Missions Study & Prayer Group
I don't pretend to be a missions expert, but the church has to start somewhere. The Lord has been teaching me more and more about missions since 2015, and I've spent a lot of time in the last two years exploring this important aspect of the church's life.
Since Elynne and I are planning to migrate soon to study at TMS, I don't have much time to share what I've been learning with others. So in the next five months, January to May, I'm holding a weekly "Missions Study & Prayer Group" (MSPG) to equip them to help in the church's developing missions program.
I'll be posting an article for each of the lessons as the group goes through them weekly. Below are summaries of each lesson and a link to the video and manuscript.
An overview of the group's direction and goals for the next five months.
Traces the unfolding of God's redemptive plan as a foundation for missions.
The message of eternal life received as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ should be the driving force of missions. There are at least three reasons for this:
It is important to distinguish between the terms ‘mission’ and ‘missions’. Some theologians use “mission” to refer either to God’s mission in the world or Christ’s commission to the church. Meanwhile, “missions” refers to whatever the Church does toward fulfilling its commission.
Therefore mission precedes missions, and it is important to have a biblically informed understanding of the first since this will have implications on our understanding of the second.
Disciples can easily be confused regarding mission's relative importance to worship. So what is the connection between worship and missions? What is the place of worship in the Christian life? What is the place of missions? In this study, we will see that
Lesson 1 - Introduction
An overview of the group's direction and goals for the next five months.- "Course" Overview
- Learning Outcomes
- theology, strategy, resources, opportunities, and prayer.
- Assessment Indicators
- Lesson to Be Discussed
- Prayer Items
Lesson 2 - God's Redemptive Plan in the Old and New Testaments
Traces the unfolding of God's redemptive plan as a foundation for missions.- The Beginning and the End (Genesis 1-3, Revelation 20-22)
- Old Testament: Noahic Covenant, Abrahamic Covenant, Mosaic Covenant, Balaam's Oracle, Davidic Covenant, The New Covenant Promised, The Nations Included
- The New Testament: The Gospel, The Ministry of the Word, The Church
- Prayer Items
Lesson 3 - Defining the Gospel
Effective mission needs a clear definition of the gospel.
- Because we can't compromise the gospel.
- Because we shouldn't be too quick to accuse others of compromising or diluting the gospel.
- The Gospel of the Cross
- The Gospel of the Kingdom
Lesson 4 - The Importance of the Gospel
The message of eternal life received as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ should be the driving force of missions. There are at least three reasons for this:- We are weak and sinful, and we need grace daily.
- The gospel is the only thing that makes missions worthwhile.
- A gospel-centered ministry is the only way we can come to God unashamed.
Lesson 5 - Defining "Mission" and "Missions"
It is important to distinguish between the terms ‘mission’ and ‘missions’. Some theologians use “mission” to refer either to God’s mission in the world or Christ’s commission to the church. Meanwhile, “missions” refers to whatever the Church does toward fulfilling its commission.Therefore mission precedes missions, and it is important to have a biblically informed understanding of the first since this will have implications on our understanding of the second.
Lesson 6 - Worship & Missions
- Worship and missions are both uniquely important.
- Worship and missions are not competing but complementary.
