THE CALL OF ABRAHAM / THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, GEN. 12:1-3

THE CALL OF ABRAHAM / THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, GEN. 12:1-3

THE BIBLICAL BASIS OF MISSIONS -- OLD TESTAMENT

            Note: Genesis 1-11 deals with early events with universal significance, that effect the whole world: the creation of the universe; the creation of the first human pair who parented us all; the fall of man into sin, which affects us all; the promise of a way of redemption for all of us; a worldwide flood of judgment; the origins of all races from Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, (Gen. 10, the table of nations, 70 nations represented all the world in OT; Gen. 46:27, 70 moved to Egypt; Ex. 15:27, 12 springs & 70 palm trees).  Psa. 87:4-6, “Register of the peoples”, God keeps tract of & wants to reach all peoples.

            QUESTION: Why does God all of a sudden focus only on one man, Abraham, and his descendants from Genesis 12 on?

            ANSWER: Here we have a limited call (focused on one man) but with a worldwide mission purpose.  God starts His universal mission plan with Abraham!

            God starts dealing with one man and his descendants, Abraham and the Israelites, but with the salvation of the whole world in mind.  God calls Abraham and the Israelites as His special servants and witnesses to Himself, as His OT missionary witnesses to the One True Holy God Jehovah.

            Genesis 12:1-3, The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  (2) I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

            We can see here some basic fundamental missionary principles and lessons:

1.         Vs. 1, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household.”  LEAVE SIN AND UNGODLY ENVIRONMENT.  (Abraham was world’s first cross-cultural missionary, sent by God).

           

            Abraham’s relatives were still polytheistic and idolatrous, Joshua 24:2.  It was necessary for Abraham to leave this unhealthy environment for some time, until he became stronger and more mature in his new faith.  Often as new converts also need to get out of unhealthy environments for some time, i.e., drugs, alcohol.  (Israel was strategically located on major trade routes, for Israel’s witness to the nations!)

2.         Vs. 1, “go to the land.”  GO WITH THE GOSPEL.

            This involved deliberately going someplace else in obedience to God’s call, mobility, a fundamental for missionaries.  We need to be willing to go to where the need is, to the last lost person at distant places. 

3.         Vs. 1, “I will show you.”  WALK BY FAITH AND OBEY DAILY.

            Abraham was given guidance for only one step at a time; he had to begin walking and obey by faith.  We also as Christians are usually given only one step at a time and need to obey and walk by faith daily.  EX.: a lantern; a cruise missile that can be guided while in flight, not a Scud; a ship needs to move to be steered.

            Vs. 2, “I will make you a great nation (‘goy’) and I will bless you.” 

4.         GOD NEEDS A SERVANT MISSIONARY PEOPLE AND WITNESSES.  God sovereignly elected and called the Israelite people as His servants and witnesses, His ‘OT missionaries’ to the nations.  (Most Christians are stuck here in “I will bless you”, are selfish; 95 % of Chr. books reflect this.)

            Vs. 2, “I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”

5.         GOD BLESSES US AND SAVES US, SO WE CAN BLESS OTHERS AND HELP SAVE OTHERS!  God said: “I will bless you so that you can be a blessing to others.”  We as Christians also are blessed, so we will be a blessing, sharing Jesus & our blessings, the gospel, & ministry with others. 

Heb. 6:13-18, God swore an oath “by Himself”(there is no one higher); God wanted to make “the unchanging nature of His purpose” to bless all peoples in Christ, to reach all peoples, very clear.

            The Jewish people have throughout history been a great blessing to mankind, providing a great number of scientists, scholars, etc.  Yet the greatest blessing has been to bring Christ, the Redeemer!

            THREE WAYS THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE BEEN A BLESSING TO ALL THE WORLD:

A.        The Jewish people received and recorded the Old Testament Scriptures, God's revelation of Himself to the world, Heb. 1:1-3; Rom. 15:4.

B.        The Jewish people became the human channel through which Christ came, the Redeemer for all

            people; son of Abraham, Matt. 1:1; son of David, Matt. 1:1; of the tribe of Judah, Gen. 49:10. 

C.        The Jewish people were God's servants, witnesses, missionary people, to make known God’s name & character among the nations, Isa. 43:10; Isa. 44:1-2; Ex. 19:4-6, “priests to the nations”.

