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...
‘O you of little faith, consider the lilies.’ “And which of you by worrying can add even one cubit to his stature? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither spin nor weave; yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Luke 12:25–28) (1) After reading today’s passage, Luke 12:25–28, I reread it in the original Greek. The first Greek word that caught my attention was “ὀλιγόπιστοι” (oligopistoi) — “you of little faith.” (a) This Greek word is a compound of “ὀλίγος” (oligos) meaning “little” and “πίστις” (pistis) meaning “faith.” It refers to a state of be...