A pastor friend tells a true story of a trial that took place in a courtroom in northwest Mississippi. A shooting had taken place in the twilight of one evening and one old African-American man was the only material witness to the shooting. On the witness stand, the defense attorney was questioning the old fellow’s ability to see clearly enough in the twilight to identify clearly the man accused of the crime. He said, "Sir, how well do you see?" "I'se sees pretty good," replied the old man. “How far can you see at night?” asked the lawyer. The man paused and thought for a minute then asked, "How fars it be to de moon?"

How well do you see? How far do you see? How large is your framework of vision?

If we are to understand and undertake the Master’s Great Commission to His people, it is necessary that we understand the value of vision. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” This is a cosmopolitan verse; it applies universally and absolutely.

In commenting on this verse, Dennis Peacock observes, “As scripture often reminds us, life without a clear, meaningful vision carries with it a sentence of apathy, self-centeredness, and ultimately decay. Vision, which ultimately means the living out on a regular basis of defined goals and the disciplined marshaling of time and resources to fulfill that vision, gives structure to all we are and do. Without a core vision, people, organizations, nations, and civilizations cycle into either oblivion or subjugation to an outside power.

"Western civilization in general and Christianity in particular currently face perhaps the greatest threat in their history. They have both become relatively visionless in terms of living out defined goals that change the world, and successfully compete with contrary cultures and forces in a compelling way.”

We look with our eyes but see with our minds. Physically blind persons can’t look, but if they have a sound mind, they can and do see. On the other hand, persons who have lost their minds can look through healthy eyes, but their deranged mentality blinds them to reality so that they can’t see. Seeing with the eyes of God-given faith is of the utmost importance because what you see determines what you'll be. We don't see things as they are; we see things as we are!

We see largely what we are trained and taught to see. Far too many Christians have been taught that “seeing is believing” and as a result they are living under a “brass heaven” as unbelieving believers, where they never see God do a whole lot. In contrast, the biblical approach of “believing is seeing” brings the Christian to live under an “open heaven” where angels are ascending and descending in supernatural partnership for the advancement of the kingdom of heaven over the cross-defeated, kingdom of darkness.

Multitudes are praying for revival and reformation, but what we really need is a radical interior renovation of our worldview to embrace the power of the life, love, and light of kingdom living under and open heaven as co-partners in the Family Firm of Almighty and Sons!

Our continual prayer for ourselves and fellow believers should be, "Lord, open the eyes of our hearts, give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ so that we may see what is of you and from you, for us, and to us, so that it may be through us to the ends of the earth until the end of time, and back to you for your glory. For all things are of you, through you and unto you be glory forever!”

What is spiritual vision? The J. B. Phillips paraphrase of Colossians 1:9 defines it for us. Paul wrote, “I pray that you will see things from God’s point of view.” Spiritual vision is seeing things from God’s point of view. But the Bible plainly tells us that His viewpoint will not agree with ours (Isaiah 55:10). Thus, a radical spiritual adjustment is necessary to bring our viewpoint into agreement with God’s viewpoint.

Let me give you a more technical definition of vision and then at the conclusion of this teaching I will illustrate it so that it will be easy to grasp:
"Vision is a mental image of God's Plan imparted by the Holy Spirit to His Chosen servants, accompanied by the Power of God to accomplish the Purpose of God! It is based upon and accurate understanding of God, self, and circumstances."

Vision includes all three dimensions of time -- future, present, and past. Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.

Dawson Trotman, a man of great spiritual vision, said, “Vision is getting on your heart what God has on His.” But what does God have on His heart? Our text answers that question in one word: “people.” God has people on His heart. How many people? All people. God has on His heart every person on earth. And He expects His children to come into agreement with His concern.

He seriously expects His children to impact the whole wide world. Thus, a global mission requires a global vision. This means that we need what Herb Hodges calls an “Atlas attack” in which we begin to see our responsibility to carry the whole world in order to begin to impact it for Christ. Having said all this, the original question was, “How big is your framework of vision?” Let us examine several frames of vision from the story of scripture.

I. A Vision to Get Out of Egyptian Bondage

Exo. 29:46, "And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God."
Deut. 4:37, "And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power."
Exo 16:3, "And the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
Deut. 31:21, "And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give."

