What is Christian Missions? How does God intend Christian Missions to fulfill the Great Commission?
What is Christian Missions?
How does God intend Christian Missions to fulfill the Great Commission?
Christian missions is following Christ’s call: sharing the Gospel with the lost world through God’s wisdom and strength.
Christian missions is obeying Christ
After Christ’s death and resurrection, He commanded the disciples to share the Gospel, the message of His redemption. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).
This Great Commission applies to Christians today. Rather than a burden, obeying His call brings joy and reward in heaven. We should fulfill our mission not out of duty but love: “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. . . . Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).
God could convert everyone using a blinding light and the voice of Christ as He did with the apostle Paul. Instead, He gives Christians the mission of reconciliation (Acts 1:8-9). He works through us, calling sinners to turn to Christ in repentance and faith.
Christian missions is sharing Christ
Our mission is proclaiming Christ as the only way to abundant, eternal life. Whom do we tell? Jesus made it clear that Christians are to reach out to “all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Instead of countries, he was referring to people groups, those ethnic cultures without a Gospel witness.
Christian missions, however, is not limited to overseas ministry. While believers should faithfully support those who go to the unreached, all Christians have the mission to share Christ on the home field with family, friends, coworkers, and the community.
The Christian mission of sharing Christ does not end with a sinner’s salvation. The commission was to make disciples – not immature believers. Thus, Christian missions involves not only evangelism but also discipleship.
Christian missions is relying on Christ
Sharing the Gospel humbly, boldly, and passionately is our Christian mission. But we cannot do it alone. While our mission is sharing Christ, the power and results come from the Lord. He gives us the wisdom, strength, and desire to witness! Through our witness, He works repentance and faith in the sinner’s heart (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
Although it is God’s work, Christians are responsible to understand the Gospel and have a strong relationship with Christ. Such a relationship guards them from hypocrisy. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3:15-16). Jesus assured that suffering would accompany missions, but God uses it for good.
In sum, Christian missions is obeying Christ, sharing Christ, and relying on Christ. Specifically, God sends missionaries through the support of the church to the unreached. All Christians, however, have the mission of reconciliation. The Lord works through them to rescue the lost. What greater mission can one answer?
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December 02 2009 11:48 pm | Christian
come to R&S chat! on 03 Dec 2009 at 4:56 am #
come to chat
References :
Didjeridoo on 03 Dec 2009 at 5:45 am #
Missions is not something we as believers must accomplish. A lot of Christians will go on a mssions trip or just simply be a light to those in their own area (we are not all called to missions), and disapointedly say "I never saw even one person come to Christ". Does that mean that the people that get to witness the lost coming to Christ get more rewarded in heaven? No I dont think so at all. Missions isnt about staying until you see something drastic happen, no, its about being Christ so someone. Because when you do something for someone else, you are doing it for Christ as well. I believe that there is a lot more non-believers having dreams in areas like the muslim world for example, where the Gospel is Scarce. Those people do not have the holy spirit in them, therefore, obviously that is there only way of hearing for the first time about the Good News about Jesus Christ! I think a believer on a missions trip can be easily dicoureaged at times because they feel that what they are doing is almost useless. (well, depending on what you are doing, you cannot force anyone into the Christian faith either. as well, a lot of people claim to be christians and followers of christ, and then going on living their day to day lives in the things of this world…which is most deffinetely forgiven if asked for…..though a true follower of christ may wonder, no doubt, like a sheep that lost its shephard, that sheep is still owned by the shephard…..but thats a different subject). A born again believer, in the missions field (or any day to day life), may not feel the impact that their acts of being like Christ to someone else actually have! i think this is because we already have the holy spirit, God is focused on those who have not yet heard. So as we believers who dont feel like we could even make a dent in this world, are planting seeds and growing in our own relationship with Christ Jesus as well as we learning more each day about serving and just practicing Worship in everything we do. Cuz really…. Are we gonna change the world? Absolutely Not, I will tell you that right now. But ultimately, without God, who are we? Its not us at all changing anybody. Its the work of God using us to plant seeds and to just be like Christ to those around us, stepping out of our comfert zones and going hard core for Christ! I think sitting and watching others do missions (for me at least) is like playing X-Box on a sunnyday. (i dont play a lot of nintendo myself mind you lol). Ultimately, hey sure, God could fix the world in under 5 seconds if he wanted to, and you bet this world hurts him to see, but what kind of faith would that involve from us?
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Luc on 03 Dec 2009 at 5:50 am #
they should follow what Jesus taught them when he was on earth.
References :
http://www.cellularoneringtones.org
Alexander Leenus on 03 Dec 2009 at 6:16 am #
Christian missions is following Christ’s call: sharing the Gospel with the lost world through God’s wisdom and strength.
Christian missions is obeying Christ
After Christ’s death and resurrection, He commanded the disciples to share the Gospel, the message of His redemption. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).
This Great Commission applies to Christians today. Rather than a burden, obeying His call brings joy and reward in heaven. We should fulfill our mission not out of duty but love: “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. . . . Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).
God could convert everyone using a blinding light and the voice of Christ as He did with the apostle Paul. Instead, He gives Christians the mission of reconciliation (Acts 1:8-9). He works through us, calling sinners to turn to Christ in repentance and faith.
Christian missions is sharing Christ
Our mission is proclaiming Christ as the only way to abundant, eternal life. Whom do we tell? Jesus made it clear that Christians are to reach out to “all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Instead of countries, he was referring to people groups, those ethnic cultures without a Gospel witness.
Christian missions, however, is not limited to overseas ministry. While believers should faithfully support those who go to the unreached, all Christians have the mission to share Christ on the home field with family, friends, coworkers, and the community.
The Christian mission of sharing Christ does not end with a sinner’s salvation. The commission was to make disciples – not immature believers. Thus, Christian missions involves not only evangelism but also discipleship.
Christian missions is relying on Christ
Sharing the Gospel humbly, boldly, and passionately is our Christian mission. But we cannot do it alone. While our mission is sharing Christ, the power and results come from the Lord. He gives us the wisdom, strength, and desire to witness! Through our witness, He works repentance and faith in the sinner’s heart (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
Although it is God’s work, Christians are responsible to understand the Gospel and have a strong relationship with Christ. Such a relationship guards them from hypocrisy. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3:15-16). Jesus assured that suffering would accompany missions, but God uses it for good.
In sum, Christian missions is obeying Christ, sharing Christ, and relying on Christ. Specifically, God sends missionaries through the support of the church to the unreached. All Christians, however, have the mission of reconciliation. The Lord works through them to rescue the lost. What greater mission can one answer?
References :