I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. – Psalm 57:9

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. -  Psalm 67:1-2

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. — Psalm 96:3

Here is a simple observation that fuels our work:

1.  The Heart of God the Father.

Instead of asking, what motivates us to missionary work, the starting question should be:

“What motivates God?”

Why would God provide me reconciliation through Jesus?

Was it just because of his love?

Or because of a greater plan in the heart of God?

Is my reconciliation simply because God loves me, or because God wants to use me towards a greater purpose?

Why would God choose to work with me, as a redeemed individuals?

As I’ve meditated on Scriptures with this question, my answer seems to be that

God the father has a heart for the nations.

I am a part in cooperating with God to fulfill God’s plan to gather the nations.

I’ve written about this elsewhere

• God’s Heart for the Nations – Part 1
• God’s heart for the Nations, Part 2
• God’s Heart for the Nations — Part 3
• God’s Heart for the Nations, Part 4

2.  The Plan of God: Gathering the Nations.

Revelation 7:9-11 gives us a perfect picture of the fruit of nation gathering.  Every tribe, every tongue.

The end of Revelation shows us the complete picture of the redeemed multicultural community and the complete fulfillment of “I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

The fruit of grace — my reconciliation — gives me the ability to cooperate with God in gathering the nations.

My labor in God’s kingdom is all part of this larger work — to gather the nations.

I’m not saved and reconciled simply because God loves me, but moreover, because God wants to use me in gathering the nations.

3.  We work in cooperation with God’s plan.

We are called to declare the praises of God and his among the nations. (Psalm 96).

As I mediate on that verse, I’m reminded once again that for people to hear our declarations of praise, we must participate in the gathering of the people.

• For some, that is working in multicultural church like I helped plant in my home city.
• For others, that is working among immigrants.
• For still others, that is working among your own people group.
• For us, that is working in other countries, particularly in Latin and South America.

Our particular calling

This larger vision carries us through the awesome times, as well as the lean times, in our ministry.

This is what gets me on airplanes to teach in your church, to inspire a new wave of passion for your calling, and to give myself away in Latin America in the missions side of our calling (An example: Our work in Nicaragua, January 2010).

Our calling to provide evangelism and missions training to churches through out the Americas is our particular expression of ministry to cooperate with God’s plan to gather the nations.

• To encourage individuals to reach people for Christ and give them adequate training to do so
• To encourage churches to grow in reaching their communities, and help them plan to do so.
• To train missionaries who wish to work cross culturally among other people groups
• To assist churches who want to send teams to Latin America to cooperate with local churches.
• To plant a church for immigrants in my city.

You have your own particular expression.

• Some of you are called to give to missions to enable this work.
• Some of you are called to short term or long term missions.
• Some of you are called to help or lead your church in the work of mission.
• Some of you are called to launch businesses that fund missions work.

As you look at your current calling, how does it fit with God’s plan to gather the nations?

Let me ask you this?

If you are feeling a little stale in your ministry, take a reflective look at your ministry and ask yourself — how am I cooperating with God’s plan to gather the nations?

How does your particular ministry expression cooperate with God’s plan to gather the nations?

What is precious?

I’ve been pondering this word in my devotions this week while looking at the current difficult circumstances of my life.

Are the challenges I face now worth the price of my calling to follow my Savior?

Is following Jesus worth it?

Some of these challenges are the direct result of launching this ministry to an international level in the Americas.

• Hours of travel by plane and bus and cars.
• Living by offerings, monthly support, and conference fees.
• Speaking in dangerous places in Latin America where personal safety is not guaranteed.
• Leaving my house at 4 am to teach all day and get home by 1:30am.
• Learning to communicate, preach and teach in Spanish.
• Other discomforts and challenges that affect my family that we didn’t have before 2007.

Are these challenges worth the price of our calling to follow my Savior?

Yes.

My relationship with Christ is the most precious thing in my life.  Obedience to His calling brings our family joy.

Seeing the fruit of this calling brings with it a deep reward that is indescribable.

When a person pulls me aside and tells me how they’ve been impacted by our teaching — it’s all worth it.

When people ask me “How can I start following Jesus too?”  It’s all worth it.

A piece of furniture

In 2006, I built a book case out of oak lumber.

Three base cabinets, with sunken panel doors on a platform base.  On top of the cabinets, I built three shelf units.  All trimmed out.

This was a gift for my wife.  Built it for Mother’s Day.  See it in our living room against the wall.

Took months to build it. About $800 in materials.

With a labor of love, I made sure the miter joints were flush, the doors opened correctly, and the cabinets were square.

I had built tables (including the one on the right), the checkerboard on the table, some little boxes, and a few other things, but never before had I tried to build and finish a project like this.

