Title: A Biblical Perspective of Missions
1A Biblical Perspective of Missions
- How shall they call upon Him in whom they have
not believed? And how shall they believe in Him
whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach unless they are sent? Rom 1014-15
2Alternative ideas to missions
- Imposition of Western culture?
- A religious cover for the spread of capitalistic
political influence? - Merely a massive welfare program for developing
nations? - Civilizing or Christianizing of primitive
people? (reason most countries resent
missionaries today they do not need to be
civilized!)
3Biblical Perspective
- Does not originate in mans noble goals
- Begins with divine initiative He cares
- It is God seeking His lost creation
- It is God directing men and women, who are like
Himself, to involve themselves in His heart
passionwining the lost back to Himself and
creating community together
4Missions in the OT
- Missions impact obscured by major focus on one
nation Israel - From the beginning, Gods purpose was for all
nationsFor since the creation of the world his
invisible attributes--his eternal power and
divine nature--have been clearly seen, because
they are understood through what has been made.
So people are without excuse (120) - Limited revelations to Israel expected to be
shared AbrahamMosesOT for world - Restricted revelations through Jesus and through
the Spirit to the Apostles then to churches for
the world - NIV Rom 329 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he
not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too
5Missions in the OT
- Israel was chosen to take Gods promise of
salvation and knowledge of YAHWEH to the world - The way Israel developed was distinct from Gods
intent - Israel misunderstood Gods blessing to be a
selfish prosperity, instead of a perfect
righteousness by faith for all people (Rom 4).
6Three Questions Harold Cook
- Does the OT have a Missionary Message?
- Does the OT show a Missionary Purpose?
- Does the OT reveal any Missionary Activity?
7Missionary Message in the OT
- If God is who He is revealed to be, then the
message is for all men - The Lepers at Samaria fed themselves at empty
banquet tables, then realized the city was
starving, so went to tell them - 2 Kings 78-9, we are not doing right. This day
is a day of good news, but we have kept silent
Let us go and tell - A missionary message is what one has of value,
that another needs as well
8Self-Revelation of God
- One God as Creator of Universe
- Gen 11 refutes the errors of man atheism,
agnosticism, evolution, polytheism, materialism,
pantheism and humanism - Whats the difference? Since he is there He
wants us to know Him - One becomes like whomever he worships
9Self-Revelation of God
- A Righteous God of Judgment
- God gave mankind 120 years to repent under Noahs
preaching (a preacher of righteousness as a
gift by faith, 2 Pet 25) - Enoch preached of coming judgment
- False gods are either immoral or impersonal
- Heathens sense of right and wrong is perverted,
so guilt is minimizedMatt 2438-39, eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until
the day that Noah entered into the ark
10Self-Revelation of God
- A Gracious God who always provides salvation
- A blood covering for Adam and Eve
- God initiates relationships, gives promise after
promise, prophecies and interventions - Man has perverted the image of God, and needs to
know How and Who He is
11Revelation of Mans Nobility and Depravity
- Uniquely created in the image of God
- Vast difference between man and animal (Gen
126-27) - Created in the moral, intellectual and volitional
likeness of God Noble enough to rule over
animals and be responsible to obey His laws - Human Race is a Unity
- NIV Acts 1726 From one man he made every nation
of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth
and he determined the times set for them and the
exact places where they should live. - NIV Acts 1034-35 Then Peter began to speak "I
now realize how true it is that God does not show
favoritism but accepts men from every nation who
fear him and do what is right.
12Revelation of Mans Nobility and Depravity
- Sin and Depravity is universal
- Died spiritually (Gen 216-17 Eph 21-5l),
plunged world descendents into addictive sin and
depraving depravity (Rom 512) - No one escaped this corruption (Rom 322b-23,
there is no difference, for all have sinned - Not a single person has ever obeyed the 10
commandments! This truth should lead us to seek
Gods forgiveness (Gal 324, the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ) - Though none are equally sinful, none can do
anything by themselves to please God (Rom 86-7) - All are equally desperate for the Gospel, but no
one has a special right to the gospel
13Does God show a Missionary Purpose?