            Vs. 3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”

6.         PEOPLES’ BLESSING & CURSE DEPENDS ON THEIR RESPONSE TO CHRIST.

            Applies to Israel: many nations’ welfare has been dependent upon their treatment of Israel and Jews.

            Applies to Christians: people’s blessing and curse depends on their receptivity and response to Christ and the gospel; Jesus’ witnesses and disciples are simply His messengers.  Luke 10:16.

            Vs. 3, “and all peoples [clans, families] on earth will be blessed through you.”  (Hindi - har jati)

7.         GOD DESIRES THE GOSPEL TO GO TO & SAVE PEOPLE OF ALL PEOPLE GROUPS!

            This is the clearest and earliest OT scripture showing God’s purpose that the gospel of Christ and missions is to go to all people groups!  Jahweh is called “God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob”, why? because He is not only Israel’s God, but “the God who will bless all nations in Christ”, Gen. 12:3.       Gal. 3:8, God in Gen. 12:3 announced “the gospel in advance” to Abraham!

            This promise of having many descendants and being a blessing to all peoples was repeated to Abraham in Gen. 13:16 (“like the dust”), Gen. 15:5 (stars), Gen. 22:18 (stars & sand), and to Isaac in Gen. 26:4 (stars), and to Jacob in Gen. 28:14 (dust).  Stars shine, and dust & sand spread.  Abraham was age 75 when he first received the promise, 86 when Ishmael was born, & 100 at Isaac’s birth, yet believed.

            God Promised Abraham: (1) Descendants; (2) Land; (3) Blessing.

            Fulfillment in PAST: Isaac; the Israelites, Historic Israel.

            Fulfillment in PRESENT: in Christ & the blessing of salvation; Acts 3:25-26; Romans 4:16-18; Gal. 3:6-8; Eph. 3:6.  Believing Jews and Gentiles are the true children of Abraham, are numerous!!!

            Fulfillment in FUTURE: the “uncountable” redeemed in heaven, Rev. 5:9; Rev. 7:9.   

How to receive the Word of the Lord

Here's how to receive the Word: "So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls" (James 1:21). "If you love me, obey my commandments" (John 14:15). We're to live for the Lord and do the things that please Him, regardless of what other people may think. Your friends may not have the privilege of knowing Jesus the way you do. When you love someone, you like to do the things they like to do. I remember sitting and watching Veggie Tales and other little kids movies with my son when he was younger—not because I was into them, but because he was into them. There are some foods my wife likes that I don't like, but I'll eat it because she likes it. I'll come home, and sometimes she will have cooked something that I know she made just because it's one of my favorite meals. She knows what I like, and she wants to please me. That's a sign of loving and being loved. I never ask, "What will my friends think?" when I am doing something for my wife because I love her. When she's doing something for me like making that meal that I love, she's not thinking, "What will my friends think?" Who cares what they think. What matters is the person that she loves the most on earth. What matters is what Jesus thinks. It's all about getting the right perspective because we can get all out of whack in our thinking if our perspective isn't right.

Letter to supporting Church.

Jim and Jeanne Lowell- Missionaries to the Latin America-Caribbean

1)       A description of your visions and direction for your current ministry area.

Jeanne and I serve as the Directors for Graduates Studies for The Caribbean School of Theology (CST) exists to serve the region by request of the National Churches of the region. The Caribbean Fellowship of Assemblies of God Executives (CFAGE ) have requested that CST provide them with a mobile seminary with roving faculty that supplements the three-year Bible Institute program with a complete academic year of advanced studies leading to a B.A. degree. This is accomplished by conducting on-site annual and semiannual seminars in each participating country.

In addition to the B.A. studies, CST was asked by the executive (CFAGE) of the region to launch an M.A. program. CST is unique in that it brings together pool of experienced minister-students creating a dynamic and practical learning environment. Missionaries who have involved themselves in CST studies have found that relationships with their national peers have been greatly enhanced. The word has gotten out that CST studies are grueling as students read and study to complete an M.A. course in a two week period, three hours a day, usually with five texts, four major papers, and a final paper that represents what is known as “Can’t Sleep Tonight! (CST) But ask any of several hundred present or former students and graduates what CST means and they will tell you that CST gave them the tools to become more effective Christian leaders, pastors, and teachers.

