Biblical Basis of Missions
October 12, 2016
Biblical Basis of Missions are topic-based studies designed to be dropped into any existing adults on-mission ministry. Lesson descriptions are below:
Here Am I
The book of Isaiah is the first book of the prophets in the Old Testament. There are two topics found in Isaiah that are commonly used in Bible studies and sermons. First is the prophesy of the birth, life, and death of the Savior. Next is the amazing vision Isaiah had of God in the temple. This topic will be discussing the vision of God that Isaiah had.
In addition to calling Isaiah, God called Abraham, Moses, John, Peter, Paul, and others. He called them to change what they were doing, leave where they were, go somewhere they did not know, do things they had not done before, and trust Him with everything they had.
Today God is still calling those who will listen. His call goes out to those who will respond with abandonment to leave home and family, to travel to a land possibly filled with danger, to learn a language they do not know, to share their faith with people completely different from themselves, and to trust Him with everything they have.
New Testament
Change. Most of us don’t like it. After all, change makes us uncomfortable. Our routines get upset; new habits have to be learned. But you and I know Jesus Christ today because God pushed the early church outside its own backyard and into a different, sometimes frightening, world.
Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus left His followers with this mandate: “. . .all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20).
Old Testament
The term missions is bantered about freely within the Christian community and most Christians have an understanding of the meaning of the term. A definition that fits Christian missions is a specific task with which a person or group is charged to help fulfill the Great Commission. We understand that the mission of every Christian is to tell the world about the saving power of Jesus Christ. But do we realize how ancient our call to missions actually is?
Our call to missions actually began just after the dawn of humankind’s creation. After Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God pronounced judgment on Adam and Eve, as well as on their descendants. They were banned from the Garden of Eden. Their lives would become hard; pain promised to be a regular companion; the earth would, in many ways, become an adversary, not a friend.
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