Biblical Basis of Mission – David Platt 1-23-11 (my notes in parenthesis)
The Big Picture
We glorify God by making disciples of all nations.
“We Glorify God…”
*The purpose of the people of God…
*The enjoy God’s grace in a relationship with Him.
*To extend God’s glory to the ends of the earth.
*The beauty of the Gospel of God…
*God orchestrates history to display God’s glory.
*God ordains His people to enjoy God’s glory.
(We enjoy His glory most when we display His glory)
“….By Making Disciples…”
*We glorify God by becoming like Christ.
*We multiply the Gospel by leading others to become like Christ.
*The command is clear…Make Disciples.
*The command has been compromised….
*We are tempted to do everything else except the one thing Jesus told us to do in the Great Commission.
*Jesus never told us to….
*Build colleges, universities, or seminaries.
*Construct church buildings.
*Organize programs.
*Jesus did tell us to….
*Make disciples in every part of the world.
*An all-important question: Are our plans self-directed or Christ-directed?
*We have a tendency to create our own plans out of self-directed Christianity, and we even follow through with those plans with a motive to glorify God, but we must realize…
*God does not bless based solely on our motives.
*God always blesses His plan. (make disciples)
*The command in Christ…
*John 17:4 – “I have finished the work…”
*In John 17, Jesus never mentions the miracles he performed or the multitudes to whom he preached, but over 40 times he mentions the men whom god had given him out of the world.
*Jesus’ strategy was to revolutionize the hearts of a few, and they would impact the world.
*The command in the church…
*Four components of disciple-making:
*Share the Word, Show the Word, Teach the Word, Serve the World.
Share the Word.
*We want to be equipped to be Gospel-living and Gospel-sharing.
*We want to be confident in God’s sovereignty, not our savvy.
*We want to be able to share life, not just laws.
Show the Word.
*The world longs to see a demonstration of Christ that accompanies our explanation of Christ. (1 Corin. 11:1)
*We are devoted to the process of disciple-making for other’s sanctification.
(People will not be what they cannot see).
*We are dependent on the process of disciple-making for our sanctification.
*When we’re making disciples, we’re living for the glory of God in others.
Teach the Word.
*Are we receivers or reproducers?
*As Christians, we must all…
*Know the essentials of following Christ.
*Model, teach, and reproduce the essentials of following Christ.
Serve the World.
*Are we discipling or disinfecting Christians?
*Disinfecting isolates a Christian in a spiritual safety deposit box called the church building and teaches him or her to be good. The result in…
*Decent church members with little world impact.
*Disobedience to God’s command to reach the world.
*Wasted lives.
*Discipling propels a Christian into the world to risk his or her life for the sake of others. The result in…
*Disciples of Christ with total world impact.
*Obedience to God’s command to reach the entire world.
*Abundant lives.
*The question we must constantly ask as Christians:
- How can we most effectively make disciples of all nations?
“…Of All Nations.”
*Everything we do, we do ultimately for the sake of God’s glory in all nations, ie, among all people groups.
*Over 11,000 people groups in the world.
*Over 6,000 people groups still unreached with Gospel (less than 2% evangelical Christians).
*Over 5,000 people groups unreached and unengaged with the Gospel.
*A dangerous approach to the world…
*”But I’m not called to foreign missions” (yet we are all called to global missions)
*Reflects an unbiblical understanding of our salvation.
*”Wouldn’t it be better for me to give than to go?”
*Reflects an unbiblical understanding of the gospel.
*”But what about the needs here?”
*Reflects an unbiblical understanding of compassion.
*A dynamic alternative for the world…
*World-impacting disciples.
*Ever-multiplying churches.
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