2)       Why the change from Foreign to U.S. based missions.

I was asked to direct the Graduate Studies ministry in four different regions of the world. The assignment I felt right about but the question came was more about where. When Lewis and Cassie McCown came to our home and asked us to join them in the Caribbean and Latin America area of ministry I was first of all feeling, “after India, the Caribbean is hardly a mission field.”

Jeanne and I both have earned PhD degrees in InterCultural Education. We direct the Graduate studies program of the Caribbean School of Theology (CST) that serves the Caribbean/West Indies and South America (Suriname and Guyana); making available a Masters of Arts degree in Ministerial Studies. This is a roving seminary that offers presently 12 graduate seminars and next year will be 18. I teach and preach in every location that I go, resulting in nine traveling teaching assignments this past year. Any location in the region to live would increase expense and travel time. Coordination of books and class needs from any of the other countries I go to would be difficult. The visiting professors that need scheduled and having access to records from other locations would be more difficult as well. Resulting from these needs and problems, we are a mobile seminary with roving faculty. We go to the leaders of each of these nations to teach. In our seminars we have the leading pastors, the national leadership (Superintendent, Assist Supt., Treasurer, Secretary, Committee member, Bible School Principal, and Faculty of National Bible Schools). We have a unique responsibility and privilege to teach the national decision makers for the Assemblies of God in the region. I have been raising money for a Bible School Project in Suriname where there has been no Bible school ($50,000), a library project for establishing libraries in each of these nations’ Bible Schools that CST works in ($20,000). CST MA course projects of $36,000 for new MA course.

3)       The opportunity presented to meet the great commission calling through this assignment.

The Caribbean region has been mission receivers rather than a mission’s force. Two very real victories are the proposed National Strategies for missions that are now being presented to the Presbytery in two nations, Jamaica and Guyana. It should be noted that The Bahamas is 65 yrs old, Belize is 61, Jamaica is 71, Guyana is 51, and Suriname is 45 years old as Assemblies of God churches.

The reality is that not one missionary has been sent from these nations by that national church which is an Assemblies of God Church. One of the reasons of my being part of CST, and part of my calling is to challenge these nations to become Great Commission Churches and to participate with God in His Mission to the Nations of the earth. To live locally and to care globally is a need for our churches both home and abroad. Jamaica and Guyana are first among our region to take up this challenge. They believe that they are to be participants in taking this Gospel to the ends of the earth. I believe our teaching and mentoring these national church leaders has brought about this difference. God is doing a new thing in the key leaders of these nations and they are presenting to their National presbytery "A Strategy for Missions."

4)       The length of time, as a part of this ministry, you are planning on being U.S. based.

We are presently living in Springfield. I would like to change this to a major city by virtue of the fact that airline tickets are cheaper from hub areas into every one of these countries. The need of location in ministry is not so much Springfield, but a location that would give me ease of travel to the nations in which we minister. I can fly out of Seattle saving $200-$250 per ticket.

·       The Bahamas- Nassua, Abaco

·       Jamaica-

·       Belize

·       Guyana

·       Trinidad-Tobago
      Turks and Caicos

·       Suriname

The reality is that I teach in all of these nations. Out of the twelve graduate study courses that are taught, leading to the MA Ministry degree, I teach either four or five of these courses. We presently deliver three courses a year in four nations. By September we will be including two more destinations that will require six more seminars, meaning as high aseighteen teaching seminars a year. I am home very little already. In any case, travel from Suriname to Guyana is travel that takes me back either to Trinidad or to Miami then Georgetown. Travel from Belize means back to Atlanta then to Dallas, Miami to The Bahamas or Jamaica. We could have based in Florida but entry level housing was more than all of us could bare cost wise, along with storm and weather conditions that didn’t seem friendly especially if you are not there for repairs with damage that goes with the location.

At the present time I feel the work we are doing in training leadership at the level we do and the nations that we are influencing in this training are strategic. Our plan is to continue on with this present ministry.

The following comes from a missionary who sat in the last missions course in the country of Jamaica, where a national strategy of missions was forged through a combination of lectures, reading, prayer and the meaningful contribution of other courses as Biblical Theology of Missions, and Missions from the Two-Thirds World that I taught in this country. I got this in a paper and was correcting it today.

