Jordan Byrd
God On Mission - The world encounters God when it encounter Jesus in you
Deuteronomy 4:5-14
In October 2011, the Montecristo, an Italian cargo ship, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean by Somali pirates – along it’s journey from England to Vietnam. In response, the ship’s crew of 23 members locked themselves in a secure room called a "citadel" to stay safe. With the ship’s communications disabled by the pirates, the trapped crew faced a dire situation. After hours of waiting, NATO rescuers became aware of the situation, and eventually were able to confidently board the ship. The pirates, realizing that they were outnumbered and outmatched, quickly surrendered to the NATO forces. The amazing part of this story, is that this rescue was made possible, because the crew figured out a way to toss a message in a bottle out of a port-hole. Nearby NATO forces found the bottle and retrieved it; and read the crew’s message that is was safe enough to board the ship and engage the pirates. As the band, Police sang, “I'll send an S.O.S to the world I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle.”
Bottles have been the vehicle for messages at least as far back as 310 B.C. When Theo-phrastus, one of Aristotle’s pupils, threw a bottle into the Atlantic ocean to test his hypothesis that the Atlantic Ocean flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Similar to Theo-phrastus, in 1846, the United States Coast & Geo-detic Survey, began placing messages in bottles into the ocean to help gather data on the movement of ocean currents. In 1914, during World War I, private Thomas Hughes wrote a message for his wife, as he left to fight in France. He placed the message in a bottle, and tossed it into the English Channel. Private Hughes died in battle two days after penning the message. In 1999, the bottle was discovered in the River Thames, and delivered to Hughes’ 86-year-old daughter in New Zealand.
For over 2,000 years, bottles have been a vehicle for communication. Countless bottles have rode the currents and waves of bodies of water the world over. These bottles don’t power themself – they are only carried by the currents of rivers, and waves of seas and oceans. These bottles don’t create their own message. They are simply the carrier in which the messages are sent.
Today, we encounter from God’s word that the nations encounter God because God is on mission – because God is the driver of making himself known in the world. While God is the driver of this mission, God also invites his creation into the process of making himself known to the world. Specifically today, we encounter, and are reminded how God invited the people of Israel to be the bottle – to be the vehicle – for carrying his message, his mission to make himself known to the surrounding nations to Israel. Good news that we encounter in God’s word, today, is that God invites us to make himself known in the world. That: The world encounters God when it encounters God in you.
We’re in a series of messages reflecting on how God has been on mission before the world was made: God has been on mission to infinitely extend his love into the life of his Son, Jesus – by his Holy Spirit. And out of the overflow of that love God brought all of creation – including you and me – into existence. God has been on mission for his love to be experienced by all of creation.
Unfortunately, the world has not always received God’s love. You, me, and all people – all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden – have gone against the wave of God’s mission (have gone against the wave of God’s love).
But, even though we’ve tried to go against the wave of God’s mission to love us, God has not stopped spilling his love into the shore of our life. In his grace and compassion, God began calling his creation back to him, through the life and family lineage of a man named, Abraham. Through Abraham, God committed to bless all nations through his blessing of Abraham’s life and his descendants.
The descendants of Abraham eventually become the people of Israel. Through each generation of Abraham’s family, God continuously channeled this people to awareness of his commitment to love and bless the world through them. See this continued commitment with Abraham’s son, Isaac, in Genesis 26:2-3; and Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, in Genesis 28:10-15. Jacob’s family is what develops more fully into the people and nation of Israel.
For many of us, at this stage in history, our awareness of partnering with God’s mission starts with Jesus, and the start of his church that we encounter in the New Testament Scriptures. But, God didn’t initiate his mission’s program with the church. God’s mission program has been in motion before creation – before the start of the church. God’s mission has been in motion, even with forces trying to go against it. God’s mission has been in motion since the lineage of Adam and Eve – all the way until Abraham – then, from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and to his descendants – that become the nation of Israel.
God’s mission with the nation of Israel traces back to Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt: In Exodus 9:13-21 we encounter a glimpse of God’s missional heart: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus 9:13-16)
The world encountered God when it encountered God in deliverance of Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters God in you.
The underlying drive of God’s actions with Pharaoh and delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt was to make himself known to the whole earth.
