Expanding God's Mission

The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

Genesis 13: 14-17

One theme that is consistent about God in the Old and New Testament is movement. God is frequently looking to expand His work and His mission.

However, the ways in which God chooses to move do not always happen in the ways that we expect. This is a big challenge for any of us who seek to follow Jesus. In Isaiah 55: 8, God reminds the prophet, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” So, this business of engaging with mission of God is not always as straightforward as it may seem.

So how do we understand and engage with the mission that God is calling us towards?

A helpful way for us to approach this subject is by looking at the story of the people of Israel in the Old Testament, and how they engaged with God’s mission to expand, and become a blessing to all nations, from the North, the South, the East and the West.

Sometimes the Israelites did this well, other times they did this poorly. And yet, wherever they went, whether in victory or defeat, God was with them and He made Himself known through them.

Over the next few weeks we are going to explore how God leads us to serve Him and His mission through the different circumstances of our lives.