Mission Sunday - Preacher Martin Paterson

Well, good morning everyone.

Can I just get an indication that the microphone is on and working?

Yes, excellent, that is super.

Thank you for inviting us to come and join with you this morning.

My name is Martin Patterson, and I'm here with my wife Jennifer and our kids,

and we believe that it started at 11 o'clock this morning.

So we decided we would turn up at about 10.30 just for me to get prepped

and get a chance to stand up at the front and go through the microphone,

and it turns out that you had already started.

So we do apologize for dropping in halfway through the proceedings.

I'll be honest, as I looked through, I thought there must be a general meeting taking place at this point in time.

Why else would everybody else be there so early?

So thank you for your patience with us and bearing with us as we got here a little bit later.

We're going to spend some time this morning looking at the book of Zechariah,

and you might be sitting thinking, what on earth has this got to do with World Mission Sunday?

Why would we turn to this passage and part of God's Word?

To think about our purpose as God's people, as the church in the world of the 21st century.

I hope that what we can see in the passage this morning is that it has a lot to say

about what it means for us to be those who God has chosen as his people,

renewed through the gospel, and gives us hope through the wonderful man

who was to come to be the blessing for all the peoples of the world, Jesus Christ.

So as we turn, can I ask you to open up your Bibles to Zechariah chapter 8.

Zechariah 8 · chapter mention

We'll concentrate our time there, and let me pray as we begin.

Father, as we take these moments now, we ask that in your grace and mercy,

you would allow your Word to be the highest rule amongst us.

You would allow your Holy Spirit to be our great and divine teacher,

and that through these things being so,

your greater glory seen in Christ Jesus would be our highest aim and end as we leave this place.

May the nations praise you,

and may we, Father, be obedient to your purpose, call, and will.

For we ask this in your Son Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, what I want us to see this morning is the necessity of faith in God's future purposes

for all the peoples of the world.

Bringing people from every part of the world,

from every language and nation,

is not something which is the concern for an elite few or an obsessive minority,

even though sometimes that is what it can feel like.

There are people who are really called to this,

and there are people who really, really, really are passionate about being global or mission-minded Christians.

I don't think that's what the Bible tells us is the norm for us as the church.

We are to be passionate about seeing God glorified and Christ exalted amongst the nations.

So this is something we need to be clear about.

This is not the concern of an elite few or an obsessive minority.

This is the future which God has in store for the entire cosmos.

To resound in praise and glory to the one who made all things,

and to the one who alone can save people who are rebels against him.

I think, in short, what I'm trying to say is this.

Mission is God's design, not ours.

So, how can we see this?

Look at the prophet Zechariah.

God's people are deeply discouraged.

That's the background.

They've been in exile for 70 years.

Things have not gone as they had expected,

and not necessarily gone as they had wanted.

And then you add to that 70 years another 20 years of opposition.

They have come back to the land which they had been ejected from.

They have faced opposition and torment from the different nations and peoples who surrounded them.

And what we see is a small spark of faith in God's promises,

where there should actually be a massive fire.

Because God has been faithful to what he has said,

that after 70 years you will come back to here.

And he has also been faithful in providing everything which they required

to get on with re-establishing themselves as God's people back in God's land.

And you see, for the people at this point in time,

the circumstances which surrounded them became the theme or the lens or the vision which shaped them.

They allowed what they saw around about them to become the defining factor

about who they are and about what their purpose was.

I think it's fair to say that this sort of despondency

is something which has not left God's people.

Too often the church can become like Plato in the midst of a culture

which begins to shape us rather than the church shaping that culture.

Our society and external pressures begin to mould us.

And the thought of popular opinion begins to be something which controls how we think and how we live.

When instead, we should have a bold vision of God's purposes for the future

which shape us in the present.

Faith in God's future purposes for all peoples is not grounded on wishful thinking

that somehow this stuff may or may not happen.

It is also not based on arrogant assumptions.

You may be here or listening in and you hear Christians talking about this message of God

that has to go to all the peoples of the world and it's arrogant.

