Missio Dei: The Mission of God

THE GOD WHO PURSUES

Missio Dei: God’s redemptive initiative on behalf of his creation.

From the time of the fall God has been pursuing mankind.

Genesis 3:7–11 NLT

7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

In Genesis 3: 21, we see the first animal sacrifice. God takes the skins of animal and make clothing for Adam and Eve.

Hosea’s story

In the Book of Hosea, we see the story of Hosea the Prophet, God calls him to marry an unfaithful Woman name Gomer.

The story is to show how God love ‘s His people and no matter where we try to run He going to pursue you.

How about the story of Jonah!

Jesus came to seek and to save

Luke 19:10 NLT

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Seek: Particularly, to seek after, look for, strive to find.

Save: deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss, destruction.

There is no where to run

Psalm 139:8–12 NLT

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

God’s desires is that man would pursue Him

Acts 17:26–27 NLT

26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. 27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

How do you see God?

So do you view God as a police officer chasing down a suspect, or a paramedic determined to help save you from death? Actually, both ideas reveal aspects of why God pursues man.

On one hand, God is like a police officer pursuing a criminal. You and I are lawbreakers, and we deserve to be arrested by God for our sins against Him. We deserve to be charged and convicted in God's courtroom. Anyone who sins is guilty before God.

This is why Paul went on to say, "God commands all people everywhere to repent. "

Acts 17:30–31 NLT

30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

But if all you know is the "police officer" aspect of God's pursuit, you don't know the whole story.

John 1:17 NLT

17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

When Jesus entered the world, He came to rescue us from our sin and from eternal punishment in hell.

In other words, Jesus is like a paramedic in an ambulance rushing to save you from death.

Christ came to earth on a rescue mission, plain and simple. He didn't come here to arrest you and throw you in jail. Instead, He came to save you.

So when you look in the rearview mirror of your life, do you see God pursuing you to arrest you, or coming to save you?

In reality, the police car is right behind you, and the ambulance is right behind it. The purpose of the police car is to slow you down enough for the ambulance to reach you. God wants you to realize your sin so that you will embrace Jesus our Savior.

Luke 23:43 NLT

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

1 Timothy 2:3–6 (NLT)

3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For,

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

God Pursued you before ever came to Him

While other world religions leave mankind believing we must pursue God with good works or outstanding character to gain His favor and forgiveness, Christianity teaches the opposite—God pursues us.

Romans 5:6–11 NLT

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

He gives us the work reconciling people back to Him

Now He given us the responsibility of pursuing those who are far from God. We may not be able go to other nations.

But by giving to missions you are advancing the Kingdom of God.

Once we give our hearts to God, He give us the task of pursuing those who are lost.

2 Corinthians 5:18–21 NLT

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

We are on a mission the same mission that God sent Jesus to do.

Missio Dei: God’s redemptive initiative on behalf of his creation.

We are on a Mission for God, we are seeking and speaking truth to those who are lost and far from God.