GOD’S HEART FOR THE NATIONS

 

Jeff Lewis

Caleb Resources 2008, 52 pp.   www.Pioneers.org 407.382.6000 

 

Lewis, a professor at California Baptist University, has incorporated much of the philosophy of Don Richardson, Bob Sjogren, and the Perspectives Course in this eight-session Bible study guide.  It gives a good overview of God’s heart for all nations and covers an excellent selection of Scriptures throughout the Bible.  It will be very useful for adult classes and small groups.  In some places more specific questions would be helpful.  To adequately cover the many Scriptures it might be advisable to take more than one session for each lesson. 

 

“The purpose of this study is to help create an awareness of one of the most ignored themes of the Bible – God’s global purpose: his desire and activity of redeeming mankind, the nations, to himself.”  “This study will reveal how the themes of God’s blessings and his global purpose are beautifully woven together in the Bible.”  (3)

 

“I used to treat phrases like, ‘for the glory of God’ as religious tack-on phrases.  Phrases like this are not to give emphasis to the main point – they are the main point.” (10)

 

“God’s passion for his name and his glory is the supreme reason for his actions in the world.”  (12)

 

“God’s passion for his name should be our central motivation for world evangelization.  God is not receiving the worship that is due his name; therefore, the mission of the Church is to call out worshippers from among the nations.  Every church and every follower of Jesus Christ is called to participate in this global activity.” (12)

 

“’Jesus is not your personal Savior.’  We live in a culture where personal means mine.  You don’t get a personal pan pizza to share it, or hire a personal trainer to share him,…   Jesus is not our personal possessive savior, he is ‘Savior of the world.’” (31)

 

“If Jesus is Savior of the world, this means that you are a disciple of the Savior of the world.  Begin to think through how this fact should impact your daily walk with Christ.” (32)

 

Lessons:

  1. God’s motivation is his glory.
  2. Blessing and Purpose are described in Genesis 12. 
  3. Old Testament stories reflect God’s blessing of peoples.
  4. The Psalms and Prophets show the God of All Nations has a heart for all nations.
  5. In the Gospels Jesus reshapes the disciples’ worldview from nationalistic to global.
  6. The Gospels (continued)
  7. Acts shows God at work thrusting the church into the world
  8. Apply what’s been learned by integrating a global perspective in your spiritual disciplines and daily life.

 

Five primary roles for believers:

§         Goer

§         Sender

§         Pray-er

§         Welcomer

§         Networker

 

Caleb Resources:  

 

More missions Bible study guides:

Missions: God’s Heart for All Nations, Paul Borthwick, InterVarsity Press

Witnesses to All the World, Jim and Carol Plueddemann, Shaw Publishers