Bible Basis of Missions
Completing the Great Commission
The Bible basis of missions is the glory of God.
He is worthy of being made known to every person in every part of the world.
Sometimes people think of missions or global ministry as something a local church does, relegated to a department and assigned to a few individuals.
Through this page, I hope to show you that as a Body under Jesus Christ as our Head, the global ministry of proclaiming the glory of Christ to all people in every part of the world is a primary reason for the presence of the universal Church in local church gatherings. This is not a new thing but a central theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and engaged in by the Church during our age.
Is it difficult to find people who will fully engage in ministry?
Does it seem that God’s mission is considered a side show of the church?
Is church growth through evangelism at a minimum?
Is everything “missions” in the church to the point that there is very little vision
for people who have no access to the Gospel?
Could it be that there is a low view of God and His word?
What you believe very much affects your view of God,
His mission in the world,
your role in His work, and
the urgency of it all.
Is the Bible the basis of missions? … or…
Is God’s mission the basis of the Bible?
All of human existence is anchored in one relationship.
Before He formed the earth, moon, and stars, our Creator knew us
and intended for us to relate to Him,
eagerly reflecting His goodness for eternity.*
Before He said, “Let there be light!”,
before He created the sun, moon, and stars,
God was thinking about you…
and your neighbor.
Therefore, every person on earth
has greater value
than anything in or on the earth.
God created each of us with an eternal purpose.
For us to engage well with God in what He is doing, we need to know
His Person, His Purpose, His Plan, His People, and His Process.
God made everything perfectly good, without flaw.
There was no room for improvement, so He rested on the seventh day.
God is good and all that He does is good.
The flaws began with the choice to not believe Him.
Now God is giving people the choice to believe Him, and
He is separating those who will from those who will not.
At the end of this period of grace (unearned favor),
God will confine all that is evil and
restore the world and all who believe Him
to perfect goodness.
Meanwhile the message of His grace is passed
from person to person
by sharing what God has written.
Two questions that affect much of the way we think and act:
Who says?
Whose glory?
Person
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
– Hebrews 1:3
Do we want people to be working together with a heart for sharing the Good News with the whole world?
Then we should teach them the identity of their Creator God.
They need to see their own value and identity because of His identity,
their purpose because of His purpose, and
their mission because of His plan.
In Him, because of His identity, we find our own identity.
Because of His value, we find our own value and the value of other people.
Because of His purpose, we find significance and fulfilling purpose.
Because of His plan, we find direction for our plans.
To know Him is to recognize His worth.
He is the treasure.
Two questions that affect much of the way we think and act are these:
Who says?
Whose glory?
———————————
Who says?
The identity of a person very much affects how we perceive their authority and their value when we consider the consequences of our own attitude and actions in relation to that person.
Should I pay attention? Dare I ignore him or her? What are the consequences if I do? Why should I listen? What bearing does this person have on my life?
For instance, if his mother tells little Johnny, “You may not eat any cookies before dinner,” then, when his hand is in the cookie jar, the words “your mother is coming” may have meaning and relevance. The knowledge may even prompt a change in behavior.
Authority may seem to have little relevance to our lives until the realization of imminent conflict with a power greater than our own. Traveling at double the posted speed limit may be pleasurable until we realize that we have gained the attention of someone with both the power and the inclination to change our behavior. (Passing a police car?)
Having a better understanding of the identity, personality, word, and power of the God of the Bible will likely bring about a change of behavior upon the realization of who is talking.
This is what we need to know ourselves and what our listeners need to hear. Our mission is to accurately communicate to all people in all of the world, “Who says?”
Whose glory?
Glory is about the recognition of what already exists.
And it’s about who gets the credit.
Glory is about recognizing and attributing worth to the person to whom it is due. If a person does not receive recognition for the glory that is due, then that person is undervalued by the people who should recognize his or her worth. If a person is credited with glory for work someone else accomplished, then the glory is misdirected. If a person takes credit for the work of someone else, then the person who received the recognition is discredited and regarded as disingenuous.