Well, in one sense, it's either arrogant or it's absolutely true.

What Jesus has said either is completely false and it therefore is an arrogant statement

or it's absolutely true that he alone is the way to God,

the truth of God and the life which we all need.

Now, for us as God's people, we need to have a confident humility,

delighting to see beyond what is humanly possible

and possibly not to be content to operate within comfortable margins of acceptable society

so that the gospel of God will advance to all the peoples of the world

so that God would be glorified and that Christ would be made much of.

That's where we're heading this morning, okay?

That's what I want us to take on board and that's what I want us to shape our mind and our hearts

as we leave here today.

Three things that I want us to observe.

First of all, God's purposes for all peoples flow from his word.

God's purposes for all peoples are demonstrated by a renewed church.

And then finally, God's purposes for all peoples find their hope in Christ.

So let's crack on.

Let's go to the first one.

This is not so much a case of verse by verse going through this.

What you see are these things coming out time and again throughout this text.

First then, we can see that this sort of faith, this future-orientated faith

of what God is about to do and what God will do in the future

is grounded on a solid foundation and that is the word of God itself.

You can imagine that the deeply discouraged group of people

who are hearing this sermon of Zechariah as he preaches this message to them

thinking, yeah, mate, we've done this stuff before.

We've heard really excited, really exuberant, really passionate guys like you before

and it just, it's hard.

And it just doesn't seem to go that way.

People just oppose us and they keep saying to us, no, you can't do this

and this sounds like this and we're not going to let you build your buildings.

You see, the thing is, God's people can remain as spiritual Eeyores if they want to

but I don't think that that is the point of this passage

and I do not think that is the point of the Bible.

We are to give up that sort of spiritual Eeyore complex

where everything is just a little bit old.

We are to ground our thoughts and visions of the future

not in ourselves or in our culture

or what we think may possibly happen at some point, maybe in the future.

We are to ground what we can see about what is about to come

based on the word of God.

We are confronted with a message of hope in the word of the Lord

and what he is going to do.

Zechariah understands this.

16 different ways or 16 different times he uses a similar phrase

that thus says the Lord, the Lord says this throughout this chapter

and there is one thing that is very important for us

if we want to just take a little bit of Bible reading skills this morning.

If it is repeated a number of times we are probably to pay attention to it.

Zechariah is not saying something by himself.

Zechariah as he preaches is saying this is what the Lord says.

I am not coming to you as this passionate and exuberant guy

to change your lives.

I can't do that he says.

I am here to tell you today

people of Jerusalem, people of Judah

this is what the Lord says.

This is what he will do.

Here are his purposes.

Verse 7 and 8 act as an excellent example of that.

Thus says the Lord of hosts

Behold I will save my people from the east country

and from the west country

and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem

and they shall be my people

and I will be their God in faithfulness

and in righteousness.

He will gather his people together once again.

Now it doesn't become a reality in completeness in Zechariah's day

and to the fullest extent of what this is saying

it remains an incomplete picture in our own generation.

But what resounds out of this passage

is this

it will happen.

What God has said

God will accomplish.

That from east and west

that the nations

will be drawn to his people

and God will delight to be their God

in faithfulness

and in righteousness.

All of these statements that you hear

are future focused.

They are incomplete in the present

which means that

they needed to

and we also today

need to exercise

that wonderful gift God gives to us

called faith.

And as we begin to exercise

the gift of faith

it means this

our actions should look

absolutely crazy.

What we do with our lives

should look absolutely crazy.

That we would take time

in our busy week

with young families

or caring for older relatives

to pray for people

we have never met

in parts of the world

we didn't even realise existed

and say to God

please would you bring your kingdom amongst them.

Please would you bring salvation to them.

It means that we would be investing our resources

in unreached peoples

because we realise

that upgrading our lifestyle

and our accommodation

is not as important

as people who don't know Jesus

coming to know him.

It means spending our lives

in another part of the world

forgotten, unknown

and die in a place

where people probably won't remember us.

because we recognise

that to follow Christ

is more valuable than life.

