I love how our Christian faith is both simple and deep.  It’s simple in that a child can understand the good news of Jesus Christ, receive it by faith and experience the incredible life-transforming power of God by the Holy Spirit.  In fact, Jesus uses a child’s faith as an example for all of us to follow.

Our faith is also deep.  The most learned, the most astute student of scripture and the things of God will never “figure out” the “breadth and length and height and depth” of the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Search as you may (and as we should) and you’ll never exhaust your experience or understanding of God’s greatness.

Considering this depth, Christians have always stretched the limits of language in our best attempts to understand and to speak of God and his ways.  In the process, at times, things have gotten a little confusing.  We scratch our heads a little when we come across words like “propitiation” and phrases like “the LORD Sabaoth” not always knowing what’s being said.  Pastors like myself could do a better job explaining what these words mean and even using more familiar language to convey God’s truth.  Two words that I like that I don’t think we should do a way with are “mission” and “missions.”  I want to explain to you why we want to hold onto both of these words even though it can at times cause confusion.

“They are just so similar!” you might be thinking.  Is there really a difference between “mission” and “missions?”  The concepts behind each of these words are related and essential.  Let me explain.

Firstly, “mission” often refers to God’s overarching purpose and goal in this world.  I love that God is a God of mission.  He’s intentional; God is looking to accomplish something.  God is looking to establish his perfect reign over all of creation by transforming this entire world by the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This, of course, includes many different things.  It would include the eradication of hunger, the freedom of the oppressed and the healing of all the sick just to name a few.  Of course, the inclusion of all people groups into the family of God would also be a part of God’s global purposes (maybe the most important).  So, if you ever hear me speak of the “mission of God” or “participating with God on his mission” this is what I have in mind.

“Missions,” on the other hand, usually refers to the attempt of Christ’s church to obey the Great Commission in telling the world about the good news of Jesus Christ.  When I speak of missions, I’m usually referring to our cooperative approach of reaching every last people group with the message that Jesus Christ is the only hope for this world trapped and dead in sin.

If you just read through your Bible, say, in a year or so and not skip around to favorite passages and chapters, it doesn’t take long before you begin noticing a theme.  The theme is this: God has a heart for the nations. 

    From the very beginning of God’s redemptive purposes with Abraham, God has been looking to redeem (to bring back home) all the nations on the face of the earth.  “Abram,” God says, “I’m making your name great and you will be a blessing to all of the peoples/nations on the face of the earth.”  Israel, God’s chosen people and Abraham’s descendants, were set apart by God for a purpose, to be a “light to the nations” (Isa. 49:6).  Every nation will hear the gospel and people from every nation will receive the gospel.  Listen to the song found in Rev. 5:9-10, “Worthy are you [Jesus] to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

I think its very important for a church to focus energy on evangelizing the nations.  God calls us to it (Matt. 28) and, as you can see, God’s global purpose, his “mission,” has always included the evangelism of the nations.  “Missions” is that effort.

Without God’s mission, we wouldn’t have missions.  Without investing in missions, we would be coming up short in participating with God on his mission.  Hopefully, you got that.  If not, read the article again.  If you still don’t understand it, tell me to write a clearer Body Lifeline article next time!