We start with Israel as a captive people in Egypt. During more than four hundred years as strangers in a strange land, the family of Jacob increased into a multitude of people. At first they enjoyed privileges in Egypt, but after Joseph's death they came to experience, suffering, enslavement, and severe oppression. Yet most tragic of all is that during these long years in Egypt, Israel lost all sense of divine destiny and purpose. They became a people without a vision! The vision-perspective which passed from Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob had long since faded. Now in their hour of affliction they cried for just one thing: to be relieved from the galling yoke of slavery and the darkness and oppression of Egypt.

Above all else, Israel was sick of slavery. Perhaps nothing mattered more than getting out of Egypt and being free from her taskmasters. The overshadowing consciousness of the average Israelite was simply getting out and enjoying freedom. As Israel cried out to God for His deliverance from bondage it was largely for her own sake. Yet as God saw it, deliverance was merely the initial step in realizing His fuller purpose. Of course we know that God had an immediate concern to show compassion on His people in their dire need, but He had much more in view. Thus it was to His emancipator, Moses, that God gave that fuller measure of vision.

When Moses went to Pharaoh with God's demand for Israel's deliverance, it was on the ground that they were His people and they were to leave Egypt to worship and serve Him (Exodus 5:1-3; 8:8, 20). Yet when God approached Israel about their redemption from Egyptian bondage it was on the ground of His covenant relations with their founding fathers. He wanted to deliver them, to enter into covenant with them, and to restore them to the land of their fathers (Exodus 2:24).

Exo 2:23-25, "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them."

Principle: Never allow the world, the flesh or the devil to shape your vision, or smallness of vision to rule your life, for vision shapes destiny.

We know the story! They listened to God's words, but were primarily conscious of only one thing: getting out of Egypt, and what it would mean to them. They allowed the flesh and the devil to shape the size of their vision. This little vision shaped their thoughts, controlled their tongues and robbed them of their destiny. Potential world-impacters became wilderness wanderers, taking laps in the desert that led to nowhere! This was the extent of their framework of vision.

For the most part, this is the size and scope of the vision of most Christians today. They want to be saved from their slavery. Their only concern is what salvation will mean to them. They have come to realize that they are lost, poor, wretched, blind, and helpless to extricate themselves from the slavery to sin, self, and Satan. Their cry to God is to be brought out of the pain and the problems caused by their being under the power of sin and under the domain of the Prince of Darkness. Their greatest concern is to miss Hell and make it to Heaven when they die.

Once Israel was free from Egypt, they wandered forty years because they had no heart to "go up and take the land. Their small, selfish vision could only result in one thing–weakness and unbelief. Likewise so many believers today are content to have the assurance that they will not go to hell when they die.
One famous Proverb says, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18). Vision is the bridge between the present and the future. Without it we perish or go “unrestrained,” as the New American Standard Bible puts it. Vision gives pain a purpose. Those without vision spend their lives taking the path of least resistance as they try to avoid discomfort. The level of sacrifice that a vision requires will determine the size of people who follow. Sacrifice separates the small from the great.

II. A Vision of Getting Into the Promised Land

Numbers 14:1-4, "Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?"And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

Moses had the vision to get the people of Israel into the Promised Land, but he was leading an adult generation of former slaves. The problem was that although they were no longer under a cruel slave master, they still had a slave’s mentality. A part of the coping mechanism of slaves is to live in the past or to be totally present oriented, because they don’t have the emotional capital to expend thinking about a future that is hopeless.

Someone well said, “A man without a vision is a man without a future. A man without a future will always return to his past.” Num 14:4, "And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

Principle – Never allow a crowd with little or no vision to rob you of the fulfillment of yours by provoking you to disobey the Lord!

This slave-minded generation that Moses led out of Egyptian bondage finally provoked he and his brother, Aaron, to an angry, God-dishonoring “flesh-flash” that eclipse the fulfillment of their participation in the Big Picture of God’s purposes of not only bringing Israel out of bondage but into the land of plenty. Num 20:12, " And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them."

How many times have I heard of persons with a God-big vision being robbed of its implementation based on the criticism, complaints and cries of a congregation with little vision who want to go back to the way things used to be! Many pastors have seen God’s Big Picture – His full intentions to make disciples of all people groups – only to have the majority of the church members to say, “Well, charity begins at home and we should take care of our own first and then consider making plans to go to the ends of the earth.”

