The Father’s Will (part 1) – November 14 Preview

The Year:  1944.  The Place:  Southern England.  The Leaders:  Churchill and Roosevelt (and their military officers).  The Mission:  Liberate the continent of Europe from the intense and oppressive grip of the Nazis.  The Problem:  Europe is a big place and the Nazi influence had seemingly secured most every point of access.  Given this situation, how could the allies ever succeed?  How could such a huge objective be reached?

Given these parameters, the brain trust of the allied troops got to work.  If only the allies could take one beachhead, they could move troops and supplies from England onto the continent, and drive their way all the way to Berlin.  If only the allies could land in one spot, they could free all of Europe from the tyranny of the axis.  If only . . .

Given this strategy, the allies made a plan.  On June 6, 1944, they made the charge.  Parachuting in infantry and boating over troops, they swarmed the beaches of Normandy and overran the Germans, establishing a base of operations inside Europe through which to funnel the resources necessary to win the battle.  We know this event as D-Day, and without it, it is unlikely that the allies would have won the war.

Now rewind back about 4000 years . . .

The year:  2090 B.C.  The Place:  The Middle East.  The Leader:  God Almighty.  The Mission:  Liberate God’s masterpiece (mankind) from the oppressive and destructive grip of sin.  The Problem:  The world is a big place and the influence of sin had tainted all of creation.  Mankind had spread out across the globe in a myriad of cultures and languages.  Given this situation, how would God ever succeed in restoring the nations of the earth to fellowship with Him?  How could such a huge objective be reached?

Given this situation, God in His infinite wisdom, had a perfect plan laid out.  If God could establish a relationship with one family, He would have established a beachhead through which He could flow all of His resources to show the world of His goodness and plan for salvation.  If God could establish a relationship with one family, He could work a path so that eventually people from every tribe, tongue, and nation could be saved.  If only . . .

Given this strategy, God got to work.  Sometime around 2090 B.C.  God sent His Word onto the beachhead of the city of Ur.  In the city of Ur, God spoke to Abram and began a special relationship with this man and his descendents.  “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.  I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse.  And all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you,” God said to Abram.  With this promise and Abram’s faithful response, a base of operations was established inside humanity through which God could funnel the resources necessary to win the battle.  We know this event as Genesis 12:1-3, and through it we see how God intended to win this cosmic war eventually through one of Abram’s descendents, Jesus of Nazareth.

Have you ever thought of Genesis 12 this way before?  God intended to use Abram and His descendents, the nation of Israel, as a beachhead amidst humanity through which to bless all the people of the earth.  How must Abram have felt as he heard God’s voice?  Scared?  Unworthy?  How could God use one man to impact the masses?  Yet this is exactly what God did.

Now, fast forward to the present.

The Year:  2010.  The Place:  Norman, Oklahoma.  The Leader:  Jesus Christ.  The Mission:  “Go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19a).”  The Problem We See:  How can God use me to make an impact for Him among the nations?  This world is too big!

Given this Great Commission, Jesus Christ made a plan.  He would establish thousands of beachheads all over the planet through which He could pour the resources necessary to win the battle.

When you trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, God saved you from eternal damnation.  Your place in His heaven is secure . . . yet you remain here.  I believe that a big part of the reason why you are still here is that you have become a base of operations for God’s rescue mission to the lost today.  God has placed His Holy Spirit in you so that through you, His resources might flow to impact this generation for Jesus Christ.

God has a great mission that He is conducting on this earth.  He has saved us, and equipped us to be His base of operations in this world.  As you reflect on your place in life, remember that.  Like Abram, respond in faith to God’s call to make disciples.  See God work through you in the lives of those around you as He continues His plan to take His gospel to all people . . . including both your next door neighbor and the unknown faces to you and I that live on the other side of the globe.

For the next two Sundays at Wildwood Community Church, I will be preaching a series entitled, “The Father’s Will:  Understanding our Heavenly Inheritance.”  In this series, we will be looking more at how God has richly blessed us AND what He wants us to do with that blessing as we look at the life of Abraham.  I hope to see you Sunday!