The Mission According to Jesus.

In 2017 Danny Spitters and Matthew Ellison wrote a book entitled, When Everything is Mission. It was written to bring clarity to the church, which in an age of high mobility, has become actively engaged in service projects around the world. This book is one of many that recently has been challenging the church to draw its understanding of missions from Scripture. This can help lay an important foundation.

Reading through the Bible – God’s Word – provides a constant reminder of God’s amazing, self-giving love. We read accounts of creation, the fall, and God’s unfolding plan of redemption; of God sending His Son, Jesus – God in the flesh – whose teaching, preaching, miracles, and healings confirmed His identity as the Messiah, the promised answer to our deepest needs.

God’s love for broken humanity didn’t end there. Through His death on the cross, Jesus became the sacrifice for our sins; through His resurrection, He overcame the power of sin and death, providing forgiveness and new life to all who come to Him in repentant faith.

As Wesleyan Christians, we recognize God’s amazing grace which draws us, enables faith, redemption, and has sanctifying, transformative power. God’s self-giving love continues to flow through the Holy Spirit, who comes to live within, guiding and empowering all who enter into this new-life relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and bringing followers of Christ into fellowship – loving relationships with God and one another – and for the sake of the world.

God’s self-giving love for humanity doesn’t stop at the end of our earthly lives. God’s promises to His children include a secure future with Him in the heavenly kingdom.

While most thoughtful Christians live with gratitude for all that God has done to bring them into a restored relationship with Him through Jesus, many are unaware of their role as members of God’s family and kingdom. God didn’t bring us into a relationship with Him to simply be ‘good people.’ As disciples (‘followers’ or ‘students’) of Jesus, we have been commissioned to fulfill a specific task; as ambassadors of God’s self-giving love, to help others to come into this new-life relationship with God as well.

Jesus’ instructions are found in each of the four gospels; here are His words from the book of Matthew:

Matthew 28:18-20

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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…

And surely

I am with you always,

to the very end of the age.”

Jesus also said:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV).

Both of these passages remind us, when sharing the gospel and making disciples locally and globally, we don’t ‘go alone.’ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, go with us.

While some Christians may think, “Yes, making disciples is important; but I’m not good at talking about Jesus; someone else needs to do that,” Jesus’ instructions are very clear and compelling. The world is filled with lost people ready to receive new life, and we are the means by which they will hear and learn of God’s love. Authentic disciples, according to Jesus, will bring glory to God by denying themselves, obeying His commands, going forth in love, and “bearing fruit.” Consider carefully, the following verses of Scripture:

1. Luke 9:23-24 NIV: “Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

2. John 8:31-32: “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

3. John 20:21 NIV: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

4. John 15:16 NIV: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

5. John 15:8-10: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

6. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9: “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

From these texts it should be clear that authentic disciples of Jesus will ‘be about the work’ of making disciples. Disciples who make disciples.

And as the world is filled with multitudes of people who don’t know Jesus, (many who’ve not heard the gospel even once, or who have never even met a Christian) - we as the GMC have work to do!

‘Missions’ always involves evangelism and disciple-making. While deeds of mercy, justice, generosity, love and care are biblically essential and have traditionally been central to Wesleyan identity, ‘missions’ without evangelism and disciple-making is incomplete.

Helping people come to know God through Jesus Christ, making disciples who love God and love others, incorporating them into the Church, and equipping them to join Jesus in His mission - so that God will be glorified among the nations - is at the very heart of what it means to be the Church.

Word & deed.

Deeds of mercy, justice, generosity, love and compassion are vital expressions of faith in action, and have traditionally been core to the Wesleyan Christian identity. As we reflect upon the ‘Great Commission’ instructions given by Jesus found in Matthew 28:18-20, without clear evangelism and disciple-making, “missions” is incomplete.

This is why church-planting, evangelism, and disciple-making are recognized as common to “mission work” around the world; they are essential elements of building and extending Christ’s Kingdom. Such activities are not optional for the church. Nor are they about “making converts” or “just about numbers.” These ministry activities are about souls: connecting people (of all nations) to God through Jesus Christ; teaching from His Word how we can follow (obey) Him, and that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be conformed to His image, bless others, and bring glory to God.

As Global Methodists leaning into our Wesleyan distinctives, we answer the question “What is missions” as both/and people: both ‘evangelism & disciple-making’ and ‘mercy/justice ministries’ (such as providing education, food and shelter, health services, and caring for orphans) . We’re not an ‘either/or’ people, but a ‘both/and’ people. This is what it means to be “in mission” as biblical, Wesleyan-Christians!

If your church has been active in doing service projects or acts of kindness without sharing the gospel and intentionally making new disciples, this is a great time to consider “How we can improve our service?” We want to be an obedient Church, actively making disciples of all nations. As we go, we can take courage. We don’t go alone. He is with us!