 96:7 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns”

These two commandments stress the necessity of telling the message of God’s wonderful deeds to those outside our particular people group. Twice we see that “the nations” must hear. More so, “all the peoples” are mentioned.

Having this in view, we can only conclude that we have the responsibility to share the message of God’s wonderful deeds with all peoples everywhere. We have a message for the nations! We have to tell all peoples! In order to do this, message bearers must cross cultural, linguistic and/or geographical boundaries to take the wonderful news of God’s salvation to all peoples.

Go, Send or Disobey

Being realistic, not every true believer is able to cross cultural, linguistic and/or geographical boundaries to take the glad tidings of God’s salvation to another people. But every true believer can be involved in process of sending those who can go.

So there are two important roles or parts in sharing the message globally: there are those who go; and there are those who send. Both of roles are valid and necessary parts of our involvement in God’s global mission.

We can think of these two complimentary roles in terms of soldiers involved in war. There are those on the front line, and there are those who support the soldiers at the front. Those on the front can not remain there long without support from the rear lines.

WWII about 15 people supported one soldier on the front line. Today it takes approximately 50 people to support a front line soldier. So the role of the sender is very important.

Those who “send” do so by encouragement, prayer, financial support, and mobilizing new message bearers. Those who are willing can not go unless they are sent.

So every true believer, whether a goer or a sender, can play an important part in God’s mission. You can go or you can send. The only other option is to disobey. The Message Bearer Mandate enjoins us all to become involved in God’s mission. What is your part?

Just how many peoples are there today?

The Message Bearer Mandate has in view sharing the message with all peoples everywhere. If we are to tell of his wonderful deeds among all the peoples, this raises the question: how many peoples are there today? How many have already heard of God’s wonderful deeds?

The Joshua Project lists 16,351 people groups in the world (www.joshuaproject.net). In 6,646 people groups less than 2% are Christ followers. These represent the least reached peoples in our world today. The least reached people groups total some 2.75 billion people or 40.7% of the world’s population.

Another way to look at this is to say that four out of ten people in the world today are least reached. If all true Christians would witness to those in their area of influence (locally), it is likely that four out of ten people in the world still would not hear the message.

This gives us a general impression of the task before us and the importance of cross-cultural work. Without cross cultural message bearers, four out of ten people will most likely never hear the wonderful news of God’s salvation.

“Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples” (Psalm 96:3). If we take the Message Bearer Mandate seriously, we must give special attention to the least reached peoples.

Tens of thousands of new message bearers are needed to reach the least reached. God desires that these least reached peoples know and worship him. Yet how shall they know of God’s salvation if no one goes and tells them?

The Nations are Declaring His Glory! What about you?

We live in an exciting time when true believers everywhere are getting involved in God’s mission. Tens of thousands are joining God in his mission by going forth as message bearers; many more are involved as senders.

It is exciting to see the emerging missions sending movements from Asia, India, Africa and Latin America. They have caught the global vision! Countries like China, the Philippines, South Korea, Brazil and Nigeria are already sending thousands with future goals of sending tens of thousands more.

True believers in the Asia, India, Africa and Latin America are also sharing the wonderful news of God’s salvation locally. For every 30 new believers in the world, 29 are from these parts of the world. The believers in Asia, India, Africa and Latin America are sharing the message locally and globally. Thus we live in a time when the whole church, is involved in taking the glad tidings to the whole world.

What about you? What is your part in God’s plan to glorify his name among all peoples? Are you involved in God’s mission? Don’t miss out on what God is doing! Don’t just stand on the side lines watching what is going on – for to do nothing is to disobey. Share the message locally day by day.

Discover your role in sharing the message globally and do your part. Be diligent in your role as a goer or a sender. Wherever you are, whoever you are, you can be involved in God’s mission.

By Russ Mitchell
Russ is the field director for One Challenge (OC International) in Romania – www.oci.ro.

Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. Psalm 96:2-3

In part one, we began to consider, “What is your part in God’s plan to glorify his name among all peoples?” Psalm 96 speaks extensively to this question.

We discovered that the first theme of Psalm 96 is worship. But more surprisingly we discovered that all peoples everywhere are called to worship the Lord, an implicit mandate for message bearers to take the glad tidings to all peoples.

In the same breath the psalmist introduces his second theme, the call to become involved in God’s mission. Where as the first theme of Psalm 96, worship, implies an implicit mandate, the second theme is an explicit mandate. That is what we will look at here.

