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The Church’s Evangelistic Mission · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. Yeah, This is where we take a
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deep dive into really key parts of our faith.
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We try to make sometimes complex ideas feel, you know, accessible
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and something you can apply to your life, right?
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And today, we're really focusing on something that sits right at
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the heart of, well, God's plan through all of history.
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We're talking about his global mission, this ongoing thing, and
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what the church's main job really is today.
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Yeah, the primary purpose. Exactly our source material for
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this dive. It comes from some really
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insightful notes and transcribed lectures.
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They're all focused on apologetics, evangelism,
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basically shedding light on God's heart for all the nations.
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Good stuff. So our aim today is pretty
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clear. We want to unpack the biblical
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story, you know, how God gets his saving news out to the
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world. We want to nail down what the
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church is really here to do and figure out what that means for,
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well, for you, for every follower of Christ, right?
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This isn't just looking back at history.
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It's kind of an invitation to think about where you fit in
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this whole big picture. Absolutely.
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It's personal. So let's kick off with an idea.
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We all kind of get a mission statement.
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You know, that sort of guiding idea that shapes everything a
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company or an organization does? Their decisions, what they
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prioritize, even their attitude. Right, like a company's North
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Star. Yeah, exactly.
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Think about any successful company.
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Their mission statement isn't just some nice words on the
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wall, is it? It's like it's in their DNA.
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It guides everything. I mean, Microsoft way back had
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that goal, A computer on every desktop, in every home, running
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our software. That wasn't just talk.
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It drove their whole strategy, software, sales, hiring,
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everything filtered through them.
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Yeah, incredibly focused. Or think about Starbucks, their
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aim? To be the premier purveyor of
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the finest coffee in the world, that single idea dictates where
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they get their beans, how they roast, the whole vibe of their
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stores. It wasn't about being the
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cheapest. Right.
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No, it was about being the finest quality.
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Right and Amazon wanting to be the world's most customer
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centric company where customers can find and discover anything
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they want online at a great price.
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Wow, did that change things. It drove all their innovation in
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delivery service, everything. Totally reshaped retail.
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And you see it everywhere. Nike to bring inspiration and
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innovation to every athlete in the world.
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Google to organize the world's information.
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Walmart to give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing
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as rich people. Even Disneyland.
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Simply to make people happy. Simple but powerful and each.
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One isn't just marketing fluff, it's like a living guide.
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It helps them decide, OK, what problems do we tackle first?
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Where's the money go? What kind of team are we
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building? Everyone knows why they're
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there. Yeah, provides clarity and
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direction. So thinking about ourselves, if
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we had individual mission statements, what would they be?
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But then the bigger question, the one for today, what's the
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Bible say is God's mission statement for us?
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What is the Church's main job here on Earth?
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That really is the critical question, and it's one where, as
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Pastor John MacArthur often points out, there's quite a bit
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of misunderstanding even among, you know, really faithful church
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folks. Really.
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Even in solid churches. Yeah, absolutely.
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He highlights 3 common ideas that are good things, really
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good things, but they get mistakenly lifted up as the main
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purpose, the ultimate goal. And these aren't just issues in,
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say, shallow churches. You find them among sincere
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believers, too. OK, what are they?
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Well, the first one, often mistaken for the main aim, is
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fellowship. Ah, OK, community connection.
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Exactly. This view says the Church's
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highest purpose is achieving unity, harmony, real love within
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the body of believers and people.
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Holding this view, they often look for churches with lots of
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programs, right? Small groups, classes, social
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events. Yeah, activity based ministry
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you could call. It that's a good way to put it.
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They value that community connection above almost
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everything else. Now let's be clear.
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Love for one another, unity. These are absolutely vital.
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Jesus himself said that's how the world would know were his
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disciples. Right John 13.
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Precisely. But Scripture clarifies the
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reason for that love. The primary reason for loving
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one another is actually so that others will know the love of
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God. So it points outward.
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Yes. So fellowship, while it's a
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crucial part of a healthy church, it isn't the ultimate
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goal. It's more like preparation.
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It strengthens the church for something else.
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If fellowship becomes the end all be all, you risk becoming
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just a comfortable inward looking club.
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You know, yeah, missing the bigger picture.
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OK, so Fellowship is 1. What's the second?
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The second idea, often seen as the main goal, is truth or
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teaching. OK, doctrine sound preaching,
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right? This view says the church's
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number one job is to promote truth.
