Developing a Biblical
Theology of Missions
EMPOWERING WOMEN
April 13, 2013
Ingrid Davis
DEFINING MISSIONS TODAY
What is mission?
What is missions?
What is a missionary?
Missio Dei
“mission lies at the core of theology –
within the character and action of God himself.
There is an impulse to give and share that springs
from the very nature of God and that therefore
characterized all his works. So all that theologians
call fundamental theology is mission theology”
W. Dyrness, Let the Earth Hear His Voice, p.11
The Missionary Nature of God
Genesis 3:9
“But the Lord called to the man, ‘Where are
you?’”
Father Parables – seeking the lost
II Peter 3:9
Three Pillar Passages in the OT:
God turns to one agent
Genesis 12:1-5
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your
people and your father's household and go to the land I will
show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him;
1
Three Pillar Passages in the OT:
Israel’s Role as God’s People
Exodus 19:4-6
“'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,
and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought
you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep
my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my
treasured possession. Although the whole earth is
mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to
the Israelites."
4
Three Pillar Passages in the OT:
Reminder and Renewal of Calling
Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,
Selah
2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth. Selah
5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
6 Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
1
The Prophets and the Dispersion
Jonah as a Metaphor of the People
Special versus Exclusive
Centripetal versus Centrifugal
The warning of the prophets
Dispersion:
Voluntary versus Involuntary Going
(1) Institution of Synagogues – decentralized worship
(2) Septuagint – translation of Scriptures
God crosses boundaries in Jesus
Incarnation as Principle
Interaction with Gentiles
Jesus’ Example
Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me . . . to preach good
news, set prisoners free, heal blind, release
oppressed, to proclaim . . .
Luke 4:43
“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God
to the other towns also, because that is why I was
sent.”
As the Father has sent me…
The Great Commission
(1) Matthew 28:18-20
(2) Acts 1:8 – Four Arenas
* Jerusalem – people nearby like us
* Judea – further away like us
* Samaria – people nearby with cultural
distance
* End of Earth – ambassador needed
Acts 1:8
Culturally
near
Culturally
far
Geographically
near
Jerusalem
Geographically
far
Judea
Samaria
Ends of the Earth
Church as God’s Agent
Involuntary Going – Acts 7:54-8:4
Voluntary Going – Acts 13
Paul’s Calling:
“This man is my chosen instrument to carry my
name before the Gentiles and their kings and
before the people of Israel.”
Acts 9:15
Romans 10:9-15
9That
if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord,"
and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your
heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with
your mouth that you confess and are saved. . . .
13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved."
14How, then, can they call on the one they have not
believed in? And how can they believe in the one of
whom they have not heard? And how can they hear
without someone preaching to them? 15And how can
they preach unless they are sent? As it is written,
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good
news!"
Revelation 5:9-10
9And
they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and
nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
Van Engen Definition:
Mission is the people of God intentionally crossing
barriers from church to nonchurch, faith to
nonfaith, to proclaim by word and deed, the
coming of the kingdom of God in Jesus Christ;
this task is achieved by means of the church’s
participation in God’s mission of reconciling
people to God, to themselves, to each other, and
to the world, and gathering them into the church
through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ by
the work of the Holy Spirit with a view to the
transformation of the world as a sign of the
coming of the kingdom in Jesus Christ.
Van Engen, Charles. 1996. Mission on the Way: Issues in
Mission Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Van Engen Definition:
Mission is the people of God intentionally crossing
barriers from church to nonchurch, faith to
nonfaith, to proclaim by word and deed, the
coming of the kingdom of God in Jesus Christ;
this task is achieved by means of the church’s
participation in God’s mission of reconciling
people to God, to themselves, to each other, and
to the world, and gathering them into the church
through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ by
the work of the Holy Spirit with a view to the
transformation of the world as a sign of the
coming of the kingdom in Jesus Christ.
Van Engen, Charles. 1996. Mission on the Way: Issues in
Mission Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Van Engen Definition:
Mission is the people of God intentionally crossing
barriers from church to nonchurch, faith to
nonfaith, to proclaim by word and deed, the
coming of the kingdom of God in Jesus Christ;
this task is achieved by means of the church’s
participation in God’s mission of reconciling
people to God, to themselves, to each other, and
to the world, and gathering them into the church
through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ by
the work of the Holy Spirit with a view to the
transformation of the world as a sign of the
coming of the kingdom in Jesus Christ.
