Persisting in Evangelism, part 3 - Ends of the Earth
Psalms 67:1-7
Let all the ends of the earth worship God in Jesus! [draft sermon notes]
Audio from the author
#churchplanting
#evangelism
#perseverence
Published June 28th, 2017
Sermon outline
Look-up
Sermon outline
Let all the ends of the earth worship God! Introduction I was once told at a student conference, 'this is as close to heaven as you will get on earth'. Wrong! Where were the nations, for one thing?! Ends of the earth as a theological category; big deal in Acts. The age to come is here! Represent God's ancient promises coming to be manifested. Find that photo of PNG if possible Only in Jesus can we be truly locally rooted, yet globally committed, connected, and concerned. [cf cultural ideal of 'glocal'] 1. God has blessed Jesus, so that his fame will be known throughout the earth (v1-3) 'Us' = Israel. Jesus the true Israel. Received all the covenant blessings and shares them with his people. Blessing overflows into multiplying God's fame among the peoples. The blessing to Abraham was never limited to him and his people, but had all the nations in view. This is in 'embryo' already in so many ways; eg Sheba coming to Solomon; Magi coming to Jesus; Roman centurion at the cross. Application Our heart is not for his fame among the nations! It's hungry for his blessing, but not for him. As we fix our eyes on Christ our life, as the Scriptures give him to us, HE becomes our VISION, not a means to our vision.[our vision as a church] As he is our vision, so our desire for others to see and savour the Lord Jesus grows. Questions Do you switch off when you hear about the nations, and far off people and languages? Does the thought of far-off people coming to praise God in Jesus thrill you? Do you have a method for praying for the nations, such as Operation World or Joshua project? Will you go? Short term trip. Done 'well'. Some of you, will you go long-term? 2. Let the nations rejoice, since Jesus is the Christ (v4-5) You judge with equity, and guide. God has made Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, his appointed King. The One with all authority to judge and guide and put things right. This Psalm prays for the day/age when God's acknowledged rule is extended among the Gentiles cf Isaiah 2.4, 11.3-4. 'Judge' in the OT; their primary duty was to protect the innocent. That day is here! Not in some future middle age where Jesus rules on the earth, nor in some future glory age of the church when suddenly things work differently. But already now. OT looks ahead to the age when the Gentiles will be gathered in to his rule; the gospel is the announcement that this age is here since Jesus is enthroned. Psalm 2.8, 22.27, 72.8; Zechariah 9.10; Isaiah 45.22, 52.10; Jeremiah 16.19; Isaiah 2.4, 11.3-4. It's what we saw in Acts! Think of the Ethiopian eunuch returning under a different rule, or the city of Ephesus being turned upside down by the King of the Christians. Think of Jesus leading and ruling us, the far off gentiles in Gateshead, as we do life differently according to his ways. Application We don't praise him for being King and Judge - we don't savour the delight of that. We want Saviour but not Judge/Leader. This changes how we proclaim him. First and foremost, at its simplest, Jesus is Lord. Jesus is first and foremost creator - so of course he doesn't come to save us 'out' of creation. Rather, he comes to redeem what he created. Questions Are you glad that Jesus is King? What is stopping that? Are you ashamed of his rule? Of his good commands about creation, life, and everything in it? Will you be part of cold-contact evangelism proclaiming Christ's Kingdom, here in far-off Gateshead? The thing with those 'far off' is that it never happens by accident. By definition it can't; it's the people you'll never have contact with unless you go for it. Hard to reach people are hard to reach because they're hard to reach. 3. God will keep his promise, so worship him! (v6-7) The Bible believer connects all the dots of God's plan, from summer and winter covenant-keeping - here it's probably harvest thanksgiving in view - all the way through to the great vision of Revelation 7. Even clearer through NT lens. God has made Jesus Lord and Christ, so let all the ends of the earth know! All the ends of the earth means exactly that, not 'everyone in all the ends of the earth'. Parables of the Kingdom; mixed response yet unstoppable growth. Optimistic and yet pessimistic. The net and the two destinies. We should expect exactly what we see in the first few decades in Acts; ups and downs but always surging forward, always a mixed response of faith or rejection. Application We separate out physical stuff from spiritual, with the result that we miss out on joy! Think of the ends of the earth as you see flowers and fruit this summer, and the rains. Conclusion As close to heaven? Not until we have a clear grasp on the nations, and our place as a blessed people being rivers not reservoirs of this blessing. God has blessed Jesus, the true obedient Israel, so that his fame in him would be known to the ends of the earth. Since he is King over all, let all people know it and be glad. God will by no means fail to do this. Let the ends of the earth praise him!
notes
Look-up
OT
Psalms 67:1-36
wlc
67 1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥ח בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר ׃ 2 אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ יָ֤אֵ֥ר פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה ׃ 3 לָדַ֣עַת בָּאָ֣רֶץ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ בְּכָל ־ גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ ׃ 4 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם ׃ 5 יִֽשְׂמְח֥וּ וִֽירַנְּנ֗וּ לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים כִּֽי ־ תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט עַמִּ֣ים מִישׁ֑וֹר וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים ׀ בָּאָ֖רֶץ תַּנְחֵ֣ם סֶֽלָה ׃ 6 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם ׃ 7 אֶ֭רֶץ נָתְנָ֣ה יְבוּלָ֑הּ יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ ׃ 8 יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְיִֽירְא֥וּ אֹ֝ת֗וֹ כָּל ־ אַפְסֵי ־ אָֽרֶץ ׃
Psalms 67:1-36
lxx
66 1 εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐν ὕμνοις ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς 2 ὁ θεὸς οἰκτιρήσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς ἐπιφάναι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς διάψαλμα 3 τοῦ γνῶναι ἐν τῇ γῇ τὴν ὁδόν σου ἐν πᾶσιν ἔθνεσιν τὸ σωτήριόν σου 4 ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοί ὁ θεός ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ πάντες 5 εὐφρανθήτωσαν καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν ἔθνη ὅτι κρινεῖς λαοὺς ἐν εὐθύτητι καὶ ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γῇ ὁδηγήσεις διάψαλμα 6 ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοί ὁ θεός ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ πάντες 7 γῆ ἔδωκεν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν 8 εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός καὶ φοβηθήτωσαν αὐτὸν πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς
Psalms 67:1-36
esv
Make Your Face Shine upon Us 67 To the choirmaster: with v stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 1 May God w be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to x shine upon us, Selah 2 that y your way may be known on earth, your z saving power among all nations. 3 a Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you b judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 a Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has c yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; let d all the ends of the earth fear him!
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