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Protect it, guard it, teach it faithfully, make sure believers
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grow in knowledge. People prioritizing this might
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pick a church solely based on, say, it's solid expositional
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preaching or it's detailed doctrinal statements.
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And that sounds really important too.
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It absolutely is. Truth is foundational.
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Have a real relationship with God or know His will without His
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truth. But truth just by itself isn't
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the final stop. It's real value, It's purpose
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is. This truth is precious to us
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because it is the message that we bring to the lost.
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So it's the content of the mission.
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Exactly. Without accurate truth, we can't
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preach a pure, unadulterated gospel.
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So truth serves as the vital equipment, the necessary message
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for our mission, not the mission itself.
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A church that makes truth the Absolute end?
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Well, it could become really smart, doctrinally precise, but
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maybe practically sterile. Like having all the answers but
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not sharing them. Sort of, yeah.
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Engaging in endless theological debates while maybe neglecting
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the world just outside the doors.
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OK, I see. Fellowship.
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Truth. What's the third common
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misconception? The third one is praise worship.
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Focusing upward on God. Yes, the idea here is that the
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church exists primarily as a body of worshippers.
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The main focus is vertical towards God through singing,
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prayer, living a holy life and again, praise is fundamental.
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We were created to glorify God. Absolutely.
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But think about why we praise Him.
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It's described as the manner in which we give glory to God
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because we were saved from our sin.
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It's a response to redemption. Exactly.
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Our praise flows from redemption, which is directly
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tied to sharing that redemption, that good news, with others.
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So like fellowship and truth, praise is essential, absolutely
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part of a healthy church. But it also functions as
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preparation, getting the church ready for its real objective.
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So a church totally focused only on the worship service itself
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might be missing something. It could be, it might create a
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beautiful experience for itself, but miss the very reason God
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redeemed them in the first place, to share the one they're
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praising with those who don't yet know Him.
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OK, that pulls it together. Fellowship, truth, praise, all
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essential, commanded even. Yes, essential elements charges
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given to the Church. But none of them, according to
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scripture, is the primary purpose.
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Correct. The Bible doesn't elevate one of
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these above the others as the main focus.
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Instead, they're presented as the vital preparation, the
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spiritual equipping that gets the church ready to fulfill its
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actual mission, winning the lost.
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Winning the lost. Think of it like, well, a sports
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team. Let's say soccer training,
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practice drills, team meetings. They're absolutely crucial,
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right? You can't win without them.
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But what are they for? They're for the game, for the
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match, for competing and winning.
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What sometimes happens in evangelical Christianity,
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MacArthur argues, is that the church gets really good at
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practice. We show up faithfully for
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fellowship. We study truth.
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We engage in praise, but we can be hesitant to get onto the
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pitch of evangelism. The actual game, the very.
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Reason for all that training. The church is here first and
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foremost to evangelize, to carry the gospel message to the world.
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That's the main event. Wow, that really reframes so
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much of how we think about church life, doesn't it?
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Those good things, fellowship, truth, praise, are the
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preparation, the training. What, then, is that overarching
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mission statement for the church?
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What's the main game we're training for?
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The core mission, the one thing it's argued that brings the most
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glory to God in this world, maybe more than anything else,
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is His gracious redemption of damned and hell bound center.
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More than anything else. How so?
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Well, think about it. The whole creation declares
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God's glory, right? The mountains, the oceans, the
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stars? Psalm 19 says the heavens
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declare his glory. Passively.
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Almost. Exactly.
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Passively. But when a human being, someone
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made in God's image who is spiritually dead, actively
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rejecting God, loving their sin, when that person is
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supernaturally made alive by God's grace, turns from that
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rebellion and starts to willingly, consciously, joyfully
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give God his proper place and worship him above everything
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else, that's different. That's fundamentally different.
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That conscious choice, that radical U-turn of a human heart
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from treasuring sin to valuing God above all, that brings God a
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kind of glory, a quality of glory that even the Grand Canyon
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can't give of him. It's volitional worship from a
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redeemed heart. OK, I see the distension.
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There's even this idea, sometimes called a divine
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mathematics equation, based on 2nd Corinthians 4.15, Paul
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writes. As grace extends to more and
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more people, it may increase Thanksgiving to the glory of
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God. Grace extends.
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Thanksgiving increases. Glory increases.
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It's pretty straightforward, isn't it?