You see these actions

and these attitudes

are either crazy

or they are supposed to be

the normal activity

of God's people

in response to the word of the Lord.

Effectively we are being asked

a question by God

I will bring in the nations

I will bring in the peoples

I will restore my people

I will achieve the purposes

that I have set for

from the beginning of time.

Now as my people

what is your response?

Will you be obedient

to my word

and to the call

of me

to you as my people?

And will you exercise faith

in seeing this wonderful purpose

I have

come to completion?

This is what I love

is that we could be in Columbia

we could be in Glasgow

we could be in Edinburgh

you could be anywhere

and God

by the power of his spirit

through his word

comes to meet with us

in a little church

in a little city in Scotland

presences himself

with his people

and asks us

will you trust me?

Will you hear my voice

and will you trust me?

Will you follow me

into my purposes

and will you hear

what it is

that I am going to accomplish

and will you journey

and join with me

in announcing the fame

and the glory

of my son

to the nations?

So here's a question

to ask

how are you exercising faith

in God's purposes

for the peoples of the world

in light of what he communicates

in his word?

how do you do that?

How does what is going to come

the future orientation

of this passage

or sections like

Revelation chapter 4

Revelation 4 · chapter mention

5

21

22

how do they shape

how you act

in the present

and what you set

as the agenda

and the goal

of the life

God has given to you?