Glory is rooted in the recognition of the character and works of the person whose qualities and work is being reviewed. So, proper attribution of glory requires that the identity and accomplishments of a person be properly known.
Glory is about giving credit where credit is due.
Satan’s work is to take and diminish the glory of God through lies and deception. Since Adam’s disobedience, we have all been following Satan’s lead.
Missions is about leading people to know and believe the truth about God’s person; His glory.
Missions, global ministry, is about recognizing and proclaiming the value and worth of our Creator for who He is in reality and for what He has done.
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. – Isaiah 42:8
See Isaiah 42 & 43
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. As the Creator and the person who holds all things together by the word of His power, He is the most important and most relevant person to all of our lives.
Who is He?
Here is how he identified Himself to Moses.
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
– Exodus 34:6
God’s Identity, Character, & Values
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you,
that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. – 1 John 1:5
If God is the most important person in our lives, then what He thinks matters. What He knows is vital to our success. What He values is essential to the value of our purpose. What matters most to Him, of necessity, must eventually matter most to us.
If God is inherently good, then where our hearts, attitudes, and actions differ from His, we are at odds with Him – to our own peril and the peril of other people whom we counsel and teach.
Individuals are known by their history of attitudes and actions.
The Holy Bible, especially in the first five books, gives us the historical context for knowing God’s unchanging personality, purpose, and plan.
People do need information about God. More than information, people need to discover His character, His heart, His provision for sin, and His desire that we be rightly related to Him. Hope is found in Him rather than in information about Him.
(Jeremiah 9:23-24, John 17:3)
If what “the god of this world” hides from people is the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, then the focus of our ministry must be to bring people to see the identity, character, and purpose of Christ. They need to see His actions in history as well as what He is doing in the world today.
The foundation for understanding God’s mission is in knowing His person: His character, His personality, His power, His love, His grace, His justice, His kindness, His compassion, His forgiveness, His indignation, His values, His omnipotence, His omniscience, His omnipresence.
We best learn and teach about God’s character by beginning with the foundational information of Genesis 1-3. In the Biblical stories thereafter, He has revealed, through the historical record of His interaction with people, His character and values.
God’s mission is the basis of the Bible. Through the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, He has communicated His identity and values, giving us a foundation for the New Testament.
To do well what God requires of us we must know God’s Person, Purpose, Plan, People, and Process.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8
An amazing thing about unconditional love is that it is never caused by the recipient; rather it is freely given by the giver without cause. Love includes the intentional giving of the giver, at personal expense, for the benefit of the recipient, without cause outside of the giver.
“That I may know him,
and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;”
– Philippians 3:10
We love him, because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. – 1 John 4:8
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. – 2 Peter 3:18
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit
unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
see that ye love one another
with a pure heart
fervently:
1 Peter 1:22
23 Verses from Dr. David Jeremiah
God is infinitely good.
Evil is the lack of goodness.
God never runs out of goodness.
The Creator God,
who spoke the universe into existence,
and holds all things together by the word of His power,
after preparing everything for this event,
formed man out of the dust of the earth,
made in His own image,
and breathed into him the breath of life.
He created a person with the ability to think, reason, choose, and relate.
Since before creation God knew and planned for an interactive relationship with each one of us who would be born of Adam and Eve.
This gives every person immense value and importance; not because of who we are, but because of the identity, power, and worth of our Creator.
What gives each of us tremendous worth is the great value that He has placed on us. It is our lack of recognition of Him that diminishes the value of an individual.
What gives us purpose is the great value He placed on us and our neighbors.
It is His desire to include us in administering His grace that leads us to engage in His mission, proclaiming His goodness to the ends of the earth. (Eph. 2:10)
The Bible Basis of Mission is rooted in the character and nature of God. His messengers must first and foremost know Him. Otherwise, what will they be telling other people about Him and what He has done?
Those who send the messengers must know God and His purpose or they would have no reason to send messengers to tell about Him.