It’s just a piece of furniture right?

No.

This furniture is precious.

• So precious that we cannot put a value on it.
• So precious that it moved with us when we moved to our current city.
• So precious that we tell all who see it that it was built by my hands as a gift for my wife.

So precious that we tell

Peter declares that to us who believe, that stone is precious.

Of what value to you is your relationship with Jesus?

The question stirring in my heart during my devotions this week is “just how precious is the Savior to me?”

The more I explore the depths of that value, the meaning of that word, I notice something bubbling from inside of me.

I want to tell somebody.

Because my relationship with my Savior is so precious, I want other people to know.  Just like we take pride in revealing to others that I built that bookcase, I take pride in telling others about how precious is my relationship with the Lord.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. 1 Peter 2:7

Let me ask you this?

How can you express the preciousness of Jesus today?  Take a moment and reflect.

For some of you, you may discover the same thing I did: I want to tell somebody.

I want to speak of His activity in my life.  I want to tell others about why He means so much to me.

Learn how to share this passion through the 5CD set that you can get through the banner below.

An Unspoken Plea — “Don’t Call me Lost”

Bill Tenny-Brittian:

Bill’s Blog: BillTennyBrittian.com

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Gas on the Fire:

The Fuel for Evangelism

Tips to keeping your

Evangelistic Temperature High

Date:

August 7, 2008 9pm EST

If you have found some tips helpful for pastors to keep their personal evangelism passion high, please send them to me via email, contact us form, or simply give me a call at 804-335-1445.

See these prior posts:

• 5 Evangelism Tips for Pastors
• 4 More Evangelism Tips for Pastors

1.  Obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit

God opens the doors to evangelistic conversations.

The Lord might point out someone to you, as he did in the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch.  “Go and stand next to THAT chariot.”

As you go through the day, can you recognize the promptings of the Lord?

We need to respond to those promptings and seize the moments that He gives us.  He’ll use us to touch the hearts of others, and it is my experience that our own life will be changed as well.

Sitting on an airplane (what evangelist doesn’t have an airplane story?) I notice those that start a conversation with me.

On one of my last trips, my seat mate and I had a long spiritual discussion over why he is not a Christian.

I had the chance to discuss my faith, help him to explore his own lack of faith, in the process explaining why following Jesus is the greatest thing on earth.

For 150 minutes, we talked about faith, about life, and about Jesus.

I make it a habit of praying for those that I will sit next to, that God may use me in their journey to faith.

2.  Review God’s work in your life

I have found that the more I explore my testimony, and the more I recall God’s current activity in my life, I find a wellspring of gratefulness bubbling out of my heart.

I see God’s active grace in my life.  I see God’s care, I see His concern.  The more I look over it, my motivation to share my faith rises.  The more grateful I become, the more passionate I am to help others find this faith.

This is the inebriation of grace.  The mystery of being part of God’s kingdom.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude, perhaps melting in gratitude, and that inspires me to share with others.

Take the time to reflect on God’s activity in your life.  What is God doing in your life now that makes the gospel good news?

3.  Keep your evangelistic edge

How often do you

• Read books on evangelism?  (order books from Amazon)
• Attend an evangelism conference?
• Participate in a webinar on evangelism?
• Read Evangelism Coach? (Grab the Feed and get it automatically).
• Read a biography of an evangelist?
• Study a course?
• Being coached in personal or corporate Evangelism?
• Down load evangelism training podcasts?
• Searched You Tube for evangelism training videos?
• Surround yourself with other passionate evangelists?

These kinds of things can help you keep your evangelistic passion high.   Making the intentional effort to keep your passion high.

I find that when I attend a conference, I get excited once again about seeing lives changed.

I find that when I teach a conference I get excited when I see some newly trained evangelists jazzed up to change the world.

Right now, as I’m doing evangelism coaching for a few people, I get excited as they share with me their evangelistic conversations that have occurred between our conversations over the phone.   They are excited that they can do this, and I am excited knowing that perhaps destinies are being changed.

Let me ask you this?

What tips have you found helpful in your own life to keep the evangelism passion high?

Share them with us.

This book focuses on personal evangelism skills, and in the opening chapters, Green reminds of various reasons to do personal evangelism (p. 8-11)

1.  God is the supreme evangelist.  He loves us and pursues us.  I wrote a post on this at “God, The Evangelist“

2.  Jesus displayed constant and profound care for those he called lost: lost in loneliness, separation from God, defeat, lack of purpose in life.

3.  The Holy Spirit was given to us to fulfill his plan to reach the lost.  It is the Holy Spirit who goes before us to prepare the way, and empower us to full his plan.