The Mandate

In the first part of Psalm 96 we see the call to involve ourselves in God’s mission mentioned twice.

Part 1: Psalm 96:2b-3
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

We also see this same theme echoed in the second part of this Psalm.

Part 2: Psalm 96:10
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.”

Thus in Psalm 96 we find three commands to communicate the truth about God to others. Two of these commands clearly have in view telling all nations and the peoples. Unmistakably the second theme of Psalm 96 is mission. Psalm 96 by itself gives us a sufficient mandate to become involved in God’s mission.

Some think that the message bearer mandate is found just in the New Testament. But it is found in the Old Testament too. Here in Psalm 96, for example, we see two clear commands to tell all peoples about God’s marvelous works.

In all, there are ten passages in the Old Testament where God’s people are commanded to tell the nations about God’s glorious deeds. There are just five in the New Testament. So there are twice as many commands in the Old Testament for God’s people to be engaged in God’s global purpose.

Clearly God’s people in the Old Testament understood that they had a message for the nations and a responsibility to tell them about the glory of God. In a sense, we don’t even need the New Testament to establish a biblical mandate for our involvement in God’s mission. All the essentials (as we shall see) are found here in Psalm 96. So let’s look a closer look.

Who is to declare His glory to the nations?

Just as with the first theme of worship, there is another question that we need to answer, namely, “Who is called to declare God’s glory among the nations?”

Look carefully and you will see that the same people who are called to worship are also called to take the message to nations! And who is called to worship? “O families of the peoples.” “All the earth.” All peoples everywhere!

In the Old Testament we might expect a call to God’s people, Israel, to become involved in God’s mission. But here we see that the Gentiles, in fact, all people everywhere, are called to tell other peoples this glorious news once they have heard of God’s salvation.

Thus the call to mission is universal. The Gentiles are called to be message bearers. So we find the principle that those who receive the good news are also called to take the good news those who have not yet heard. After all, how can those who do not know God worship him unless those who already know God go and tell them?

Get Involved in God’s Mission

In the Old Testament we discover that God is on a mission. His purpose is to glorify his name among all peoples. We also discover God graciously invites his people to join him in what he is already doing to realize this purpose. (Abraham, Moses, Israel, Joshua, David, Solomon, Jonah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Zerubbabel are several examples.)

Specifically God is working to be known, worshipped and obeyed by all peoples. So, should not this be our aim as well? Bringing our lives into alignment with God’s purpose inevitably leads to our involvement in his global mission.

Have you embraced the glad tidings of God’s salvation? If so, God now calls you to become involved in his mission. You are called, indeed commanded, to take this good news to those who have not heard. Telling the good news is not a task reserved for a few with a special ministry calling.

This is not just the responsibility of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. “’You are my witnesses’, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 43:10,12). Telling the good news is just as much a part of your spiritual life as prayer, giving, worship or loving your neighbor.

By Russ Mitchell

Russ is the field director for One Challenge (OC International) in Romania – www.oci.ro.

Worship: The Culmination of History

History is moving toward the point where all peoples will come and worship the Lord.  The Psalms clearly anticipate this. For example:

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD’S. And He rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:27-28)

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. (Psalm 47:8-9 NIV)

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord. (Psalm 68:32)

All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. (Psalm 86:9)

Again in Revelation we see how what the Old Testament anticipates is fulfilled in the New.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10)

Note who is present: people from every tribe, every nation, every people, every language! Thus we see history culminates in all peoples worshipping the Lord.

Putting First Things First

Let us pause here to consider the significance of this first theme of worship and how it applies to the Message Bearer’s Mandate.

1. All peoples are called – even commanded – to worship the Lord. Why so? Because God merits the worship of all peoples based on his gracious plan to bless all the families of the earth. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised” (Psalm 96:4). In the Old Testament God’s promise alone to bless “all families of peoples” is sufficient to call the peoples to worship. How much more so do we have reason to call all peoples to come and worship our great and awesome God.

Our primary motive to involve ourselves in God’s plan to bless all nations is not because the peoples are lost, without hope, without God, but because God merits the worship of all peoples. Mission activity is not an end in itself. Mission is a temporary activity; but worship is forever. When people truly understand who God is and what he has done, their response is to worship him. So our primary motive for involving our selves in God’s plan to bless all nations is that God might be worshipped by all peoples, receiving the glory due his name.