Eternal life, meaning, and purpose are found only in the triune God who created everything. He alone created each one of us. He alone holds all things together by the word of his power. In Him alone we live and move and have our being.
Ultimate success and fulfillment, cannot be found outside of a personal relationship with the Triune God. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the destination. He is the ultimate pursuit.
The urgency and great importance of God’s mission for His followers on earth are rooted in His identity and His purpose in the world.
Because of His identity, our greatest purpose, our mission, is to know Him and to make Him known to every creature, every person.
He has chosen to make Himself known through relationships.
Imagine living in a close relationship with a person who has all power, all wealth, all wisdom, who is always perfectly just, who is graciously and perfectly good to you at all times, who is the author of every good and perfect gift, and who provides everything needed.
Imagine the depth of love, loyalty, value, and purpose that could grow out of such a relationship!
Well, we don’t have to imagine because God has already provided everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him. (2 Peter 1:3-11)
God is so good and holy that He cannot allow that which is contrary to His character to continue. His goodness demands justice. This ought to terrify us and motivate us to warn everyone to repent and enter into His grace by faith.
While love is a choice, it takes time, experience, and knowledge to grow to know and love a person in practice.
We tend to give value to people based on their actions in history.
We observe their character (who they are), productivity (what they can do), generosity (good will toward others), and actions in history (what they have accomplished) to assess value.
God is eternal. He has been around a long time before we came on the scene. Our opportunity is short to observe His character to gain knowledge and experience about Him. Many events that demonstrate to the world God’s goodness and justice happened at other times in history. But God did not want to leave us out, so He wrote a book. Through other people who believed Him, He wrote down what He wants us to know in “The Holy Bible.” Faith in God is about believing His written testimony.
More than foundational information, we each need to see the Living God in action. We need to see how He has related to other people and how He relates to us. We need an introduction that includes, not just what other people say about Him, but what He has recorded to enable us to know Him ourselves and believe Him.
We need to know and intentionally teach people the Biblical foundations for an established personal faith so that they know God and are equipped for ministry to others.
Then they will see God’s worth, see each person’s value in His eyes, see His purpose in His written word, and see the importance of each person’s role in reference to His plan.
It is about being rooted in Christ. It is about knowing Him, being known by Him, and leading others to know Him.
We need to intentionally teach people Biblical foundations so that they know their God and are thus equipped for the ministry of good works which He has prepared in advance for them to do. (Matthew 28:20, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Ephesians 2:10)
While growing in knowing Him ourselves, the role of each of us is to lead people to know Him, to hear Him, to believe Him, and to obey Him, using their own unique gifts.
The first and greatest commandment applies: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Growth in understanding
of the grandeur of His person and His purpose
helps us to understand why
loving Him with all that we are and have
is the best thing for ourselves and
for the other people whom He also loves.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. – Colossians 3:17-19
This pamphlet by Theodore Monod (1874) is very much worth your time to read:
People need to see Jesus
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
– 2 Corinthians 4:4-6
“God… Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds;
Who being the brightness of his glory,
and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
– Hebrews 1:3
As stated near the top of this page,
for us to engage well with God in what He is doing,
we need to know
His Person, His Purpose, His Plan, His People, and His Process.
Worship?
If missions exists because worship does not,
then we must labor to ensure that everyone knows God’s worth
and ship the knowledge of Him to the ends of the earth.
Worship – Worth Shipping
All of us view the world through a grid of experience, information, and relationships which shape our assumptions about reality.
Those assumptions are true only to the extent that they are shaped by God’s revelation of Himself.
An ambassador cannot share what the ambassador does not know. To represent God well and “teach all things” as Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:20), the ambassador must be rooted in Christ and equipped for His work. God’s worldview must be the foundation of the ambassador’s work.
The starting point of mission is knowing who we are following, obeying, and representing. Could it be that this is where much of “missions” ministry goes wrong? As His ambassadors on earth, who have been given the ministry of reconciliation, we need to get right the Word and the message of reconciliation.
Our mission is to bring people into right relationship with a Person: the Creator God.