Refusing to enlarge their vision from one of former slaves, content on just not being in the former lifestyle, to that of fully sanctioned sons of God with far flung frontiers of the Promised Land just waiting to be claimed and conquered, this entire adult generation which had left Egypt died in the wilderness, except for two men, Joshua and Caleb. These two men had the mindset of sons of God and thus they had God's insight and were empowered to live beyond their day. However, once again we are faced with the same problem. For the average Israelite, crossing Jordan meant little more than personal gain–that of enjoying the land flowing with milk and honey. They saw the land as it related to them and their needs instead of God's larger purpose to bless the nations through them.

Yet it was Joshua who sought to enlarge the vision of the people saying: "Don't stop here but possess the land." Joshua could say this because God promised him that "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given you, as I said unto Moses" (Joshua 1:3).

Again, we know the sad story! Israel saw the land as her own, not in relation to God. Repeatedly in the prophets we read how God desired to gather fruit from His vineyard, Israel, but she was interested in getting the fruit for herself. Hosea 10:1, "Israel is an empty vine, he brought forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images."

Psalm 80:8-9, "You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land."
Israel lost the vision of being blessed by God SO THAT she could be a blessing to the world. It was not what she could be do for the glory of God, but what God's gifts and blessing could mean to her. Therefore, she had little heart for driving out the nations round about her; she made treaties with them and soon reaped the judgment that God had warned as the sure result of being yoked with the ungodly. The very nations she should have taken captive rose up to take Israel captive. Either she would get rid of the thorn or the thorn would forever prick at her side. Why could she not accept the vision of Joshua and possess the land for God? Because she was, like previous generations—centered in using and relating everything to herself and not to God's larger purpose.

It hardly needs to be said that the above describes so many Christians today. Their desire is to get blessed, find favor with the Lord, enjoy life from the milk and honey of God’s prosperity. Their framework of vision is larger than those who just want to make it out of sin in order to eventually die and make it into Heaven. Yet their frame of vision is still far smaller than God’s design for them. They confidently assert that they are sons of God, joint-heirs with Christ, “King’s Kids in Training for Reigning, seeking only the best and expecting the prosperous provision of the Lord. Is this totally wrong? No! God wants to prospers His people so that they not only enjoy His favor, but so that they employ God’s provisions as vehicles in kingdom ministries that will assist in fulfilling the Great Commission.

III. A Vision Focused on Possessing the Promised Possessions

God sovereignly selected Israel, making them His own SPECIAL people. He gave them the best system for success in every area of life that the world has ever known. As a result they became the healthiest, wealthiest nation in the history of the ancient world. Just as God promised they became the head and not the tail, the lender and not the borrower. But somewhere along the way they began to idolize their system of law, ritualize their style of worship, and organize their way of life around their material successes and special status as the chosen of God, and in so doing, left out two little words of God’s covenant with them – SO THAT. They forgot that the reason for their being selected, given special provisions and position, and incredible success, and wealth and health was so that they might be a blessing and show the nations around them the mercy, majesty, and night of their glorious God. The exclusion of God’s SO THAT continued generation after generation so that when Jesus appeared -- the One promised and prophesied, the fulfillment of all that had God mandated and symbolized in their way of life and worship – they said in essence – SO WHAT! Our Messiah won’t be a man of mercy but a man of military might. He will not be a suffering Savior but a successful Sovereign that will break the yoke of Rome from off our necks and once more make the world revolve around us!

Principle – If God’s people miss the SO THAT of the reason for His saving, blessing, and prospering them, they will assume that it is their right to be blessed, prospered and pampered for personal consumption instead of assuming it is their responsibility to be a blessing for global revelation of the nature of the God we worship and serve.

Far too many Christians have adopted the modern view that it is one’s right to blessings and prosperity to use in any way that will make them feel happy, satisfied and fulfilled. The prevalent attitude is, “God chose me because of me for the sake of me so that I could enjoy me while the world revolves around me. If you have any questions, just ask me.”

Yes, Israel had possessed the land and built the temple—but only for herself. She settled down to be the object of His blessing instead of becoming the channel of His blessing. Instead of obeying the Sabbath rest for the land, she abused it and God finally enforced a seventy year rest while she was away in cap¬tivity. This captivity came because the people had lost their vision and their kingdom was divided. Except for a small remnant who returned, the people were scattered throughout the world. Israel has now been set aside, yet not cast away forever.

IV. A Vision Focused on Realizing Father's Full Intentions

To understand Father’s ultimate intentions, we must go back to Abraham and pay very close attention to the covenant that God made with him and what Father promised to and through Abraham.

