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Every Nation Tshwane
REACH 2022: Abide to Abound - Day 1
Locations & Times
Every Nation Tshwane Church - Willows
750 Farm Rd, Equestria, Pretoria, 0184, South Africa
Sunday 8:00 AM
DAY 1
The glory of God’s mission
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
According John 15:1–8:
- By what is the Father glorified?
- Why does it glorify the Father?
- What does it prove and why?
Have you ever seen a vineyard hanging with bunches of grapes? It is a beautiful sight, but it does not just happen overnight. It takes hard work tending to the vineyard, pruning it until it’s just right to bear the maximum fruit. The quality of the fruit is a testimony to the farmer’s dedication and care for the vineyard.
John 15:1–8 sketches a similar picture. We find a vineyard, with Jesus as the true vine, and the branches of the vine bearing fruit. The branches symbolise the followers of Christ, and the vinedresser (farmer) tending and pruning the vine refers to the Father that cares for and corrects (prunes) us. Those followers of Christ who abide in Jesus (accept and act in accordance with Jesus’ teachings) and accept the Father’s guidance and ‘pruning’ will bear good ministry fruit and character fruit as per Galatians 5.
The Father is glorified when the branches – us as followers of Christ – bear much fruit, and it is a direct reflection of Him as the ‘vinedresser’.
When reading these verses, notice that it begins with the Father as the vinedresser (v1) and leads to Him being glorified through the branches bearing much fruit (v8). It begins and ends with the Father’s glory.
God is glorified when we bear much fruit, and when we bear much fruit, we prove that we are His disciples. The only way we can bear much fruit is by abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us (v5). We abide in Christ, abounding in fruitfulness, and so glorify the Father!
But why is glorifying God so important? And why is fruitfulness, being disciples and making disciples linked so closely to glorifying God?
The glory of God’s mission
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
According John 15:1–8:
- By what is the Father glorified?
- Why does it glorify the Father?
- What does it prove and why?
Have you ever seen a vineyard hanging with bunches of grapes? It is a beautiful sight, but it does not just happen overnight. It takes hard work tending to the vineyard, pruning it until it’s just right to bear the maximum fruit. The quality of the fruit is a testimony to the farmer’s dedication and care for the vineyard.
John 15:1–8 sketches a similar picture. We find a vineyard, with Jesus as the true vine, and the branches of the vine bearing fruit. The branches symbolise the followers of Christ, and the vinedresser (farmer) tending and pruning the vine refers to the Father that cares for and corrects (prunes) us. Those followers of Christ who abide in Jesus (accept and act in accordance with Jesus’ teachings) and accept the Father’s guidance and ‘pruning’ will bear good ministry fruit and character fruit as per Galatians 5.
The Father is glorified when the branches – us as followers of Christ – bear much fruit, and it is a direct reflection of Him as the ‘vinedresser’.
When reading these verses, notice that it begins with the Father as the vinedresser (v1) and leads to Him being glorified through the branches bearing much fruit (v8). It begins and ends with the Father’s glory.
God is glorified when we bear much fruit, and when we bear much fruit, we prove that we are His disciples. The only way we can bear much fruit is by abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us (v5). We abide in Christ, abounding in fruitfulness, and so glorify the Father!
But why is glorifying God so important? And why is fruitfulness, being disciples and making disciples linked so closely to glorifying God?
In John 17, before being captured and crucified, Jesus prays to the Father:
John 17:1 –“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you”
John 17:4 –“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”
John 17:5 –“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
John 17:18 –“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
John 17:22 – “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one”
John 17:24 –“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”
These verses all relate to the glory of Christ and the Father. By accomplishing the work the Father gave Him (dying on the cross), Jesus glorified the Father. As the Father sent Jesus into the world (to accomplish the work He gave Him to do), so Jesus sends His disciples into the world to preach the gospel and make more disciples.
John 17:1 –“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you”
John 17:4 –“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”
John 17:5 –“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
John 17:18 –“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
John 17:22 – “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one”
John 17:24 –“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”
These verses all relate to the glory of Christ and the Father. By accomplishing the work the Father gave Him (dying on the cross), Jesus glorified the Father. As the Father sent Jesus into the world (to accomplish the work He gave Him to do), so Jesus sends His disciples into the world to preach the gospel and make more disciples.