We are to bring people to understand and know God.
Where people do not have that knowledge, it is our mission to bring that to them; to their understanding.
One of the best ways to establish a foundation for people who are ready to engage in God’s mission is through Foundational Bible Teaching. See Resources at the bottom of this page.
Bible Basis of Mission
If mission is God’s idea,
then in order to be in alignment with what He is doing,
we need to know His Person, His Purpose, His Plan, His People, and His Process.
One of my greatest concerns, if not my greatest concern, is the subtly dangerous attempt we have to manufacture a heart for missions while missing a heart for Christ.” – David Platt
Give Glory
God’s glory is the sum of all that He is. It is the manifestation of His character. God is glorious in all that He does. We don’t give glory to God. He already has glory innately. … All that we do when we say “give glory to God” is to acknowledge His glory; His reputation that has manifested itself in another way again. – Dr. David Young*
Biblical Texts to Show God’s Zeal for His Own Glory
By John Piper
Purpose
But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. – Numbers 14:21
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
– Ephesians 1:4-6
“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” – Isaiah 45:18
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” – Isaiah 45:22
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3
Since before the foundation of the world God’s purpose has been to bring us into His fellowship with pleasure and complete acceptance.
All of the creation story (Genesis 1-3) shows the great care and planning He put into preparing a place where all people could enjoy Him forever.
The sins of Adam and Eve made them and all of their descendants unfit for the presence of God’s goodness. They chose to doubt the goodness of God’s character, making themselves the judges of what is good and what is evil rather than trusting God. The consequence was separation from God’s goodness with an inability to attain the righteous perfection required of them.
Provision
God made provision for the unrighteousness of all of us through the lavish gift of Jesus Christ in paying our debt of sin and clothing in His own perfect righteousness every person will choose confidence in His provision by faith.
The choices of Adam brought in unrighteousness and the choices of Jesus brought the path to redemption.
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” – 1 John 3:8
God’s plan has not changed. His purpose is still the same. This is a theme He has communicated throughout the Bible and in all of history. He will fill the earth with people who believe Him. For those people who will place their confidence in His word in this age, He has special plans.
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” – John 14:3
All of human history is the story of God graciously reaching out to people, inviting them to believe Him, to turn from their unrighteousness and walk in the fellowship of His goodness.
Since Adam’s disobedience God has provided people, ambassadors, to represent Himself to the world, calling people to change their minds and repent of their evil ways.
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” – 2 Corinthians 5:19
The Bible makes it clear that, even in judging wickedness, God is continually inviting people to repent; to acknowledge His goodness and provision for their unrighteousness.
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” – Revelation 21:3
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12
16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. – Acts 26:16-18
Resources
- Why Did God Create the World? – Piper
- “Meaning of Life” – Know and Be Known
- See Revelation 21 & 22, John 14:2, 1 John 3:2, Psalm 67:2
- The Joyful Purpose of God -Piper
Plan
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10
God plans. He has woven His plans for us throughout human history, and even before creation. That’s what Bible prophecy is about. If God has planned the future, then it is no problem at all for Him to tell a prophet what is coming and to have the prophecy fulfilled hundreds or thousands of years later in minute detail.
He fulfilled His plan to provide a Redeemer in the person of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for the sins of all people.
He plans to have people around His throne during the seven year long Great Tribulation who will say,
“for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” – Revelation 5:9
Ultimately, God plans to fill the earth with people who believe Him from every ethnic group, people group, clan, and language. (Rev. 7:9)
God plans to separate the people who believe Him from those who do not and plans condemnation for the unbelieving.
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” – John 3:36
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” – Revelation 21:7-8
God’s plan is certain. He is not weak or impotent, but patient.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3
Another of His plans reveals that the Church will be the means by which He will communicate His message to all of those language groups:
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? …” – Romans 10:13-17
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
God’s plan is that those who have believed Him should tell those who have not yet believed Him, at least until there are some who believe Him from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation (ethnic group).*
“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:24-26
God’s plan involves the active response of faith in those who will believe Him and take action. (James 2:17)
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
“And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.” – Acts 10:42
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” – 1 Corinthians 1:21
People
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
– Mark 12:29-30
God’s people are people of faith. They are people who have chosen to believe Him. They value Him. They recognize and attribute worth to Him. They are precious in His sight. They are His friends, His ambassadors, His children, and His priests who represent Him to the world.