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The more people saved, the more people transformed from rebels
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into worshippers giving thanks to God, and the more
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Thanksgiving offered up, the more glory God receives its
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cause and effect. So if you want to maximize God's
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glory. Then you should be deeply
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concerned with evangelism, because nothing else expands
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God's glory in the world quite like that.
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It makes the spread of the gospel, the call to bring people
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into a saving relationship with Christ, the chief aim, the main
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mission of the Church. That really elevates the task of
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evangelism. And, you know, this isn't just a
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New Testament idea that suddenly appeared, is it?
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This whole missional theme? It feels like a thread running
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through the entire Bible, holding the whole story
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together. It absolutely is.
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So let's trace that. Let's trace this theme of God's
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heart for the nations, maybe starting right back at the
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beginning in Genesis. Yes, let's do that.
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Because the story of God's global mission starts incredibly
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early, Genesis 3.15. It's often called the Proto
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Evangelia. Her first gospel.
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The first hint of good news. Yeah.
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Right after the fall. God is speaking directly to
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Satan, who's embodied in the serpent.
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And he makes this amazing promise.
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I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your
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offspring and her offspring. He shall bruise your head and
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you shall bruise his heel. Now that word offspring or seed
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there in the Hebrew, it's singular.
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It refers to one specific male descendant of the woman, not
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just people in general, and this one descendant is destined to
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deliver a crushing, decisive blow to Satan's head.
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So right from the start, there's this promise of a specific
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rescuer. Exactly.
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And it immediately sets up this, this mystery really, that runs
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through the rest of the Old Testament.
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As you read Genesis, you're supposed to be asking who is the
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siege? Who is this coming?
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1 You see humanity multiply, but it's clearly not Cain.
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He murders his brother. No, it's not Abel.
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He gets murdered. What about Noah?
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He preached righteousness, lived through the flood.
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But the flood was judgement on the world, not really a final
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defeat of Satan, was it? And then Noah's failure
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afterwards. Right.
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His drunkenness. It rules him out as the perfect
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victorious seed. So the question hangs there, who
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is this promised one and how is he going to deliver this blow?
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And then things get even more complicated for this global
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plan, don't they? Because humanity doesn't just
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multiply, it scatters. How does God intend for this
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seed, this blessing, to reach a world that's becoming so
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fragmented? Yes, that brings us straight to
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the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11.
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Humanity tries to build this monument to their own unity and
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pride, trying to stay together instead of scattering and
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filling the earth like God told. Them right Making a name for
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themselves. Exactly.
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And God's response? He comes down, confuses their
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language, and scatters them across the globe.
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He creates these distinct linguistic barriers.
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Making communication practically impossible between groups.
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Right, so now you have this massive problem.
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How can the Promised Seed, the One Deliverer, bring hope and
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blessing to all these different groups who now can't even
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understand each other? Yeah, that seems like a huge
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obstacle. But it's fascinating.
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It's no coincidence that immediately after Babel, in the
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very next chapter, Genesis 12, God makes his move.
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He calls one man, Abraham, out of that scattered mess to start
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a new chosen nation. OK, and here's the direct link
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back. God promises Abraham that in his
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seed, using the exact same singular seabrew word from
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Genesis 3.15, all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
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Wow, so right after creating the language barriers.
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Literally 4 verses later he promises to bless all those
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scattered non communicating nations through this one
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specific descendant of Abraham. The rest of Genesis then
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carefully tracks the beginning of this chosen family line.
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So Abraham's line, Israel was meant to be the channels for
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this blessing. What was their specific role?
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How are they supposed to bless these other nations?
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Were they supposed to send out missionaries?
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No, not in the way we think of it now.
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Israel's initial mission wasn't about actively going out to the
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world to preach. It was different.
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They were meant to be a light to the nations, the light through
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their distinctive obedience to God's law.
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Moses lays this out really clearly in Deuteronomy 4.
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He tells Israel, look, if you diligently keep God's commands,
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all these statutes and rules, that will be your wisdom and
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your understanding in the sight of the peoples.
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So other nations would see their way of life.
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Exactly. The idea was surrounding nations
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would hear about Israel's righteous laws, they'd see the
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blessings that came from following God's ways, justice,
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prosperity, order. And they'd look at their own
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chaotic, often unjust societies and say, well, surely this great
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nation is a wise and understanding people.
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They deduce God's wisdom from Israel's way of life.
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Precisely. They'd see Israel flourishing
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and recognize that Yahweh, their God, must be superior to their
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own Pagan gods. Think about some of Israel's
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laws. They were revolutionary care for
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the poor woven into the legal system, Releasing slaves after
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six years, the year of Jubilee, returning land to families,
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preventing permanent poverty cycles.