We read in Gen 12:2-3, "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

In explaining Father’s full intention in making covenant with Abraham, Dudley Hall writes: “God made a covenant with Abraham and acknowledged the role of the superior partner taking on the responsibility of protector. God would view any attack on His partner as an attack on Him. He would unleash His power in behalf of the one to whom He had committed His honor. As we read the narratives of the Old Testament we see God doing exactly that. When Abraham’s descendants failed to live according to the covenant stipulations, curses of defeat and exile came upon them. When they lived in faithfulness, they were feared by enemies because they fought with heavenly aid.

The New Testament gives us a fuller picture of the intentions of God’s covenant. He made the covenant with Abraham and his “Seed” in order to reverse the damage done by Adam’s sin. Whereas Israel was God’s representative on earth at one time, and anyone who mistreated them was mistreating God’s covenant partner, Jesus was the ultimate “Seed” of Abraham and God’s representative on earth. Now anyone who blesses Him by trusting Him as God’s Messiah is blessed with salvation. Anyone who refuses to acknowledge Him as such is cursed. It is Jesus who is the standard of judgment; not Israel or any other nation. (Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ" Galatians 3:16).

It is imperative that we read the Bible as a continuous story. The Old Testament is incomplete without the New Testament. The New explains the Old and the Old gives continuity to God’s original purpose. God has revealed in recorded scriptures how He has progressively revealed the eternal plan to show the glory of the Son. Jesus is the center of God’s universe. He is the issue of blessings and curses. In Him are all promises fulfilled and all desires satisfied. He alone determines who gets the covenant blessings and who will be considered outside the covenant. Those who reject Him have made themselves the enemies of God and will be treated as a covenant enemy. He has sworn to protect those in His new covenant. Those who trust Him from any nation are blessed. Those who do not are cursed no matter what nation. Actually there are only two nations as they relate to God’s kingdom; those inside Christ and those outside Christ.”

Devern Fromke observes, “What has caused the worldwide dispersion of Israel that we see today? It was because of the narrowness of her vision. Even after the remnant was restored to the land and God in the fullness of time finally offered to her the long-awaited Messiah, she refused Him. She wanted a king for her own personal advantage. She wanted a king who would deliver her from the bondage of Rome and restore her to the glory she had known under David—but she did not want THE KING who God would use to bless the whole world. It was once again the same old selfish vision. Because she could not this Christ into her narrow framework of personal blessing, she nailed Him to a cross. She only did what others have been doing (in principle) for generations: sought to use God for herself. But we can rejoice that once again God enlarged the framework to include a more glorious day yet to come.

"In Exodus 19 we read how, after she left Egypt, God had revealed His unique purpose for Israel as a peculiar people. He called her into a fellowship and glorious destiny with Himself. She answered glibly "yes”; but hardly understood that this meant she was to be God's prophet, priest and king in the earth. As prophet she was to speak for Him and share His word with all the world; as priest she was to be a spiritual mediator between God and all peoples; as royal king she was to enjoy the exercise of governmental authority for God over all the earth. What a unique and glorious high calling! We know only too well how she failed to realize God's purpose because her narrow vision turned her to seek self-blessing and glory.

"Now in spite of repeated failure, we see God sovereignly working to bring about His ultimate intention for Israel. What He has promised in Deuteronomy 30:3-5, He will yet accomplish: "...then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all nations. .. and will bring thee into the land. .. and multiply thee...."

"But we must go beyond Israel's calling as a nation, back to Abraham as the founding father if we would see that ultimate framework of vision. Many who have allowed the coming glorious kingdom to overshadow have failed to see God's larger perspective: that the Eternal Father will have a vast family.”
Principle: Vision is getting on our heart what Father God has on His, which is a world filled with life-long lovers, learners, and look a-likes of Jesus, who are prolific reproducers of the process!

The only framework of vision that is acceptable for all believers is the one that is focused on realizing Father’s full intentions of populating the earth with those who look and live like the Son that He delights in. All the blessings that come our way are to be enjoyed long enough to cause us to realize that in Christ we have the Ultimate Treasure and Pleasure of life and we can then release the material into the stream of a SO THAT lifestyle! What is a “SO THAT” lifestyle”

1. God’s Covenant Provisions of Greatness and Blessings are SO THAT His People can Exhibit their God’s True Nature as Being Great and very Generous – Gen 12:2
ESV --Gen 12:2, "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, SO THAT you will be a blessing."

