I was recently challenged by Aristide Nyounai , Pastor of Providence Christian Church, to find out the definition of what a missionary is in the Scriptures.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20
There are two types of missions. Both have the same goal , but both have different requirements. There is, what I call, general missions : what all Christians are called to, and global missions: what some, mature Christians are called to, but all have a part in.
I. General Missions:
We have all heard the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel, but sometimes it get’s confused. I used to think that the great commission means you have to go live in a jungle and build a church out of bamboo. Well, I’m slightly exaggerating…I thought it meant sharing the gospel with people cross-culturally. What I discovered, was that we all have been called as Christians to make disciples. In fact, this isn’t just found in the New Testament, but since the beginning of the world this mission has been in place – our cultural mandate.
Missions in Genesis:
Before sin had even entered the world, God gave Adam and Eve a commission. This is our life purpose – the reason for our existence.
"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28
We are to reproduce and take dominion over the world. In so doing, we, who are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26), reflect God’s image throughout the whole world and bring Him glory. But there soon became a problem – sin. Adam and Eve sinned, so that they and their children no longer reflect the perfect image of God, but a corrupted one. We have filled the world with sinners and have misused the world God has entrusted to us, so that now instead of bringing glory to God, we blaspheme His name. We know that this was God’s plan from the beginning to show us His justice, fierce wrath, abounding love, and great mercy. He would one day save his people and conform them back into the right image of Himself (Romans 8: 29). We see in the Old Testament God choosing a people, Israel, to reflect Him, out of whom came Jesus our Savoir. He came the God-man. He lived the life we couldn’t - perfectly bearing the image of God (Col 1:15). He died, rose again, and reigns in heaven until He will one day return, judge the world, and create a new world to live with His Church, which is now not only Israel, but all who believe in Him. This is where we get the great commission, which is still the same mission reinstated. Go fill the earth with the image of God and bring Him glory. And how do we do that? By sharing this glorious gospel.
How to do Missions:
So does this mean we all quit our jobs, get a plane ticket, and move into the jungle? To answer that question we need to know what making disciples and sharing the gospel throughout the world really means.
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
You can share the gospel with anyone anywhere. Whether in you home town (Jerusalem), in a neighbouring town (Judea), or cross-culturally (Samaria). Throughout the whole world means every where. And certainly the gospel is needed every where.
Often I think of missions as this glorified career, but it is just living the Christian life. And no, I don’t mean going to Church on Sundays and reading your devotional every day, I mean Biblically living the Christian life. Raising a family biblically is doing missions. Your training up the next generation - disciplining the people closest to you. Going to School and sharing the gospel to your friends is fulfilling the great commission. Talking to your co-workers about who God is, is doing missions. Cultivating relationships with your neighbours, is doing missions. Encouraging a new believer is doing missions. Pointing out sin in love in a brother or sister in Christ is missions. Whatever we are doing to make disciples and point people to Christ is fulfilling the great commission.
We are all called to share the gospel with unbelievers and edify the saints where ever we are ,and in so doing, bring glory to our ever worthy God.
Yes, I said share the gospel with unbelievers. Not with our Christian behavior only. And I strongly believe we must share the gospel through conversation. "Our actions speak louder than words" only goes so far. Our actions should reflect our words, and building relationships should surround our words, but we must speak the gospel. As my Dad often says, the gospel is a message, and needs to be communicated through words. People will not know about sin, Jesus, the gospel, and how they can be saved by giving them a plate of cookies. Cookies have their place (perhaps as a way to start up a conversation about the gospel), but we can’t hide behind loving and generous actions. To be truly loving and generous we must share the love Christ has displayed for them on the cross.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have also made sharing the gospel a project. Once I’ve spoken to someone about Jesus, they are off the list and I can move on to someone else. Making disciples is a long process. They should be following you as you follow Christ. That takes time and commitment. It might be committing individuals to prayer. It could be making an effort to get together with someone regularly or keep in touch with others. You can’t have deep discipleship with everyone, some will reject you and the gospel right off the bat, or if you meet someone on the street and may never see them again, or just physically you can’t be there for everyone. But generally, we are sharing the gospel multiple times in multiple ways over multiple cups of coffee or during multiple dinners. It isn’t shoving the gospel down people’s throats, though that’s how allot of people react, it is talking about what matters most and what your “crazy bananas” about , to steal Keith Green’s line. It is an urgent message, but one of hope. It may seem like foolishness to some, but it is the reality we all will face one day.(1Cor 1:18)
Summary:
In summary, general missions is a command given to the Church (all Christians) to make disciples wherever you are for the glory of God. This is part of the biblical Christian life and the purpose God created in all mankind.
