The Spreading Circle

In one paragraph

The pastor opened Psalm 67 as a "spreading circle" that begins with God's blessing on his people and moves outward to every nation on earth. The sermon traced that circle from the Aaronic blessing in Numbers through God's promise to Abraham, and landed on the church's role as a carrier of that blessing to people who do not yet know God. The opening verse of Psalm 67 sounds almost identical to the...

Read together

1. John 5:17 opening encouragement that the Father is always at work and Jesus too is working
2. Luke 12:32 Jesus tells his disciples not to be afraid, calling them his little flock, saying the Father is glad to give them the kingdom
3. Ephesians 3:20-21 God able through his mighty power to accomplish infinitely more than we could ask or think, glory to him in the church and in Christ
4. John 17:24 Jesus prays that those the Father gave him would be with him and see his glory
5. Numbers 6:24-26 the Aaronic blessing, Lord bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you
6. Psalm 67 the main text of the sermon, called the spreading circle
7. Genesis 12:1-3 God's call to Abram, promise to bless him and make him a great nation so all families of the earth would be blessed
8. Galatians 3:6-7 Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, those of faith are sons of Abraham
9. Galatians 3:11 no one is justified by the law, the righteous one shall live by faith
10. Galatians 3:14 in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, receiving the promise of the Spirit through faith
11. Romans 1:16-20 not ashamed of the gospel, the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, the righteous one will live by faith

Talk about it

1. The pastor opened with the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6 and noted that the psalmist shifted it from 'you' to 'us.' What do you think changes when we pray for blessing on 'us' rather than just on ourselves or on 'you'?
2. The pastor described the spreading circle starting right here, next to the person beside you, and moving outward to the ends of the earth. Where do you see yourself in that circle right now, and what does it look like practically to carry the blessing outward from where you sit?
3. The center of Psalm 67, the main point everything builds toward, is the call for the nations to be glad and sing for joy because God judges with uprightness and guides the nations. What does it stir in you to think that God's righteous judgment is actually good news for the nations, not a threat against them?
4. The pastor pointed out that the only past tense in the whole psalm is 'the earth has yielded its produce' and 'God our God blesses us,' treating it as a statement of fact rather than a request. What has God already placed in your hands, or in this congregation's hands, that is meant to move outward toward others?
5. The pastor said he did not want anyone listed as irredeemable in our heads, and he prayed that God would humble us when we start thinking we deserved the grace we received. Is there a person or a people group you have quietly written off, and what would it look like to bring them into your prayers this week?