When God fully delivers the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He makes a covenant with Israel, that we encounter in Exodus 19:4-6, ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ …” (Exodus 19:4-6a)
God invites Israel to be the primary vehicle to make himself known to the nations. God invites Israel to be a priestly nation – to be the conduit to be the bottle to hold and live-out his message: the revelation of God and his way of life – to be a witness to the nations of who God is; and what it’s like to be his people.
The world was to encounter God when it encountered God in Israel’s life, and living out the wise and just commands God revealed to them, through Moses.
Israel responded to God’s invitation to be a vehicle of making God known to the nations. But Israel did not always faithfully ride the wave of God’s mission. Quite often, they went against the wave of God’s mission: just like their ancestors, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden. And as a result of going against the wave of God’s mission, Israel wandered in the dessert for 40 years. Their Exodus from slavery in Egypt – to their arrival in God’s Promised Land (near where the modern-day nation of Israel is today) – should have only taken them under two weeks to make the journey. But, because of grumbling and going against God’s mission, it took them 40 years. And, it also cost an entire generation except for Joshua and Caleb to miss-out on entering and experiencing the Promised Land: they were delivered from Egypt, but missed the promised land – for going against the wave of God’s mission (see Numbers 14:26-30).
We recently just passed the September 11th date on the calendar. I’ve of the generation, where I still remember that day. I remember it being a shock, the first time I asked one of our youth group students about 9/11, and they quickly reminded me – that they’d barely been alive when that happened. They were not old enough to remember the sights and feelings of that day, because they were of a different generation. There are national, historic events like that. There are also community events like that.
Many of us, here, could think of a memory from this church — that a younger generation — knows nothing about. For some, the rock, out by the parking lot, might be this way. Some of you remember what led up to it originally being placed there. Others, were barely alive, or not alive at all when the rock was placed there. The rock is meant as a reminder of our church discerning a call to do “Whatever it takes for as long as it takes to see a disciple making movement and church planting movement unfold among the Alley people." Part of the leadership’s vision for this month and next month is to reiterate this discerned calling, and hopefully, pass on the opportunity to another generation of making Jesus known – to the lost and unreached.
The context of Deuteronomy 4 is similar to this. After 40 years of wandering the dessert, when that generation died-off, and the next generation of Israelites was about to cross the Jordan river into the Promised Land – God reiterates his covenant with the new generation. We encounter this in Deuteronomy 4:5-14.
Throughout this passage, I direct you see three dynamics: (1) God’s continuance of initiating his mission; and inviting others to be part of it, and ride the wave of his mission. (2) Israel’s response to God’s invitation to ride the wave of his mission. (3) God made known to the nations. The result that comes from Israel partnering with God’s mission and riding the wave of his love, life, and blessing into the shore of the world’s nations.
Let’s briefly looks at these three dynamics in Deuteronomy 4: (1) We see God’s initiative on mission in Deuteronomy 4:5, 12, 13-14 – the Lord God commanded to Israel. And further in 4:12 – the Lord spoke to Israel. And lastly, in 4:13-14 – God wrote his commands on stone tablets; and, the Lord directed Moses to teach Israel the decrease and laws of God. Throughout this passage, God is the one on mission. God is the one initiating the process of making himself known. (2) We see Israel’s response to partner with God’s mission. In Deuteronomy 4:5-6, 9-11 – Israel is invited to follow and carefully observe God’s commands. In 4:9-11 – Israel is invited to pay attention to how they live – to remember and treasure what God has done for them, and who he’s called them to be as a nation. He also calls them to intentionally extend the invitation to participate in God’s mission with their children and grand-children. (3) And lastly, we see the result that comes from Israel living-out God’s commands. We see the result that comes from Israel making God known through the wise and right-way that God calls Israel to live. In Deuteronomy 4:6, 7-8 – God indicates that Israel will be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s wisdom and understanding to the shores of the surrounding nations to Israel. In 4:7-8 – God indicates that Israel will be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s presence to creation and humanity (God is near Israel). Israel will also be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s constant availability through prayer (again, God is near; he is not far away). Israel will also be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s wisdom in how to live rightly and most abundantly.
The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel.
What we see in this passage is God’s missional heart. We see God’s invitation for Israel to be a vehicle of revealing God and God’s abundant life to Israel, and the surrounding nations. What we can gather is that the world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel.