Van Engen, Charles. 1996. Mission on the Way: Issues in
Mission Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Keys to Van Engen Definition
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Going – crossing barriers
Target – unevangelized, least evangelized
Kingdom Method – proclaim and demonstrate
Instrument – the Church
Task – reconciliation and transformation
Power – Holy Spirit
Jesus Christ – “believe that . . . Jesus”
Van Engen Summary
“Mission is what happens on the
boundary line between the people of
God and the world.”
Charles Van Engen
Missions is the Church’s Task
“The sending forth of authorized persons
beyond the borders of the New Testament
church and her immediate gospel influence to
proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in gospeldestitute areas, to win converts from other
faiths and non-faiths to Jesus Christ, and to
establish functioning, multiplying local
congregations who will bear the fruit of
Christianity in that community and to that
country.”
George Peters
Davis Definition
Missions – the task of the church to
cooperate with God, in the incarnation,
demonstration and proclamation of the
gospel of the Kingdom, through
intentional boundary crossing to the
unevangelized or least evangelized of
the world, with the goal of making
disciples and planting local churches
which do the same, while bringing
transformation to the broken places of
society and individual care to the entire
person
The Missional Church
“A missional church is one whose
primary commitment is to the
missionary calling of the people of God .
. . It is one that aligns itself with God’s
missionary purposes in the world . . .“
Frost and Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come, p. 229
Frost and Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come, p. 229
Church has lost its Focus
“We’ve drifted away from being fishers
of men to being keepers of the
aquarium.” – Paul Harvey
A Missional Church is . . . .
Vertical before Horizontal
Externally focused
Culturally engaged without being absorbed
Incarnationally driven
A movement that seeks to plant, grow and multiply missionary
communities
An organism and not held back by static institutional forms
A body that pursues relationships across generational, ethnic,
socio-economic, and cultural lines of distinction
Learning, exploring and rediscovering what it means to be
Jesus’ sent people
Sacrificial in investments of time, talent and treasure beyond
self-interests
Lampstand
Seek to plant, grow and multiply
pockets of light
Stamford, CT
Jesus’ Example
Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me . . . to preach good
news, set prisoners free, heal blind, release
oppressed, to proclaim . . .
Luke 4:43
“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God
to the other towns also, because that is why I was
sent.”
Jesus Sends Disciples Similarly
Luke 9:2
“and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.”
Luke 10:9
“Heal the sick that are there and tell them, “The
kingdom of God is near you.”
Tangible Evidence of the Coming
of God’s Kingdom . . .
Luke 7
John’s doubt
Jesus’ reply
“I saw God’s heart in Africa.”
Warning from Isaiah
Isaiah 58
God will delight in His people when they
obey Him. When the hungry are fed,
the poor are cared for and justice is
established. He will hear and answer
His servants’ prayers. He will guide
them and protect they and they will be
the light of the world.
New Testament Warnings
James 2:15-17
15Suppose
a brother or sister is without clothes and
daily food.
16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well;
keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his
physical needs, what good is it?
17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead.
Matthew 25- “the least of these”
Kingdom Ministry
Three
Encounters
Tools
Felt Need,
Social Value
Love
Incarnation
Truth
Proclamation
Gospel
Power
Demonstration
Divine
Interventions
REFLECTION
What have you learned about God’s
mission?
Anything new?
What is God saying to you?
CALLING
Calling is the truth that God calls us to
HIMSELF so decisively that everything we
are, everything we do and everything we
have is invested with a special devotion
and dynamism lived out as a response to
His summons and service
Our primary calling is to discipleship As
followers of Christ our calling is by Him, to
Him and For Him. We are called to
Someone not something or someplace.
Calling
A secondary or special calling refers to
those tasks and missions laid on individuals
through a direct, specific, supernatural
communication from God.
Ordinary calling is the believer’s sense of
life-purpose and life-task in response to
God’s primary call “Follow me” even when
there is no direct, specific, supernatural
communication from God about a
secondary calling
Here am I send me
Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of
the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us?” And I said,
“Here am I. Send me!”
I was willing to let God determine the
trajectory of my life and to work within
the parameters He set for me.
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
God I don’t do Africa!
God I Don’t Do Africa . .