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
- After reading Matthew 28:19–20, what is the work we are sent to do and why?
By accomplishing the work Jesus gave us, by bearing good fruit, we also glorify the Father. Everything we do is about glorifying God.
Look at the following scriptures:
Psalm 96:2–3, 7–8 (ESV)
2Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous works among all the peoples!
7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Psalm 86:9 (ESV)
All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
- Why should God’s salvation and glory be declared among the nations?
- How can we do it?
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
- After reading Matthew 28:19–20, what is the work we are sent to do and why?
By accomplishing the work Jesus gave us, by bearing good fruit, we also glorify the Father. Everything we do is about glorifying God.
Look at the following scriptures:
Psalm 96:2–3, 7–8 (ESV)
2Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous works among all the peoples!
7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Psalm 86:9 (ESV)
All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
- Why should God’s salvation and glory be declared among the nations?
- How can we do it?
God reveals His glory to the nations through His people so that they (the nations) in turn will glorify Him. God reveals His glory to all nations to receive glory from all nations. They were to share about His salvation ‘day by day…among the nations… among all the peoples’ so that ‘the families of the peoples’ would be saved and bring glory to the Lord.
People are saved to worship and to glorify God.
In the last book of the Bible, at the culmination of everything, we read:
Revelation 7:9–12 (ESV)
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
- In verse 9, who do we find around the throne?
- What are they doing?
We find people from ‘every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages’ standing before the throne of God, worshipping Him together with the heavenly host, crying out ‘Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’
This is also why when Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, He declared that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18 ESV). He was and is still declaring His glory that existed even before the world came into being (John 17:5).
People are saved to worship and to glorify God.
In the last book of the Bible, at the culmination of everything, we read:
Revelation 7:9–12 (ESV)
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
REFLECT/DISCUSS:
- In verse 9, who do we find around the throne?
- What are they doing?
We find people from ‘every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages’ standing before the throne of God, worshipping Him together with the heavenly host, crying out ‘Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’
This is also why when Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, He declared that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18 ESV). He was and is still declaring His glory that existed even before the world came into being (John 17:5).
CONCLUSION:
We glorify the Father by leading lives that honour God, bearing character fruit and by declaring the glory of God to the nations as we disciple them (our fruitfulness). God’s salvation story is the story of His glory.
Our mission is to make His mission our mission, declaring His glory among the nations, so they in turn will also glorify Him. That is why we do missions; to spread the glory of God to the whole earth.
As Every Nation, we exist to honour God… We make disciples, we raise leaders, and we plant churches so that He may be glorified!
We glorify the Father by leading lives that honour God, bearing character fruit and by declaring the glory of God to the nations as we disciple them (our fruitfulness). God’s salvation story is the story of His glory.
Our mission is to make His mission our mission, declaring His glory among the nations, so they in turn will also glorify Him. That is why we do missions; to spread the glory of God to the whole earth.
As Every Nation, we exist to honour God… We make disciples, we raise leaders, and we plant churches so that He may be glorified!
APPLICATION
- Are you bearing fruit?
- How can you bear more and much fruit?
- How does your life prove that you are a disciple of Jesus?
- Why is being involved in God’s mission important for us and to Him?
- Are you actively involved in His mission?
- Are you bearing fruit?
- How can you bear more and much fruit?
- How does your life prove that you are a disciple of Jesus?
- Why is being involved in God’s mission important for us and to Him?
- Are you actively involved in His mission?
PRAY
- Thank God for being a glorious Father and for what He has done for you.
- Acknowledge and repent of the things in your life that are not glorifying God (where you are not bearing fruit).
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you abide in Christ and be fruitful.
- Intentionally pray for someone you know to become more fruitful.
- Intentionally pray for a nation and church plant we are involved in that the Father will be glorified through the work of the church planters and volunteers.
Let’s glorify God through Praying, Giving and Going!
- Thank God for being a glorious Father and for what He has done for you.
- Acknowledge and repent of the things in your life that are not glorifying God (where you are not bearing fruit).
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you abide in Christ and be fruitful.
- Intentionally pray for someone you know to become more fruitful.
- Intentionally pray for a nation and church plant we are involved in that the Father will be glorified through the work of the church planters and volunteers.
Let’s glorify God through Praying, Giving and Going!