4.  We’ve been entrusted with the Gospel — therefore we are his ambassadors.

5.  People’s need.

6.  The greatest joy on earth — to see one come to faith in Christ.

A deathbed confession

This morning, my taxi driver shared with me that, he was at the bedside of a lady dying with cancer.  As a family friend, he was called in to be with the family. 

The lady was slipping in and out of consciousness, and clearly was in her final moments.

With great passion and urgency, he shared the gospel with her, in a gentle and non-obnoxious way, not knowing if she was receiving the information, or what God might be doing. 

It’s hard to know what is possible in a situation like this.  Could she comprehend, could she respond if she didn’t have the ability to speak any more?

He asked, “have you received Christ in your heart?  Can you tell us?” 

The lady opened her eyes, squeezed his hand and said 4x, yes, yes, yes, yes.  Then her final breath, and she passed into eternity.

It was a brief story my taxi driver told me.  But he did share with me the greatest joy on earth — seeing this woman come to Christ and hear her declaration of faith in Him, just before she died.  He’s excited to share his faith, and is propelled with great joy to continue to do so.

He routinely shares his faith with those on the streets, who have no home, and he notices people that God underlines for him.

Let me ask you this?

Who can you share your faith with today?

The speaker was Dr. David Murray (lots of sermons at SermonAudio.com), an ordained minister in the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) and a professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed.

He spoke on the subject of evangelism, presenting three lectures to a crowd of roughly 150 attendees. The makeup of the audience was wide, with over 10 denominations and 29 congregations being represented.

They are unedited audio files, so there are some housekeeping and announcements.

See the links to the audio files:

• The definition of evangelism as “bringing the gospel to our neighbors” while missions is “bringing the gospel to those far away.”
• Some people evangelize for the wrong reasons.
  • Assurance of their own faith.
  • Sake of their own reputation (to raise a name as an evangelist).
  • Competitive spirit:  God is with our group over your group.  “We are better” kind of pride.
  • Finances: need more money, need more givers.
  • Guilty conscience.  To assuage their own guilt over their own sin.
• What is biblical motivation for evangelism?
  • The glory of God.  Calvin: “God has created the entire world, that it should be the theatre of His glory by the spread of the gospel.”
• How does the “glory of God” energize our evangelism?
• Fear of God: “Knowing what it is to fear God, we compelled to persuade men.”
• Love God: “The love of Christ compels me. . . . .”
• Election: God calls people to faith, He can use us even if we are inept witnesses.
• Worship: experience the presence of God.
• God’s presence: We are promised the God’s presence as we go.
• Glory of God is the destiny of our evangelism.
• When people come to faith, God gets the glory.
• God is glorified because His name is made known.
• God is glorified through using appointed means of sharing faith.

Each runs between 60-90 minutes in length and are downloadable if you wish to throw them on your IPOD.

Salvation is not just for individuals, but for the nations.

Here is what burns in my heart as my passion in life:

to help the Church get passionate about evangelism

and leading people into discovering their faith in Christ.

I have spent hours, days, months, and even years reflecting on the question:

Why bother with Evangelism?

What drives me?

What motivates me?

Have a Glimpse of God’s Heart for the Nations

Well, one answer to that question is that I have “tasted” God’s heart for the nations. With a brief glimpse of God’s heart, my entire life direction has been transformed.

I have viewed heart warming slide shows of people of different cultures played to beautiful music, but that’s simply images. Anybody can move you with images and well placed music.

I have heard inspired sermons on God’s heart for the nations.

I have traveled to over 10 different countries, all in Latin America with the exception of two weeks in Austria.

But even with that global experience, tear jerker missionary slide shows, calls to evangelism or mission services, there is still the question of “why should I throw my life into mission?”

Why upset the fruit basket of the comfort of our life and move to the mission field?

I got a glimpse God’s heart for the nations.

God’s Heart for the Nations

Darrow Miller reminds us in a study guide that Scripture has over 2000 references to “nations.” Every nation in the world will be impacted by God’s redemptive plan.

In the Old Testament, the primary usage for “nation” is the Hebrew word mishpachah, which means a family group, tribe, or clan.

The New Testament uses the Greek word ethnos, indicating a race, people, or ethnic group.

While reading the Bible, it’s important not to confuse the modern meaning for nation, which is a nation-state, with these biblical definitions.

“Ethiopia is a nation-state, but it’s home to nearly one hundred people groups or nations.”

God created the diversity of nations:

When I look at the creation accounts, I see diversity in God’s intent and design.

It says 9 times in Genesis 1, that he made the plants, fishes, and animals “of every kind.” When God created Adam and Eve, he created them male and female.

This creation, this diversity, was “very good.” It replaced the “formless and void” of Genesis 1:2.

