Missions on Point

MoP244 The Church and the Parachurch - Introduction

Christians do a lot of things, most of it on their own as an act of faith that God has given them a ministry. Yet, Jesus warns us that many will claim having done many things in Jesus' name, but Jesus will reject them because he never knew them. How can we sort through what is a Christian ministry and what is not? Before we can answer that question, we must first understand what ministry the church does. Getting the church right will begin to help us sort through the confusion.

MoP243 Preaching About Missions - Wisdom

Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. Old Testament wisdom points us to Christ and to the work of the church to go into all the world confounding the wisdom of this world. The wisdom literature gives us guidance for life, teaching us through the schoolhouse of the Old Testament to walk by the Spirit in faith, and not according to the letter of the law. Wisdom is for missions, and missions is only possible with the wisdom of Jesus.

MoP242 Preaching About Missions - Ezra Nehemiah Esther

The final history books of the OT, lead us to think about the hard work of building God's temple and kingdom. Clearly the old temple's glory would not be restored, but God's glory is worth our efforts because we look forward to a better temple. The book of Esther too teaches us about the limitations of man. Yet, we are responsible to do what we can, and God may use our works if he pleases. God will build a dwelling place for himself and we must look forward to that one day when people from all nations will worship the Sovereign God of earth and time together. 

MoP Preaching About Missions - Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The post-exile prophets have a unique message for the church today. Hope in the coming Messiah and the wealth of the nations being brought into the temple of God. Yet with a new temple that doesn't compare to Solomon's, we are taught to look for a glory greater than Solomon's. Today missionaries are God's messengers going to all the world, preaching the law and the gospel, preparing for the final coming of the Lord.

MoP240 Preaching About Missions - Jonah Joel Obadiah

These three prophets each have a unique contribution to the biblical message. And, with as believers today rightly interpret and apply these books, they are led to be mobilized for global missions. God shows us his compassion for the nations. He fills us with his Spirit so that we can preach the good news to all nations. And He promises to defeat every enemy raised against him, especially those who were once his enemies but have now been made subjects of his kingdom. The church must now do what Israel in the Old Testament would never do by going into all the world to disciples of all nations. 

MoP239 Preaching About Missions - Nahum Zephaniah Habakkuk

Even though Judah was not like the apostate nation of Israel in the north, they had wandered from God. They too needed to be warned of impending judgment. But through this we learn about the prophetic hope in the judgment of God against every evil, which oppresses all mankind. The day of the Lord will be terrible, for God's wrath is not to be taken lightly. But in wrath, God remembers mercy, so it will also be a day of salvation for all from any nation who would put their trust in God.

MoP238 Preaching About Missions - Amos Hosea Micah

The prophets give us a message and themselves as messengers to teach the church about its role in confronting the nations in a prophetic way with the gospel. Amos preaches about the Day of the Lord, a day of gloom and darkness for Israel, but a day of hope for the Gentiles. Hosea preaches about a faithful husband and father who adopts children who were once not his own and gives them mercy. And Micah tells us of the Shepherd King to be born in Bethlehem who would pardon the sins of all those who feared him. And in all of these books the judgment of the Jews brings about a hope for the Gentiles. 

MoP237 Preaching About Missions - Daniel

We know the stories of fiery furnaces, lion's dens, and the handwriting on the wall. We may the apocalyptic imagery too of beasts and horns.  And it may all seem strange and far off from us. But Daniel has something to teach us that this world is not our home while a spiritual battle rages on. And surprisingly we learn about God's global mission to rescue those trapped in the kingdoms of darkness, under the dominion of the kingdoms of this world, and bring them into the kingdom of his beloved Son.