Warning: What you are about to read may induce a deep coma! If you choose to continue, you may be bored out of your mind. However, I enjoyed writing this paper for my World Missions class! It's certainly not scholarly material, but it may get an A...or a B!
LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS
A Theology of Missions Paper ~
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course ICST 500
Introduction
At a job interview several years ago, the pastor said, “Tell me what shapes your theology.” This was a broad statement that he thought required a lengthy answer. However, I said only four words: “Love God, Love Others.” While the pastor was unimpressed with my simplicity, these four words describe our purpose and the two relationships that mission is based upon: first, our relationship to God, and second, our relationship to those we serve in our homes, churches, communities and the world. Mission theology can be boiled down to these four words and two relationships, as we, the members of God’s church, are called to love God and love neighbor. We love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength by worshiping Him and serving Him. As a result of our love for God, we are called to share that relationship and love with others, through preaching the gospel, making disciples, expanding the kingdom of God, and giving the gift of hope.[1]
Scripture Relevant to Mission
The basis for loving God and loving others is found throughout the Bible, as these commandments are the cornerstone for Christianity and mission. The Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, is a prayer that we have heard since we were children. Hear these words in the fresh language from The Message:
God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.
Jesus coupled this commandment with another, based on the passages in Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5:
He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”[2]
Finally, Jesus commissioned his disciples with the following words:
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.[3]
When we look at these three scriptures, our purpose is clear and the road to that purpose is drawn for us. This commands each of us to preach the Gospel, to give our testimonies to our friends and families, and to evangelize our neighborhoods near and the far communities abroad. We are called to live each day in mission by worshiping our God with love and glorifying Him by sharing His word.
What is God’s Role in Mission?
God is the great missioner. He is in perpetual engagement with the created world.[4] He is the one who changes hearts. He is the one who prepares the way. Without God, missionaries would make little difference in the world. Without God, the Church would fail to build the Kingdom. In 1963, the World Council of Churches came up with a phrase to describe God’s role in mission. Missio Dei is the Latin phrase for “the sending of God.”[5] Generally, the mission world had become people-centered, rather than God-centered. Our western culture led our thinking down a path of organization and goal-setting, and our missionaries and church leaders were caught up in what they were doing, not what God was doing. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with goal-setting and strategic planning; however, our human minds can lead us down a path of greed and self-edification, and suddenly our work is to build numbers without crediting God for changing hearts and providing opportunities. The introduction of this phrase, missio dei, was an effort to remind us that mission is God’s program, not simply that of the church leaders. This term encompasses everything God does to build the Kingdom and everything the church is sent to do.[6]
Mission Theology’s Place in Theology
Mission lies at the core of theology. As we explored the three scriptures above, we discovered that mission is at the heart of who Christians are and what the church is called to do.[7] Mission serves as an anchor to the scriptures and the cornerstone to the church. The missionary theology of the church must have the purposes of the church in relation to the world as its driving focus.[8]
Mission Statement
Jesus gave his followers a clear mission statement. It was of such importance that four biblical authors recorded the charge in their writings: Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-49, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8. When we combine these scriptures, we are given a road map of how to live our lives in service to others. Our purpose as Christians is to reflect God’s glory through worship and mission, which is rooted in evangelism, church planting, discipleship, church growth, and salt-and-light giving.[9]
The Apostle Paul is a fine example of living his life in service to the Lord and fulfilling this mission statement through four key motifs: kingdom of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and the Church.[10] Paul understood that the kingdom was ultimately and only God’s, and he was privileged to participate as a follower. He preached the Gospel by giving the historical events of Jesus’ life, emphasizing Christ’s functional works, and telling his personal, dynamic, redemptive encounter with Christ.[11] He allowed the Holy Spirit to guide his travels and prepare the salty lives of his audience to shine the light of God.[12] Paul understood the importance of the Church and how it would contribute to the continual growth of its members. He made church planting a priority, organizing followers into local congregations, which were characterized by a deep commitment to one another and to the order and discipline of the Spirit of God.[13] We, as Christ’s followers, can imitate Paul’s mission strategy as we live our lives in the act of loving God and loving our neighbors.
Being Called To Mission
Mission is not just for missionaries, church leaders or even lay leaders. Mission is a way of life meant for every follower of Jesus. As a Christian, we are designed to love our God and to love our neighbor. Whether one receives a specific call to move their family to live amongst the people in Haiti, or offers their gift of leadership to a presbytery in Texas, or uses their enthusiasm for the children to volunteer in youth ministry in Herndon, all of God’s people are part of His mission. Some are scared of the word “evangelism,” thinking it means everyone should preach the Word on street corners. They feel they do not have the gifts to evangelize. Fear not, for the Spirit will prepare the way and ready the hearts of those we encounter. It may come in the form of playing a game of basketball in Mexico City, painting a house in New Orleans, or installing a clean water system in Haiti. As we stated initially, mission is built upon relationships. He will form the relationships for us and give us an entry point into telling His story and our stories. Living our lives by God’s rules, loving our enemies, turning the other cheek, forgiving others as Christ forgave, and teaching others to forgive, is all part of God’s mission to the world. We need not be scholars. Whether a missionary, church leader, lay leader or recent convert, we simply must have the love of God and be willing to share that love.
Conclusion
The central need of all people is to have an established living relationship with a loving God, and this is why we are called to mission.[14] We are directed to love our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Loving God is the basis for establishing relationships with others and loving others as we love ourselves. Thus, can we simplify the theology of mission to four words? Yes. Love God. Love Others. It really is that simple.
[1] Ralph Winter, Steven Hawthorne, eds., Perspectives On The World Christian Movement. (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009),150.
[2] The Message, Luke 10:27.
[3] NIV, Matthew 28:19-20.
[4] Ian Corbett, 119.
[5] Scott Moreau, Gary Corwin, & Gary McGee, Introducing World Missions, A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004),73.
[6] Moreau, Corwin & McGee, 73.
[8] Moreau, Corwin & McGee, 84.
[9] Moreau, Corwin & McGee, 80.
[10] Moreau, Corwin & McGee, 80.
[11] Thomas Lea & David Black, The New Testament: It’s Background & Message. (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2003), 354.
[12] Moreau, Corwin & McGee, 61.
[13] Winter & Hawthorne, 150.
[14] Moreau, Corwin & McGee, 86.
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