so God's purposes

for all peoples

are

they flow

from his word

we see that

I think quite clearly

but we also see

that his purposes

are demonstrated

by a renewed church

I've said here

yes by a renewed people

but in our time

by a renewed church

I think you see that

particularly

verses 1

through 6

and 9 through 19

discouragement

is hard to shake

when it sets in

and that's something

that we can see

in God's people

all you need to do

is take

a couple of minutes

and if you look at sports

in general

I just

I'm just going to pause

for 10 seconds

I love sports

you could literally

put me in front of anything

I'd be quite happy

to watch it

golf, tennis, formula one

rally driving, football

I mean anything

I'm happy to watch it

and one thing that happens

is that when someone

makes a mistake

it can be compounded

by another

and another

and another

and that discouragement

tends to lead them

not to be

performing to the best

of their abilities

now I'm not saying

the church is meant

to perform

in that sense

but we can

become discouraged

very quickly

and when that

discouragement sets in

it's very hard for us

to change the direction

of travel

years later

we see

that the people of God

who have been delivered

just as God had said

70 years you're going

to be in captivity

I'm going to send you

back after 70 years

not a problem

20 years down the line

since that has happened

and they are still

celebrating feasts

verses 18 and 19

which commemorate

some of their greatest losses

and disappointments

and failures

I mean

God has been good

to them

and he has sent them

back just as he said

he would

and they're still

quite happy to say

oh yeah I know

but it's just not

quite working out

how it's supposed to

oh dear

because when

discouragement

sets in

it is hard

to shake

and we can

begin to make

one

not necessarily

completely silly

but one poor decision

after another

based on that

rather than

hearing what it is

God is saying

and allowing that

to set the agenda

however

Zechariah explains

to them

and to us as well

that God's delight

is to work

in such a way

not to leave

his people

in despondency

and in discouragement

but to renew

his people

and to demonstrate

through them

this is amazing

to demonstrate

through them

something of the

glorious purposes

that he has

for the entirety

of the cosmos

the people

have been disparaged

by the nations

for a long time

you see that

in verse 13

you become a byword

in cursing

amongst the nations

and they've come

under God's judgment

because they've

abandoned the role

that he gave them

which is to be

his treasured possession

they would rather

have had pleasure

and acceptance

among the nations

look at verse 9 and 10

or even verse 14

sorry

thus says the Lord

let your hands be strong

you who in these days

have been hearing

these words

from the mouth

of the prophets

who were present

on the day

of the foundation

of the house

of the Lord

of hosts

for those

before those days

there was no wage

for man

or any wage

for beasts

neither was there

any safety

for them

from the fro

every man

was set

against his name

things were not

working out

the way they were

supposed to

they had abandoned

and so they were

receiving the curse

that God had said

but God was once again

near to his people

that's why Zechariah's

sermon is stunning

he starts off

and says

guys

I want you to

realize something

God is delighting

to be amongst

his people

once again

verse 2

thus says

the Lord

of hosts

I am jealous

for Zion

with great jealousy

and I am jealous

for her

with great wrath

thus says

the Lord

I have returned

to Zion

and will dwell

in the midst

of Jerusalem

and Jerusalem

shall be called

the faithful city

and the mountain

of the Lord

of hosts

the holy mountain

he's going to

transform everyday

lives

verses 11 to 12

so that they would

live as he had

intended

acting as a beacon

of hope

for the nations

which we see

in verses 16

and 17

God's nearer

presence to his

people

leads to there

being a wonderful

transformation

amongst his

people

if they pay

attention

and if they

are obedient

to what he

says

verses 16

and 17

says this

these are the

things that you

shall do

people of God

speak the truth

to one another

render in your

gates judgments

that are true

and that make

for peace

do not devise

evil in your

hearts against

one another

and love no

false oath

for all these

things I hate

declares the

Lord

God's purpose

in renewing

his people

was to display

his glory

through his

people for all

the nations to

see and hear

first hand

this is the

God who

doesn't just

raise people up

cast them off

and forget all

about them

this is the

God who

offers grace

and mercy

to a thousand

generations of

those who

fear him

and who are

obedient to his

call to

repentance

God puts

his people

on display

in the midst

of that land

and he

puts this

church

and your

life on

display in

front of all

the peoples

around about

us

to say

here is the

God of

grace and

mercy

you're a

profound bunch

of mess

ups

Martin

Jennifer

and family

but I am

gracious

and I

renew

and I

restore

the church

are the

people of

God

that have