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Things totally different from, say, Babylon or Egypt.
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Completely different. Israel's distinctiveness was
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meant to shine, to attract attention.
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That's how Psalm 96 was supposed to work.
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Declare His glory among the nations.
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It wasn't a command for individual Israelites to pack
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bags and go preach. It was about the nation
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collectively radiating God's character through obedience.
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OK. Did anyone really get this?
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Solomon did, at least initially, at the dedication of the temple
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in First Kings 8. His prayer shows he understood
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this perfectly. He specifically prays that
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foreigners, people from far away who hear of God's great name and
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power, would come and pray towards this temple.
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His stated reason was in order that all the peoples of the
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earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people,
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Israel. He wanted the world to see God's
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glory reflected in Israel. Remember when Solomon asked God
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for wisdom back in First Kings Three, that request wasn't just
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for personal benefit. It was precisely so he could
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govern justly and magnify Israel's God-given wisdom,
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making it visible to the surrounding nations.
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So did it ever actually work like that?
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Is there an example? There's one really clear example
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often cited as the time the Old Testament design worked as
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intended, the visit of the Queen of Sheba in First Kings 10 AH.
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Right, she came from afar. Yes, and notice why she came.
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The text says she heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the
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name of Yahweh. It wasn't just Solomon's riches,
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it was his fame connected to God's name.
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She came to test his wisdom. And she was impressed.
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Utterly overwhelmed by his wisdom, the order of his
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Kingdom, the prosperity, the the sheer joy and well-being she
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saw. And what was her conclusion?
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She blessed Yahweh, Israel's God.
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She said, Blessed be Yahweh, your God, who is delighted in
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you. She saw the results of obedience
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and deduced God's greatness. She connected the blessing back
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to God. Exactly.
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And Israel's location was perfect for this, wasn't it?
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Right at the crossroads of continents, Africa, Asia,
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Europe. Travelers and traders would
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constantly pass through seeing this light.
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The strategic spot for an attractional model.
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Perfectly placed, but sadly, well, the rest of 1 and 2 Kings
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tells a different story. Israel's failure, yeah.
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Solomon himself, with his disobedience, taking all those
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foreign wives, turning to idolatry as First Kings 11
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describes, he pretty much closed that brief window where Israel
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was truly fulfilling that mission, and it seems it was
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never fully reopened on a national level.
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So the national mission largely failed.
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It did. Now, that didn't mean God
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stopped working. You still see these amazing,
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outrageous conversions of individual Gentiles throughout
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the Old Testament. Think of Nebuchadnezzar, the
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Pagan king who comes to acknowledge Yahweh.
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These usually happen through the specific witness of prophets,
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but they were more like exceptions, proving the rule of
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Israel's general failure. OK, what about Jonah?
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He seems different. He was actually sent to a
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Gentile nation. Jonah.
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He's the great exception, isn't he?
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He's the only Israelite prophet explicitly commanded to go to a
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Gentile city, Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, Israel's
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hated enemy. Talk about counterintuity.
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Completely. It went against the grain of
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Israel's whole attractional model and Jonah's extreme
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reluctance, his running away, his anger when Nineveh actually
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repents it just highlights Israel's overall disobedience
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and frankly, indifference towards the salvation of the
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nations. But Nineveh did repent.
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Massively even the animals and sackcloth.
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It's this incredible picture of God's sovereign determination to
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reach Gentiles even when his chosen messenger is completely
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unwilling, and even when the nation as a whole had failed in
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its calling. OK, so Israel struggled, largely
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failed in that national light to the nation's role, with Jonah
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being a stark exception, showing God's heart.
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Where does the plan go from there?
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How does God push His mission forward towards its goal?
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Well, this leads us into the New Testament, and here we see a
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really radical, A dramatic shift in God's strategy for reaching
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the nation. 'S a shift.
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How so? It actually begins with Gentiles
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showing more anticipation for the Messiah than Israel's own
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leadership. Think about Matthew's Gospel
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right at the start. Who comes looking for the
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newborn king? The Magi wise men from the East.
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Exactly Gentiles. They've studied prophecies.
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Maybe Daniels seen the star and traveled a huge distance
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specifically to worship him. And contrast that with the
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Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, the chief priests, the scribes, even
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Herod. They knew the prophecies.
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They knew where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
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But they didn't go check it out. They.
