Why Do I Talk About Being on Mission…a Lot?

I’ll admit it…I talk a lot about being on mission. Whether I am eating a meal, taking a hike, working around the house or teaching, I am asking the Lord who He wants me to connect with and what He wants me to say. Because I am passionate about giving people the hope, love and invitation to be in relationship with God, the message just ooze’s from my life.

I believe that Jesus has given to every believer His spiritual DNA so that they can grow into maturity and be reproductive for generations. People can be spiritually reproductive for generations if they pass the understanding of DNA to those they help become more like Jesus (discipleship).

DNA is Divine Truth (the Living and Written Word of God - Matt. 22:37), Nurturing Relationships (the one another taught in the Scriptures - Matt. 22:39) and Apostolic Mission (Apostle means sent one so every believer is sent to take the good news where ever they go - that is their mission -Matt. 28:16-20).

Most believers have some understanding that the Word of God (Living and Written) is vital to their spiritual health (Divine Truth). Most believers enjoy being with other believers in a variety of settings (Nurturing Relationships). In my experience, the area that is most lacking in believers is the intentional focus of sharing the good news through action and words  (Apostolic Mission). Because of this, God has had my life focus on being missional.

My emphasis for nudging people forward in mission is because I see God as being missional. The Missio Dei (Mission of God) is at the core of what we learn of Him in the Scriptures. Here are twelve core verses that speak of God being on mission (Missio Dei) and how He wants those who trust Him to be on mission as well.

Genesis 1:27-28

27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 12:1-3 

1Now the Lord said to Abram,

"Go forth from your country,

And from your relatives

And from your father's house,

To the land which I will show you;

2And I will make you a great nation,

And I will bless you,

And make your name great;

And so you shall be a blessing;

3And I will bless those who bless you,

And the one who curses you I will curse.

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Exodus 19:5-6

5Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Matthew 24:14

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 28:18-20

“18…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Mark 16:15

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Luke 4:18-19

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.

He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed,

19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."

John 17:20-21

20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

John 20:21

So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

Acts 1:8

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Being missional must be more than something we believe or talk about. It must be something we do…something we are. We must be active (missional) in growing closer to God (Divine Truth). We must be active in growing in our love and service for each other (Nurturing Relationships). We must be active in our tangibly being present with other people so they can both see and hear the invitation of God to connect with Him.

Growing in the knowledge of God and the love for others is incomplete. We must also be focused on giving away our knowledge and love to the people God allows our life to intersect. God is missional everyday and in a variety of ways where ever you go. We must discipline ourselves to see these opportunities and then take action.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic!