Lesson 6

Mission of MercyWord & Deed

Missions: The Church’s Marching OrdersOur Lord Jesus gave the church global “marching orders” which involves each one of us. It is precisely because this mission is world-encompassing that it has local implications. Know this global mission well in order to understand the commission graciously given to Proclamation and my particular role in it.

1.The Real Problem – The Real Solution2.The End Game – The Objective of Missions3.Common Ground? The Challenge of Unbelief4.It’s Dangerous Over There! Suffering and

Persecution5.You Will Receive Power! The Holy Spirit &

Missions6.Mission of Mercy – Word & Deed7.Something More? Scripture as a Guide8.Missions in our DNA - The Global Church 9.Does the Church Need Missions? Summary

Lesson Overview

1. Mission Objective: Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband

2. How are we positioned?3. What is our “Marching Orders”?

Mission Objective

Revelation 21:2–3 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

How are we positioned?

• In solidarity with Adam• In solidarity with all of Creation• In solidarity under the Curse• In solidarity under Common Grace• In solidarity with the Last Adam• In solidarity with the Body of Christ

HOLY KINGDOM INAUGURATED

Already Not Yet

HOLY KINGDOM CONSUMMATED

Episode1 Episode2

Coming of the Last Adam

The “Marching Orders”

• Reflect God• “Cultural Mandate”• Marching Orders Fulfilled

Re-Commissioning in the Spirit• Common Grace– Imitate God– Imitate Christ–The Reign of Christ . . . Already!

The Church is related to life as a whole. It is not a drop of oil on troubled waters. It has a mission in this world and in the entire structure of the world. This statement does not arise from cultural optimism. This is the confession of the kingship of Christ. (Ridderbos)

The Not-Yet Kingdom

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Re-Commissioning in the Spirit

• Common Grace–Imitate God–Imitate Christ–The Reign of Christ, Already & Not-yet

• The Message of Reconciliation–What is the Gospel?–Launching of the Diaconate

Deed & Word

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Deed & Word

2 Corinthians 5:20–21 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Word & Deed

2 Corinthians 6:3–7 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

Summary:

• Spirit empowered Love - Indiscriminate, promiscuous mercy in imitation of God

• Spirit reliant Word – Gospel proclamation for evangelism and discipleship

• Spirit transforming Life - Integrity of the church so walk matches talk

Implications

• Pre-evangelism?• Win a hearing?• Hungry people can’t hear?• Living the gospel?• Relationship evangelism?