Global Ministries Sunday (11/20/22) Andrew Panaggio

It is so good to be back at Redemption City. We were here for seven years as a family,

So we moved from Peru to the US in 2013. I think we found a city in like March of 2014 and we're here until last year so it was yeah it is just awesome me back. It's amazing to see. So many new faces people that I don't know if you have to scrape and to be with you all it's really talk about something that I am passionate about. This is my first time preaching an iPad. I feel so strange. I'm used to paper so hopefully this is work. I think I got everything set up, all right.

Only father, we thank you for this morning for this snowy, cold flushing morning. Thank you for the gift that it is. They can so many people being here, despite the the weather. Thank you for the opportunity to think about Global Ministries. Thank you for the worship. Singing songs to you. Praising your name praising, the work that you have done in the world.

Thank you for all the ways that you Bless us Lord. I pray that it's we hear your word that you would speak. They'll be clear that you are speaking, Lord, that you would speak to our hearts and that you would help us to see what it is that you have for this morning. Fasten your name.

In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth. MK3. He said, let the Earth rotate, vegetation plants, yielding seed and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed each according to its kind on the earth, and it was so 95. Said, let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let the birds fly above the Earth across the expanse of the heavens. And God bless them saying be fruitful and multiply fill the Earth. Fill the waters in the Seas. Let the birds multiply in the air. Then they six. God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created, man in his own image. And the image of God, he created a male and female created them. God bless them and said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth and subdue. It have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens. And over every living thing that moves on the Earth. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden, to work it, and keep it.

The picture that we get in Genesis 1 and 2 is a picture of a world full of Life by God, speaks and things happen. Light appears in the midst of Darkness, water is gathered together and all the sudden dry land. Appears the Earth, begins to sprout all the types of vegetation sun, moon and stars, jump into place. The oceans and the skies are filled with Fish And with birds and then God, blesses those living creature and says be fruitful and multiply fill the Earth. The land begins to sprout forth to bring forth animals.

Creeping things and Beats. And that makes you mad. Cuz I'm making humans in my own image and he says be fruitful and multiply fill the Earth. Drop the story. I'm in town again. God emphasizes the reproductive abilities of everything that he creates. Write the plants have seeds. They have fruit that have seeds in it and it's repeated twice. The fish, the birds and the animals are made according to their kind. Humans are made male and female the two essential parties in any reproductive action.

So then this is implication is clarified with explicit command time and time again to fill the skies seas and the whole Earth. from the very beginning from creation, God's Vision has been global. Is always been Global, it includes all humans and all of creation.

All humans and all creation living in Harmony and doing what we were created to do. The humans do have a unique role within creation, right? We know this. We're images that represent God, we were made to rule, like God in this world over the created order. What number is represents God by ruling like God rules. So, we look at Adam and Eve, they were planted in a garden. Got to tend and care for this garden with love. Tell them to name the animals to eat, to enjoy life, to make culture, to make art, to bring things to their fullest potential to commune with God. He told them to have children. And to teach them to do the same thing. I got makes this beautiful world and sets it on a trajectory.

This is beautiful world and since I want you to feel it, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth. That's we all know. It does not look so good now. That's not how things are today, Adam and Eve. As we know the story goes, they were Bell and they, they they said sin into action and the sin goes on to corrupt and infiltrate everything. And we all know what sin is because it's so familiar to us because it's at home in our hearts. And all around the world. It's so evident. The next chapter in Genesis, the first murder happens, chapter 4, I was close to the beginning and it's not just any murder. It's a fratricide, it's a brother killing his brother. It is, if we were to continue on reading the next several chapters, we see that same continues to grow and get worse and to become more corrupt and an end to be more violent.

Krups everything. At some point, God says, I got to wipe the Slate clean. We have to start again and he sent the flood.

What is a flag God's Vision Remains the Same After the flood? Noah and his family, all the animals that were in the ark come out of the Ark and God says to them. Be fruitful. Multiply fill the Earth.

Got this hasn't changed.