We see in Genesis 10 the development of the different nations from the descendants of Noah, they move from clans, to nations, with different languages (10.4, 20, and 31). 10.32 says that “From these, the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.”

Chapter 10 of Genesis makes a historical sweep covering generations of history. Genesis 11, the tower of Babel, is like a snapshot in time that occurred – it elaborates the creation of the nations.

Before Babel, humanity was mono-cultural – one language, one culture group. But at Babel, God confused the languages of the people, and then scattered them “all over the earth” (v.9). Multiple nations were thus born.

Paul goes on to say in Acts: 17.26, “from one man, he made every nation on earth, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

In other words, God created the diversity nations.

Abraham’s calling to Bless the Nations: Genesis 12:1-3.

Then Abraham appears, Gen 12. He was one man, out of the man different nations that had been created. To Him, God states clearly his purposes for the nations through his redemptive plan.

God makes three promises to Abraham.

1. I will make you into a great nation.
2. I will make your name great.
3. I will bless you.

The men of Babel wanted to make their name great, and God confused their languages. Now, God is promising 1 man, from one nation, to make his name great.

In these promises, God has given Abraham a responsibility

“You will be a blessing, and all the nations on the earth will be blessed through you.” (12.3)

In one sentence, God has revealed his plan for the redemption of the world. At the end of time, every nation of the earth will be impacted. God’s heart is for the nations.

This promise was stated again and again in Genesis when the covenant was restated.

• Genesis 18:18: “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nations, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him”
• Genesis 22:18: “and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
• Genesis 26:4 “and through your offspring, all the nations on earth will be blessed” (said to Isaac)
• Genesis 28:14: “All the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring” (said to Jacob – 3^rd generation)

The Goal of History: Gathering the Nations (Revelation 7:9)

While there are other verses we can look at along the way, let’s jump to the end of history as revealed to us in Revelation:

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.

This is the vision of the end of time.

This is the destination of God’s story.

God’s plan of redemption that was unfolded through the nation of Israel, fulfilled in Christ’s work, and in the future will be a diverse gathering of people. God’s plan of redemption is not just individuals, but nations.

No matter what their skin color. No matter what their heritage. No matter what their income level. No matter what their language. Ultimately the nations of the earth will enjoy God’s presence in spite of any racial or cultural differences.

Let me ask you this?

(Questions come from Miller’s study guide)

You’ve been called by God to live where you are at the moment (Acts 17.26ff). Perhaps you are in your own country. Perhaps you live in a different nation because of a missionary calling.

• What are some positive attributes of your nation? From this list, what do you like best? Why? How does this affect you personally?
• What are some areas of brokenness of your nation? Which concerns you the most? How does this affect you personally?
• What are you doing to bring redemption to this area of brokenness? If no, why not? Are you ready to start doing something about it?
• Why do you think God has “determined this time set for you and the exact place where you should live” (Acts 17.26)?

Compelled: Do I have to?

I’ve seen people write about this verse as if being a witness is a necessity, as if it’s a obligation.  Since we are Christians, we are obligated to share.  God requires it of us.  We are forced to do it.

The connotation often is negative. 

I think of a dictator compelling people to agree with him.  It doesn’t matter what you think, you must do this.

I think of a parent compelling a child to clean his/her room.  The child doesn’t want to, but eventually bends the will and grudgingly complies.

The association is that we are to do evangelism because God requires it of us.

On the one hand, Evangelism is a Christian duty and obligation.  But should we fulfill our obligation because we HAVE TO or because we WANT TO?

Compelled: I want to.

I think there is a different sense in the word "compel."

Something I’ve noticed over my Christian life, the more vibrant my relationship with Jesus, the more vibrant and vocal my evangelism is. 

Out of the overflow of my heart my mouth speaks.  Evangelism — sharing good news — simply spills out of me.  It’s not something I do.  It’s part of who I am.  I am a witness.  I’m excited about what God is doing in my life, and I’m excited to share.  

I am compelled to share because I’m deeply grateful for what God has done for me.

I can’t help but to talk about God’s activity in my life. 

It becomes easy to invite others to "Come and See."  It becomes easy to point out the activity of God.  It becomes easy to talk about my faith in respectful conversations with my friends who do not follow Jesus.

Greek Speak: a divine necessity

The Greek word translated "compel" has a wide range of meaning found in the NT, including the sense of coercion. 

But in this verse, it’s a divinely ordered necessity in the purposes of God.  It is an action of our free will that we can’t help but to do.  By the calling laid on Paul, he can’t help but to preach the gospel.  The desire of his heart is so strong that out of its overflow, he freely speaks.

Let me ask you this?

What do you feel when you read Paul’s line in 1 Cor 9.16?  How vibrant is your relationship with Christ?