What is the most important thing on God’s mind? What is His number one priority? What is nearest and dearest to His heart? What is His goal? What is He doing in the world today?
God will gain glory for Himself. “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other (Isaiah 42:8).” “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things; to Him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).” There is no one or no thing more wonderful, beautiful, or perfect than God. He is supreme over all. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing (Revelation 5:13).”
To achieve His goal and get maximum glory, He works to save people through Jesus. He will be exalted and lifted up; His purpose is to gather a people onto Himself, that they would be His people and He would be their God, to live in relationship with them forever, and they will praise and glorify Him. “For as clothes cling to the body of a man, so I make [the peoples] cling to me, says the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory (Jeremiah 13:11).” We are saved to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:11-14). God’s glory comes from people, and Jesus’ work on the cross saves people and brings Him glory.
So Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “Go and make disciples.” And He promised, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).” Christians are witnessing people, spreading out, pushing further, going and telling others from all nations to come and see His goodness and glory. This is how we will get to the end in Revelation 7:9-10, “Behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation and tribe and peoples and languages, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” Glory!
It has been said, “A church that claims to be Christian yet has no concern to get the gospel beyond its doors is not a Christian church.” God will fulfill His covenant promises to the nations in Genesis 12. He will fulfill the prophecy spoken through Isaiah in Isaiah 49, “there will be a light to the Gentiles.” All the nations will be glad and give Him glory through the church’s witness. Witnessing and mission are at the heart of God’s purpose, towards the goal of His honor and glory. How are you a part of this?