Ascend has intended either with the flood. Right rather than spreading out and stealing the Earth. What are the humans do? On Genesis 11, they come together and this is what they say. They said, come let us build ourselves a city in a tower with its top of the heavens and let us make a name for ourselves last. We be dispersed over the face of the Earth, the very thing that God commanded them to do time and time again. They're afraid of doing rather than spreading out and going to the rest of the world. Ruling is got a told him to do with with love and care. It is a very opposite. They say, we can't go out. We have to huddle together. We want to keep God for ourselves in our city.

Do do God's Vision has always been global?

Introduces a new complexity. Genesis Cosmic enemy to God's Vision that has to be defeated. Is it is a power that a time? Seems like it has a life of its own it corrupt, individual people and a corrupt the system that individual people make. Let me see in the stock of the story of the Tower of Babel, which I just referenced. Didn't have a tendency to coronavirus in Word. Chris Inward and not outward to look to ourselves and to our own needs. The commune with people like us to assume that the way that we do things is the right way, the best way and that other ways of doing things are wrong. And divides it separated into different groups that compete with each other.

Finn breaks us apart. There's an enemy that vision and much of the Bible is pushing it. It's all about pushing against that narrative. It's all about bringing people back together, people that aren't supposed to be together. I'll give you three examples of this. The first one is is the nation of Israel. The people of Israel when they come up out of Egypt in Exodus It wasn't just one family or one racial and ethnic group that left Egypt. What? Says in Genesis and exodus 12, I think it's verse 38, a mixed multitude went up with them from the very beginning these people. Where am I? Have a bunch of different people and what kept them together? What United them is a people.

Common experience of salvation. Granted by God.

New Testament. After Jesus has his live. He's died. He's resurrected and he's ascended to heaven. The disciples. Do not know what to do. They are hiding it in a locker room. They're praying, they're seeking the wisdom of God, they're confused there, waiting, and then, boom. Allowed sound the Holy Spirit comes on at on them and they began speaking in other languages and listen to what Acts 2 verses 5 through 12s. Now, they were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews devout men from every nation under heaven. And at the sound of multitude came together, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished. Same are not all these who are speaking galileans. How is it that we hear each of us in his own native language? Parthians and medes and elamites in Residence of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia punches and age of phrygia, and pamphylia, Egypt, and parts of Libya belonging to Serene and visitors from Rome, both Jew, and proselytes, cretins and Arabians. That's a really long list. We hear them telling our own tongues, the mighty works of God and they're all amazing perplexing to one another, what does this mean? Yeah. That's that's a really good question. Like, what the heck does this mean if we were there? That's exactly what we would be asking. What is going on. All of us are hearing the works of God in our own language, in Spanish, and in French, and in Swahili, and in every language. What is going on?

The people from every nation under Heaven. It says Jews and proselytes.

Building a new family, a new Humanity, made up of people from everywhere.

One more example, John's Vision in in front of God, in Revelation. Daiquiri red, part of what I was going to read. So you already know what's coming. This is what this is, what John sees and hears. We can't, we can't, we can't do this enough, we need to keep reminding ourselves of this Revelation. 59 first and they sing a new song sing where the are you to take the scroll and to open it seals for you were slain and by your blood, you ransomed people. You random people for God from every tribe and language people and Nation. Revelation 7:9. After this, I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number. Termination from All Tribe and people and languages standing Before the Throne before the lamb. Clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. A people. I'm across the entire globe and they are united around. What? What do they see?

That one was a rhetorical. What do they see?

The United around. Salvation. Yes. And what were they see? What in division. What is it that they see? The lamb. I slaughtered lamb. They're uniting Around Jesus. The slaughtered lamb who defeats that Cosmic enemies in

The clothing, white purified from sin.

