Why Should I care about missions?(Part 1)

This is the next question for someone at the beginning stages of thinking about missions.  The previous article, “What is missions?” should be read first.  

You should care about missions because God cares; the subject is important to God.

1.  The whole Bible is about God’s glory and the way He gets glory is by

               a.  Saving sinners from all the nations throughout all of history.

Revelation 5:9 – some from every people, nation, language, and tribe were purchased at the cross by Christ, the lamb of God, by His precious blood.   Evangelism and missions is the outworking of that reality of the atonement when the gospel is preached and the elect respond in repentance and faith.  2 Peter 3:8-15 – the reason why Christ has not returned yet is because He still wants to save people out from sin.  God is patient with “you” – the church of believers to go out and preach and disciple and “consider the patience of the Lord to be salvation” (2 Peter 3:15).  Salvation for who?  For the elect who were purchased by Christ, but who have yet to actually beleive.  They cannot repent and beleive unless they repent.  That is why Paul says, “I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, and with it, eternal glory.”  (2 Timothy 2:10)

b.  Purifying His bride, His people from all nations – the church among all the nations – to be growing in deeper levels of holiness and shining the light.  Ephesians 5 and Revelation 19-22

c.  And God also gets glory by executing His justice against sinners who never repented or trusted Christ in hell, after they die.  John 3:18 – they are already condemned.  Acts 4:12 – there is only one name under heaven by which we must be saved.  Romans 9:20-23; Revelation 19-20; Revelation 14:10; Matthew 25; Matthew 5:21-30.  Hell is real and it is God’s justice – His wrath.  Either one trusts in the one who took the wrath and justice on the cross ( Romans 3:25-26; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10) or they will have to take the justice on themselves.  “kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way; blessed are all those who take refuge in Him.”  (Psalm 2:12)

2.  You should care about missions because Christ commanded it – Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:21; predicted it, and grounded it the OT Scriptures – “thus it is written” – Luke 24:46-47 (that the Messiah should be preached is also written in the law, the prophets, and the Psalms); and He sent the Holy Spirit to empower missions – Acts 1:8

3.  You should care about missions because God rebuked Jonah for his lack of care and that Jonah knew God was compassionate and loving and merciful and wanted him to reach out and preach to the Ninevites/ Assyrians, but Jonah tried to run away from God’s purpose for him and then even after God saved many of them, Jonah was still angry and full of self-pity that God saved them. Read the book of Jonah.

4.  You should care about missions because the story of redemption is the structure of the entire Bible story.  

Genesis 12:3 – “and through you all the families of the earth will be blessed”

Genesis 22:18 – “through you and your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed”

Psalm 67 – “O God, bless us . . . so that Your way may be known on the earth”

Isaiah 49:6 – ” . . . I will also make you a light to the nations”

Matthew 28:19 – “Make disciples of all the nations”

Revelation 5:9, 7:9 – “people from every tribe, people, tongue, and nation” were redeemed by the blood of the lamb” and they are worshiping God.

We will flesh out the rest of this point in Part 2 of “What should I care about missions?

This article is a part of a larger article in the Inquirer Path, here.  (with some changes and additional explanation) I thought it was a good idea to repeat the content here also.