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Stories & Blog
God’s Global Purpose For All People
When I taught a class titled, “God’s Purpose, Our Purpose and the American Dream,” I asked the students, “What do we tell our children is God’s purpose for their lives?” They replied, “to be like Jesus,” “to love God and others,” and “to live holy lives.” All great answers; all biblical. But not once was something said like, “We are blessed so that we can make disciples of all nations.” This reflects a prevailing mentality that the “of all nations” part of Jesus’ mandate is for only a select few.
In this series, we will explore what should be the reality in our churches but often is not: every follower of Jesus participating in the disciple-making global purpose of God. Part of Crossworld’s dream statement simply expresses it this way: Disciple-makers from all professions.
Let’s look at God’s global purpose that embraces all His people:
Genesis 1:26, 28 | “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…. Fill the earth, and subdue it.” We were created to enjoy relationship with God and reproduce His image in all the earth. That’s the world purpose of God for all humanity in relationship with Him.
Genesis 12:3, 22:18 | “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed…. In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed.” God’s purpose in establishing Israel was to bless all nations through Abraham’s seed, the Christ. We are the seed of Abraham by faith in Christ, and now we are the channel through which all nations will be blessed.
The stories of the Old Testament, the psalms and prophets attest to God’s purpose. Here are examples:
1 Samuel 17:46 | David’s purpose in challenging Goliath was that “all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
Psalm 67:1-2, 7 | “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face shine on us — that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations…. God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.” This psalm, addressed to all God’s people, shows the clear connection between God’s blessings in salvation being used to bring blessing to the nations.
Habakkuk 2:14 | “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” In the midst of Israel’s suffering, God reminds them that His purposes to reproduce His image will still be accomplished.
Revelation 7:9 | “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.” This is the fulfillment of the promises in Genesis 1 and 12.
The disciple-making mandate of Jesus recorded in the Gospels wasn’t new theology; He was restating God’s purpose that is expressed from Genesis to Revelation: worshippers from all peoples. And His church, the whole church — you and I and every believer from every walk of life and profession — are His instruments.
Brian Fisher, pastor of Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas, expresses it this way: “For all eternity we will worship our great God and Savior, but for all of time our assignment is to make disciples of all nations…. Our mission should not merely direct all of our programs and activities as a body; it should direct all of our activities, commitments, relationships, dreams and aspirations as chosen servants of Christ.”
This is not about everybody moving to unreached areas, though we hope more will consider doing so. This is about every Jesus-follower being radically devoted to the purpose for which he or she was created: to enjoy relationship with God and to reproduce His image throughout the nations through their professions, resources and prayer.
In this series, we will explore what should be the reality in our churches but often is not: every follower of Jesus participating in the disciple-making global purpose of God. Part of Crossworld’s dream statement simply expresses it this way: Disciple-makers from all professions.
Let’s look at God’s global purpose that embraces all His people:
Genesis 1:26, 28 | “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…. Fill the earth, and subdue it.” We were created to enjoy relationship with God and reproduce His image in all the earth. That’s the world purpose of God for all humanity in relationship with Him.
Genesis 12:3, 22:18 | “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed…. In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed.” God’s purpose in establishing Israel was to bless all nations through Abraham’s seed, the Christ. We are the seed of Abraham by faith in Christ, and now we are the channel through which all nations will be blessed.
The stories of the Old Testament, the psalms and prophets attest to God’s purpose. Here are examples:
1 Samuel 17:46 | David’s purpose in challenging Goliath was that “all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
Psalm 67:1-2, 7 | “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face shine on us — that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations…. God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.” This psalm, addressed to all God’s people, shows the clear connection between God’s blessings in salvation being used to bring blessing to the nations.
Habakkuk 2:14 | “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” In the midst of Israel’s suffering, God reminds them that His purposes to reproduce His image will still be accomplished.
Revelation 7:9 | “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.” This is the fulfillment of the promises in Genesis 1 and 12.
The disciple-making mandate of Jesus recorded in the Gospels wasn’t new theology; He was restating God’s purpose that is expressed from Genesis to Revelation: worshippers from all peoples. And His church, the whole church — you and I and every believer from every walk of life and profession — are His instruments.
Brian Fisher, pastor of Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas, expresses it this way: “For all eternity we will worship our great God and Savior, but for all of time our assignment is to make disciples of all nations…. Our mission should not merely direct all of our programs and activities as a body; it should direct all of our activities, commitments, relationships, dreams and aspirations as chosen servants of Christ.”
This is not about everybody moving to unreached areas, though we hope more will consider doing so. This is about every Jesus-follower being radically devoted to the purpose for which he or she was created: to enjoy relationship with God and to reproduce His image throughout the nations through their professions, resources and prayer.
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