been saved

by his

grace and

mercy in

Christ

they are

gathered

together

to live

in peace

to speak

truth

to seek

justice

to stand

up against

that which

is evil

in the eyes

of the

Lord

we are

not a

monastery

of detached

living

from the

21st

century

we are

to become

an active

community

among the

peoples of

the world

living for

the fame

of God's

name

to be

known

honoured

trusted

loved

cherished

and exalted

but

discouragement

can lead us

to 21st

century

monasteries

you've

been there

I've been

there

it's just

so much

easier

isn't it

I mean

there's no

point in

pretending

you've not

been there

we've all

been there

it's nice

it's cosy

you can put

a fire

on

you can

maybe read

a nice

Christian

book

and pretend

that it's

all fine

and the

reality is

quite different

God calls

us as his

people to

put faith

into action

in radical

ways so

that his

glory may

be received

among the

peoples of

the world

and you

might sit

and think

Martin

this is all

too much

you just

calm it down

a little bit

this is a bit

too much

I don't know

how I fit

into this

I don't know

how this

is going

to happen

and in

one sense

I would say

that's part

of the

point

it's meant

to feel

too much

it's meant

to feel

beyond

our capacity

it's meant

to feel

beyond

our ability

because that

leads us

away from

self-reliance

and dependence

towards

dependence on

the one

who has

promised

that he

will achieve

and accomplish

this purpose

what Zechariah

is preaching

seems to me

a message

of gospel

renewal

the people

were not

to take

confidence

in themselves

but to

turn back

again

to God

they were

to turn

back again

to God

and recognize

they depend

on him

for the breath

that they

take next

the drink

of wine

that they've

had

and for

putting

the bricks

in the wall

of the

buildings

that they

were making

in the land

and I would

suggest today

that the church

in Scotland

needs this

sort of gospel

renewal

again

a genuine

hope filled

confidence

that God

has said

what he

has said

that he

is full

of grace

and mercy

that he

loves to

welcome in

repentant

sinners

and that

his gospel

is the

truth

that all

of the

peoples

of the

world

need to

hear

this sort

of renewal

in our

minds

and hearts

will radically

alter what

it is

that we

do

with our

lives

and that

can be

something

which is

scary

it can be

something

which pushes

us way

outside of

what we

will be

comfortable

with

but God

meets us

here with

his

authoritative

beauty

do you

see that

in verses

13 and

15

twice

within a

couple of

verses

he says

fear not

let your

hands be

strong

verse 13

and then

15

I have

purposed

in these

days to

bring good

to Jerusalem

and to the

house of

Judah

fear

not

are you

scared

about what

gospel

renewal

might mean

for your

life

quite happy

to coast

along

with Christ

because you

know that he

is gracious

that he

is kind

and that

you'll see

him one

day and

yes we

will be

accepted

and loved

by him

but to

truly be

renewed

to truly

be transformed

to truly

offer over

our lives

in complete

and utter

wholeness

and fullness

to him

that just

seems past

what I

want to

do

and he

says to

you this

morning

fear not

I have

purpose

to do

good

what might

that gospel

renewal look

like for us

as disciples

in our everyday

lives with our

families with

our career

choices with

the subjects

that we

study

with our

leisure time

or as a

church what

might gospel

renewal mean

for us in

terms of our

commitment to

seeing the

gospel take

wings and

fly throughout

the world

for the glory

of Christ to

be known

amongst

peoples who

have yet to

hear his

name from

a little

church in

a little

city in

Scotland

what might

that look

like

thirdly and

finally

we see

God's

purposes for

all peoples

find their

hope in

Christ

as Zechariah

ends his

sermon of

encouragement

for the

people of

God

he leaves

the most

staggering

and best

bit

till the

very end

it's

lovely

it's

stunning

let's just

read it

again

verse 20

through 23

says this

thus says

the Lord

of hosts

people

shall yet

come

even the

inhabitants

of many

cities

the inhabitants

of one

city

shall go

to another

saying

let us

go at

once

to entreat

the favour

of the

Lord

and to

seek

the

Lord

of hosts

I

myself

am going

many

peoples

and strong

nations

shall

come

to seek

the

Lord

of hosts

in

Jerusalem

and to

entreat

the favour

of the

Lord

thus says

the Lord

of hosts

in those

days

ten men

from the

nations

of every

tongue

shall

take

hold

of the

robe

of a

Jew

saying

let us

go

with

you

for

we

have

heard

that

God

is

with

you

there

will

be

people

from

everywhere

and

every

people

and

every

language

and

every

nation

who

will

come

into

the

presence

of

the

Lord

as a

result

of

one

person

one

man

from

Judah

do you

hear the

future

aspect

of what

Zechariah

is saying

he's not

saying

look this

isn't

necessarily

going to

happen

right now

yes in

some ways

it would

have

happened

but a

little bit

like how

Paul

speaks

it's

like a

dim

reflection

of what