These are the people that want to have it, the new, or the new heavens, and a new Earth, and the finally live out God's global vision and its fullness. living in Harmony and peace living in communion with each other and with all of creation, including animals, There probably won't be snow. Sorry.

that's out of my notes, but

A live in Eternal presence. Radiance of God that is God. Global vision. That's got double vision and I wanted the first part of my my sermon this morning. I wanted to trace that through the Bible. Because I'm the first-ever Global Ministries Sunday at Remsen City Church. If nothing else I want you to recognize that God's vision is global, It is global and it's it's always been trouble. We need to see that and we actually need. We need to feel it, we just feel it. Deep down inside. It's not just something that we think. Got the feeling.

Need to see it. We need to feel it because it's not it is not a Christian creation. Hey, it's not an Evangelical initiative or an Acts 29 goal or a Redemption city project is not something that we do.

That's something that we can can do. God's global vision is an inescapable reality. It is a fact

The fact that began before sin entered the world and it will come in its fullness when Jesus returns and establishes his kingdom.

Let's start there. That is where we start. But what's up, stop there? Great to see it, great to think about it, but why does it matter? How does impact those of us that live in a particular place and not everywhere?

How does it impact us? What does that mean for us on a zero in on a passage this morning that describes that vision and it helps us understand a few implications of what this what does global vision can mean for us in the passage of Isaiah 2 1, through 5

I'm going to organize the rest of the sermon around two questions. Okay, the first one it looks Inward and the second one looks out. Where the first question is, how do we live as Christians in light of the inescapable reality of God's global vision, okay? Can't answer that question fully that is that would take not capable of but also it would take forever. But what we talked about a few things in the second question.

What's the biggest issue facing the global Church? And how is the bubble family might we were spawned. All right, to question number one. How do we live as Christians in light of the reality of God's global vision? Isaiah 2 1 through 5

The word that Isaiah son of a mouse. Saw concerning Judah in Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house, shall be established as the highest of the mountains. Have you raised above the hills? All the nations will stream to it. Many people should come and say come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the god of Jacob. He may teach of his ways. And that he and that way we may walk in his pass for out of Zion shall go forth, instruction and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the Nations and to arbitrate, for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their Spears into pruning. Hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation. Neither shall they learn War any more? Oh, House of Jacob. Come. Let us walk in the light of the Lord. This is the vision for the prophet Isaiah and 8th Century BCE. It speaks about days to come some undefined term time in the future that undoubtedly will come when Jesus returns establishes his kingdom and its fullness. What is Isaiah? See! What is what happens in these days to come? The first thing is at the mountain of the Lord's House is established as the highest of mountains. Another words, the Temple of Yahweh which is is located on the Temple Mount, which is already a mountain.

It's going to be raised above all the other mountains. And it's all going to be visible. Everyone will be able to see it. The ancient world temples were always are almost always on Mountain Gods, lived and mountains were wholly. So that's where you put your temple. But in this Vision yahweh's mountain is super naturally, elevated above all the others, so that everyone can see. What does that mean? This is a politically and religiously charged vision. The nation of Israel is this tiny insignificant nation state that that exists between two International superpowers. On the one hand, you have a Syria and on the other side you have Egypt. I need International super powers on behalf of their gods, enjoyed dominating the world. I love depressing those little nation states that lived in between. Israel is a nothing in the ancient world. There. Nothing. the past between the powerful Nations back and forth time and again,

so, this vision, The religious and political order of the date is flipped on its head, right? Because if the Lord's mountain is higher than all of the other mountains, what does that mean? It means that all of the other gods are inferior. You always mountain is the highest all the others lose all of their powers, whether their political or religious are at best subordinate. The Lord, the god of Jacob is supreme and everyone around the world sees it. Because they said, what did I do?

Does it the nation's stream to Yahweh? Nations stream t h Temple of the idea of streaming. Is it in both English and Hebrew? It is, it's a, it's an aquatic metaphor, right? The people are flowing like a river. There's something strange about this particular River. I think it's out of the ordinary. Anyone know what that might be.

What is strange about this particular River?

