Can you imagine if the Mona Lisa was only hanging on the refrigerator of Leonardo da Vinci’s relatives, instead of hanging on the wall of the Louvre? What if the musical “Les Miserables” was only ever performed one time at a high school in rural Indiana, instead of running for decades on Broadway and in London’s West End? What if William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” was only a story he told his family at their reunions, instead of performed at the biggest stage? If any of these things would have happened, it would be a travesty, right?
Something that beautiful, that well done, that powerful, deserves to have the widest audience.
Now, I want you to think for a moment about the God who created EVERYTHING. Much more than painting a few canvases, He painted the universe. Much more than writing songs for a few characters to sing, He put a new song in all our hearts. Much more than writing a story, He is THE STORY of all time. If “Hamlet” and “Les Miserables” and the Mona Lisa deserve a bigger stage, than certainly our God deserves the grandest venue! The worship of the one true God deserves far more than to be confined to the people of one small Middle Eastern nation (Israel).
This is why it has always been God’s ambition that all tribes, tongues, and nations come to a knowledge of who He is and worship Him in spirit and in truth. 700 years before Jesus gave the great commission (to take the Gospel to all nations), God said through the prophet Isaiah (in Isaiah 49:6):
“It is too small a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. I will make you as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Today, on the other side of the cross, we continue to embrace the fact that it is “too small a thing” for the good news of Jesus Christ to be confined to only one geographic location. Our commission (given us by Jesus Himself) is to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This is why we are For the Nations following Jesus together with us to the glory of God.
Over the next 10 days at Wildwood, we will be celebrating our “For the Nations Week 2019.” All details for this week can be found on Wildwood’s website at http://wildwoodchurch.org/missions2019 . As we prepare for this week, however, we want to make sure you are aware of what is happening so you don’t miss out on any of these great activities:
For the Nations Kickoff Event
Saturday, March 2, 2019
6:00 – 7:15 PM in the worship center
Praise and Worship, Prayer, Hearing a Vision for this week from our Director of Global Outreach Kevin Bradford, Learning about how Wildwood is for the nations by helping train indigenous pastors to reach Europe and South America, meet a number of Wildwood’s missionary patterns . . . even a special session for the kids! Don’t miss a very special night for the whole family! Please rsvp if you are bringing your children. You can rsvp at http://wildwoodchurch.org/missions2019.
Sunday Morning
Sunday, March 3, 2019
9:45 & 11:00 at Wildwood
Join us in our times of worship this Sunday morning as we continue our “For the Nations Week” with a special music piece with Latin American flavor, hear a sermon from our missionary partner David Robles from Spain on Psalm 67, and meet a few more of our missionary partners who are in town. Also, we will have a number of our missionaries sharing inside of our adult Sunday groups on this day.
Sunday Receptions
Sunday, March 3, 2019
9:00 AM in the Children’s Lobby, 12:00 PM in various rooms downstairs.
If you would like to interact with some of our missionary partners we would love to have you stop by one of these venues on Sunday to get to know them. Before services in the Children’s Lobby, we will have some donuts out, for you and your kids to stop by and say “hello” to some of our missionaries. At noon, there are 3 lunches planned: one for College Students in the Fellowship Center, one for our Legacy Group (over 55) in Room 1, and one for everyone else in Room 2. Please rsvp for these lunches at http://wildwoodchurch.org/missions2019
Compassion Experience
Friday, March 8 – Monday March 11, 2019
Times vary each day . . . trailers for Compassion Experience will be set up in Wildwood’s main parking lot.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on less than $1 each day? Fo millions of children worldwide this is their reality . . . a reality that seems so far removed from our experience in Norman, OK. Wouldn’t it be great to get to learn more about these struggles AND do something about it in Jesus’ name? The Compassion Experience is an interactive walkthrough that lets you and your family know what life is like for children in the developing world. I have been through this before with my family and it was AMAZING. We are so blessed to be able to bring the Compassion Experience here to our Norman community. Wildwood is partnering to help plant a church in the community of Lagoa de Sao Franciso, Brazil. This church has a Compassion Center inside the church to assist in their outreach to children in that community. 200 children are currently enrolled in this Compassion Center and in need of sponsors. Wildwood has a chance to sponsor each of the children in this community who are a part of the Compassion program where they get food, educational help, and things to help their physical health . . . but also they get 6 hours each week in discipleship training! Compassion exists to help release children from poverty in Jesus name through the local church. Want to know what these kids are going through and learn more about this ministry? Visit the Compassion Experience next weekend at Wildwood. Reservations can be made for your walkthrough experience by following the links at http://wildwoodchurch.org/missions2019.
Compassion Sunday
Sunday, March 10, 2019
9:45 & 11:00
Join us this Sunday as I will be preaching a message on why Wildwood is involved with the church in Lagoa de Sao Francisco, and how YOU can be a part of it. Make plans to join us for this very special Sunday! I cannot wait. I’ve had this Sunday circled on my calendar for over one year now. Join us and be a part of what God is doing!
Friends, it is “too small a thing” to keep the knowledge of Jesus to ourselves. We were created to share this good news with others . . . so we are For the nations following Jesus together with us to the glory of God. See you over the next week’s worth of opportunities for you to get in the game!!