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Didn't care enough to walk a few miles to Bethlehem.
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It's a stunning contrast right at the beginning.
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Yeah. It really is.
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Then Fast forward slightly to Leak chapter 2.
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Jesus is presented at the temple, and this righteous old
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man, Simeon takes him in his arms and gives this amazing
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prophecy. What does he say?
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He declares Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles and
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for glory to your people, Israel.
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Wow, both Gentiles and Israel. Yes.
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It directly addresses that long standing question of Gentile
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inclusion, and it powerfully shows that Jesus himself is now
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the light that Israel was meant to be but failed to be.
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He fulfills that role. It answers the Genesis 3.15
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question about the seed, the Genesis 12 promise of blessing
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all nations, and it speaks directly to Israel's failure.
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So Jesus embodies the mission. He is the mission fulfilled in a
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sense, and Jesus himself highlights Israel's failure
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later on. Remember his very first sermon
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in his hometown synagogue, recorded in Luke 4?
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Vaguely, What did he say? He deliberately points out that
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during times of famine and disease in Israel's past, the
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great prophets Elijah and Elijah were specifically sent by God to
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help Gentiles. The widow of Zarephath in Sidon
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name in the Syrian leper. Why bring that up?
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His point was clear. God reached out to Gentiles even
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back then because, as he implied, Israel never fulfilled
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their role as a light to the nations.
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They weren't receptive, so God worked outside of them.
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How did that go down? Not well.
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The people in the synagogue were furious.
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They dragged him out and tried to throw him off a Cliff.
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It showed how resistant they were to this idea.
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And you see this pattern throughout Jesus's ministry.
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Gentiles often show amazing faith.
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The Roman centurion, The Cyrophoenician woman.
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While the religious leaders plot against him.
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Exactly. So all this builds towards this
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radical shift. The primary responsibility for
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taking God's light to the nations was taken away from
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Israel and given to the church. Taken away, that sounds pretty
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final. It was a significant shift.
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Because of their persistent unbelief and rejection of the
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Messiah. Israel as a nation lost their
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role to bring this light to the world in that specific
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covenantal sense. Now God establishes the Church,
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this new entity made-up of both believing Jews and increasingly,
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Gentiles from all backgrounds. A whole new plan.
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A new phase of the plan? Yes.
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Something that was largely a mystery hidden in the Old
21:16
Testament now revealed God was doing something new.
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So if the mission is now given to the church, this new group,
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what does that mission actually involve?
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What are the specific instructions?
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The marching orders for the church?
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They're given very clearly in what we call the Great
21:32
Commission, and it's not just mentioned once.
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Jesus gives this command in slightly different forms in five
21:37
key places across the Gospels and Acts.
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Five times that really under score it.
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Absolutely does. It shows this isn't some minor
21:44
suggestion or tangential activity.
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This is the Church's primary mandate.
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Consider these Mark 16.15 Go into all the world and proclaim
21:52
the gospel to the whole creation.
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Very broad. Very, very clear.
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Go and proclaim. OK Luke 24.4548 Jesus says
22:00
repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his
22:03
name to all nations beginning in Jerusalem.
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So the content is repentance and forgiveness.
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The scope is all nations. All nations again.
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John 20.21. This one's powerful.
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Jesus says as the Father has sent me, Even so I am sending
22:16
you. He models the mission.
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Wow. That's a high calling.
22:20
Then Acts 1.8 to 9. These are literally Jesus's last
22:23
words on earth before he ascends.
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He says you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
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and Samaria and to the end of the earth.
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His final instruction? Be witnesses everywhere.
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Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the Earth, an expanding
22:37
circle. Exactly, and then the one most
22:39
people know. Matthew 28.1920 Go, therefore,
22:43
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
22:45
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
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teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you the.
22:50
Classic formulation. Right.
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And notice how radical this is compared to the Old Testament.
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God isn't primarily working through one person like Abraham
22:58
anymore, or just one nation, Israel.
23:00
Now he takes this new group, the church, scattered believers from
23:04
everywhere, and commands them to go everywhere.
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Totally different strategy. A completely different
23:09
operational strategy. And remember that problem from
23:12
Genesis 11, The Babel problem? Scattered languages.
23:16
Yeah, the communication barrier. How does this new plan overcome
23:18
that? Pentecost Acts chapter 2 God
23:21
gives the gift of tongues, the apostles start speaking, and
23:25
people visiting Jerusalem from many different nations
23:28
miraculously hear the gospel in their own native languages.
