First importance

 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. - 1 Corinthians 15:3

God not only cares about how many people will be in the choir singing praises to the Lamb, He cares from what people group they came from too.

 They sing a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
    saints from^[a] every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving^[b] our God,
    and they will reign on earth.” - Revelation 5:9-10

John himself was overwhelmed -

 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.- Revelation 7:9

Most of you will remember Nate Saint as the team pilot for the group of five who went to bring the gospel to the Auca's. He was martyred along with the other four.  On December 18th, 1955 a few weeks before his death, he wrote this Christmas Letter to his friends and family --

“As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages? As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel that it is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening into the Auca prison for Christ.
As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless night without ever a chance. May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility.
Would that we could comprehend the lot of these stone-age people who live in mortal fear of ambush on the jungle trail . . . those to whom the bark of a gun means sudden, mysterious death . . . those who think all men in all the world are killers like themselves. If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich.”

Many of us make a big thing out of those who do not believe in hell.  But we are missing the greater shame - that we who do believe in hell make so little effort to keep others from going there.

 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?  And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” - Romans 10:13-15

I am afraid that we have assumed that God has multiplied our assets so we can keep them, when in fact He has multiplied them so we can distribute them.

 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,^[a] cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.- Matthew 10:8

The dead do not hear the gospel - to allow people to die or suffer is unconscionable.  On the other hand, people who do not hear the gospel cannot go to heaven, so to feed them is right but to neglect to share the gospel is wrong.

Doctrine of Reverse

Luke 16 tells us the story of a rich man and a poor man (Lazarus).  The rich man dressed well, lived in luxury, and was apparently healthy.  Lazarus was a beggar, diseased, dirty and ---

... lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. - Luke 16:21

If asked, "Who would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?" you would presumably reply, "The rich man."

We aren't told that this rich man was dishonest or irreligious or that he was worse than your average person.  We do know that he didn't use his god-provided wealth to care for another man in need.

Both men die.  Lazarus goes to heaven and the rich man goes to hell. When the rich man begs Abraham from across the gulf to send Lazarus to relieve his suffering ---

“Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish." - Luke 16:25

 Now that you have heard the rest of the story, who would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?  Abraham has made the point - after death, it's too late too switch.

This parable teaches that in eternity many of us will find ourselves in opposite conditions from our current situation on earth.

In the song she composed in anticipation of Christ's birth, Mary said ---

He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands. - Luke 1:53

Jesus said ---

“God blesses you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours. What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow." - Luke 6:20,25

The poor in spirit,those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and are persecuted will be relieved and fulfilled and have a great reward in heaven.  Those praised in this world will not be highly regarded in the next, and vice versa.  those who are exalted in this life will often be humbled in the next; those who are humbled here on earth will be exalted in heaven.

Those who are poor in this world will often be rich in the next, and those who are rich in this world will often be poor in the next.  The poor are reassured that the hoarding and oppressing rich will one day be punished and the honest poor will be relieved.  In Revelation 18:7, a voice from heaven says ---

She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow ..." - Revelation 18:7

Someday this upside-down world will be turned right side up.  If we are wise, we will spend our brief lives on earth positioning ourselves for the turn.






Reversal Doctrine