Because He first loved them, because He redeemed them, because they recognize His worth, they see the value of other people whom He has purchased, they value His purpose toward them, and they invest themselves to draw those valued people into His fellowship through the preaching of His written Word under the power of the Holy Spirit.
It seems that much of what is labeled “missions” is about someone other than the God who is revealed in the Bible.
If a person to whom we minister in “missions” misses the identity, character, and work of Jesus, that person has lost everything. Jesus is our all in all, our Creator, the way, the truth, and the life, who holds all things together by the word of His power.
There are many common reasons why people miss delivering God’s message. Sometimes it is the messenger’s lack of a Biblical foundation to understand and communicate the message clearly. Sometimes it is the lack of patience to communicate what God has said. Sometime it’s the distortion from an inadequate knowledge of a listener’s language. Sometimes it is the lack of understanding of how the listener’s culture frames the meaning of the words they hear. Even so, it is part of our responsibility as ambassadors to know God’s person and to clearly communicate His message.
Delivering a message requires a willing messenger. (Romans 10:13-17)
God could have chosen to write His message in the sky, or upon every rock under it.
Instead, He chose to deliver His message through the relationships of personal couriers; through those people who have heard and believed telling the people who have not yet heard the Good News.
Furthermore, He could have forced His created messengers to deliver His message.
Instead, He chose to deliver His message to every corner of the earth through people who have believed Him and, with willing hearts, offered themselves as living sacrifices to Him to be used of Him to deliver His message.
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” – Mark 8:35
God takes volunteers.
“We love him, because he first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38
There is much lamenting in our day about the departure of people from the churches and the lack of laborers to send to bring in the harvest, especially young adults. Each person is individually accountable to respond in faith to what we have heard from God’s word, so there is a heart issue here.
However, is it possible that while they have been exposed to church, preaching, and good morals, that they have never been introduced to our Savior? Could it be that they just do not know Him?
Who has taken the time to show them His person, purpose, plan, people, and process on earth? When could that have happened? What did they hear in our presence? Who took the time to disciple them as individuals?
We must be careful to intentionally equip people to know and believe our Savior.
If the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, how have we gone about teaching people to love God in this way?
Does God have a lesson plan we should follow? How can we follow Him in the way that we teach all that He commanded us?*
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:22-23
Process
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:2
People generally do not instantly become maturing, reproducing, Bible-believing Christians in a night.
Somewhere along the journey of learning about God’s character each of us begins to see ourselves as short of His glory and desperately in need of the righteousness which has been provided through Jesus Christ. Then there is the process of sanctification; of putting off the old patterns of behavior and thinking; to replace them with those actions and beliefs that honor Him.
There is a process of growth in knowledge, understanding, application, and correlation. There are some realizations along the way. There is some putting off of old things and putting on good things. There is the dying to self and living to God, growing in grace and knowledge of God’s goodness, character, and purpose.
These things happen through learning from God’s written word, exercising that knowledge in practice, growing through prayer, listening to the Holy Spirit, and engaging in interdependent relationships with other believers.
There is a Biblical pattern and path from spiritual infancy to ambassadorship that results in maturing and multiplication.
Some things are foundational to other things, both internally and outwardly, if the objective is to have a thriving church of growing Christians who are actively engaging in God’s commission (e.g. 1 Corinthians 2, Hebrews 5, 2 Peter 1), and equipped to teach others also.* Our work in discipleship is to lead people to the information they need to make wise decisions, growing in their fellowship with the living God.
There are some things that a person needs to hear to come to the knowledge of the truth; to be saved from their sins by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the only object of faith who is able to deliver.
