And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives… and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted. (Nate Smith Jungle Pilot)

Each of the four gospels contains a statement outlining Jesus’ post resurrection command to affect the world. In the passage found in Mark 16 is this concise statement, “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” Many of these words are all inclusive, everyone, men women, young and old, rich and poor. All are to go. Not to the pretty places, not just the English speaking places, not just to the 10-40 window. Go everywhere and preach to all. Most Christians have preferences, but they must submit to the scope of this command. Many have fears that need to be swallowed up by the love of God. Some have joked that the Great Commission is a calling to go but never mentions returning.

At the center of the command is preaching the gospel. This is outside the vocational calling to preach. Preaching the gospel in most cases is one-on-one. It is private and relationally based. The one speaking has had an experience with a loving Father and His Son Jesus. Out of that personal encounter comes a passion to pass on the knowledge of the Holy One. That passing on process is preaching the gospel. The blind man in John 9 could only say, “I don’t know who it was who talked with me, all I know is that I once was blind but now I see.” That is effective communication of the message of Jesus.

As a believer grows in understanding of the cross and the ramifications of redemption his/her conversation can be more informed and even more anointed. But it is not knowledge that saves; we are not endeavoring to win a mind to Christ but a spirit or soul to Christ. The gospel is filled with power to bring a person to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

The early church ‘went forth, preaching everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.’ Faithfulness to go and to speak the word produced evidence of the spiritual nature of gospel preaching. Lives were changed. Back to Mark 16, “these sings will follow those who believe.” The trail of a missionary (believer) should be littered with signs, wonders and miracles.

In Matthew 28:19-21 the Great Commission is what most believers think of when referring to evangelism and the call to go.

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and in earth. Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations…. Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Jesus conferred His authority to the Church, equipping them for success. In our time a great portion of the world’s population is closed to conventional methods of evangelism and church planting. The authority given to believers is greater than the authority to keep us out. The gospel is not bound (II Tim. 2:9).

Conventional western-minded missions cannot work in many places but indigenous evangelism can go anywhere. The authority is not in the method but in the message. Some groups have been slow to alter their methods resulting in diminishing results. Adaptive people are now experiencing explosive growth. The authority is present; the disciple maker has to be up to date with God’s methodology.

The goal here in Matthew is disciples not converts. With modern equipment it is easy to conduct huge crusades, see the 1000’s saved and then go home. This makes for exciting newsletters and press releases but it is not the Great Commission. Making disciples is an entirely subsequent process. This will be discussed in Lesson 12.

A convert is born again but a disciple is established in the faith. Naturally speaking, parents would never leave a new born to fend for themselves. But they nurture and protect and train them. In verse 20 Matthew continuous the Command by instructing the believers to teach the new ones how to do the words of Jesus. A teacher can eloquently speak the teaching of the New Testament but have no changed life. The Command is to teach in such a way that the convert can actually do what is being taught. This becomes the standard for the teacher, ‘Can my students live what I am teaching?’ Teaching and disciple making is all a part of the Great Shepherd’s heart. When He promised, “and lo I am with you always,” that loving heart goes with us as well.

In Luke the Commission is quite different:

And that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)

It is a small point but the word nation does not necessarily mean country; it refers to a people group; a tribe or those who speak a common language. There are only about 200 countries but thousands of nations. In Revelations, those of every nation will be found in heaven.

From Lev. 17 we know that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. All the Old Testament sacrifices pointed forward to Jesus, the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the earth (Rev. 13:8). Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of all the world (John 1:29). His sacrifice was a once and for all sacrifice (Heb. 10:10). Sin is what stands between a Holy God and an unholy people. Jesus removed that barrier making it possible for there to be communion between God and mankind.

John simply says, “As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you” (20:21). Believers, once the enemies of God, are now ambassadors, proclaiming the will and the purpose of our King. What assurance is ours, we are sent out by our Father to speak in His behalf, His word with His power and protection. This again brings us back to the core of missions; a loving Father reaching out to His creation by the agency of His people.

The Christ I presented would be the disentangled Christ- disentangled from being bound up with Western culture and Western forms of Christianity. He would stand in his own right, speaking directly to the needs of persons as persons without any canceling entanglements. (E. Stanley Jones from Sacred Stories, Daily Devotions from the family of God)

The scope of a Christian world-view is, by definition, the world.

When God loved, He loved a world.

When He gave His Son, He gave Him for a world.

When Jesus died, He died for a world.

God’s vision is a world vision.

Jesus called the disciples in John four to lift up their eyes unto a world harvest. That calling goes forth today for believers everywhere to see the grand picture as the Lord of the Harvest sees. The Great Commission is to go into the entire world.

