As I said before, Amos and I are taking a missions class at a local church this semester. It's being taught by Cecil, a former seminary professor. Cecil and his wife Kathy were overseas in the Netherlands for a long time, but they are retired now and back in the States, though Cecil continues to teach at Master's and elsewhere.
In order to keep up this blog, to provide good information, and to remind myself what I've learned each week, I'm going to attempt to write a short summary of what we learn in our missions class, To the Ends of the Earth. We'll see how it goes!
Week 1: Mission, Missions, Missio Dei
These terms are not synonymous, and different people define them in different ways. It is important to define these terms accurately so that those who are involved in missionary service have a clear understanding of the priority of various aspects of ministry. We don't want to overlook the Gospel even if we are doing good things like feeding the homeless or starting a non-profit.
Cecil's definitions:
Missio Dei: all that God does to build the kingdom of God
Mission/missions: evangelism, discipleship, church planting, social work, teaching, building churches, etc.
We must remember that the Gospel is the primary thing. It is good for social work to lead to open doors for the Gospel and to work hand-in-hand with the Gospel, but the Gospel must be first and foremost in our minds and actions.
Week 2: The Mission of Israel
What was the purpose of Israel?
1. Israel is not told to go tell people about God but rather was to draw people to God by their distinct lifestyle and righteous behavior (light to the Gentiles; Zechariah 8:22-23).
2. Israel was blessed by God not just to be blessed (end) but also to be a blessing (means) to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). The ultimate Blessing was realized in the Seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ, Who is a blessing to the nations in that He provides the means for wicked people to be reconciled to a holy God.
3. We can attract people to God by being a blessing to others! We can't be Jesus, but we can bless others in many different ways that may in turn lead people to being open to the Ultimate Blessing, Jesus Christ. Some ways to bless others include attending neighbor kids' sports events; talking to neighbors; not joining in gossip; helping new immigrants (Heather and Austin are good examples of this); encouraging parents who have young children; praying for others; giving flowers; inviting to special events; practicing hospitality; etc.
In order to keep up this blog, to provide good information, and to remind myself what I've learned each week, I'm going to attempt to write a short summary of what we learn in our missions class, To the Ends of the Earth. We'll see how it goes!
Week 1: Mission, Missions, Missio Dei
These terms are not synonymous, and different people define them in different ways. It is important to define these terms accurately so that those who are involved in missionary service have a clear understanding of the priority of various aspects of ministry. We don't want to overlook the Gospel even if we are doing good things like feeding the homeless or starting a non-profit.
Cecil's definitions:
Missio Dei: all that God does to build the kingdom of God
Mission/missions: evangelism, discipleship, church planting, social work, teaching, building churches, etc.
We must remember that the Gospel is the primary thing. It is good for social work to lead to open doors for the Gospel and to work hand-in-hand with the Gospel, but the Gospel must be first and foremost in our minds and actions.
Week 2: The Mission of Israel
What was the purpose of Israel?
1. Israel is not told to go tell people about God but rather was to draw people to God by their distinct lifestyle and righteous behavior (light to the Gentiles; Zechariah 8:22-23).
2. Israel was blessed by God not just to be blessed (end) but also to be a blessing (means) to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). The ultimate Blessing was realized in the Seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ, Who is a blessing to the nations in that He provides the means for wicked people to be reconciled to a holy God.
3. We can attract people to God by being a blessing to others! We can't be Jesus, but we can bless others in many different ways that may in turn lead people to being open to the Ultimate Blessing, Jesus Christ. Some ways to bless others include attending neighbor kids' sports events; talking to neighbors; not joining in gossip; helping new immigrants (Heather and Austin are good examples of this); encouraging parents who have young children; praying for others; giving flowers; inviting to special events; practicing hospitality; etc.
