Who Will Save the World?

The current world population is 7.125 billion… the current membership in the United church of God is about 13,000… if you add all the churches of God you might get a figure around 50,000… which is about 1 in every 150,000 on earth… It’s a very small number of people out of a vast sea of humanity.

About 2/3rds of the planet (Asia, Muslim territories, parts of  Africa) have little to no exposure to the word of God. The western world (the remaining 1/3rd of the planet) has been exposed to the truth of God’s word but the trend is downward rather than up. Furthermore, what understanding they have is mixed together with all kinds of ideas and assumptions that are not of God… and when these notions are looked at closely they either contradict or undermine the truth of the scriptures. 

As an example: most in the western world assume God’s purpose, Christ’s purpose, and the Church’s purpose is to bring the world to salvation. That they are in a titanic struggle with Satan wrestling for the immortal souls of men and women… If that were true then God, Christ and the Church certainly appear to be losing the battle. The truth is… God is not trying to SAVE THE WORLD at this present time.

God’s present purpose is preparing for that future time when He will set out to SAVE THE WORLD. At this point God, Christ, and the true church are laying the groundwork and foundation for what is to come. And what is truly amazing is that you can have a part in it.

Today we are gathered together to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Firstfruits. This is the Holy Day that tells us about our place in the wider world and our place in God’s plan.

You were called to a special purpose while the vast majority of humanity has not. Most of humanity past and present have never heard the truth, they have never be told how they can be reconciled to their creator, how they can be saved from death, never told about the Kingdom of God that stretches out before us through eternity… and of those who have heard the words of truth most have not understood.

But YOU have understood… or rather you have been given the ability to understand through power of the Holy Spirit with you and within you. And that Holy Spirit is the power of God the creator of the universe.

What about the other 7 billion people on the planet (and the billions who have lived and died before them)… what does their future hold? The good news is that they too have a bright future ahead of them. But they are on a different schedule than you and me.

Pentecost… the Feast of Firstfruits… gives us some important insight into the schedule God has mapped out for bringing many children into His family. We are the Firstfruits this day is all about. We are only the first little preliminary harvest of God’s potential children.

God our Father’s modus operandi is to start with something very small… and step by step grow it into something very large.  Also, rather than doing everything Himself He likes to get us, his children involved in the process so we can learn and grow to become more like Him… but also that we can share the joy… the satisfaction… of accomplishment.

If your calling were only to GET personal salvation… to receive the fellowship, enjoy blessings, eternal life… then God wouldn’t have any good reason to give that just to you and hold it back from all the other 7+ billion. But God’s purpose is to draw a few in at first… teach them to teach others… through whom He then draws in others… eventually extending out to all humanity.

You might think this means an ever-expanding work that in time takes over the world. Clearly not. Instead, God works in what I am going to call phases:

1. Creation of humans so they can reproduce and populate
2. Calling Abraham to set apart a special people
3. Establishing Israel as a model nation under God
4. Jesus comes as God in the flesh to establish church
5. Establishing government of God on earth through Christ and firstfruits
6. Eternity

We are currently in what I have itemized as phase 4 “the church age”.

When Jesus Christ came the first time He did not come to set up His kingdom… nor did He come to remove Satan.  Jesus clearly demonstrated that He had complete mastery and power over the adversary… but for the time being Satan is left in his current position of authority and presence on earth… but Satan’s term of office will expire at the time God has scheduled.

Jesus came to effect forgiveness of sin unto salvation. He prophesied regarding stage 5 (the establishment of the government of God on earth) but He didn’t try to convince or persuade everyone to believe. Jesus’ words were:

1. a witness to be recorded in the annals of human history
2. a personal calling to those whom the Father would draw

This calling out of a small preliminary harvest humanity… this gathering of first fruits is what we now call the church of God… established by Jesus Christ.

This was always the plan II Tim 1:9, Eph 1:4-5

Out of all the 10,000’s who thronged to listen to Jesus only 120 truly followed and understood. Jesus would use this small group to establish His church so they could carry on the work He had started.

This same pattern prevails today… out of many who listen only a few are called. The church will always be small, outside the mainstream, persecuted beset by trouble in this world. Luke 12:32, Matt 10:16-17; 7:13-14, John 16:33, II Tim 3:12

The church of God (phase 4) began on June 17th  31 A.D. the day of Pentecost.

Ex 23:15-17; 34:22 On its face value Pentecost is the second of three yearly harvest festivals:

1. Passover season coincides with the barley harvest
2. Pentecost celebrates the harvesting of the wheat crop that grew in the fields over the late winter and early spring months… similar to the winter wheat we grow here in North America. It’s a small harvest that occurs at the beginning of summer.
3. The final larger harvest season occurs in the fall when all the crops of fruits, grapes, olives, nuts, etc are gathered into the barns before winter.

Out of this harvest, the people were to bring the first cuttings, the first fruits, from the fields before God. They were God’s portion… dedicated to Him Numbers 28:26… God’s practical use for the grain offerings was to feed the priests who served Him in the tabernacle.

The church of God is the firstfruits of humanity… James 1:18, Revelation 14:4, II Thess 2:13, Romans 8:23

A firstfruit is one who believes… is baptized… and is begotten by the Holy Spirit in this age. It is a spirit of understanding that gives the physical brain spiritual comprehension unavailable to the vast population of the earth. It is the power by which the firstfruits may develop God’s holy righteous character built and strengthened by a life of overcoming and practice walking in the way of God… a small group trained and set apart… dedicated to God to serve a practical purpose in this world.

To continue the job Jesus started… calling