PT 611/411Biblical Missions

Rev. Dr. John L. LeperaThD – Apologetics, Leadership, and EthicsMDiv – Apologetics and Pastoral Ministry

MABL – Christian Education

MS – Physics and GeologyBS – Teaching Physics and Mathematics

email: johnchesed@yahoo.com

The Original Textbook For Missions

By Paul Brannan as inspired by “The Bible Basis of Missions” by Robert Hall Glover

THE BIBLEMISSIONS

AND

Missions Is Not Fueled By Human EmotionsSome promote missions as a programOther people are motivated by guiltMany people act out of sympathy for those who are suffering

But Missions Is More Than A Feeling!

The Great Missionary Enterprise Is Not A

Human ConceptIt did not originate in the heart of Paul the ApostleIt was not conceptualized in the minds of great missionaries such as William Carey or David Livingstone

Jesus Christ Was God’s Great Missionary To A

Lost WorldJesus was the supreme revelation of God’s heart and the expression of His love

God’s Thoughts Are Fully Expressed In

John 3:16

The central text of the Bible The cornerstone of missions

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that

whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” NIV

Other Texts…

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” John 1:29 NIV

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save

the world through him.” John 3:17 NIV

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1

John 2:2 NIV

From The Beginning, God’s Plan Was The Redemption Of The

Whole World“He created all the people of the world

from one man, Adam, and scattered the nations across the face of the earth… His purpose in all of this is that they should seek after God, and perhaps feel their

way toward him and find him-though he is not far from any one of us.” Acts 17:26-27 TLB

Authority For Missions Rests On The Entire

Bible As It Reveals God In His Relationship With

Man The Bible is the story of God’s search for man while all other religious books are man’s search for God

From The Beginning Of Time, Diffusion To The Ends Of The Earth Was

God’s PlanGod shared his plan with Adam and

Eve and repeated it to Noah

"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and

subdue it.” Gen 1:28; 9:1 NIV

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a

tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be

scattered over the face of the whole earth." Gen 11:4 NIV

The Tower Of Babel Was Man’s Opposition

To God’s Plan

God’s Plan Was To Bless The Whole World Through

The Jewish People“I will bless

those who bless you and curse

those who curse you, and the

entire world will be blessed because of

you.” Gen 12:3 TLB

Later, God Chose A Man

“Leave your own country behind

you, and your own people, and go to

the land I will guide you to.” Gen

12:1 TLB

Abraham became a missionary

God’s Promise To Isaac and Jacob Was Also World-Wide

“…they shall be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.” Gen 26:4; 28:14 TLB

God Showed Moses How They Would Bless

The Whole World“…you will be for me a

kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Ex 19:6 NIV

Cross Cultural Ministry Is Evident Throughout

The Old Testament

Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings

17:9)

Elisha and Naaman,

the Syrian (2 Kings 5)

Solomon’s Prayer At The Temple Dedication Reveals God’s Plan For The World

“And when foreigners hear of your great

name and come from distant lands to worship you, …hear them from

heaven and answer their prayers. And all

the nations of the earth will know and fear your name…” 1 Kings 8:41-43 TLB

The Psalms Are Saturated With The Spirit Of Missions

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” Ps

2:8 NIV

“Send us around the world with the news of your saving power

and your eternal plan for all mankind.” Ps 67:1-2 TLB

“…All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call

him blessed.” Ps 72:17 NIV

But The Prophets Present Some Of The Richest Missionary Teaching

“ …(I) will make you a Light to the

nations of the world to bring my

salvation to them too.” Isa 49:6 TLB“…all nations will come to him

there...” Jer 3:17 NIV

Some Of The Prophets Were Themselves MissionariesThe book of Jonah is all about foreign missions It shows God’s concern for the lost and His patience in dealing with them

Daniel Was A Foreign Missionary Who Went

Before Kings and RulersFour successive heathen kings recognized

Daniel’s God as the most high God

The Missionary Idea Seen As A Bud In The Old

Testament Bursts Into Full Bloom As We

Enter The New Testament

Its primary objective was to meet a

missionary need and to promote the

missionary workThe New Testament

is the product of missions

EVERY SECTION WAS WRITTEN BY

A MISSIONARY

Professor W. O.Carver

The New Testament:

Breathes MissionsIncarnates MissionsIt Creates Missions Wherever It Goes

The Gospels Are The Missionary MessageThey present Jesus as Savior They give us God’s Missionary to manThe teachings and the ministry of Jesus were missionary in character

Why Do We Have The Gospels?

To preserve the true record of Jesus Christ and the message of salvation

They are missionary documents written by four men chosen and inspired by God

The Great Commission Is Found In All Four Gospels

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” Matt

28:19 NIV "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

Mark 16:15 NIV“…repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Luke 24:47 RSV

“…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21 NIV

The Word “Gospel” Means “Good News”“But news can be news only to those who have never heard it, and News can be good news only to those who hear it in time to secure its benefit.”

Robert Glover

The Acts of the Apostles:Is an inspired record of the missionary work of the ChurchDemonstrates the power of the Holy Spirit in spreading the GospelWas designed by God as a guide and model of missionary principles

Acts 1:8 Is The Contents Page For The Whole

Book“But you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my

witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to

the ends of the earth.” NIV

A Closer Look Shows: Chapters 2-7 are devoted to

the disciples’ witnessing “in Jerusalem”Chapters 8-12 show the extension of their witness “in all Judea and Samaria”Chapters 13-28 show the expansion of the gospel “to the ends of the earth”

Acts Shows Us God’s Plan For World Evangelization

Chapter 2 records: The coming of the Holy SpiritThe enduement with power from on high The birth of the Church

Most Epistles Are Missionary In NatureThey deal with:

Doctrine Admonition Discipline and practical matters faced by

missionary Churches

Hebrews – A Tool For

Neutralizing False

Religions

The Revelation Was Written By A

Missionary In ExileTo comfort the early ChristiansTo look prophetically at Christ’s reign in all the earth

“The Kingdom of this world now belongs to our Lord, and to his

Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” Rev 11:15 TLB

Since Reaching The World Is God’s

Purpose, What Are Its Implications For Us?

To Be Opposed Or

Indifferent To Missions,

IS TO BE OUT OF HARMONY WITH

GOD!

To Be Anti-Missionary Or Nonmissionary Is:

GOD’S

WORD

The New

Testament

To Reject The New Testament

As Our Sufficient Rule Of Faith And

Practice

Every Church And Every Christian Is The Product Of Missionary Work Of

The Past

The Fruit of Missions Can Be Seen In…

Christian Homes

Schools of

Learning

Hospitals and

Clinics

Works of Compassion

Law and Government

Owing Everything To Missions, We Should:See the world as God sees itShare the Father’s love with all menBecome men and women of

missionary passionGive ourselves as channels for the outflow of God’s grace

No One Is Exempt!God’s Word places upon

“everyone who has heard the “good news” the

solemn responsibility of taking it quickly to all for whom it was intended but

who have not yet heard it.” Robert Hall Glover