On Mission with God
Discovering the primary purpose of the Church
• Since the moment Adam and Eve fell in the garden God has been on a mission, the missio dei
o That mission has been to restore the relationship between mankind and God Himself.
o In the OT era God’s mission was primarily seen through the practice of the temple and priests.
• But this system was flawed in that the priests who made the sacrifices were also sinners.
o And the effect of the sacrifice only lasted until the next time you sinned.
• There was a need for the mission of God to advance.
o Part of what the word mission means is to go or to be sent.
• God the Father sent His Son Jesus on a Mission to go to earth, to be sent, to finish the work of missio dei.
o Jesus comes to earth, lives a sinless life, and dies on a cross to be the final sacrifice needed to make right the sins of mankind before a holy God.
• Then after His death and resurrection, He does something amazing.
o He hands off this missio dei to the church.
o Jesus also made it clear that this mission of God was for all people in all nations.
• First, missio dei is first and foremost God’s mission.
• Second, the church does not have a mission of its own.
o Rather, the primary emphasis is on what God did through Jesus for the redemption of the world.
• To be on mission with God, means to make Jesus known.
o And to be on mission means to go or to be sent. Across the street and around the world
• We must not lose sight of this second part.
o To be on mission with God also means to go…make Jesus known.
o Jesus gave this to the church as its primary purpose.
• The same is true for me as an individual
Of course, there is a problem: The enemy will do everything he can to stop the mission of the church.
• The missio dei cannot be stopped, because it was completed in Christ.
o But the mission of the church is the primary target of the enemy.
Our action steps. I have three, but the first one is by far the most important
1. Deep understanding and love for the missio dei
a. Let the mercy of God for His people over whelm you.
2. Be on mission with God in your own life.
a. Making Jesus known, throughout our everyday life, in everything we do.
3. Begin to think differently about church
a. Before we ask what the church will do for me
b. Ask how can I be on mission with God through the church
On Mission with God: Discovering the Primary Purpose of the Church
