Theology of Missions

Introduction The Bible chronicles mans fall from what God created him to be, and God’s desire to restore a sinful man unto Himself through missions. Even though man was originally made perfectly in the image of God, man would eventually succumb to his free will and his own selfish desires. Once man allowed evil into his heart, fellowship with God was broken, along with His heart. Through His sovereign grace and mercy, God seeks to restore order to His earthly kingdom. We find God’s plan and outline in the pages of His word as He makes a way for man to be redeemed from the chains of sin. The awesomeness of the situation is that God allows us to be part of the mission to reach out and share the Gospel to a lost and dying world. Ultimately, the mission of God finds its fulfillment in man’s worship and service to God in His kingdom. In order to understand the scope and goal of missions, it must first be defined. Moreau, Corwin, and McGee, introduce “missions” as “the word used for the specific task of making disciples of all nations. It is seen through the work of mission agencies, churches, and missionaries around the world.” Missions could be looked at as the broad action reflected from its root, mission. The word mission then, “refers to everything the church does that points toward the kingdom of God.” George Peters explains the mission as the, “biblical assignment of the church that encompass the upward, inward and outward ministries of the church. It is the church as sent in this world.” The church accomplishes the mission by sending representative messengers known as missionaries “with a message from God, sent forth by divine authority for the definite purpose of evangelism, church-founding, and church edification.” In an attempt at reaching the world and spreading the Gospel, today’s church uses missionaries to personally touch lives in a way that the church as a body cannot. The foundation for missions has been laid by God Himself and is

Bibliography: Kaiser, Walter C. “Israel’s Missionary Call” in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader: Pasadena, CA: William Cary Library, 4th Edition, 2009. Moreau, Scott A.; Corwin, Gary R.; McGee, Gary B. Introducing World Missions: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2004. Peters, George W. A Biblical Theology of Missions. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1972. Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God In Missions: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1993. Weiss, G. Christian. The Heart of Missionary Theology. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1976. Wright, Christopher J.H. “Mission and God’s Earth” in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader: Pasadena, CA: William Cary Library, 4th Edition, 2009.