Seeing as God Sees
(Worship, Need and Mission)

Many of us know the story of God speaking to Moses through the burning bush and telling him that he had seen the suffering of the children of Israel. Yet God not only saw their suffering, He also saw these same people freely worshipping Him.

So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." (Exodus 3:12)

God's perspective is often different from our own. He does not just look at the present, He looks to the future. In this case a people currently in slavery free to worship and serve Him.

And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, (Exodus 3:7)

I can picture Moses delighted to hear that God was going to deliver the people from their bondage. 'That's great God. Go for it' or similar Hebrew thoughts. But I can also imagine that his thoughts were rather different when the Lord told him the following:

Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:9-10)

God revealed that he saw Moses as His chosen one to deliver His people out of captivity! Moses was a man given a mission.

This picture from the book of Exodus reveals some great insights into what God sees. He sees people free to worship Him; but he also sees a need for these people to be set free from bondage; and he also sees the mission of deliverance.

The same is true today. John was given a wonderful picture of future worship.IT IS WRITTEN
Jesus words were direct quotations from the prophets. The first part '

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, And they cried out in a loud voice:  "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9-10)

John's eyes are opened to see what God now sees; i.e. not just the people of Israel freely worshipping Him but peoples of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues before his throne.

God, however, also sees the need and the mission. These people are not yet free to worship Him; as the Israelites were under slavery to Pharaoh, they are also bound to cruel taskmasters that keep them in bondage. For this reason He sent His Son Jesus on a mission with a message and anointing of deliverance.

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;  He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted
To proclaim liberty to the captives  And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. (Luke 4:18, 19)

Jesus took on all the religious and spiritual pharaohs and triumphed over them by the cross. The people could now be free to leave what held them bound to worship and serve the one true God.

"If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself"

God saw the people free in Christ to worship Him. Christ had brought redemption, but He saw there were still many peoples of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues who remained in need, in bondage: they did not know of the freedom Christ had won. He saw was still need of mission. The Lord passed on this mission to his disciples.

As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.   (John 17:18)

Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21)

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20) 

This mission task is still not completed. We are inheritors of it.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

One-third of the world has little or no opportunity to hear the message of Jesus Christ. They remain in bondage to religions and cultures that prevent them from receiving the gospel message.

As we have learnt Moses was delighted to hear that God had a plan to deliver the people of Israel from bondage, he was not so keen when God told him he was to be the instrument of their deliverance. It was not an easy task. He had to come face to face with the world's most powerful ruler and challenge him. He quickly found excuses - 'I am inadequate. I am not up to the task'. Yet God saw in Him the man to fulfil the mission. Moses we know eventually went on to become the man used to bring his own people out of bondage. There did come a day when the sign was fulfilled and the people were free to worship God on the mountain.

Today God has in mind the same mission to set people (this time from all nations, tribes and tongues) free from slavery to satanic forces that they may worship Him.

Moses was called to go to Pharaoh with a message.

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. (Exodus 4:22-23)

The mission today is the same - to challenge the forces of darkness by the Word of God - "thus says the Lord let these people go that they may serve Me" - And to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom of God.

There are peoples of many nations such as the Drupkhpa peoples of Bhutan, the Southern Shilha Berbers of Morocco, where there are only a few or no known believers. Some of these peoples, in these days of mass emigration, may even reside in your town or area. Who will be the ones to intercede for them crying "thus says the Lord let these people go that they may serve Me"? Who will be the ones to go to and demonstrate His Kingdom?

Do we see as God sees - People like these worshipping the Father before the throne? Do we see as God sees - these same people in captivity to sin and satan? And do we see as God sees - our mission to set the captives free?

Like Moses you may be uncertain of your capabilities and even reluctant to face up to the challenges ahead. But like Moses, you can be the one who will have the joy of seeing many set free to worship, and on that day, they will be your glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

God was prepared to give His Son for love for the world; can we not also give for the love of the people of His world?

Chris Ragg

Director