What is the Purpose, the
Promise, and the Price of World Missions. The purpose of world missions is to
spread a passion for the supremacy of God into people groups where there is no
indigenous, evangelizing church. This assumes something about "disciples"
and something about "nations." These terms are used in Matthew 28:19,
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." My
assumption about "disciples" is that they are people who have seen
"the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6), and who
cherish "God in Christ" as the supreme value of their lives
(Philippians 3:8). My assumption about "nations" is that they are not
geographic, political countries but "tribes, languages, peoples and ethnic
groups" (Revelation 5:9; 7:9). Based on these two assumptions, then, the
purpose of world missions is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God into
people groups where there is no indigenous, evangelizing church.
According to one
research group are still over 500 peoples in the world with populations over
10,000 which did not have any church planting missionary effort in them. All
but less than 200 of these peoples are targeted by mission agencies. This is
remarkable progress toward finishing the real missionary task of the church.
But the
real source of hope in world missions is not the statistics of man; it's the
promise of God. Namely, Matthew 24:14 - "This gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations." The
"shalls" of God are backed by omnipotence. This great work of
spreading a passion for God into people groups where there is no indigenous,
evangelizing church cannot fail. This is the great hope of the missions
enterprise. The word of God will not fail.
But the
price will be very high. Not so high that it is not worth it. But very high.
Jesus expresses it in Matthew 24:9: "You will be hated by all the nations
because of My name." The purpose and the promise will not happen without
the price of opposition and suffering. In fact, the price is not just the
result but the strategy of the purpose. God has a certain number of martyrs
appointed (Revelation 6:11). Jesus said that when you are arrested and taken
before governors, "this will be a time for you to bear testimony"
(Luke 21:13). The purpose, the promise and the price are all bound together.
Notice the
phrase, Matthew 24:14 "all the nations,"…. in the purpose, the
promise and the price? "Make disciples of all the nations." The
Purpose
"This gospel . . . shall
be preached . . . to all the nations." The Promise. "You will be
hated by all the nations." The Price. I call all of you with the writer of
Hebrews 13:13 (again!) to "go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His
reproach."….. What will this mean for you?
I do not know,
but it will have to do with "all the nations."
Pastor Greg