II. Global Missions
Global missions is still the great commission, but where mature Christians go out and pursue God in sharing the gospel and building His Church as the result of a calling from God. In global missions the goal is to evangelize and disciple people to establish biblical churches. I like to think of global missions as a total commitment of one’s life to see Christ worshipped all over the world. It is going to those unreached or miss-reached people groups and planting biblical churches. It can still be in your own country or neighbourhood or it can be to a completely different culture. Where there is need missionaries are sent.
The Call and Requirements:
"Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'" Matthew 9:37-38
Yes, we are all laborers, but we are not all sent to go. God has different roles for all of us to play in the building of His kingdom. (1Cor 12:4-6)
I like what Heart Cry's mission and methodology states in regards to the qualifications of a missionary:
"Missionaries must be mature Christians in their knowledge of the Scriptures and character. In other words, they should meet the qualifications of an elder as they are set forth in 1Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Some might object to this statement on the grounds that Paul is referring to elders and not missionaries or evangelists. In answer to this objection, we should realize that Paul is first describing a mature Christian and then demanding that elders be mature. It is unwise and dangerous to send anyone to plant a church on the foreign field who is not mature and would not qualify to be an elder in his own church."
Everyone’s Part:
Everyone even has a part in global missions. Sure not everyone is sent, but those who aren't should be upholding those who are in prayer and their physical needs.
"I will go...but you must hold the rope for me!" -William Carey
Holding the rope will cost, just as going will cost. But the cost is worth it.
"Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Luke 9:23-24
~ Brooke
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20
There are two types of missions. Both have the same goal , but both have different requirements. There is, what I call, general missions : what all Christians are called to, and global missions: what some, mature Christians are called to, but all have a part in.
I. General Missions:
We have all heard the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel, but sometimes it get’s confused. I used to think that the great commission means you have to go live in a jungle and build a church out of bamboo. Well, I’m slightly exaggerating…I thought it meant sharing the gospel with people cross-culturally. What I discovered, was that we all have been called as Christians to make disciples. In fact, this isn’t just found in the New Testament, but since the beginning of the world this mission has been in place – our cultural mandate.
Missions in Genesis:
Before sin had even entered the world, God gave Adam and Eve a commission. This is our life purpose – the reason for our existence.
"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28
We are to reproduce and take dominion over the world. In so doing, we, who are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26), reflect God’s image throughout the whole world and bring Him glory. But there soon became a problem – sin. Adam and Eve sinned, so that they and their children no longer reflect the perfect image of God, but a corrupted one. We have filled the world with sinners and have misused the world God has entrusted to us, so that now instead of bringing glory to God, we blaspheme His name. We know that this was God’s plan from the beginning to show us His justice, fierce wrath, abounding love, and great mercy. He would one day save his people and conform them back into the right image of Himself (Romans 8: 29). We see in the Old Testament God choosing a people, Israel, to reflect Him, out of whom came Jesus our Savoir. He came the God-man. He lived the life we couldn’t - perfectly bearing the image of God (Col 1:15). He died, rose again, and reigns in heaven until He will one day return, judge the world, and create a new world to live with His Church, which is now not only Israel, but all who believe in Him. This is where we get the great commission, which is still the same mission reinstated. Go fill the earth with the image of God and bring Him glory. And how do we do that? By sharing this glorious gospel.
How to do Missions:
So does this mean we all quit our jobs, get a plane ticket, and move into the jungle? To answer that question we need to know what making disciples and sharing the gospel throughout the world really means.
