#onmission 002

In our first lesson, we distinguished between purpose and mission. Our ultimate purpose, scripturally, confessionally, ecclesiastically, and constitutionally is to be to the praise of the glory of God. Mission is one way in which we accomplish this purpose.

Today, I would like to spend a little more time developing the matter ecclesiastically. As a reminder, ecclesiastically is a term that is speaking about the church. Thus, the question for us to consider is:

Question: How do we go about fulfilling God’s purpose ecclesiastically?

Illustration: Getting from Point A to Point B

God’s mission is the means to God’s purpose

The way we go about fulfilling God’s purpose is through God’s mission. There are a couple of points to develop here.

We must

understand what

is God's mission

for the church.

First, what is God’s mission?

Definitionally, mission means an important assignment carried out for political, religious, or commercial purposes, typically involving travel.

Strategically, mission implies that there is a plan to be executed by a certain people and in a certain place.

Scripturally, mission is…

God’s plan to make a people for his name through the verbal proclamation of His redemption through the Messiah.

God’s mission existed before the New Testament

Second, we must see that God’s mission existed before the church existed, though the Great Commission had not been given.

God’s Mission in the Garden

God’s plan to make a people for his name begins in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:26-27). Adam and Eve sinned against God and were exiled from this place. In spite of their sin, God graciously provided a temporary means of restoration when he provided the coats of skin and a sacrificial system. In addition, God promised that a complete redemption would come through the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) — a means through which those exiled from God could be restored fully as a people for Him.

As Beougher says it, “God the evangelist then brings a redemptive message. Genesis 3:15 sets forth the protoevangelium, or the prototype of the good news of redemption.” [Beougher, Invitation to Evangelism, p. 18]

Genesis 3:15 KJV 1900

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God’s Mission in Abraham & Israel

God’s plan for a people for his name continued through the covenant with Abraham. As the New Testament makes clear, all those with the same faith as that of Abraham are children of Abraham (Romans 4:16). Of course, redemption is seen in the deliverance of the nation of Israel from Egypt (Exodus 12-14). Through Abraham and through the nation of Israel God’s mission never changed — he was on mission to make a people for his name through the verbal proclamation of His redemption through the Messiah. Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets looked forward to the one who had been promised. Paul makes the important connection in Galatians 3:16.

Of course, we see that Jesus Christ fulfilled all that the Old Covenant was pointing to with regards to the Messiah. All of the Old Covenant proclamations of redemption through the Messiah find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. See Luke 24:44-49.

Luke 24:44–49 KJV 1900

44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Why is this important for us today?

(1) Helps us to understand the scripture redemptively

(2) Helps us to see that we are part of God’s ongoing providential work

(3) Helps keep us from seeing what we are doing as individualized kingdom building

God’s mission is bigger than any one local body.

It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission – God’s mission. [Wright, Christopher J. H.. The Mission of God's People (Biblical Theology for Life) (p. 16). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.]

While individual local church autonomy is important, it can be taken to an extreme. The extreme of autonomy is typically caused by division over secondary and tertiary issues. What do these kinds of divisions result in?

Unions around a strong, charismatic personality that is driven.

Conferences for partnership that require resources for travel to be with similar churches because we see ourselves as completely unique in our area.

A sense of ownership over disciples that leads us to demonize (at very least misrepresent) other gospel-preaching churches

Confusion over what is worthy of division.

Illustration: Theological Triage Article is helpful.

Seeing God’s mission as pre-dating the NT and understanding that God’s mission is bigger than any one local church body will help us to see that we are part of something far greater than just our own little bubble. There is a “togetherness” around the gospel that is woven throughout the New Testament: I Corinthians 3:9, Philippians 1:27.

What should be our response?

Humility should be the response from all Christians. This humility must be the product of God’s gracious work in us — a constant work of faith in the gospel. Humility will keep us from aggressively attacking others and from refusing to cooperate with people who do not agree with us, at least on tertiary issues.

What then is the cooperative, kingdom work for every local church?

While there are many more negative examples that could be given, one great reality of the New Testament is that God’s mission is made clear by the gospel imperative.

God’s mission is made clear by the gospel command – “make disciples.”

Of all of the passages, Matthew 28:16-20 may possibly be the most noted and quoted of the Great Commission passages. When summarizing all of the commission passages, Jake Taube says,

“To proactively declare the gospel to unbelieving individuals in an effort to make them maturing disciples of Christ. [Taube, Jake. Send Me, I’ll Go: Letting the Mission Choose Your Direction . CLC Publications. Kindle Edition.]

While this is concise, let’s consider this in several respects: (a) in light of the entire scripture and (b) in light of the actual imperative.

In light of the entire scripture, the gospel imperative because is the good news. This is actually an Old Testament term. Consider Wright:

The first reason is that Paul tells us that the gospel is “in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:1 – 4); that is to say, the gospel message of the death and resurrection of Jesus is to be understood in the light of the Old Testament. Paul can even say that the gospel was preached in the Old Testament. The Scripture, he says, “pre-evangelized Abraham” – when God promised him that all nations would be blessed through him (Gal. 3:

[Wright, Christopher J. H.. The Mission of God's People (Biblical Theology for Life) (p. 232). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.]

In addition, when God is speaking to exiles, the term that would later be translated into evangel [i.e. gospel] is used in Isaiah 40:9; 41:27; 52:7; 61:1. Of note is Isaiah 52:7. Though the OT uses and prophesies using this term, clarity is given when Jesus Christ comes. Mark 1:15 and Luke 4:17-18 reveal Jesus preaching the gospel and making an explicit connection between himself and the preaching of the gospel.

Since that account in Nazareth, Jesus lived perfectly, died substitutionally, and rose from the dead. It would be on the authority of his resurrection that he would now commission his followers. What is the commission simply? Coleman is helpful here:

The Great Commission of Christ given to his church summed it up in the command to “make disciples of every creature” (Matt. 28:19). The word here indicates that the disciples were to go out into the world and win others who would come to be what they themselves were—disciples of Christ. This mission is emphasized even more when the Greek text of the passage is studied, and it is seen that the words go, baptize, and teach are all participles that derive their force from the one controlling verb “make disciples.”

[Coleman, Robert E.. The Master Plan of Evangelism (p. 104). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.]

The good news of Jesus Christ fulfilled gives clarity to the mission, of which we only see darkly in the Old Testament. What is that mission? It is the mission to make disciples.

The Mission and the Church

Is there an ecclesiastic dimension to this? In other words, is this just something to be done individual or corporately? In the scriptures that we have already seen we have evidence of the corporate nature of this command. But one glaring example that we find in the New Testament is Acts 13:1-4, 14:21-23.

How do we go about fulfilling God’s purpose ecclesiastically?

We accomplish purpose by obedience to God’s mission.

We must understand what the mission is. The mission is to “make disciples”.

We must see that this is part of God’s kingdom plan.

We must seek to make disciples are part of the local NT church.