Missions | An Introduction

Missions aren’t just something the church does—it’s part of who we are. From beginning to end, the Bible shows us that God is a God of mission. His desire is for all people, everywhere, to know Him, love Him, and worship Him. In Genesis 12:3 (ESV), God tells Abraham, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” From the very beginning, God’s plan was to bless the world through His people. And in Revelation 7:9, we get a glimpse of the end of that story: “a great multitude… from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” worshiping before the throne of God. This is where history is headed—and missions is the means by which God has determined for how we get there.

When Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), He wasn’t just talking to “missionaries” or pastors. He was talking to His followers—you and me. The Great Commission is a calling for the whole church.

Renowned author David Platt reminds us that our lives are not meant to revolve around our own comfort. In his book Radical, he writes, “We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.” Missions invite us to look beyond our own lives and to take seriously the need for the gospel in places where it has never been heard. Late Pastor and author R.C. Sproul once said that missions isn’t primarily about obedience—it’s about worship. When we see how holy, gracious, and powerful God is, our natural response should be to help others know Him too. When our hearts are full of the glory of God, missions will follow. And if we believe, as Scripture says, that Jesus is the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12), then we must also believe that those who haven’t heard the gospel need to hear it. John MacArthur puts it simply: “If we believe that people are lost without Christ, and we do nothing to share Him with them, we either don’t believe the gospel, or we don’t care.” That may sound harsh—but it’s meant to wake us up to the importance of the message we carry. The gospel is good news—but only if it gets there in time.

You may not be called to move to another country—but every one of us has a part to play in God’s global mission. Donald Whitney reminds us, “We either go, send, or disobey.” We can pray for missionaries. We can give generously to support their work. We can send and encourage those who go. And we can share the gospel in our own neighborhoods and workplaces. John Mark Terry, a respected teacher of missions, encourages churches to think both locally and globally. The gospel is needed across the street just as much as it’s needed across the ocean. Romans 10:14–15 (ESV) asks: “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” God has chosen to use His people—you and me—to carry His message of hope to the world. Missions isn’t just for “some” Christians. It’s a calling for all of us. So, let’s be a church that prays for the nations, gives generously, sends boldly, and—if God calls—goes joyfully. Let’s join in what God is doing around the world, so that people from every tribe, tongue, and nation can hear the name of Jesus and be saved.