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
You can share the gospel with anyone anywhere. Whether in you home town (Jerusalem), in a neighbouring town (Judea), or cross-culturally (Samaria). Throughout the whole world means every where. And certainly the gospel is needed every where.
Often I think of missions as this glorified career, but it is just living the Christian life. And no, I don’t mean going to Church on Sundays and reading your devotional every day, I mean Biblically living the Christian life. Raising a family biblically is doing missions. Your training up the next generation - disciplining the people closest to you. Going to School and sharing the gospel to your friends is fulfilling the great commission. Talking to your co-workers about who God is, is doing missions. Cultivating relationships with your neighbours, is doing missions. Encouraging a new believer is doing missions. Pointing out sin in love in a brother or sister in Christ is missions. Whatever we are doing to make disciples and point people to Christ is fulfilling the great commission.
We are all called to share the gospel with unbelievers and edify the saints where ever we are ,and in so doing, bring glory to our ever worthy God.
Yes, I said share the gospel with unbelievers. Not with our Christian behavior only. And I strongly believe we must share the gospel through conversation. "Our actions speak louder than words" only goes so far. Our actions should reflect our words, and building relationships should surround our words, but we must speak the gospel. As my Dad often says, the gospel is a message, and needs to be communicated through words. People will not know about sin, Jesus, the gospel, and how they can be saved by giving them a plate of cookies. Cookies have their place (perhaps as a way to start up a conversation about the gospel), but we can’t hide behind loving and generous actions. To be truly loving and generous we must share the love Christ has displayed for them on the cross.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have also made sharing the gospel a project. Once I’ve spoken to someone about Jesus, they are off the list and I can move on to someone else. Making disciples is a long process. They should be following you as you follow Christ. That takes time and commitment. It might be committing individuals to prayer. It could be making an effort to get together with someone regularly or keep in touch with others. You can’t have deep discipleship with everyone, some will reject you and the gospel right off the bat, or if you meet someone on the street and may never see them again, or just physically you can’t be there for everyone. But generally, we are sharing the gospel multiple times in multiple ways over multiple cups of coffee or during multiple dinners. It isn’t shoving the gospel down people’s throats, though that’s how allot of people react, it is talking about what matters most and what your “crazy bananas” about , to steal Keith Green’s line. It is an urgent message, but one of hope. It may seem like foolishness to some, but it is the reality we all will face one day.(1Cor 1:18)
Summary:
In summary, general missions is a command given to the Church (all Christians) to make disciples wherever you are for the glory of God. This is part of the biblical Christian life and the purpose God created in all mankind.
II. Global Missions
Global missions is still the great commission, but where mature Christians go out and pursue God in sharing the gospel and building His Church as the result of a calling from God. In global missions the goal is to evangelize and disciple people to establish biblical churches. I like to think of global missions as a total commitment of one’s life to see Christ worshipped all over the world. It is going to those unreached or miss-reached people groups and planting biblical churches. It can still be in your own country or neighbourhood or it can be to a completely different culture. Where there is need missionaries are sent.
The Call and Requirements:
"Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'" Matthew 9:37-38
Yes, we are all laborers, but we are not all sent to go. God has different roles for all of us to play in the building of His kingdom. (1Cor 12:4-6)
I like what Heart Cry's mission and methodology states in regards to the qualifications of a missionary:
"Missionaries must be mature Christians in their knowledge of the Scriptures and character. In other words, they should meet the qualifications of an elder as they are set forth in 1Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Some might object to this statement on the grounds that Paul is referring to elders and not missionaries or evangelists. In answer to this objection, we should realize that Paul is first describing a mature Christian and then demanding that elders be mature. It is unwise and dangerous to send anyone to plant a church on the foreign field who is not mature and would not qualify to be an elder in his own church."
Everyone’s Part:
Everyone even has a part in global missions. Sure not everyone is sent, but those who aren't should be upholding those who are in prayer and their physical needs.
"I will go...but you must hold the rope for me!" -William Carey
Holding the rope will cost, just as going will cost. But the cost is worth it.
"Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Luke 9:23-24
~ Brooke
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