To be equipped to deal with sin and effectively minister life to other people, we all need to know Him and all that He commanded us. This comes through growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Security and rest that are a result of understanding our position in Christ come through exposure to those truths which are revealed in Romans, Galatians, and many other passages of Scripture.
The more quickly a believer is exposed to the truths of God’s word, and is able to begin applying truth to false beliefs and assumptions about reality, the more rapidly that person can grow in faith and be equipped to engage in God’s mission.
While I cannot take the space here to walk through those things, I can lead you to some resources (below) that have proven beneficial to teachers and students alike in their spiritual growth.
God is calling those who will believe Him to get involved in His process.
From the perspective of establishing thriving churches of maturing Christians in places where Christ is not known, we must be intentional about helping future messengers through the growth process.
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” – Romans 13:14
12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. – Hebrews 5:12-14
“11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” – Ephesian 4:11-16
What is Foundational Bible Teaching?
A lot of people have a lot of knowledge about God, but do they know Him?
It is easy, and common, to give people more information about God without ever walking with them through His word to show them who He is and how that information relates to their lives today. Discipleship is about walking with people through life using the word of God as our road map until the mentored is able to walk with God while leading others to Him.
We tend to make assumptions about what people know, based on casual interaction, knowledge of their life experience with believers, as well as their ability to use spiritual jargon.
We dare not build on those assumptions about a person’s faith. We must check the foundations by teaching them of God’s person, purpose, plan, people, and process – so that they are equipped to lead others to know Him and walk with Him.
God delivered the knowledge of Himself over history in a pattern of progressive revelation. This is a pattern we should follow. The resources below will lead to more information about what and why.
The Bible Taproot
People are often told to read the book of John with the intention of guiding them toward faith in Christ.
Did you know that there are at least fifty different things in the book of John chapter one that a person who has never studied the Old Testament would not know? Ed Skowron, author of “The Bible Taproot” writes:
“A sincere inquirer who knows nothing about God, Christianity, Jewish history, salvation, etc. has started to read John chapter 1 because he or she was told by a well-meaning evangelist that the book of John will teach them what they need to understand about God. The problem is that there are many concepts, people, and places that John talks about that are almost impossible to understand unless the reader has at least a basic understanding of the Old Testament, geography, and world history. Here are some of the people, places, and concepts that John mentions in chapter one alone:
“the Word, God, the light, the darkness, John, a witness, every man coming into the world, the world, his own, children of God, the One and Only, the Father, the law, Moses, Jesus Christ, the Father’s side, Jews, Jerusalem, priests, the Christ, Elijah, the Prophet, Isaiah, the voice of one, the desert, the Lord, baptism with water, Bethany, the Jordan, the Lamb of God, sin of the world, Israel, the Spirit, heaven, a dove, the Holy Spirit, the Son of God, disciples, Rabbi, Teacher, Andrew, Simon Peter, Simon, the Messiah, Cephas, Peter, Galilee, Philip, Andrew, Bethsaida, Nathanael, the prophets, Nazareth, the son of Joseph, a true Israelite, the King of Israel, the angels of God, and the Son of man.
“Other abstract concepts that are alluded to are:
the beginning, things made, darkness that has not understood, testifying, believing, witness, true light, receiving him, natural descent, human decision, husband’s will, born of God, flesh, glory, grace, truth, fullness of his grace, blessing, confession, making straight the way, and unworthiness to untie sandals.
“The person that was trying to understand the Bible by only reading the book of John might give up before starting chapter 2. ” – Ed Skowron
Resources
To Carefully Lay the Foundation for Mission
God was not random in the way He has introduced Himself over the time since Creation. Yet, we tend to read the Bible as if it were a treasure chest of gems to be pulled out, examined, and put back in the box. No wonder many Christians are confused about the identity and relevance of the God of the Bible to their daily lives. Almost any book is confusing if read that way. No wonder we tend to have such a low view of God’s person and His purpose.