becomes

the

reality

that we

can now

see

the people

of God

are preparing

seeking

renewal

obeying

God's

word

and they

are waiting

and they

are waiting

and they

are waiting

and they

are waiting

and they

are waiting

and one

day

Christ

pierce

the

Bethlehem

sky

as the

tiny

screams

of

infancy

which are

pregnant

with

salvation

resound

Jesus

is the

true

Hebrew

the

true

Jew

the

only

hope

for

God's

people

and the

only

hope

for

every

nation

in

the

world

he

alone

is the

only

true

savior

and he

is the

person

who

fulfills

this

section

perfectly

something

which I

hope you

can see

on this

side of

the cross

and the

empty

tomb

we no

longer

need to

wait

to see

who it

is

that

leads

the

nations

into

the

presence

of

God

where

the

peace

of

God

is

offered

to

all

peoples

we

can

say

with

absolute

certainty

our

Jesus

who

died

and who

rose

again

is

that

man

and

what

is

staggering

is

that

the

hope

of

all

peoples

to

go

with

one

who

God

is

with

has

an

even

greater

fulfillment

because

he is

not

just

one

who

God

is

with

he

is

the

God

who

is

with

us

it

is

Jesus

who

leads

the

people

into

the

presence

of

God

and

announces

peace

with

all

who

will

hear

no

wonder

the

people

are

willing

to

sacrifice

their

security

that's

what

we're

supposed

to

take

when

it

says

in

verse

20

and

21

we're

just

going

to

leave

our

city

cities

are

places

of

security

cities

are

places

where

people's

jobs

and

their

families

they're

saying

we're

going to

leave

that

we're

going to

let

that

go

we're

going to

go

with

this

part

because

something

unbelievable

is found

with him

they wanted

to be

counted as

part

of the

people

of God

because

they

recognized

there

this is

the

picture

which

Zechariah

is given

by the

Lord

has the

motivation

for his

people

to

continue

to

exercise

faith

in

God's

purposes

and

promises

the

nations

will

join

in

worshipping

the

Lord

one

day

the

earth

will

resound

to the

praise

of

God's

glory

as

the

waters

cover

the

sea

one

day

we

will

know

the

reality

of

Jesus

words

hallowed

be

your

name

may

your

kingdom

come

and

your

will

be

done

on

earth

as

it

is

in

heaven

we

will

know

that

in

its

fullness

one

day

you know

unlike

the people

who

received

this

message

in

Zechariah's

day

we have

the

privilege

of

knowing

Christ

more

clearly

but

also

to

see

that

God's

future

purposes

for

all

peoples

to

know

him

are

founded

on

his

words

and

they

are

coming

to

fruition

we

live

in

a

day

where

we

should

not

become

despondent

but

we

should

become

encouraged

we

live

in

a

particular

time

in

a

particular

generation

where

we

can

say

with

absolute

authority

and

confidence

that

what

God

said

he

would

do

to

build

his

church

to

bring

people

from

all

the

nations

to

repentance

faith

and

obedience

in

him

we

see

it

happening

before

our

very

eyes

if

we

take

the

time

to

look

up

and

out

from

where

we

find

ourselves

and

it

would

be

a

great

encouragement

to

the

church

in

Scotland

there

are

people

who

are

flooding

to

know

God

all

over

the

world

and

that

should

bring

us

joy

and

gladness

it

should

give

us

confidence

that

what

he

has

said

he

is

actually

doing

and

so

therefore

we

are

motivated

by

him

by

his

word

being

fulfilled

in

our

generation

to

continue

on

in

faithful

obedience

yet

there

still

remains

places

all

over

the

world

where

Jesus

is

yet

to

be

known

I had

the

privilege

a number

of

years

back

to

go

to

a

particular

country

and

visit

the

second

biggest

Tibetan

Buddhist

monastery

outside

of

Lhasa

who

knows

about

Jesus

there

as

you

walk

through

the

streets

and

idols

are

being

crafted

in

front

of

you

and

prayer

wheels

are

being

manufactured

by

pretty

much

every

shop

on

the

street

where

flags

which

wave

in

the

wind

will

potentially

offer

prayers

to

heaven

and

ascend

for

your

next

birth

when

we

can

tell

people

about

the

amazing

hope

that

there

is

new

birth

in

Jesus

Christ

that

we

have

certainty

and

hope

that

God

will

not

deal

with

us

as

our

sins

deserve

but

he

will

give

us

everything

we

don't

deserve

because

of

the

righteousness

of

his

son

people

will

live

and die

without

hearing

the

gospel

of

God

maybe

never

encounter

a

believer

certainly

never

come

across

an

active

church

how

comfortable

does

that

make

you

feel

I

think

that

that

is

where

the

rubber

then

hits

the

road

for

us

it

may

be

that

we

are

discouraged

and

our

circumstances

are

confusing

but

like

the

Old

Testament

people

of

God

we

must

be

willing

to

live

our

lives

with

such

a

future

focused

audacity

in the

purposes

of

God

amongst

all

the

peoples

of

the

world

and

for

his

glory

that

we

would

make

different

decisions

in the

present

for the

eternal

well-being

of many

so that

those

who would

be

wanderers

would

join

with

us