NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS MISSIONS IS A LOADED WORD. Amongst Christians, the mention of 'world mission' can conjure up some negative connotations. Maybe guilt. Sacrifice. Long slide shows of people in far away places. Money appeals. The fearful expectation that God may tell you to go somewhere you have always dreaded. Living in primitive conditions. Strange food. What older, unmarried women get involved in. At least, an optional extra for over-zealous Christians or for a particular brand of Christian. Whatever images come to mind, the truth is that world mission is central to the whole of Scripture and the heartbeat of God. Sadly, many Christians read their Bibles with a very narrow mindset and perspective. The Scriptures and promises are only applied to themselves and their own circumstances. Similarly, churches often view mission in terms of their own locality.
MISSIONS - THE MEANS TO WORSHIP God's heart has always been 'world size'. From the beginning of time, God the Father has wanted a family to love and bless. Not only that, He desires that all His created people freely and fully love Him. God can be loved only when He is known. That's why the Bible is the story of God revealing Himself to mankind. When He is truly known, He will be worshipped. This is why theologian, John Piper, so aptly wrote, "Worship is the goal of missions. Missions exists because worship doesn't."1 When this age is over and the redeemed from among all the peoples of the earth worship before the throne of God, missions will cease to be necessary. Until that time, all of history is moving towards God's ultimate goal of worship among all the peoples of the earth.
MISSIONS INVOLVES ACTION God so loved all the peoples of the world that He did something. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world so that all peoples could be saved and brought into a loving relationship with Himself.2
As believers, we should be imitators of God. Therefore, we should be world-minded and involved in some way in seeing God's great ambition and passion for all peoples, fulfilled. This was the motivating vision that governed Jesus' life on earth. At the end of His earthly ministry we have recorded in each of the Gospels, as well as in the Book of Acts, the Lord's mandate to the Church to complete the task of world evangelisation.3 This mandate expressed in Matthew 28:18-20, commonly known as 'the Great Commission', was not a last minute afterthought of Jesus just prior to returning to His Father. No, it was a concise expression of the heart of God since time began, one which the nation of Israel failed to grasp, and the early church in Jerusalelm even failed to understand and obey. This resulted in God having to raise up the apostle Paul and the church at Antioch in order that the gospel might be declared to all peoples and not just to the Jews. Two thousand years on, the task is yet to be completed. Much has been done but there are many peoples who are still untouched by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
OPENING UP THE APERTURE In the UK, exposure to world mission, particularly in the newer charismatic churches, is still relatively low. Sad to say, the Great Commission has too often become the Great Omission! During the past 30 years there has been a strong emphasis on the restoration of the local church and truths such as the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. In spite of all the restoration of truth that has emerged during this period and the church growth that has taken place, there is still a need for churches in this country to open their hearts and embrace fully our Lord's mandate to "disciple all peoples". This must include cross-cultural, pioneer frontier missions, reaching out to those who have never heard the gospel and have no indigenous church amongst their own people. It is estimated that there are around 10,000 Unreached People Groups (UPGs), encompassing 2 billion people, which equates to approximately 1/3 of the world, yet to have the opportunity of hearing the gospel and becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.4 Every person, created by and in the image of God, should have the opportunity to hear the gospel, at least once. While UPGs exist, God's family is incomplete and He is waiting for His last sons and daughters to come home.
"No-one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once." (Oswald J. Smith)
MISSIONS IS MULTI-FACETED Whilst there will always be a need for willing disciples of Jesus Christ to leave the familiarity of their own countries and literally go to the uttermost parts of the earth, responding to the Great Commission involves more than those who go overseas. In any war effort there are soldiers who physically go on the front lines to fight, and there are others who stay but are involved in the equally important role of providing the necessary supporting services, supplying whatever the combat troops need to do battle. Similarly, to fulfil effectively our task of world evangelisation, there is a need for some in the Church to go and reach out to others (not necessarily overseas as cross-cultural missions can also take place at home, certainly in the UK), as well as the need for others to serve and support in whatever way necessary, including through prayer, giving, raising awareness and helping to mobilise and involve others.
FULFILLING OUR PART Whatever our particular role is, let us all rise up to the responsibility and challenge to be part of completing the Church's primary task of obeying our Lord's mandate to disciple all peoples. Heaven is waiting for us to do so. The Son cannot return until the gospel has been preached to every people group.5 Let's strip off any wrong perceptions and narrow-mindedness. Allow God to enlarge your heart and vision through His own missionary book, the Bible. Ask Him how you can be involved in His great, eternal plan. Determine to be a 'World Christian' or a church actively committed to outworking the Great Commission.
"Approximately one third of the world's population have yet to have the opportunity of hearing the gospel."
GOD'S EXPANSION PROGRAMME About 12 years ago, Michelle and I committed to what we called 'God's Expansion Programme' (GEP). we realised our hearts were too small and we didn't really have a clue what God was doing around the world. We began to receive information from mission agencies, seek out the missions meetings at conferences, and read missionary biographies and other books that taught us about the unreached peoples of the world and how we could pray for them.6Basically, we began to allow God to break open our limited mindsets and expand our hearts. Our lives have never been the same since! Before you decide to commit to GEP, let me warn you. Joining GEP may eternally change your life and the lives of others. We jumped in with both feet and ended up in China! God's part for you will be different to ours but it will be equally awesome. Dare to take up the challenge. Dare to believe that God wants to use you in reaching the nations. Whatever your part in God's overall plan of things, know that missions is for everyone...including YOU! SMS
1 Let the Nations Be Glad, by John Piper, copyright 1993, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI. 2 John 3:16 3 Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-23; Acts 1:8 4 World Evangelization Research Center, Richmond, VA 5 Matthew 24:14 6 An excellent resource is 'Operation World' by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk, 21st Century Edition, Carlisle: Paternoster, 2001.