23:31
God reverses Babel. He directly undoes the Babel
23:34
effect, at least for the purpose of Gospel proclamation.
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He overcomes the barrier he himself created, enabling this
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new scattered group, the Church, to take the message globally.
23:44
It's brilliant. That connection is amazing.
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Babel to Pentecost. OK, let's zoom in on that
23:51
Matthew 28 passage, then the Great Commission you mentioned.
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It's the most familiar, but sometimes familiarity can, you
23:57
know, make us miss the details. Can we unpack the original
24:00
language a bit, not to get lost in grammar, but to really feel
24:04
the weight of what Jesus is saying?
24:05
Absolutely. Looking closely at the Greek in
24:08
Matthew 28.11020 really does sharpen our understanding.
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Let's start with that first word.
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Often translated go. It's poor authentes.
24:16
OK, what does that imply? Well, the root word means to
24:20
journey, to travel, to set out intentionally for a destination.
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It definitely implies movement, leaving where you are and going
24:27
somewhere else. It doesn't mean stay put.
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So it's not just as you were going about your life.
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No, that's a common misunderstanding.
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While we should share Christ in our daily lives, this word
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implies A deliberate act of going, of crossing boundaries.
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And grammatically, even though it's a participle here, in this
24:42
structure, it takes on the force of the main command.
24:45
It is an imperative. It's a command to go a.
24:48
Command to move to journey. Yes, and the form suggests it's
24:52
not just a one time trip, but an ongoing, habitual kind of action
24:56
that should mark the Christian life.
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A continuous posture of reaching out.
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OK, so go. What's the main verb?
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The central command. The main imperative verb is make
25:05
disciples method to say. Make disciples.
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Right. And it's an active verb.
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We are commanded to actively cause someone to become a
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follower, A learner, a disciple of Christ.
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It's more than just getting a decision.
25:18
It's about bringing people under Christ's teaching and Lordship.
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OK, actively making followers of whom?
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Of all nations. Pontita, Ethna.
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All nations, all means all. Every single one.
25:29
But ethne here is significant. It doesn't just mean political
25:32
countries on a map. It refers to distinct people
25:35
groups, ethnic groups, those identified by shared language,
25:37
culture, identity. So not just make disciples in
25:40
your own nation. But cross culturally precisely,
25:43
the structure even emphasizes reaching those which by identity
25:47
are a different nation. It reinforces that need to go to
25:50
peoples who are distinct from us, who haven't heard.
25:53
You can't fulfill this just by waiting for people to come to
25:56
you. Although discipling immigrants
25:58
is also vital, the command involves intentionally reaching
26:01
different ethnies. Reaching every people group?
26:03
OK, what about the next parts? Baptizing and teaching.
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Right, baptizing them baptisantes and teaching them to
26:10
observe all that I have commanded you to descontes.
26:13
These are also participles, but like go, they carry the
26:17
imperative force from the main verb make disciples.
26:20
They describe how we make disciples or what's involved in
26:22
the process. So integral part to disciple
26:25
making. Exactly.
26:25
Baptism isn't the means of salvation itself, but it's
26:28
presented as a crucial step of identification and obedience for
26:32
a new disciple. The New Testament pattern is
26:34
often immediate baptism after confession.
26:37
Like with the Ethiopian eunuch. Right, but context matters
26:41
sometimes, especially where there might be external
26:44
pressures or false motives for converting.
26:46
It might be wise to ensure there's genuine understanding
26:49
and evidence of faith first before baptism.
26:51
OK. And the teaching part.
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Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
26:55
That's comprehensive. It's not just basic gospel
26:58
facts. It's bringing new believers into
27:00
obedience to the whole council of God.
27:02
Everything Jesus taught. It ensures we're making tree
27:05
disciples, not just converts, and preaching an unadulterated
27:08
gospel. And notice the for them is
27:10
emphasize it's those who are made disciples who are then
27:12
baptized and taught. It's a specific process for
27:15
followers of Christ. Go make disciples of all people
27:18
groups, baptizing them and teaching them everything that's
27:21
comprehensive. OK, this deep dive into the
27:24
Greek really adds weight. So if this is the core mission,
27:27
what does living it out actually look like for us, for the
27:30
listener listening right now? What are the practical takeaways
27:33
for our lives, for our local churches?
27:35
Yeah, that's the crucial. So what question isn't it?
27:39
1st, it's vital to understand the balance.
