(Text and Audio)
Title: The Universal Nature of the Christian Mission
Luke 9:53–55 (ESV)
53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
55 But he turned and rebuked them.
Consider this contrast to calling down fire from heaven.
Malachi 1:11 (NASB95) “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.
(See also Isaiah 55)
That message will help us remember that judgment is not the mission. Reconciliation is our mission.
That message also helps us to understand the nature of the word, “World” in John’s Gospel or epistles. John thinks in terms of all kinds of people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. John has a worldwide view from which God will save many people.
By the time John writes his gospel, he certainly has a whole new view of God’s purpose for the world.
So does the Apostle Paul.
1 Timothy 2:1–7 (NASB95)
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.
7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
The central idea of the paragraph 1-7
Verse 1 Prayers for everyone
Verse 4 God wants all to be saved
Verse 6 Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all
Verse 7 Paul was a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles (all nations)
“First of all” This is really important
Chapter 2 is about public worship, and the most important thing to say, deals with prayer and the universal range of our responsibility.
John Stott writes,
I sometimes wonder whether the comparatively slow progress towards peace and justice in the world, and towards world evangelization, is due more than anything else to the prayerlessness of the people of God.
We find 4 of the 7 Greek words for prayer
What do they mean, or are they merely meant to emphasize through repetition?
- Entreaties (Supplications, petitions) – that which is asked with urgency based on presumed need—‘request, plea, prayer.’
- Prayers – The most general word for prayer. It means to speak to or to make requests of God—‘to pray, to speak to God, to ask God for, prayer
- Intercessions (petitions) – to speak to someone on behalf of someone else
- Thanksgivings – to express gratitude for benefits or blessings
- This is the necessary completion of worship. First we pray, and then we rejoice in God’s work.
How far reaching are our prayers to extend?
Are prayers made just for saints?
Are prayers made just for people like us?
No, prayers are made for everyone.
Prayers are even made for people like Caesar. Prayers are made for all levels of government.
“On behalf of all men,
Kings
Authorities”
That we may lead a undisturbed and tranquil life.
Jerry Bridges wrote:
We should remember again that God in His infinite wisdom and sovereignty and for reasons known only to Himself, allows rulers to act contrary to His revealed will. But the evil actions of those rulers against God’s children are never beyond the bounds of His sovereign will. And we should remember that God works in history from an eternal perspective, whereas we tend to view the outworking of history from a temporal perspective.
Because God has ordained rulers for our good, and because He sovereignly rules over their actions, we should pray that they will rule for our good. Paul urges that prayers be made “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Prayer is the most tangible expression of trust in God.
For what ultimate purpose do we pray?
The work of the gospel.
Is Paul teaching universalism?
Will all men be saved right down to the worst sinner of all – Judas?
1 Timothy 5:24 (NASB95)
24 The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.
No, he does not teach universalism here.
Can we resolve this paradox?
We can try. We are finite creatures.
God reveals that he desires all to be saved and that he will choose some to receive his free grace.
I would suggest that this speaks more to the nature of our mission as evangelizing disciples.
John Stott writes,
Whatever we may decide about the scope of the atonement, we are absolutely forbidden to limit the scope of world mission. The gospel must be preached to all, and salvation must be offered to all.
I am not trying to cop out of an answer. I believe that Malachi 1:11 and Isaiah 55 add the necessary context to this passage and all other passages that sound like universal salvation of mankind.
It is the same with John 3:16. God desires and loves to save the people of the world. To a 1st century Jew, that sounds inexplicable unless they were paying attention to the breadth of God’s plans in the Hebrew scriptures.
It is all important that we never exclude God’s absolute sovereignty and human responsibility. They both exist in scripture.
It is this big grand design that should compel us to transform our world first and foremost in the place of prayer.
Together we can assault the enemies fortress. We can tear down strongholds. After the shock and awe air assault, let us deliver the good news.
Small Group Questions
- Of the four kinds of prayer listed by Paul, what word connects with you the best?
- Of the four words, which one should you work on the most?
- How does Isaiah 55 and Malachi 1:11 compare with 1 Timothy 2:1-7?
- Are you satisfied to not fully understand the depths of God’s wisdom? Or put another way, are you at peace with unsolved mysteries?