This week our church commemorates 80 years of cross-cultural missions, that is, the endeavor of leaving one’s own culture and comfort zone to take the gospel and its blessings to those who don’t know Jesus. Sara (Sally) Zurrell left Philadelphia for Bolivia in 1939.
But why? Where does missions begin? The short answer is “in the heart of God,” who has been seeking sinners since Adam and Eve. The whole Bible is about this love story, and our church is a recipient of that love, and now exists to glorify Him by taking His love to others.
While the prophets knew that God was at work, none of them even suspected what was to come, that God would send His own Son to die for sinners and to bring diverse and warring parties of sinners together to form one new Temple, where he would dwell forever.
In our text today, Paul lets us look “behind the curtain” into the very mind of God, who not only has revealed the Mystery through Jesus, but also ordains apostles to preach “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Through that global gospel proclamation, the nations are shaken with a spiritual earthquake that reverberates into eternity.