A Christian’s world-view is dominated by his/her belief in the Scriptures. We believe in Creation therefore we believe what is seen is by design, by the will of the Designer. We believe in life therefore we will regard human life, in any country under any conditions, as sacred and therefore of eternal value. We believe in Israel as God’s chosen people therefore we will pray and act in favor of Israel.

Jesus warned His followers that both He and what He stood for were divisive. “If they hated Me, they will hate you.” (John 15:18) “Do not think I came to bring peace but a sword.”(Mat. 10:34) The Christian world-view also stands in opposition to any other view. The believer has been translated out of one kingdom into the Kingdom of God (Col. 1:13). The two kingdoms are at odds with one another. We are light, the other darkness. “What fellowship can the temple of God have with the temple of idols: (II Cor. 6:14-16). Believers are called to be transformed from the old kingdom way of thinking and conformed to the mind of Christ.

To be orthodox in our beliefs and world-view eliminates the possibility of ‘coming to terms’ with those outside our world-view. Even though a part of each believer wants a greater unity with all people, it is impossible. The standard Jesus set for us precludes harmony between two opposing kingdoms. For example, how many conversations have abruptly ended when the Christian was adamant concerning Jesus being the only way to the Father. The human mercy wants to be all-inclusive but our knowledge of Scriptures dictates a non-compromising stand.

There is a two-fold starting point in establishing a Christian (Biblical) world-view. One is that God exists the other that truth exists. “In the beginning God” and “In the beginning was the Word.” Who God is and what is truth is the beginning point of the two Testaments. We are now attempting to delineate what is already known.

Jesus came as an exact representation of the Father (Heb. 1:3) and He came as Truth (John 14:6). Therefore the study of the New Testament, of Jesus’ life and His words will reveal what is needed in establishing a world-view.

God’s intention is for His glory to cover the earth (Hab. 2:14), for all mankind to be saved (II Pet. 3:9). His method of accomplishing these grand tasks is personal Lordship with one believer at a time. Singular lives affect families who affect communities that shape nations. The way to positively affect social issues like abortion is to first have families and communities informed and passionate about them. Such concerns are not political in nature; they are spiritual and must, therefore, be handled accordingly.

One exercise is to answer these three questions based upon your current world-view.

1. Where did we come from?

2. What are the dominant issues of the day?

3. How can we fix them?

Everyone taking this course should be able to easily answer each question with a list of scripture references. Based upon those answers, what is going on in your family, your church, and your community? What are the obvious steps to be taken to bring the Kingdom of God into those areas? Who is responsible to take those steps? It is easy to academically apply solutions to problems. Life is practical. Apply your world-view to your life.

I have seen, at different times, the smoke of a thousand villages – villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world. (Robert Moffat, from African Heroes and Heroines)

Missions is the very heart of God. The source of missions is the heart of God. If John 3:16 is the heart of the gospel it is also the heart of missions. Love, in the heart of God, caused Him to give. The Bible is really the love story about a loving Father and His wayward family. Those of us who have come back into the embrace of God are all the more privileged to be called to introduce Father to our generation. (II Cor. 5:19-21). That process of sharing with people is the work of missions. They that do it are called missionaries. The message is the gospel.

The heart of a missionary is found in Romans 1:14-16:

Paul also said he was eager to preach the gospel. Eagerness is seen in expressions like, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. (I Cor. 9:16) and “The Word of the Lord is like fire shut up in my bones” (Jer. 20:9). For a missionary to accurately speak for Jesus it is imperative he/she speaks out of a united heart. The gospel can be spoken out of a lesser position (Phil. 1:15-17) still the gospel is the power of God resulting in salvation regardless of the one speaking. Yet, the message is an expression of God’s heart so, as sons and daughters, our hearts need to honor Him by living and speaking out of that same pure heart.

John the Baptist realized this as he saw himself as a voice whereas Jesus is the Word. Both are required to communicate but when the voice takes it upon itself to be a word the pure gospel diminishes.

Finally in Romans 1:16 Paul concludes by saying he was not ashamed to speak the heart of God out of his heart to the hearts of people in need. That is not a callous disregard for the people but a loving regard for the Father.

After seeing what the heart of God is and the heart of the missionary, what is the heart of the one needing salvation? What does a lost person want? In that God has placed eternity in the hearts of all people (Ecc. 3:11) all people are on a quest to find what life is all about. For some the process is purely intellectual, for others religious but every heart without the Father is crying out for fulfillment. Jesus is the Light of the world and believers are the light the world can see and experience. It is also obvious that the world without Christ is looking for real leadership. If the Church would rise up with maturity, the lost would come. Thirdly, the lost are just plain looking for love. We have it.

What is missions? It is the process of taking the heart of God by means of a loving child of God to a people in need.