The Bible is not a collection of nice thoughts about God and ourselves; rather it is a documentary of God’s personality, values and plans for us. It is His revelation to show us how we were created to know Him, to walk with Him, and to engage in fellowship with Him in His endeavors. The Bible is God’s story. It has an introduction, a plot, and a conclusion. It is an instruction manual, setting a framework to know God’s character, what He expects of us, and what He plans for our eternal future.
When people are taught to know God, following the pattern of His revelation of Himself in history, then we have the foundation of knowing His identity, our own identity because of His, and our purpose within His plan. By believing, we come to realize that He is our all-in-all, our everything, literally, physically, and practically relevant to our every breath.
The links to foundational Bible teaching below lead to time-tested resources that have proven to be highly effective in starting willing-hearted people on that journey of knowing Him and engaging in His work.
Foundational Bible Teaching
These past forty years I have observed the fruit and heard testimonies of Foundational Bible Teaching in many countries, languages, and cultures.
My own first exposure to foundational Bible teaching was through the Bisorio testimonies, and this enhanced my understanding of God’s word and His character. See my comments at FBT. This is not about “storying” or about teaching the Bible in chronological order. It is about revealing God’s character and bringing out what His written word says about His character as He has revealed Himself. See 1 Corinthians 4:1-7. It is about carefully laying foundations for faith that are rooted in what God has revealed about Himself. See 1 Corinthians 2:2, 3:10-15, Luke 24:25-27.
These are some of the resources I have learned about and used since then and now highly recommend. You will likely not see the value of these treasures until you actually use them.
- Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ
- See this! – Chapter 1 – About foundational Bible teaching
- Building on Firm Foundations Vol 1-9
- The Establish Series (My new favorite!!!)
- establishseries.com
- Google Sheets Lesson Progress
- Establish 101
- Establish Discipler – Sample
- Testimony – https://youtu.be/2rtZvRrrpQw
- establishseries.com
- God’s Narrative: Creation to Christ
- Bible Foundations Radio
- Why Not Just Give The Gospel?
- His Story: The Rescue –
- God’s Narrative
- God’s Promise by Ken West
- Rock Solid Kids: Drawing Kids Close to God’s Unchanging Heart by Jill Goring – Now online! Excellent, excellent resource!
- Invest just an hour or two in the FREE downloadable Teacher’s Guide.
- Then follow the Almost-Too-Good-To-Be-True Story, with your kids, from Genesis to Forever After.
- Interlocked by Achored International (Age 14+)
- Come and See by Anchored International
- Bible Framework by Charles Clough
- Teteslestai Video Series by Arlen & Cynthia Isaak (Light in Action)
Evangelism
Missions Training
- Wayumi.com (Intro)
- Interface (Advanced Intro)
- Ethnos360 Bible Institute (2 years of Bible)
- Ethnos360 Training (Career)
- Emanate (Canada)
- AccessTruth.com (Australia & Online)
Resouces for Engaging
- Randy’s Web Links
- Why Missions? (stilluntold.com)
- Why Missions? (stilluntold.org)
- Bob Sjogren – Perspectives 1a – Blessed to Bless –
- Bob Sjogren – Perspectives 1b – Top Line Bottom Line –
- John Piper – Missions Exists Because Worship Doesn’t –
- Ravi Zacharias – What is the Gospel?
- Paul Washer – The Gospel –
- David Platt – Parents, This Is What Your Children Need Most – https://youtu.be/4a3nO_OY9vc
- David Platt – What is the Purpose of the Bible? – https://youtu.be/qcJ_qz-AS34
Other Resources
- If You Are Bored With God Then It Is Probably An Idol – Silverio Gonzalez
- David Platt – The Characteristics of God – Luke 11:1-13
- 15 Attributes of God: What They Mean and Why They Matter
- Character of God
- Discover God’s Attributes
- The Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God
- Bible Basis of Missions
- theTravelingTeam.org – Missions in the Bible
- http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/the-bible-as-a-missions-story
- http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/unknown-excuse
- The Gospel Project – https://www.gospelproject.com/gospel-foundations/