It's pulling a pill. That's exactly right. What is going on? Water does not flow uphill. Going up to the highest mountain because there's an irresistible draw on this mountain, that's overpowering the law of gravity and all the natural laws as we know them. Is bringing people to the Temple of the Lord. anniversary it says many peoples shall come and say many people prefer is not primarily to the number of people but to the number of people's or people groups What do they say? Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the god of Jacob that he may teach us his ways. And that we may walk in his pads, front of Zion, shall go forth, instruction, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, this verse is just incredible. Speak to the beautiful complexity of God's people. These other people groups from other nations, with different gods. Recognize the identity of a particular God, the god of Jacob, the god of Israel down the modern world nowadays. This is kind of weird for us because we don't accept spiritual matters. And as Christians, we don't actually believe that there are other gods, right? Well, that's not how the ancient world works. Every nation had their own God, and everyone knew every nation believed in the gods of the other nations. There was no such thing as his monotheists or an atheist and was not even an option. That wouldn't have been conceivable to people in the ancient world.

Do the people, recognize the Lord, the god of Jacob, they're accepting the god of another Nation. They're recognizing that there's a historical relationship between this God Yahweh and a particular People Israel.

The recognizing that the god of that nation is more powerful than the thought of this nation. Love, that nation is supreme.

As Outsiders. Is Outsiders. They recognize that they have a need. The need is to go to this God, because this God has all the power.

What's the posture of these people as their streaming to the mountain of the Lord? What's that they come seeking to learn Desiring to know to learn the way of Yahweh, how to walk and his paths. So any humility they say, we need to go to the temple because if this got his Supreme We need to figure out. How should we walk in this God's ways? We don't know how to do it. We can't do it. Because we're ignorant of it. So they stream uphill to the mountain of Yahweh. What they don't do is they don't Co-op this God. They don't, they don't say this God, that guy over there is going to be our God. He's going to become rather than the god of Jacob. He'll be the god of Assyria is, I'm going to that God, as the god of Jacob, Mia's in the Syrian, the world international superpower. I go to the god of Jacob, this tiny insignificant nation and I learned that God's ways. I don't keep that God my ways.

I do it cuz they they recognize they have to cuz I don't know what to do, they don't know how to please that.

I can't do on their own, so they go and learn. And we see the results of this and verse for, he shall judge between the Nations and to arbitrate, for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their Spears into pruning. Hooks Nations shall not lift up sword against Nation. Neither shall they learn War any more. Please different nations that stream to the Lord. First officers, if they eat themselves to the rule of the Lord and the Lord arbit rates and they're in international relations, and then they take the tools of war and turn them into agricultural tools. In light of the abundance of gun violence in us meeting in Grand, Rapids and light of the war in Ukraine.

The idea of turning War tools into tools for the production of food. That is really good news. That is fantastic Nations. Won't even need to learn The Art of War anymore. They won't be interested in The Art of War anymore. That is it, that is fantastic news and sometimes we can be shielded from that. But this is a reality that a lot of people around the world face on a daily basis.

Okay. How does the division? Actually help us today. The live is Christian's in light of the reality of God's bubble vision. There are three important implications, 34 probably many more, but I'm going to tell you about 3.

Is the first one.

The American church is not uniquely special.

American church is one of the many peoples. Come to the Lord. And we come as Outsiders alongside a bunch of other Outsiders. We do not have a special seat at the table. We do not have a uniquely elevated role and got the plan.

We along with every Other Nation. Have the amazing gift of streaming to the Lord.

We get to come to the Temple of Yahweh and learn what it means to live as humans.

The wet comes to Global mission for Global Ministries. That means we get to be Learners as much as we get to be teachers. We get to meet brothers and sisters from around the globe that do things differently but still walk in the ways of the Lord.

We get to join them. I mean, that we don't impose the American way. Rather together we pursue God's ways. It is really, really good news for both Global and local Ministries. Right. Because what what what brings people to God? Is not our hard work and our effort, right? People are streaming uphill like this River. That is going against gravity. Only because they see the Lord as the highest, the Lord's Temple is the highest on the highest amount. They see the god of Jacob as Supreme, and as a result, Humbly, seek to learn what it means to live, as he is Yahweh. What? Let means we get to participate in this. We get to play a role but we don't save souls for example.