2. Let us consider to what extent the peoples are worshipping the Lord today. According to the Joshua Project (www.joshuaproject.net), approximately four out of ten people in the world are live in areas where there are not viable churches; three out of ten people essentially have no access to the Good News. They have never heard of Jesus and most likely don’t even know a Christian. So four out of ten people on the earth are least reached. They are not true worshippers. God has blessed them abundantly. But they don’t know it. God merits their worship. But they have never heard of him. In fact, the way things stand now, they have very little chance to know the true God because very few message bearers live among these peoples. In order for all people everywhere to worship the Lord, they first need to know about him. And for them to know about the Lord, someone needs to take the message of his salvation to them. Thus we can conclude that where true worship is the least, the need for message bearers is the greatest.

Following the simple logic of the command for all peoples to worship the Lord leads us to the Message Bearer’s Mandate: the imperative for true believers to go, live and serve among the least reached peoples of the earth, so that they too can know the true God and become grateful worshippers of him. This command for all peoples to worship the Lord gives message bearers a sufficient mandate to go everywhere spreading the glad tidings of God’s greatness.

Are you willing, if God so wills, to go and live among the least reached peoples for at least two years? What steps are you taking to align yourself with God’s purpose to be worshipped by all peoples? What progress are you making toward this end?

3. As we begin to consider our personal involvement in God’s plan to bless the nations, it is important to keep first things first. Worshipping God – loving him with all of our heart, soul and strength – is our first response as message bearers. Being a message bearer, we will see, is second. Our love for God, which first expresses itself in worship, also motives our personal involvement. Where love and passion for God and his glory are great, there will also be a burning passion to tell the whole world about his greatness. But where there is little love for God, there will also be little motivation to declare the glad tidings of his salvation. So our first response as message bearers is to become passionate worshippers.

We began with the question, “What is your part in God’s plan to glorify his name among all peoples?” What have we discovered so far? Our first response is to become passionate worshippers. So let’s stop here and put first things first: Let us worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

By Russ Mitchell

Russ is the field director for One Challenge (OC International) in Romania – www.oci.ro.

What is your part in God’s plan to glorify his name among all peoples? There are tens of passages in the Bible that could be used to develop this theme.

But here we will focus on one Old Testament passage – Psalm 96. This is one of the clearest and most amazing mission passages in the entire Bible. In fact, it has been called “the missionary psalm.”

It is helpful to know that Psalm 96 is divided into two parts: Verses 1-6 and 7-13. We will see that themes introduced in the first part of the Psalm are repeated and further explained in the second part. Looking at this Psalm we will discover three major themes which will help us clarify our role as message bearers. So let’s begin with the first theme found in verses 1 and 2 and repeated in verses 7-9.

Worship the LORD

Part 1: Psalm 96:1-2
Sing to the LORD a new song;
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name…

Part 2: Psalm 96:7-9
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
Worship the LORD in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.

What do we see in these verses?

• In the first part, we see that “Sing to the LORD” is repeated three times.
• In part two, “Ascribe to the LORD” is also mentioned three times.
• In addition part one adds “bless his name” and part two continues:
• “Bring an offering and come into His courts.”
• “Worship the LORD in holy attire.”
• “Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

What do all these have in common? Worship. In all there are eleven commands involving seven different aspects of worship. Thus the first theme of Psalm 96 is worship.

Who is called to worship?

It would be a temptation to stop here, pleased with our discovery about worship. But by doing so we would miss the most significant part of the message. There is another important question that we need to answer, namely, who is called to worship the LORD?

Look closely. What more do we see about who is called to worship?

Verse 1: Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Verse 7: Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Verse 9: Tremble before Him, all the earth.

So who is called to worship the LORD? “All the earth” (mentioned twice). “O families of the peoples” Thus all people everywhere– all the inhabitants of the earth — are called to worship the Lord! Does it surprise you that all peoples, even in the Old Testament, are called to worship? It does me! Why is this so? Psalm 96 gives us a “clue” why the nations are called to worship.

“O Families of Peoples” – The Abraham Connection

Let’s take a closer look at the phrase “families of peoples” found in verse 7. Following this clue takes us to the first book of the Bible, Genesis. The phrase “families of peoples” is first found in Genesis chapter 10. After the tower of Babel, the peoples were divided into 70 “families” or nations. Then in Genesis 12:1-3, God called Abram. God made a covenant with Abram, giving him seven promises.

