Missions
What Are Missions?
Missions are the God-centered, sending of His people to another people with the good news of Jesus Christ(2 Cor. 5:18-21). Missions begin with God; missions are empowered by God; and God’s glory and praise are the goal of missions. Missions should include the founding/planting of indigenous churches. These new churches should be taken over by local leadership as soon as biblically qualified elders rise up. (Titus 1:5-9) It is God’s kingdom. The gospel will affect the culture in which it germinates. (Romans 12:2) The culture of the missionary should not be imposed upon that culture. We are of God’s Kingdom. We represent him. We go under the banner of Christ. We are His ambassadors.
What Drives Missions?
We are motivated to missions because God gives us the desire to see Himself glorified (Luke 15:6-7,9-10,23-24) (Ephesians 1:11-12). God is joyous in bringing His sons to glory. He allows us to share in that joy, by being vessels of the good news! Missions is God’s idea and His desire. The love of Christ compels us to missions.
Theological Basis for Missions
God is sovereign over all. From the falling of a leaf on a tree to the moving of the astral bodies in space, God actively upholds, fills, maintains and sustains all things. (Ephesians 1:4-12) It is the sovereign grace of God that saves His people. God, the Father, chose His people, in Christ, before the creation of the world. God, the Son, died for the chosen of God, purchasing both their new heart and their eternal life. God, marks His elect with the promised Holy Spirit. God, the Holy Spirit applies the finished work of Jesus Christ to all His people. By the authority of Jesus, we are to make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the triune God, and teaching them the whole counsel of God. Although God could save his people by Himself, He has determined to use His people to take the gospel message to every tribe, nation and tongue. We, by declaring the gospel, are the means God uses to bring in the harvest of His people. Missions will end. At the end of this age, all of God’s elect will be drawn to himself. This will end the purpose and need for missions.
Who Should Do Missions?
It is the business of the body of Christ, the church, to take the gospel to every tribe, nation, and tongue. Each member has the privilege and the responsibility to see the gospel go out: in his neighborhood, in his nation, and beyond.