27:42
The command to go doesn't mean every single Christian has to
27:44
pack up and become a full time overseas missionary.
27:48
Right, that wouldn't even be practical.
27:49
No, and sending people who aren't genuinely called and
27:52
gifted for that specific work can actually do more harm than
27:56
good. It can waste resources, damage
27:59
the church's testimony. There's a real biblical
28:01
distinction between those apostles and missionaries
28:03
specifically sent out and the role of every believer.
28:07
OK. So what is the role for every
28:09
believer then? Every Christian should have the
28:11
Great Commission as their personal mission statement for
28:14
life. It should shape our priorities.
28:16
This means living sacrificially with the goal of getting the
28:18
gospel to the ends of the earth. It influences our decisions
28:22
about time, money, resources. Can you give an example?
28:26
Sure, think about buying a car if your mission is maximizing
28:30
God's glory through evangelism. Maybe, you ask, do I need the
28:34
absolute newest, most expensive model?
28:37
Or could I buy a reliable, less expensive one and free up
28:40
significant funds to support mission work reaching an
28:43
unreached people group? That kind of thinking flows from
28:46
having the Commission as your guide.
28:48
So sacrificial living and giving to support global missions, yes.
28:52
And critically, it also means every Christian is called to be
28:55
faithful in evangelizing the people right around them.
28:58
Your neighbors, Your Co workers, your friends, your family.
29:00
You don't need a visa to share the good news with the person
29:03
next door. That's part of the witnessing
29:05
aspect. OK, and what what about the role
29:07
of the local church in all this? The New Testament pattern we see
29:10
particularly in Acts, in the epistles, is clear Plant local
29:14
churches, appoint qualified elders in those churches, make
29:17
disciples within those local bodies, and then those healthy
29:20
established churches become launching pads.
29:22
Launching pads for what? For sending out financial
29:25
support and qualified people to plant more churches, either in
29:28
new areas or to strengthen existing works, continuing that
29:31
cycle of gospel expansion. So churches here have a sending
29:35
role. A vital sending role.
29:37
Pastors leading churches in, say, North America or Europe
29:40
have a massive responsibility here.
29:43
They need to be training their people, casting a clear vision
29:46
for global missions, identifying those called to go and leading
29:50
the church and generously supporting them financially and
29:52
prayerfully. Training, vision, casting,
29:54
sending. OK, now sometimes hear about
29:57
churches focusing on evangelism but maybe using seeker sensitive
30:02
methods. How does that fit in?
30:04
That's an important point to address.
30:06
Some seeker sensitive approaches, while they might
30:08
genuinely want to reach people, can sometimes fall short on the
30:11
content side of make disciples. By focusing so much on removing
30:15
potential offense or making things comfortable, they might
30:18
dilute the message or neglect the teaching them to observe all
30:21
that I commanded you part. This can lead to a shallow
30:25
understanding of conversion, maybe equating it with just
30:28
making an emotional decision for Christ without genuine
30:32
repentance and submission to His Lordship.
30:34
And this connects to that common question.
30:36
Exactly. This shallow view of salvation
30:39
often fuels the question. But what about those who've
30:42
never heard the gospel? Is it fair they're condemned?
30:45
How does a right understanding of discipleship answer that?
30:48
Well, if salvation isn't just making a decision, but involves
30:52
A radical turning from sin, repenting of your whole
30:55
self-centered worldview, and submitting your entire life to
30:58
Christ's authority, then the fairness question looks
31:01
different. People aren't condemned
31:03
primarily because they didn't hear a specific presentation.
31:06
They're already condemned because of their sin, their
31:08
rebellion against the knowledge of God.
31:10
They do have through creation and conscience, their idolatry.
31:14
Romans one kind of territory. Precisely.
31:16
We didn't ask in the Old Testament if it was fair that
31:20
idol worshippers were condemned because they hadn't heard of
31:22
Moses. Their problem was their sin and
31:24
idolatry. The Great Commission is a rescue
31:27
mission for people already under judgement, not just an
31:30
information campaign to make God seem fair.
31:33
That's a critical distinction. OK, shifting slightly, you
31:36
sometimes hear discussions about whether some ministries are,
31:39
well, more exalted than others. How does that relate to
31:42
missions? That's a sensitive area, but
31:45
there's a biblical principle that while all faithful service
31:48
pleases God, some roles might involve greater sacrifice or
31:52
have a wider impact for the Kingdom, and God may reward
31:55
accordingly. Think of someone serving Christ
31:57
in extreme poverty or persecution in a remote,
32:00
unreached area with little earthly recognition.