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Especially note the last promise that through Abraham, God would bless all the families of the earth.

For those who lived in the Old Testament, it was a great mystery how God would bless all the families of the earth. But for us today this mystery has been made clear. Even if the “how” of fulfilling the promise was a mystery, the Psalmist confidently looked to the future when God would fulfill his promise and bless all the families of the earth. In anticipation, he calls the nations to worship the Lord.

Something to Sing About

So anticipating the time when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham to bless all peoples (Genesis 12:3), it is no wonder that the psalmist begins with “Sing to the LORD a new song.” He expects that God is going to do something so extraordinary that it must be celebrated by all peoples, finding expression in new songs.

From our perspective, we know much better what the nations have to sing about: For example the last book of the Bible, Revelation, gives us a glimpse of heavenly worship.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)

What is the theme of this new song? The redemption of all peoples. So what the Old Testament anticipates, we see fulfilled in the New Testament. God has provided salvation for all peoples through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ on the cross. God has fulfilled his promise to Abraham to bless all families of peoples. Now that is something to sing about!

PHOTO by Petr Kratochvil

By Thuo Mburu
Thuo is the director of Trinity Fellowship in Nairobi, Kenya.

I. Review of Last Week’s Post

This paralysis (between the revival and mission movements) begs for humility on both sides to view revival and mission movements more of marriage partners than bed fellows. They have an existential relationship which can only be threatened at the defeat of both causes.

How then do we bridge this paralyzing gap and save the revival and mission movements from mounting sentiments of incompatibility? Can we tolerate their divorce without hurting the purposes of God in our generation?

We shall attempt to answer these questions by addressing root causes for the said apparent animosity or incompatibility between the revival and mission movements with the goal of re-marrying them.

In so doing, we identify five core issues which promise harmonious and lasting co-existence in the proposed marriage: 1) Perspective and interpretation; 2) the goal, purpose and expectation; 3) biblical authenticity; 4) the context; and 5) the character and integrity of the advocates. Last week we highlighted the first root cause and in this post we will consider the remaining four.

Goal, Purpose, and Expectation

2. Closely related to a proper biblical perspective is the goal of both revival and mission movements. Suffice it to state that the goal of revival should be to arouse/restore the Church to her fundamental ‘being’ so that she can be pre-occupied with the missionary purpose of her existence.

Thus, it is futile to labour for a mission movement within the context of a church requiring to be revived. In such a situation, the mission advocate should embrace the need for revival and either invite the revivalist or mobilize for mission on the theme/banner of revival.

Biblical Authenticity

3. We must not tire of insisting that, whatever the interpretation and goal/expectation of both revival and mission movements, these must pass the test of biblical authenticity. The invasion of evangelical foundations by the twin evil of humanism and liberalism has, among others, attempted to mask the existence of absolute reality as taught in the Bible.

The fact that the Bible is trustworthy and dependable for all matters of life and godliness is neither a popular cliché nor a theological hypothesis. It is the absolute truth apart from which there is no truth!

Hence, the pursuit for revival and mission outside the purview of Holy Scripture can only serve temporal ecclesiastical significance and is impotent in hastening the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. Biblical soberness is thus needed in recognizing that not all ministry is service to the King!

Context

4. Like the relationship between a man and a woman before marriage, revival and mission thrives best in certain contexts. Attempts at marrying these two movements must then pay heed to contextual factors which feed each of them.

For example, while revival is preceded by spiritual decay and moral decadence, mission thrives in environments of prophetic vision and spiritual abundance. Practically, the excesses begging for revival will vary from one place, time and generation to another while dimensions of mission remain largely unchanged except in the mechanics and logistics of ‘doing.’

Character and Integrity

5. It must be said, and announced from the rooftops, that character precedes and exceeds charisma. On the other hand, all should be reminded that bad company ruins good morals. Revival and mission have tended to attract actors of opposite poles in terms of spirituality.

While revivalists lay emphasis on the charismatic dimension of faith, mission advocates appeal to the love theme of God for His people. While both of them are biblically tenable, their separation causes an indefensible void in the experience of the advocates.