Week week, and we should testify about the one that does save Souls. But it's not up to us to save anyone. The only person I can make a river flow upward is God. The first application American church is not uniquely special. Which leads to the second implication. There is no room for nationalism of any kind. The package cannot be clear on this. when those Nations stream to the Lord's house, they are acknowledging the supremacy of Yahweh over any other power that would claim authority over them or over their Nation. That includes religious, and political powers. I mean, a completely new allegiance that does not eliminate National identities, but it does supersede them.

We come to the Lord. We become Christians first. Become Christians first. Not the implications of that implication are countless. So not going to talk about many of them if I can only want to briefly just mention one.

How should we think for example, about immigration? Given this reality? how to make about immigration considering Many of the immigrants that come from nations in the rest of the American continents are Christians. Which means? We are part of the same family.

We're closer we have a closer relationship to them as Brothers and Sisters in Christ that are non Christian neighbors. Even

How do you think about immigration? I'm not saying that, it's simple or uncomplicated. My only point is that we should think about it.

I don't have time to fill out any more potential implications but I want to say is that the global vision of God should make us think deeply about what it means to be an American.

The global vision of God to make us think deeply about our American identity in the same goes for every other nation in the world. we happened to be in the u.s., so what does it mean in light? I've got double vision to be an American. That's your homework.

All right, number three, the Church of each Nation. Has an important role to play because while no nation is uniquely special. The Church of every nation is supremely special. They're special in that they are given the gift of following Todd.

I notice in verse 4. the all of the people that streamed the mountain of Yahweh, Are still different nations.

They come and learn the ways of the Lord, and yet there still are distinctions between them. This resonates with all of the passages that referenced before, right? The path. Is it talk about the ransoms people of God? From every tribe language people and Nation. There is diversity. Amidst, the unity of the church, don't we become Christians? We don't cease being American or Peruvian, or white, or black, or Asian or Latino. Those remain essential and core aspects of Who We Are. and that means, I mean, even after learning the ways of the lord, we will Express those weighs differently at times what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus in one place is not exactly the same as what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus in another place.

Their difference is this is what one missiologist says. Every culture makes it possible a certain approach to the gospel that brings to light certain of its aspects that is in other cultures, cultures less visible or even hit that one more time. Every culture makes possible a certain approach to the gospel. That brings to light up its aspects.

That is not certain of its effect that is in other cultures left visible or even hidden. Which culture is able to bring out the sex of the Gospel unique aspects. And what that means is that we need the church in every culture That we can learn from them. We can see the beauty of Jesus from a different angle. We can see what God is doing from a different place.

The global church needs, the National Church of every nation.

We have to work together and pursue the ways of God in unison.

That brings me to the last question that were going to answer today. What is the biggest issue facing to go to church and how? And the global family must be respond. I know that's actually two questions but they're close together.

All right, the first off. The inescapable reality of the global vision of God. What we saw in Isaiah 2 and all the other passages, that is a part of it is here. It is present, even now. So let me just give you a few stats, Philip Jenkins our historian. He said this a 1900 Africa had 10 million Christians representing about 10% of the population. By 2000, this figure had grown to 360 million. Representing about half of the population by 2050, Christianity will be chiefly, the religion of Africa and the African diaspora by. Then there will be about three billion Christians in the world and the population of those who will be white or non-latino will be between 1/5 and 1/6 of the total. That's crazy. I mean, if you think about a large portion of Christian history that is crazy. It's a massive shift in the demographics of Graphics of the church and a large part of the shift is because of massive growth. Mark Knoll at the following. The number of practicing Christians. In China may be approaching the number in the United States. And I was in 2009. So, I'm pretty sure the number is increasing. I am at Wheaton, one of my classmates is, is a, is a pastor from China? Mainland China, the pastor of a house Church. I don't want you all but when it went, when I heard House Church previously, I thought I thought it meant church. That that house or something. I don't know why. I thought that.

