God’s Absolute Mission, World Evangelization (Isaiah 60:1-7) 11/1/2020
The Answers of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd RUTC:
God’s Absolute Mission, World Evangelization (Isaiah 60:1-7) 11/1/2020
There are three incomprehensible events in the Bible. It is the event in which the people of God become slaves, captives, and colonized. During the period when Joseph had been sold as a slave, people thanked and respected his family and the Israelites. However, the situation completely changed after Joseph died. Egyptians grew jealous of them and later on, they become slaves. During the time of David, the nation was envied by the world and was a nation that saved the world. Later on, the same people face destruction by Assyria and Babylon and become captives. Why did events like this happen? The Israelites who had become captives returned after 70 years. Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, came forward and rebuilt the temple that was destroyed and restored Israel, but after 200 years, they become colonized again by Greece and Rome. This is not simply history. It shows that the people of God can become enslaved, captives, and colonized by unbelievers and the world. Our posterity could perish like that. With that, a time where the church crumbles, the temple is trampled on, and glory of God falls to the ground may come. This began from the first life, Adam. The life that was created in God’s image, to conquer and rule the world and enjoy glory, crumbled (event of Genesis 3). It lost the image of God, an image of the devil appeared, and instead of conquering and ruling, it became slaves of sin, captives of the world, and colonized by Satan. Then what should God do? Does He leave His chosen people, whom He created in His own image, to perish? No. He gives answers. He saves. He leads them to be triumphant and to conquer. In other words, it is called world evangelization. This is God’s absolute mission (Missio Del). God’s heart (John 3:16), desire (1Timothy 2:4), and dream (Joel 2:28) are within this. He will save, heal, and bless us first for this. It is God’s absolute reason.
- God calls Isaiah and restores three things for this absolute mission of God.
It will not matter what problems come if we restore these three things. Earthquakes, war, and epidemics will continue but it does not matter. God protects and leads the person who has restored these three things into victory. There are a separate blessing and answer we will receive.
1) Gospel restoration.
① Only God Himself can save me. Only God can save the world as well.
He needs to solve the original sin that humans possess (Romans 3:10, 3:23), the works of Satan that continue after Adam (Acts 10:39, Ephesians 6:12), and the curse of eternal hell (Matthew 25:41, Hebrews 9:27). He sent Christ for this (priest, king, prophet).
② The covenant of Christ is the covenant that is continuously given in Isaiah.
He will come among us (Isaiah 7:14) and come with the authority of the king (Isaiah 9:6). The Holy Spirit will rest upon Him (Isaiah 11:2), and He will die for us (Isaiah 53:5) and will remain in us as light and glory (Isaiah 60:1-2).
③ This blessing of Christ is God’s absolute grace and love (Isaiah 43:1-4). We call this the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9) The Israelites lost hold of this. What happens if you lose hold of how great God’s grace and love for you are? That is the history of Jews. They put in much zeal and if it does not go well, they are discouraged, fall into despair, and give up. Later on, they corrupt even more. Oppositely, if they think things go well because they are outstanding, they grow arrogant and live a life that judges and criticizes others (Pharisees of Matthew 23).
2) Evangelism and mission restoration.
① God saved me through this gospel and now, He will send me to the world.
This is why in the word “missions” there is a meaning of “commissioning.” Some people send and some are sent.
② “Arise, shine” from the passage signifies this. He gives the light to me within me and sends me.
No matter how dark the world may be, it just needs light. The problem is, what would happen if the person who has the light hides it and does not go to the world? Everyone will wander around, crumble and even the posterity will perish because darkness will continuously cover the world (Jonah is the main example).
③ This is the covenant that is emphasized the most after the Gospel.
God will use us as a light for the nations (Isaiah 49:6), as a witness, leader, and commander before all nations (Isaiah 55:4). God’s church will be used as a house of prayer for all people (Isaiah 56:7), and kings of all nations will come (Isaiah 60:3) which is why it says to prepare the roads and raise the banner for all nations (Isiah 62:10). It said that they will possess the land forever (Isaiah 60:21).
3) Restoration of the remnant who will succeed, continue, and complete the mission of this gospel and missions.
① Originally, the remnants are those who were left behind among the first generation. They seemed like a stump that was cut down, but God had left them behind (Isaiah 6:13, Isaiah 10:21, Isaiah 49:6).
That is where the remaining ones, those who will remain, and those who will leave behind will come from. The first-generation remnant church members are important. You are the platform. Your prayer and devotion will be remembered, and the remnant will stand on top of that.
② The second and third generations are holy seeds that have been scattered on top of this. It is an inexpressible blessing to grow up from a young age while holding onto Christ who is God’s absolute answer and world evangelization which is God’s absolute mission. God will work as much as this covenant becomes imprint, root, and nature. Continuously change and renew me in the covenant even if there are no fruits.
- Make God’s mission into my mission. Preparing for this is called content.
1) First, the content to experience and enjoy this gospel as mine. Prayer content.
① What is prayer? It is enjoying the covenant and identity that God has already given.
A time of holding onto what God has given to me and concentrating on that is needed. If true thanksgiving, healing, and strength come forth in all problems, then my spiritual state will change.
② Restore my scheduled prayer and scheduled worship. Take 10 minutes to meditate before sleeping (meditating the 62 points of the life of an evangelist).
Certainly, pray while thinking about the people to evangelize (field content). It said that they will surely come back (verse 4a).
2) The content to prepare while thinking about how I will be used in the works to save posterity. Future content.
① If you can share three things with the remnant, that time is the RUTC. This is the mission, internship, and forum God has entrusted to each person for world evangelization. Also, continuously be a prayer background. This is the time of shining light on the posterity.
② Pray so that our posterity may be used for world evangelization within my prayer.
There is a remnant that God will use inside the abandoned and lonely posterity. At that time, children who had left will return as well (verse 4b).
3) The content that will receive answers in the workplace and business to where it saves missions and remnants. Financial (economical) content.
① The abundance of the sea and the wealth of nations will come for the works to save missions and the posterity(verse 5-6). Hold onto this covenant and jump into a challenge that has a reason.
② The money I use for evangelism, missions, and the posterity is not being wasted nor will it disappear. It is being planted and stacked. It is an economy of light that will completely break the forces of darkness, an economy that will fulfill God’s mission, and one that saves the church (verse 7).
Conclusion – The other meaning of the mission is my life’s meaning and life’s worth. This is where dreams, visions and the masterpiece come forth.