In highlighting Christlikeness as an indispensable and premium mark of Christian maturity, it must also be said that, like in any other area of ministry, the veracity of revival and mission movements is directly related to the integrity of God’s servants therein. Therefore, apart from sharing in the passion for each other, revivalists and mission advocates can and should marry on the plane of shared evidence of growth in character.

Conclusion: And the  Two Shall Be One!

Having considered the basis on which revival and mission movements could be happily married, we now turn to the decisive question; viz will they agree to be married together? This is a difficult question in the contemporary practice of multiplied compartmentalization of ministry.

In attempts to improve effectiveness, the church has fallen into the trap of dismembering the Body of Christ beyond recognition. Hence, contrary to biblical teaching, we find individual believers pursuing narrow strands of ‘specialised’ ministry without reference to and oblivious of others.

Upon realizing the error, we seem to have found a quick solution without necessarily returning to the ‘Body’ ministry. Widespread campaigns at building partnerships and networks are, at the core, silent attempts to recapture the harmony and synergy expected of God’s people in ministry.

Though these seem satisfactory at the mega levels – often national forums – it must be repeated that revival and mission movements cannot operate effectively as casual partners. On the other hand, the two are grassroots initiatives rather than administrative entities.

The basis stated above presents them as essentially the two sides of the same coin of which one implies the other. Consequently, the most biblically effective approach to fanning revival and mission movements is to marry them right at the conceptualisation stage. This way, the revivalist becomes a mission advocate and vice-versa.

Where these movements are operating side-by-side, the onus is upon the leaders therein to recognize the manifold benefits of being married sooner than later. This act of repentance and return to Scriptural order will not only bring harmony but the fruit which is only possible in a marriage – multiplication and trans-generational sustainability.

By Thuo Mburu
Thuo is the Director of Trinity Fellowship in Nairobi, Kenya.

Introduction

The Christian cross-cultural mission movement has historically ridden on the crest of spiritual revival movements. From the Pentecostal awakening in Jerusalem (Acts 2f), the world Christian movement has been accelerated by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in similar manners over the last two millennia.

These revival movements have, without exception, been characterized by a renewed conviction of sin and a passion for the lostness of humanity among true believers leading to outgrowth of bands of itinerant evangelists and the formation of missionary societies, not to mention ardent advocates for moral and social reform.

On the other hand, the Church has tended to slide to a state of lethargy and compromise in the periods between successive revivals. Such dark phases have been characterized by apathy to the plight of the suffering/problems in society, loss of the prophetic voice and decline in missionary zeal. Preoccupation with institutional expansion and the maintenance of ecclesiastical order has always tended to mask the divine component of the nature and function of the Church.

Internal strife, division and even persecution have often led to concerted pleas for God’s intervention through sending forth a spiritual revival.

While this has been the pattern over the history of the Church, contemporary trends seem to view revival and missions as two separate entities. This is especially manifest in the practice of pursuing revival distinctly separate from, and without reference to, mission.

Though well intended, this unfortunate dichotomy of revival and mission movements has led to signs of frustration among the advocates of both due to the delay of their realization. That is, the mission mobilizer will wait longer than he expects if he fails to pursue it on the platform of revival. On the other hand, the revivalist will be disappointed if he fails to view missions as a desired product of his labour.

This paralysis begs for humility on both sides to view revival and mission movements more of marriage partners than bed fellows. How then do we bridge this paralyzing gap and save the revival and mission movements from mounting sentiments of incompatibility? Can we tolerate their divorce without hurting the purposes of God in our generation?

Toward a Re-marriage Between Revival and Mission Movements

We shall attempt to answer these questions by addressing root causes for the said apparent animosity and incompatibility between the revival and mission movements with the goal of re-marrying them. In so doing, we identify five core issues which promise harmonious and lasting co-existence in the proposed marriage: 1) Perspective and interpretation; 2) the goal, purpose and expectation; 3) biblical authenticity; 4) the context; and 5) the character and integrity of the advocates.

1. Perspective:

What is revival? Though the idea of ‘revival’ is almost a buzzword among Christians today, doubts abound as to its meaning. Casual observation indicates the existence of innumerable perspectives and interpretations which often causes confusion to the keen listener.

For example, the society is choked by brochures, fliers and media advertisement inviting people to a ‘revival meeting’ of one kind or another. On the same token, it is not rare to hear pastors explain ‘revival’ in terms of numerical growth in church membership and increased financial giving.