Is House Church. A thousand people. Yeah. Yeah, but I don't meet in a house.

Turn off Rise by the communist government. 8000 people Church. And they are facing pretty intense persecution. It's it's, it's kind of weird and hard to even imagine from where we sit, but I'll just say that the first semester that I was at Wheaton, one of the pastors at his church was taken. And put in prison, he was the guy that did the media and put like video and audio and all that stuff. And and and he was put in prison for a few months ago. Fear of that type of thing happening. But let me just read that more time. The number of practicing Christians. In China, may be approaching the number in the United States. Light of that reality of my my friend that's pretty crazy live bodies. I don't know why he wrote it like that, but that's what it says here. Live bodies supposed to dead bodies. In church are far more numerous in Kenya and in Canada. More Christians, more Christian workers from Brazil or active in cross-cultural ministries. Outside their Homeland, then from Britain or from Canada. Last Sunday, more. Christian Believers, attended church in China in all of so-called Christian Europe, this past week, in Great Britain, at least five at least 15,000 Christian foreign missionaries were hard at work. Evangelizing locals, most of these missionaries are from Africa and Asia. The Nations have come streaming to the Lord. The numbers are just staggering. It is just insane. Most Christians now live in the majority world, right? So, in East Asia Africa, and Latin America and the rate of growth in this place is unbelievable.

And yet there's a serious problem.

An organization called training leaders in international names of problem, like, this around the world, there a 2.2 million Evangelical churches. 85% are led by pastors with no formal theological training. 85%. Here around here. We take it for. Granted that pastors have studied that they know they're stopped at the V. Ask him if he wants to question them, the least give us an educated response. That is not a reality for 85% of the churches.

And the reason is a massive problem is that without training? It's impossible, it's not it's difficult, not impossible, but it is difficult for her password to her phone, dacian for their people, to help people understand the ways of the Lord, and as a result people in Austin pastures themselves become vulnerable to false teaching in the false Gospels. What are the clearest evidences of this is that the Prosperity Gospel is growing massively around the world. Prosperity. Gospel tells people that have enough faith. God promises, that you will be rich and healthy. But what happens with Prosperity Gospel? Is that the pastor or the leaders and uptake? Hey, plant your seed of Faith which means give some money to church and then they end up becoming rich. And often the people in those churches are poor. They're vulnerable and ever result of the Prosperity Gospel, they end up becoming more poor and more vulnerable.

Theological education won't fix that problem, but it will help. When pastors and leaders are able to understand the truth of the Gospel better, they'll be able to protect their people and themselves from the false Gospels. The you asked me have an embarrassment of riches in terms of theological education on one Road in Grand Rapids. We have three Christian colleges as not to mention another Seminary that's across the street from one of those seminaries. in Peru, by comparison, there are 0 accredited institutions country of 30 million people.

There's a lot of need. Was a pastor through supposed to do. We're supposed to go even when he desires to watch application. Rochester cab.

What I think is amazing, is it that needs of the global Church in the strength of the US Church. Actually have lined up really well.

And that's why for the last decade I have been working on receiving training so that I can go back to pruyn and share some of what I've learned. The point is there's a desperate need for theological, education, around the world. How will the u.s. church respond? How will we respond?

How is your son?

This morning, I've tried. A picture of God, global vision begin creation, and will be fulfilled when Jesus returns and we live. I've been on those two times.

We have before us. Opportunity. A 4S. Great need. We have to live Faithfully here and now in our place. With a recognized that we have brothers and sisters around the globe that are trying their best to do the same. Does we close our sermon? I just ask that all of us, pray, That we seek God and say, what would you have us do as a church? How can we play our role? We stream uphill the Temple of the Lord.

How many father? I thank you. For your word. For your goodness. Thank you for the gift of coming to know you. I thank you for. All the ways that you bless us, Lord that you would open our eyes to the need around the world, and to our own need Lord. That we would see the sin in our hearts, the ways that we fail, you Is individuals and as a church and Victor hearts Lord. And bring us to you. How do you say your name?