A. What Is Biblical Mission? “Biblical mission means more than simply going overseas to plant churches or spread civilization. It means the church participating in the ‘mission of God (Missio Dei)’ and seeking the restoration of God’s rule and glory throughout the whole earth. Mission is not a program that begins with human enthusiasm; rather, it is the heart of God that runs throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and is a fundamental reason for the church’s existence. Let me clearly summarize five essential principles of true mission as presented in Scripture. 🌍 1. The Mission of God (Missio Dei) The subject and initiator of mission is not human beings but God. In order to save fallen humanity, God first comes to us, sends His Son, and sends the Holy Spirit. He is the “missionary God” who sends. Biblical basis: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” (John 20:21) Key meaning: The church acknowledges that God has the initiative in mission and serves as His agent, obed...
God who comforts the depressed “But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6). There are many things that discourage us. There may be a lot of disappointment in looking at the country in which we live, but there may also be discouragements to think about the Lord’s church which we love and care for. Especially we can be discouraged because of our pastors whom we love and also we can be disappointed by our church elders. When we see the division of the church, we can become more and more depressed. These discouragements can be fatal to our life of faith. The reason is that big, deep and lasting discouragement can make us fall into spiritual depression. If we fall into a spiritual depression, then no one's consolation will be enough to comfort our depressed soul. Rather, we will refuse to be comforted by our close brother/sister in...