God did not initiate his mission’s program with the church. God’s mission program has been in motion before creation. God’s mission has been in motion, even with forces trying to go against it. God’s mission has been in motion since the lineage of Adam and Eve – all the way until Abraham – then, from Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants – the nation of Israel. But even in Israel’s history, God’s covenant renewal with Israel which is recounted, here, in Deuteronomy 4 is not the start of God’s mission through Israel. God’s mission through Israel stretches back to Jacob’s son, Joseph – being blessed to become second to Pharaoh, in Egypt. God’s mission stretches back to Israel’s deliverance from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt: the underlying drive of God’s actions with Pharaoh and delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt was to make himself known to the whole earth – The world encountered God when it encountered God in deliverance of Israel.
God’s mission is also not stopped when Israel goes against the wave of his mission. Like our life – like the life of the world in perpetual separation from God’s life – Israel struggled to be a vehicle through which God could make himself known to the world. After many great years as a prominent nation in the Mediterranean world Israel repeatedly goes against God’s mission. And, God allows them to be overrun by other nations, and scattered from the Promised Land God had given them. Through these nations, God was able to continue making himself known in the world, but Israel missed out on part of God’s blessing. But, even in the midst of their rebellion, God did not abandon his promise to bless all nations through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – through the people of Israel.
In Isaiah 42:1-9, we encounter, (1) “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. … (6) “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles [all non-Jewish people]…. (9) See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:1, 6, 9)
The prophet Isaiah, here, looks forward to the coming of Jesus – the Messiah, the one to faithfully live-out the role God called Israel to be: to be a vehicle through which God makes himself known. And, what we eventually encounter with Jesus is that he is the definite vehicle through which God makes himself known – as Jesus is God come to be with us in flesh. The underlying drive of God’s actions throughout Israel’s history are to make himself known to the whole earth –
The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encountered God when it encountered God in Jesus.
As we’ll reflect on further in coming weeks, God invites us into his mission: where Jesus invites us to follow him; and in doing so, the world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in us. The world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in us.
The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God today when it encounters Jesus in you.
Do you recognize the privilege you’ve been given to be part of God’s mission to make himself known to the world? Israel is a history example for us to look back on and see how God made himself known through their life as a people. For sure, there are differences and covenantal changes between Israel and us, today.
But, the mediating role that God invited Israel to play in his mission is similarly extended to us as Jesus’ church today. We encounter this in the letter of 1 Peter 2:9, …you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
As Jesus fully lives-out Israel’s call to make God known, he also calls us to partner with him in making God known to the world — through encounter with Jesus. Jesus calls us to be his priests – his mediators, his vehicles, his message in the bottle of our life to declare his fullest revelation of God; and abundant life in him to the world.
Are you surrendered to Jesus? Are you receiving this invitation from Jesus? Are you participating in this calling from Jesus – to be a vehicle of his revelation – that rides the wave of his mission into the lives of others, so they can know God’s abundant life in it’s fullness through following Jesus?
The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters Jesus in you.
How might God be calling you participate in helping the world encounter the life of Jesus? Jesus is calling us, like Israel of old to be a community that puts on display the abundant way of God’s life.
Part of our witness to that life happens when we meet Consistently, like we do each Sunday. Another part of our witness to that life happens when we share Vulnerably our life with Jesus with others: with other believers — to encourage and spur them on; and with unbelievers – to give them a real-life experience of God shaping the life of Jesus in us. Another part of our witness to that life happens when we invest sacrificially in missionaries helping lost and unreached people encounter Jesus.
On October 20th, we’re inviting you to make a faith commitment to sacrificially invest in support of CCC’s mission partners. We’re inviting you to make a faith promise offering on a monthly basis. We’ll be sharing more about that over the coming weeks.
But, I want to encourage you now to pray and discern with God how much he wants you to sacrificially invest in making Jesus known in the world.
If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to taste and see that the Lord is Good (Psalm 34:8). I invite you to recognize that God’s not left you without a way to encounter him. God has directed and surrounded you with followers of Jesus whom you can encounter the abundant life of Jesus. The abundant life isn’t the life of a Jesus follower. Rather, the abundant life is in Jesus whom a true Christian strives to follow; and allow Jesus to shape our lives toward God’s abundant life.
I invite you to find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus to discern your next step of faith in seeking the abundant life of Jesus.
The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters Jesus in you.