PRAYER:
Lord we thank You for letting us know Your plans in advance, which helps us to share our light with all people. May You be lifted up, may all men be drawn unto You. You have blessed us to be a blessing, help us to share Your truth with all. Help us to present you to everyone in such a way that you are lifted up before all nations. Father, thank You for the diversity You have created. Please help us have a love that breaks all barriers that could get in the way of serving our fellow brother or sister in need. Thank You for coming to save all people. Lord thank You for our Great commission. Help us to go into all the world like You commanded.
In Jesus’ name amen.
The Prophets Foretold
(Isaiah 60:3; Micah 4:1-2) The prophets foretold of a message that welcomed all people! In the Scriptures the prophets foretold of a time when the Gentiles would be drawn to the light of Israel.
(Isaiah 56:6-8). In this context the house of God is supposed to be a house of prayer for all people
(Jonah 3:7-10; 4:1) The attitude of Jonah toward Nineveh can characterize those who want to horde the blessing of God. Jonah wanted to keep exclusivity with the message of salvation and he reluctantly delivered it.
WHAT DO THESE VERSES TEACH ABOUT UNIVERSAL OUTREACH, AND ABOUT HOW LIMITED SOME IN ISRAEL WERE IN UNDERSTANDING IT?
The attitude of Jonah toward Nineveh were characterized by the Israelites in Jesus' day as people who wanted to horde the blessing of God for themselves.
God has called us to be the light of the world. God wants us to draw all people to Him and He has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others. The blessings of God are for the purpose of sharing the message of salvation with others. We must let others know about the mercy and the grace of God and shine our lights to the entire world.
God is a gracious God and He is looking to reunite the nations and bring together all who were scattered. We must be mindful that we do not adopt the mindset of Jonah. God has called us to be the light of the world.
Woe Unto Thee
God has also given His people advantages, and they will also have to give an account for what they did with those advantages.
(Matthew 11:20-24) Jesus describes places where He worked miracles and why He expected more from the people. Jesus performed many miracles in these towns, yet they were unresponsive to the miracles He performed. Jesus says that if the Gentiles had the same advantages they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus was expecting more from the Jews because He gave them more advantages.
(Luke 4:25-30) This passage lets us know that not everyone was healed who could have been, as the healings were strategic. God has a reason and a purpose for why He chooses to bless one and not another.
(Luke 17:11-19) Jesus heals ten leprous men but only the Samaritan came back and thanked God for the healing. The miracles should have brought all ten back to glorify God, but only one came back and gave thanks. God chooses to bless people in order to expand His kingdom and reach all people.
(John 10:16) You may be tempted to think that you are the only person that God wants to save, but there are other sheep He has who are not of this fold.
What crucial message comes from these texts?
God wants to reach all people with the message of the gospel. God has other sheep that will respond to His voice when He calls.
How can we take what is written here and apply it to ourselves, in our own time and context?
We must be careful that we do not take the blessing of God for granted.
What principle is revealed here that we have to be very careful about?
We are blessed in order that we may be a blessing to others, not to sit on our pedestal of righteousness and look down on those who do not know what we know.
We Would See Jesus
How is the universlity of the gospel message reveled in these verses?
(John 12:20-32) There were some Greeks who approached Philip and said we would see Jesus. This indicates that the message of the gospel appealed to all people. Anyone who wanted to know the truth was drawn to Jesus.
What was the cost?
He explained to them that discipleship would require a sacrifice.
How do we understand the meaning of this?
Jesus explained to the crowd what His death was going to accomplish, but they did not quite get it.
Breaking Down Barriers
What Ellen G. White writes in "The Desire Of Ages" brings the point of this lesson home. It reads - "A certain Samaritan, in his journey, came where the sufferer was, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. He did not question whether the stranger was a Jew or a Gentile....He did not consider that he himself might be in danger of violence by tarrying in the place. It was enough that there was before him a human being in need and suffering....Thus the question, "Who is my neighbor?" is forever answered. Christ has shown that our neighbor does not mean merely one of the church or faith to which we belong. It has no reference to race, color, or class distinction. Our neighbor is every person who needs our help. Our neighbor is every soul who is wounded and bruised by the adversary. Our neighbor is everyone who is the property of God." (Ellen G. White, The Desire of ages, p 503)
In what way do these verses show why regional, ethnic, and other barriers should have no place among Christians as they seek to make disciples among all nations?
God is LORD of all peoples, tribes, nations, and tongues. He is God of the universe. God created one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve out of which this earth has been populated. Therefore, every person on this planet is our brother and sister in Christ.
John 7:35 and John 8:48
Jesus’ ministry in this world transcended race, ethnicity, gender and culture. The Israelites did not like the fact that Jesus did not follow their cultural and traditional norms. They scornfully talked about Jesus teaching the Greeks.
It gives us a sense of this resentment that they had towards Jesus’ ministry and “mingling” with the banned crowds. They scornfully talked about Jesus teaching the Greeks. They went as far as dishonoring Jesus in the way they called Him a Samaritan and having a demon! The Jewish took Levitical laws to an extreme and considered interactions with Gentiles and the Samaritans to cause one to be defiled and unclean.
Luke 10:27 - So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’[a] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost not just the Jews. Jesus modeled ministry that transcends race, ethnicity, gender, and cultures.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
(Romans 15:12) "And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust."
(Acts 1:7-8) "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
(John11:52-53) "And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
(Mathew 28:19-20) "Jesus’ desire for His church here is that we should make disciples of all nations.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
What's the esential message here, and how does this message fit in so well with the three angels' messages of Revelation 14?
We are to go to all people of all nations and through daily self sacrifice and self denying of common everyday wants and pleasures proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Today more than anytime in the history of man kind anybody, who has the education, political,social and religious status, similar to the characteristics of the apostles, can reach just about everyone on the planet. If you understand the three angels' message in Revelation 14, it is being proclaimed by these angels through the Christian Church today through the direction of Jesus Christ.
The self denying effort and self sacrificing effort starts at home. How many people do you know who call themselves Christian do not even take one day out of seven and set aside even a few hours to attend a worship service with like minded people, in honor of God much, less do it on Saturday, the Sabbath, as commanded by God in the fourth commandment found in the scriptures. How many people do take the effort to worship on the Sabbath, but do sacrifice even a couple of minutes on a daily basis to proclaim the gospel.
When Jesus said things, He said them dramatically to make a point. Jesus was also a practical Man. When He said to take up your cross and follow Me, He understood that people have families and responsibilities that they needed to attend to in this life. The self denying effort and self sacrificing efforts He was referring to is to take time out of your daily life and set it aside for the sole purpose of proclaiming His gospel message.
These efforts include adhering to all of God's commandments, of which Jesus said, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18). How many people are willing to sacrifice even this much?