It is important for missionaries from third-world cultures to receive proper training before being sent to evangelize the World. As a new missionary arriving in the country of _________, I have been a witness to something I feel very excited about; the opportunity to be involved with the establishment of the ___________ Assemblies of God World Mission’s Program. As I sat and observed the hearts of the men, who I believe have a focus and desire to carry out the Great Commission, and to also know that the desire and heart of the Assemblies of God is to carry out the Great Commission, what a great and exciting time it is to be here in __________. To know that I may be able to witness the sending of the first _________ Assemblies of God missionary to go beyond the boundaries of this nation, beyond self, and most of all beyond the boundaries of everything that is familiar and comfortable is a privilege and a momentous event. What an awesome responsibility it is for those who have set under powerful teaching, challenged to participate with God in missio Dei, and standing, touched by God, and offering this general council to take up the challenge of obedience of the Harvest Master, men who have now realized that God is calling them to reach beyond the boundaries of their homeland and to reach the lost and dying of this world.

Two nations have as a result of teaching and mentoring leaders have brought change to their National Church to include the World into their focus, sending missionaries into their reason for being, with funding, training and oversight of missionaries selected.

Evangelism Teaching

EVANGELISM -- 4 WAYS TO DO IT

(Personal Evangelism)

There are 2 main types of evangelism: (1) Personal [friendship]; (2) Mass [crusades, TV, radio, also including literature, media, internet].

KNOW THE BASICS.

If you want to have the joy of leading a person to faith in Christ, you need to know a few basic truths--and you need to know them well.  These truths can be stated in different ways, but they boil down to the following four points:

1.         Every person is by nature a sinner who stands guilty and condemned before God.  Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23a.  Use Scripture to build conviction of sin; Ray Comfort advises using the Law. Every man everywhere is fully and equally sinful.

2.         Every person is helpless to save himself by his own effort.  Eph. 2:8-9. Every man everywhere needs a savior.

3.         In love, God provided salvation for sinners through Jesus Christ, who became a member of the human family, lived sinlessly, and then died on the cross to pay for our sins.  Rom. 6:23b; John 14:6; Acts 4:12. Jesus is the only savior for the world.

4.         Salvation is an individual matter and requires a personal response of repentance and faith in Jesus on the part of anyone who wants to be saved.  Because God accepted Jesus' sacrifice by raising Him from death, all who acknowledge their sin and place their trust in Christ are adopted as God's children.  Matt. 4:17; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; John 1:12-13; Rev. 3:20.

BE FLEXIBLE IN YOUR APPROACH.

Start where the person is or where his/her need is.  If they are not convinced they are a sinner, share these scriptures/truths with them.  If they are convinced they are a sinner who needs to repent and ask forgiveness, share Christ's provision, etc.  Use the Engel scale, the spiritual decision process, to determine knowledge, interest and "ripeness’).  In West, average 9 X witness is necessary. for conversion; in East, more.

REALIZE THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULDN'T RESPOND NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY.

Then don't be needlessly offensive, but simply be courteous and pray and trust that God will continue to work in their lives.  Don’t push too much, or anger them, & thus "turn them off" to Jesus & Christianity & the church.  Don’t push too much & "pick green fruit", when they are not ready or willing.

                                                  FOUR WAYS TO EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL

                                                                    THE ROMANS ROAD

Romans 3:23--Man's Need.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (NIV)

Romans 6:23--Sin's Penalty.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 5:8--God's Provision.  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 10:9-10--Man's Response.  "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mount confession is made to salvation."

The Modified or Expanded Romans Road.  You can add these scriptures:

John 1:12, Yet to all who received him [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Rev. 3:20, "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

1 John 5:11-12, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

THE ABC'S OF SALVATION

Admit you are a sinner.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Believe on Christ.  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Confess your sins & faith in Jesus.  "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).

FOUR THINGS GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW

1.         Your Need as God Sees It.  (Isa. 64:6; Jer. 17:9; John 3:3; Romans 3:10,11,23).

2.         Your Own Helplessness.  (Pro. 14:12; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Gal. 2:16; James 2:10).

3.         God's Provision for Your Need.  (Isa. 53:6; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).

4.         God's Promise to Meet Your Need.  (John 10:28; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24).

Therefore, change your attitude toward sin (Acts 3:19).

Put your trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).

Make your decision today (Romans 10:9,10).