2. God’s Covenant Work of Making Us Children of Light is SO THAT We Show forth Our Lord and in Our Light they Might be Enabled to See and Savor Him – Mt 5:16; 1 Pet. 2:9
Christians are made light in the Lord (Eph 5:8) and given light to shine, not just so they can see better or so people can see them, but Him.
Mat 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, SO THAT they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
1Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, THAT YOU may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

3. God’s Covenant Ministry of Mercifully Comforting Us is SO THAT We may be Able to Mercifully Comfort Others – 2 Cors 1:3-4
2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction, SO THAT we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

4. God’s Covenant Provisions Should Motivate Us to Proper Behavior SO THAT Honor and Glory is Given by them to God – 1 Pet 2:12
1Peter 2:12, "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, SO THAT when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
We aren’t to be good in our behavior so that we’ll get a lot of goodies, or not get a beating, or might miss heaven, but SO THAT we can flesh out Jesus to those who will never see Him with their physical eyes until they see Him coming in glory and in judgment.

5. God’s Covenant Provisions Making Us Rich in Goods is SO THAT we can be Rich in Good Works – 1 Tim 6:17-19
1Timothy 6:17-19, "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, SO THAT they may take hold of that which is truly life."
We are to give our hearts and hands and not just a handout of some money!

6. God’s Covenant Encourages Us to Pray for One Another’s Success SO THAT Christ is Glorified – 2 Thess 2:11-12
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, SO THAT the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

7. God’s Covenant Plan Allows Us to Experience Weakness SO THAT Christ’s Power may Rest Upon Us – 2 Cors 12:9
2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, SO THAT the power of Christ may rest upon me.'"

8. God’s Covenant Prosperity is SO THAT we have Sufficiency for Every Good Work – 2 Cors 9:8
2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, SO THAT having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

9. God’s Covenant Partnership Chose us to Fruitful SO THAT we can Exercise the Power of Attorney to see the Kingdom Advance more Pervasively – Jn 15:16
John 15:16, " You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you THAT YOU should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, SO THAT whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

When the pastor stands in the pulpit to proclaim the Word of the Lord it’s SO THAT people see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When parents are blessed with children it is SO THAT they may be brought up to express the love, life, and mercy of the Lord to the next generation.
When success attends our way, it’s not for show; it’s not to enhance our status; it’s not to satisfy our self-consuming desires for more stuff – No! – it’s SO THAT our God is elevated and celebrated.

When the business man or woman goes to work it isn’t to make a living but to make a life; it isn’t just to make money, but to manifest clearly the mercy and grace of the Lord; it’s SO THAT the kingdom of God comes more fully in the market place!
When the investor makes the good decisions to make a huge profit in money, it is not to just buy nicer things, but SO THAT the kingdom of God can be financed and they become a part.

Embracing God’s SO THAT’s will define your identity, draw you into greater intimacy with Him and His people, deliver you from insecurity (because you, a nobody from nowhere have become everything to the most important SOMEBODY in this universe)!

Embracing God’s SO THAT’s will grant you the desires of your heart for ministry to and for the Lord, and determine your ultimate destiny! Failure to leads to the hardness of His blessings and a SO WHAT attitude that invokes His judgment.

Like Abraham, those who embrace God’s Seed, His Son, are those who have heard the sound of God’s voice and caught sight of His Son (Jesus said in John 8:56, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.") Like Abram, (high father) whose name was changed to Abraham, (father of many nations) our names have been changed because our natures have been changed. Like Abraham, we have caught a glimpse of the city that has foundations, whose Maker and Builder is God. We can laugh at the impossible promise of God, knowing that he is the God who will perform all that He promises. We then can name our spiritual offspring – Isaac, or laughter! – and enjoy the trip as strangers and pilgrims on this earth.

By grace through faith we have been grafted into the faith-stock of the OT people, recovering our Jewish roots, but living free from the burden of the Law and enabled to keep the covenant with God by the purchase of Christ’s death and the power of His resurrection life now in us via the Holy Spirit. We are true sons and daughters of Abraham. The hopes and fears of all the years have been meet in Messiah Jesus. As the Israel of God, our offspring will be as the stars of the sky in number, and as fellow members of a holy nation, we can live as royal priest, re-presenting God to man and man to God – telling the Big Story of Redeeming Love -- making disciples of all people groups on the earth!