The Biblical Basis of Missions

John Piper stated, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”

The reason we go to the ends of the earth is so God will get all of the glory He deserves, when all of the "peoples" He made delight in and worship Him!

Genesis 12:1-3: “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (ESV).

Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV).

In the first passage, the Lord tells Abram to leave his own people and GO to a different land. Why? So that “all peoples on earth will be blessed.”

In the second passage, the Lord tells the disciples to GO to all nations and teach them everything Christ taught them. God bringing His presence, His kingdom, His redemption, and His blessings to all nations is the storyline throughout Scripture. Watch this video to get a snapshot of God’s plan and mission all through His Word. 

Global Frontier Missions believes the Bible proclaims one unified message from Genesis to Revelation. Those of us blessed with the knowledge of God and the salvation offered through the death and resurrection of Christ should spread that blessing to all peoples of the earth. To do anything different is to disobey God's direct command. Many are called to go, and many are called to send and support, through prayer and finances, those who go, but no one is exempt from involvement in the command to make disciples of all nations (people groups).

Want more? Here is an in-depth video, taken from our online Missionary Training School and presented by GFM's Executive Director, that includes dozens of verses to drive home the biblical theme of God’s heart for all nations.

Often, people ask for the notes after we teach the “Biblical Basis of Missions” or “God’s Heart for the Nations” at the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course or other occasion. We have made the notes available to you for further study, so that you can teach others. Please share this Bible study with others!

How can you get involved in missions? First and foremost, ask the Lord how He would have you serve. Then be obedient to His direction. If He asks you to begin praying, giving, going, welcoming, or mobilizing others, then do so with full joy. GFM has missions resources and mentors available to coach you about next steps of missions involvement. We also offer Missionary Training Programs to equip those wanting to serve long-term among the nations.

Biblical Basis for Missions / God's Heart for the Nations

Introduction

Gen 1:28 – God’s first words to humankind: “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, rule over it.”
Gen 3:1-24 – Sin enters the world, bringing death and separation from God, passed down through all generations until God repents that he had made man, decides to wipe out the whole earth by a flood, and start over with one man’s family.
Gen 9:1,7 – God’s first words to Noah after he got off the ark: “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, rule over it.”
Gen 11:1-4 – There was one language on the earth; the people’s main sin at Babel was that they wanted to make a NAME for themselves and NOT be scattered.
Gen 11:7-9 – God scrambles the languages and the people spread throughout the earth, setting the stage for our story.

Story

Gen 12:1-3 – God chooses a man named Abraham and his descendants (Israel) as his special people to be blessed by him (top line of the covenant) so that they would be a blessing to all peoples (bottom line of the covenant).
Gen 18:17-19 – Covenant repeated to Abraham in the presence of other men.
Gen 22:15-18 – Abraham hears the covenant again after his willingness and obedience to sacrifice his son… God says “I swear by myself” that this will happen, so we know that it is going to happen.
Gen 26:2-4 – Isaac gets the same promise passed on to him.
Gen 28:12-14 – Jacob gets the same promise passed on to him. Our story breaks with Joseph in Egypt and the Israelites growing in number as the slaves.
Is 42:1 – God will put His Spirit in His servant and chosen one (Jesus) and bring justice to the nations.
Gal 3:7-9 – Paul calls “the gospel” Abraham’s call to bless the nations; we need to know we are sons of Abraham by faith.
Ex 6:1-5 – God reminds Moses of the covenant and says that He is going to free Israel from slavery because of it.
Ex 12:37-38 – “Other people” went with the Israelites when they left Egypt.
Dt 2:25 – God would make all the nations under heaven hear about and fear Israel. Why? So that all worship Yahweh.
Dt 4:5-8 – God gives Israel the ten commandments and other righteous laws so that the nations would see their wisdom, understanding, and know that Israel’s God is near them (personal) and hears their prayers.
Josh 2:1-24 – Rahab helps Israel because she has heard about their God. (Pages 62 and 63 of the book Unveiled at Last gives many examples of Jews blessing Gentiles in the OT.)
1 Sam 17:45-46 – David defeats the Philistines so that the whole world would know that there is a God in Israel.
1 Chr 14:17 – The Lord makes all nations fear David. Why? He was a man after God’s own heart.
1 Chr 16:8, 24, 28, 31 -David announces that all the nations should worship God.
2 Chr 9:22-23 – King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all kings on earth; people from all nations listened.
Neh 6:15-16 – All the nations were in awe when the wall was rebuilt in 52 days.
Ps 67:1-7 – David understood God’s heart for the nations – (v. 7) God blesses us so that the ends of the earth may fear him.
Ps 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations in all the earth.
Is 26:17-18 – Israel understood that its task was to be God’s messenger of salvation to the nations and had not done its job.
Eze 5:5-7 – This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of all the nations, but she has rebelled against my laws. Look at Israel’s central geographic location in the world and see how God was being strategic in using it as a blessing to all nations.
Dan 6:25-26 – A Gentile king, Darius, tells all peoples, nations, and languages to fear and revere the God of Daniel. Sometimes God let his chosen instruments be taken into slavery or into exile in order to be a blessing to all nations.
Dan 7:13-14 – Son of Man given dominion, power, and the kingdom where all nations and peoples serve him.
Amos 9:7 – God loves all peoples equally.
Mal 1:11 – God’s name will be great among all the nations.
Word "nations" is used over 500 times in the OT.

Mk 11:17 – Jesus understood God’s desire for all nations; “my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Mt 24:14 – This gospel will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.
Mt 28:19-20 – Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey Christ.
Lk 24:45-49 – Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures (Old Testament); Christ will suffer and rise on the third day (to bless us); repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations (to bless others).
Mk 16:15, Jn 20:21
Acts 1:8 – The Holy Spirit will give you power; be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and the ends of the earth.
Acts 2:6 – The disciples were from Galilee, not Jerusalem (7); Jesus said to stay in Jerusalem because it was a strategic center, not because that is where they were from and familiar.
Acts 2:4, 6, 8-11 – Jesus talked about the coming of the Holy Spirit as the highlight of the New Testament; the disciples were to wait for Him to come before ministering; it’s the day the first century church started; 3000 people got saved; the Holy Spirit begins his ministry and sets the tone of the rest of the N.T. by having people from every nation under earth hearing the gospel in their own language.
2 Pe 3:9; 1 Tim 2:1-4; Rom 10:13-15 (Is 52:6-10); Rom 15:18-21

Conclusion

Rev 5:9 – People redeemed from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.
Rev 7:9-10 – People from all nations, tongues, and people groups worship the Lamb!