We often hear that missions is the heartbeat of God. He wants to see all people come to know Him and worship Him. How does that go along with being a healthy church? We know that Jesus is the head of the church and the cornerstone. Since He is the head of the church and His heartbeat is missions, then a healthy church will have a heart for missions. The Great Commission was given to the church. Matthew 28:18-20 says:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The main verb here is “make disciples.” So, making disciples is Christ’s mission for the church. Making disciples is simply evangelizing, baptizing, and teaching. And that’s really the flow and life cycle of the church. There needs to be a constant cycle of people being saved, baptized, and taught about the things of Jesus Christ. To keep that cycle going, we must constantly be motivated to go out and reach new individuals for Christ. That should be done here at home and around the world at the same time according to Acts 1:8.

Someone said:

“evangelism happens where the local church is and missions happens where the local church is not.”

You send the gospel to where it is not known. If we stop going, then we are simply discipling the same faces every day. That, unfortunately, turns the Great Commission into the Great Omission.

Missions is hard and requires the work and the power of the Holy Spirit. Do not confuse your mission with your purpose. Your mission is to make disciples, and your purpose is to glorify God.

Acts 13:1-3 shows us God’s design for the church. These verses say:

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Up to that point, the focus of action had been on Israel, but that was about to change. In verse one we see a church – a sending church – “In the church that was at Antioch.” God chose Paul to take His name to the Gentiles and placed him in a local fellowship of believers. This church was God’s choice to become the mission and evangelistic center of the world. The Great Commission had been launched, the disciples had left a witness in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and now it was time for a witness into the rest of the world. So the importance of the local church, a sending church, is the design for world missions. Paul was brought to Antioch in a ministry role for further preparation. He knew the life and practices of a Jewish synagogue, but not yet that of a church. Paul’s ministry would involve planting churches among the unreached, and this would require experience and training in church life and ministry. It was in this church that Paul:

• was prepared for ministry.
• had his call confirmed by spiritual leaders.
• heard God’s timing for him to go.
• saw his first team put together.
• received his much-needed prayer support.
• started his first initiative among the Gentiles.
• found refuge to refuel for further ministries.

The local church is the sending agency – it all begins and ends with the church.

(will be continued in Part 2)

by Jon Konnerup, BBFI Mission Director