Listen to the audio from our Sunday December 11, 2011 missional converation during the ABE hour as you follow along with the notes and slides below.

From the very beginning of the human race, God re­veals that He is committed to redeeming people back to Himself for the purpose of fellowship and worship (Gen. 3:15). Throughout the Old Testament's history of His sin-marred people, God relentlessly reaffirms His pur­pose to call out those who will be His worshippers, not just from among His chosen people but from all peoples—from the prostitute of Jericho to the ruthless, pagan Ninevites.

Many excellent studies demonstrate how the theme of global proclamation is woven throughout Scripture. Due to limited time, just a few New Testament passages will be highlighted here to establish the underlying principles for your church's role in God's global purpose.

God's purpose from the beginning

God's desire for His Name to be proclaimed and His authority acknowledged by all nations is a theme woven throughout Scripture. From the first book of the Bible where God calls Abraham, He announces that His pur­pose is that "all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen. 12:3). While the spotlight is on the nation of Israel throughout the Old Testament, God reminds His people that He is blessing them 'that your [God's] ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations" (Ps. 67:2). Through the prophet Isa­iah God tells Israel, "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth" (Is. 49:6).

In the following brief study, we will concentrate on just a few of the New Testament passages that reveal Jesus' priorities and instructions, and how God chose to expand the missionary movement.

Do you like to know how a book ends before you begin the first chapter? Consider for a few moments the end of the story of God's purposes for the peoples He created. God pulls back the curtain of time to show us both the end of the story and the reason why He has pursued relationships with the people He created over multiple millennia. Read Revelation 7:9-10.

     What are the four descriptions John uses to identify who these people are?

    (1) _____________ , (2) _______________ , (3) ________________ , (4) _______________

As the Apostle John heaps one all-encompassing term on top of another, we quickly get the point that no human entity anywhere on earth has been left out! The technical term for "nation" here is "ethne" or people group. By one count, missiologists have identified over 16,000 people groups and over 6,700 languages.

     What is this vast multitude of very different peoples doing?

     What does this powerful image of the future tell us about God's love?

     What does this scene imply about worship?

    How does this glimpse of heaven from Revelation 7 impact your understanding of God's love?

    How should this scene influence your view of peo­ple groups which may seem "foreign' or threatening to us?         

If you speak more than one language, you are aware that certain concepts are more easily or more ade­quately expressed in one language than another. As we read this passage in Revelation, we realize that God will not be satisfied until He is being worshipped by people from everywhere in every language. It will re­quire all 6,000+ languages to begin to adequately express the worth of God's character! If one people group were missing, an aspect of God's creativity would not be appreciated. Can you imagine every people group worshipping our God in their own language and that you will understand their language of praise?

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment. Without hesitation He gives not one but two commandments. What are the priorities Jesus presents?

1.

2.

What does loving God have to do with being missional?

What does loving your neighbor have to be with being Missional?

Throughout the 20^th  century, missions was framed almost entirely in terms of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15. Today, new voices, particularly those of younger generations, remind us that the Great Commission must be coupled with what is sometimes called the Great Command. Jesus clearly presented salvation truth, but He also showed compas­sion for the whole person. His ministry incorporated not only verbal revelation (proclamation) but a demonstration of God's love (holistic ministry) that had the power to transform individuals and societies.

How do gospel proclamation and holistic ministry tie together?

How can Hope be sensitive to generational differences, while still true to Scripture in balancing these two perspectives?

When parents leave their children with a babysitter, they give their most important instructions to the chil­dren just before they walk out the door. In a similar way, we hear the urgency in Jesus' directions to His fol­lowers just before He leaves them.

Each of the four gospels and the book of Acts report in a similar but unique way Jesus' command to carry His message everywhere. Compare each of these texts as you answer the questions.

•  Matthew 28:18-20                                      •  John 20:21-22

•  Mark 16:15-18                                            •  Acts 1:8

•  Luke 24:47-49

The simple, basic command is "Go as witnesses."

What are you to do as you go?

Where are you to do it?

What power do you have?

From these passages, you could summarize Jesus' final instruction:

What? Go as witnesses

Why? I am sending you

To do what? Preach, teach, disciple, and baptize

Where? Everywhere from right here to the farthest place on earth

How? By My authority and the power of the Holy Spirit I'm giving you

Many times, we would be much more comfortable staying than going! We like to stay where things are fa­miliar, where we are surrounded by friends and family, where people think and talk like we do, and where others share our faith and our values. But Jesus, the Sent One, is also unequivocally sending us.

Jesus gave His commission to His disciples before the birth of the church. So what is the role of the local church in the fulfillment of that commission? Scripture sets a clear precedent for significant church involvement when Luke describes the sending of the first New Testament missionaries. Read Acts 13:1-3.

To whom did the Holy Spirit communicate His choice to be the first missionaries from Antioch?

What connection did Barnabas and Saul have with the Antioch church?

Why do you think God spoke to the church leaders instead of/in addition to His call to the men directly?

For Barnabas and Saul: How do you think this group revelation impacted their initial response?

What implications might it have had later on when things became very difficult?

For the Antioch church: What difference did this group revelation make for the church?

Read Acts 14:26-28. What happened at the end of Barnabas and Paul's first missionary trip?

How does their report back to the church relate to the fact that the church sent them out?

This is the only recorded instance of a New Testament church sending out missionaries, but many times Paul mentions in his letters the involvement of other churches in his ministry. We will look at just two references to the involvement of the church at Philippi:

     In Phil. 1:19, Paul acknowledges the Philippian church's involvement:

     In Phil. 2:25, Paul commends the church for:

     Later, in Phil. 4:14-16, Paul thanks the Philippians for:

Looking at these passages about the church's involvement with missionaries, how could you summarize the missional commitment you think God expects of the local church?   

Jesus' last words were given to His disciples. For most of recent history, responding to His call was inter­preted as an intensely individual matter.

The modern missions movement was launched dur­ing a period of time when the organized church was largely opposed to attempting to reach those who had never heard. Church leaders responded to William Carey's missions fervor with, "If God wants to win the heathen, He will do it without us."

So those in the forefront of carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth often were rugged pioneers who heard God's call as individuals and moved forward with minimal human support or guidance. We respect those who have gone when the church had little vision, but this doesn't mean the pattern is biblical.

Even when local churches became passionate about supporting missions, the selection of who was to go and where they were to go was considered a sacred trans­action between the individual and God alone (except in some denominational settings). It was the church's job to write the support check and pray. The rest was up to the individual and the agency.

As you have seen, the New Testament indicates a far larger role for the church, although Scripture does not seem to be prescriptive. Each congregation is free to develop its own involvement.

Read Phil. 1:5. What made Paul's heart rejoice?

Why did Paul need the Philippians as partners?

 In 2 Cor. 8|14,Paul expresses the principle of reciprocity.  What does he say?

How does the principle of reciprocity apply to a Missional church?

In what specific ways would your church’s partnership with others strengthen your ability to fulfill God’s Missional mandate?

What is one example of how Hope has partnered with others?  What was the result?