On the other hand, mission has generally been reserved to a special category of God’s service – often the few hyperactive enthusiasts. Thus, we see the church schedule special mission emphasis seasons in the calendar while engaged in some other agenda throughout the year. It is not surprising to see churches investing large percentages of their income to social programs in the name of mission but appearing aversive to the idea of sending out or supporting missionaries.

As alluded above, re-marrying revival and mission movements will, of necessity, demand consistency in understanding with a focus on their similarity in conceptualization. Thus, for our purpose, revival is rendered as God’s special visitation upon His people (the Church) restoring them to their covenant position “to be and do” according to His bidding.

It has a unique focus on repentance from sin and worldly compromise with the consequent recovery of holy living, passion for humanity in sin and abhorrence of evil and oppressive systems in the society. Brought by the agency of the Holy Spirit, this divine-human encounter is so pervading that it draws the attention of the unbelieving world to ‘behold the wonder of God among His people.’

The resulting interaction between the revived church and the awakened world provides a strategic platform for evangelism and missions to thrive. Convicted of their sin and of God’s love for the sinner, believers are then willing to give up everything necessary to propagate this new freedom by sending forth the gospel of Christ where it has not been hitherto.

Consequently, while the mission advocate is wary of the revivalist’s understanding of revival, he needs to see it as happening among God’s people in the church which is his target as well. Furthermore, both of them need to view the Church as fundamentally missionary except in her fallen state for which revival is critical.

PHOTO by Tina Phillips

By Peter Mbugua
Peter serves with Trinity Fellowship based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Here in Africa, the challenge has a different flavour. The average pastor in the rural town is not a holder of even the 8th grade Certificate of Primary Education , let alone a college education.

How will such a pastor embark on persuading students to be reconciled to the God that the teacher just bashed in class with impunity? Or a God who won’t give them a lot of money, jobs, health or entertainment?

I would like to point out three very practical things parents, educators and students can do to change this scenario and revive biblical faith in our homes and churches.

1. Adopt for your home or church Bible Class a book entitled Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ by New Tribes Mission. Take one chapter or two per week. It will take 52 sittings, or one calendar year. By the end of the last lesson, you will have exposed your students to Biblical Christianity in detail, thereby laying a firm foundation for faith in Christ. For, how will anyone begin to be a bearer of the gospel when he himself is not a solid disciple of the One who sends us? Fathers, this is your call.

2. Adopt for your school a Christian Education curriculum such as the Accelerated Christian Education (A.C.E.). And for those of you allergic to Global Americanism, consider seriously engaging the A.C.E. leadership fraternity to discuss the possibility of contextualizing this curriculum to make it suitable to your country’s history, geography, languages, Art, etcetera. My imagination runs wild every time I meditate on what ACE Contextualized could do in the so-called Creative Access Countries. There are few human beings who will refuse a good education tomorrow, even if it plainly talks about following the teachings of Prophet Isa. Let him who has an ear hear what I am saying.

3. Adopt The Kairos Course for your college or church mission program. This tool is turning many souls around to see the heart-beat of God for a broken world. Used in more than 32 countries, Kairos the tool every believer needs to assist in the recovery a Biblical worldview, and I the adoption of a missionary lifestyle, whatever the individual’s role in mission involvement. Kairos says that among believers, no one is to be left behind in God’s missionary enterprise. But let’s not give missions exposure in isolation.

It needs to be given in the context of an ongoing spiritual nurture, where a healthy and secure relationship exists between the learner and the nurture-giver. Character training, and focus on the Great Commission must be key right from the beginning of the discipleship program. Jesus was careful to tell the disciples, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men Matthew 4:19). They knew where the school was heading.

Who knows, maybe if these three things are implemented in just 25% of the homes where this article is being read, those homes will experience the “Thursday Drama” with 9 and 11-year-olds praying for their preacher fathers and mothers even where such prayers have not been solicited.

Maybe teachers will report to school early to listen to children recite Bible verses. Maybe the children in those homes and churches, like the Younger Son last Thursday, will be dreaming to become Pilot-Missionary-Doctor (in that order, please!). Maybe the older sons and daughters, as here, will help their dads edit the Power-point presentations for students’… excuse me… pastors’ seminars.

When these children come to that junction of life in the next 5-10 years, will they drive through the strait and narrow road, or will they take the highway to hurray-land? Time will tell. Something tells me we will be doing just fine on the tough way that leads to eternal life. So help us, Lord!