What would the world be like if . . .
Michael Angelo said, “I don’t do ceilings
Or a German monk named Martin Luther, said
“I don’t do doors.”
Or an oxford don , named John Wesley said, “I
don’t do preaching in fields”
Or Moses said, I don’t do pharaohs or mass
migration
Or Noah said, I don’t do arks and animals
Or David said, “I don’t do giants
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching
International
I don’t Do (con’t)
Or Peter said,, “I don’t do gentiles”
Or John said, “I don’t do deserts”
How about if Mary said, “I don’t do virgin
births”
Or Paul said, I don’t do correspondence”
And finally what if Jesus said, I don’t do
crosses”
The world is a better place because they
didn’t say, “I don’t do”
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
Nail Pierced hands
Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves and take up their
cross daily and follow me.
“Nail pierced hands can’t grasp
anything too tightly.”
What are you holding on to?
Romans 10: 13-15
“Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they
call on the one they have not believed
in? And how can they believe in the one
of whom they have not heard? And how
can they hear without someone
preaching to them? And how can anyone
preach unless they are sent? As it is
written: “How beautiful are the feet of
those who bring good news!”
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching
International
Much Afraid. . .
“Will
you trust me even though the paths I
take you on seem crazy and even
dangerous?”
“Every acceptance of His will becomes an
altar of sacrifice.” Hannah Hurnard, Hind’s
Feet on High Places
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching
International
SURRENDER
Joyful Submission or Reluctant
Surrender
Psalm 16:5-6 “LORD, you alone are
my portion and my cup; you make
my lot secure. The boundary lines
have fallen for me in pleasant
places; surely I have a delightful
inheritance.”
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
God’s school of Grace
2 Co. 9:8 And God is able to make all
grace abound to you, so that having all
sufficiency in all things at all times, you
may abound in every good work.
2 Co. 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace
is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly of my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ
may rest upon me.
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
Is He Safe?
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear
what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said
anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe.
But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
God . . . is the blessed controller of all things,
the king over all kings and the master of all
masters. (1 Timothy 6:15, ph)
Do you trust Him?
Ask God the Dangerous Question
What do you want me to do with my
life? The only thing more dangerous
than asking that question is not asking
that question- Mark Batterson, Wild
Goose Chase
“I want to die doing what I love. I am
determined to pursue God-ordained
passions until the day I die. Life is too
precious to settle for anything less.”
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
Adam’s Family: For the Sake of the
Call
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership
Coaching International
Whose agenda will I live by?
If I am called I can’t live by
my own agenda. Is Jesus my
Lord??
Robert McQuilkin, “Obedience
to God is never fulfilled through
mere passive availability.”
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
Passionate People
Christ followers ought to be the
most passionate people on the
planet. Pursuing God–ordained
passions is not optional!
”Let my heart be broken by the
things that break the heart of God”
– Bob Pierce, World Vision
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
The Great Commandment - to
love God with all our being and
our neighbor as ourselves
The Great Commission - to
proactively take that love out to
those who had not experienced it.
“If you don’t love God with
all your heart, with all your
soul and with all your mind,
then go home- and settle
that first.” – Martin Sanders
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching
International
The Great Commission Lifestyle
In ‘The great commission lifestyle’
obedience is the final test of love.
Robert Coleman
Motto of Student Volunteer Movement:
“Because I am totally resolved to the
lordship of Christ, I release my future into
his care, planning or pursuing the more
difficult choice but obedient to wherever
he wants me.”
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
Purpose and Passion
Every follower of Christ was made for a
purpose, and our most important task is
to discern what that purpose is.
“Holy Discontent” – Bill Hybels
What are you passionate about?
“For we are God’s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to
do.” EPH 2:10
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership
Coaching International
What is your piece of the puzzle?
“God never asks us to give what we do not have . . .
But he cannot use what will will not give up.”
What is God asking of you today? What is
he calling you to?
What would it look like to love him more?
Love others more? Love yourself more?
What are you holding on to? What are the
competing desires in your soul?
Will you give him the trajectory of your life
and live within the parameters that he sets
for you?
What do you need to settle with God
today?
HE IS YOUR AUDIENCE OF ONE
(Audience of One- Big Daddy Weave)
©2013 Ingrid Davis, Leadership Coaching International
CALLING WORKSHEET