- OT is not a self-centered racial favoritismbut
Israel lost His purpose for her! - Gods covenant with Noah and sons (Gen 9)
- Incredible revelations and interventions, but
soon most people forgot about God - Noahs descendant's rebellion led to Babel and
diverse cultures (Rom 118-32 with degenerate
humans)
14Does God show a Missionary Purpose?
- Gods covenant with Abraham, etc (Gen 12)
- Called out of idolatry (Gen 121-3, that in
you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed - Gen 156, And he believed in the Lord, and He
accounted it to him for righteousness - Rom 4 Pauls argument is that Abraham received
the blessedness by faith as a Gentile so the
Gentile world was to be blessed as Abraham was
with the righteousness of God by faith in His
Word. - This was the message God wanted His people to
share with the world
15Why did God choose Israel for His people?
Assyria
Egypt
The commercial center of the known world
16Does God show a Missionary Purpose?
- 3. Gods covenant with Israel through Moses
Caanan, the Promised Land
17Place of Gentile Converts in Israel
- Caleb, great man of faith and leadership, was a
Gentile (Kenizzite, Josh 1414, he
wholeheartedly followed the LORD, the God of
Israel - They could share the Passover (Num 914)
- Gentiles could offer sacrifices (Lev 178)
- Matthew lists 4 Gentile women in Jesus genealogy
(Matt 13-6) - Ruth, Moabite, was assimilated into Israel (Ruth
116-17) and became an ancestor to the Messiah
18Gods Worldwide Purpose for United Kingdom
- Peters says 175 references just in the Psalms to
a universal People of God which includes Gentiles - Many are millennial fulfillments, but reveal the
intent of God for the world - NIV Psa 2227 All the ends of the earth will
remember and turn to the LORD - Psa 4610, know that I am God I will be
exalted among the nations - Psa 664 Everything on earth will worship you
- Psa 9610 Tell all the nations that the LORD is
king
19United Kingdom Purpose
- Solomon understood the global importance of
Temple worship - NIV 1 Kings 841 "As for the foreigner who does
not belong to your people Israel but has come
from a distant land because of your name-- 42 for
men will hear of your great name and your mighty
hand and your outstretched arm-- when he comes
and prays toward this temple, 43 then hear from
heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the
foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of
the earth may know your name and fear you, as do
your own people Israel
20United Kingdom Purpose
- IV Isaiah 566 And foreigners who bind themselves
to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the
LORD, and to worship him, - 7 these I will bring
to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house
of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar for my house will
be called a house of prayer for all nations."
21Prophets revealed His Purpose
- NIV Isa421,4 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight I will put my
Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the
nations. 4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth. In his law
the islands will put their hope. - NIV Isa 496 he says "It is too small a thing
for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of
Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of
the earth.
22Prophets revealed His Purpose
- NLT Isa 5210 The LORD will demonstrate his holy
power before the eyes of all the nations. The
ends of the earth will see the salvation of our
God.
23OT and NT Missionary Purpose
24The Impact of Exile and Dispersion
- Failed to function as kingdom of priests to
bless all the families of earth with the
message of His gracious righteousness. - Failed to be Yahweh's witnesses because of
idolatrous religiosity and immorality - Negative effect of Captivity
- Hebrews traded idolatry for Phariseeism (Mat
2315, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees - Their twisted legalistic mind crucified their
Savior because He spoke of accepting Gentiles and
His Oneness with Father (He was Immanuel)
25Timeline
Assyria
26The Impact of Exile and Dispersion
- Positive effect of Assyrian and Babylonian
captivity - Cured them forever of idolatry
- Forced them to establish synagogues for study and
exposition of Bible - Forced them to bear witness for God in difficult
circumstances (Daniel and Esther) - Many Gentiles started coming to synagogues so
translated OT into Greek (Septuagint or LXX) - NIV Acts 1521 For Moses has been preached in
every city from the earliest times and is read in
the synagogues on every Sabbath."