32:03
Compared to maybe a comfortable ministry position back home.
32:06
Right. God sees the heart and the
32:08
sacrifice. Recognizing this isn't meant to
32:11
make people feel guilty, but perhaps to foster a kind of holy
32:15
ambition. How can I best use the gifts God
32:17
gave me to bring Him the most glory?
32:20
It encourages us not to settle for comfort if God might be
32:23
calling us to something more demanding for His sake.
32:26
But it doesn't mean everyone have to go right?
32:28
You mentioned Paul telling the Corinthians to send money.
32:31
Exactly. Paul told them to send support
32:33
to the poor believers in Jerusalem.
32:35
He didn't say everyone pack your bags and move to Jerusalem.
32:38
It clearly shows there's a valid, essential role for those
32:41
who stay, who work, who give generously to support those who
32:44
were sent out. Both are fulfilling the
32:46
Commission. OK, what about qualifications
32:49
for those who are sent, especially long term
32:51
missionaries involved in church planting?
32:54
Ideally, the standard is high. You'd want missionaries,
32:56
particularly those leading church planting efforts, to be
33:00
aspiring towards being Elder qualified, demonstrating the
33:03
maturity character teaching ability outlined in passages
33:06
like First Timothy 3 and Titus One.
33:08
But are there exceptions? What about women or younger
33:10
people? Yes.
33:11
Practical needs and strategic considerations sometimes allow
33:14
for flexibility, provided it serves the main goal.
33:17
For instance, could a woman serve effectively in a
33:20
supportive role? Absolutely.
33:22
Maybe as a linguist, a translator and nurse, or even an
33:25
administrator handling logistics that free up male church
33:28
planters to preach and teach. Think of a Spanish speaking
33:32
woman managing communications for a church plant in Mexico.
33:35
Hugely valuable. To facilitating the primary
33:37
work. Exactly.
33:38
Or maybe younger unmarried individuals might be better
33:41
suited for extremely difficult or dangerous fields where
33:44
families might face insurmountable obstacles.
33:47
The key question is always, does this role?
33:50
Does this person directly facilitate the core mandate of
33:53
making disciples, establishing healthy churches and training
33:56
local leaders? It's function driven.
33:58
That makes sense now, just briefly.
34:00
You mentioned earlier that Israel's role isn't completely
34:03
over. What about their future in God's
34:05
mission? Right.
34:07
While the primary mission baton has been passed to the church
34:10
for this age, the Bible indicates Israel will have a
34:13
renewed missional role in the future, specifically during the
34:16
Millennial Kingdom, Christ's future thousand year reign on
34:19
earth. After the church's work is done.
34:21
The picture seems to be that after the Church has fulfilled
34:24
the Great Commission, taking the gospel to essentially every
34:27
people group, every nation, tribe, language, tongue, the
34:31
Church age concludes and the Church is removed.
34:34
Then, during that millennial period, Israel returns to being
34:37
a light to the nation's again. How will that look?
34:40
Prophecies in Isaiah and Zechariah describe nations
34:43
bringing their wealth, their gold, and their silver to
34:46
Jerusalem, honoring Israel and acknowledging God through them.
34:50
Sort of like an echo of the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon,
34:52
but on a global scale. Israel will once again be the
34:56
focal point through which God displays His glory to the world
34:59
during that Kingdom age. So a future restoration of their
35:02
original calling. Yes, but for now, for this
35:05
present age, between Christ's ascension and return, the
35:08
primary instrument God is using to reach the nation's is the
35:11
Church through the mandate of the Great Commission.
35:15
What a sweep of history and purpose.
35:17
This deep dive has really helped clarify that central God-given
35:21
mission of evangelism, distinguishing it from those
35:24
other vital but ultimately preparatory functions like
35:28
fellowship, teaching, and praise within the church.
35:30
Right. It all points back to God's
35:32
grand design to glorify Himself through rescuing lost sinners.
35:36
It really does. So the thought to leave with
35:38
you, the listener, is this reflecting on everything we've
35:41
discussed, what does living out this Great Commission, God score
35:44
mission for his people truly look like in your daily walk and
35:48
your priorities for His glory and for the ultimate good of the
35:51
nations. A question worth pondering.
35:53
Indeed, thank you for joining us for this deep dives into God's
35:56
global mission. This has been Reformed thinking.