The Mission of God

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The Mission of God

• Reading the whole Bible for mission

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A personal note

• Biblical Basis of Mission, or
• Missional Basis of the Bible?

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The missional roots of the Bible

• The whole Bible is the product of
• God's mission
• God's engagement with God's world
• through God's people
• for God's purpose
• the redemption of Gods creation.

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This is what is written
This is what is written The Christ will suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day, and
repentance and forgiveness of sins will be
preached in his name to all nations beginning in
Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things

• Lk. 2446-48
• Read the O.T. scriptures in the light of
• Messiah
• Mission

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Whose mission is it anyway?

• God with a mission
• Humanity with a mission
• O.T. Israel with a mission
• Jesus with a mission
• Church with a mision

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God with a mission

• The biblical worldview

New creation
Creation
Redemption
Fall
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Humanity with a mission

• The image of God
• The care of creation
• Ecological responsibility
• Economic responsibility
• Social responsibility

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O.T. Israel with a mission

• The Old Testament vision of God
• The Old Testament vision Gods people and why
  they exist
• The Old Testament vision of Gods people and how
  they should live
• The Old Testament vision of Gods future for all
  nations.

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YHWH unique and universal God

• Biblical monotheism and mission
• YHWH is God and there is no other (Dt. 432-39)
• YHWH owns and rules the whole world not just
  Israel (Deut.1014,17 Ps. 241 Ps. 96 Isa.
  439-13, etc, cf. Rom. 329-30)
• YHWH is Creator, Ruler, Judge and Saviour - of
  all.
• Jesus is and does all that YHWH is and does in
  the Old Testament as Creator, Ruler, Judge and
  Saviour (Phil.29-11 Isa. 4523 1 Cor.85-6
  Deut. 64, etc).

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Gods people chosen for blessing of all

• Biblical election and mission
• Gen. 12-1-3 (context of Gen. 3-11). The gospel
  in advance (Gal. 38).
• Gods universal purpose blessing all nations
  (Rev. 79)
• Gods particular means election of O.T. Israel
• Election is missional for sake of all.
• If we are in Christ, we are in Abraham (Gal. 3,
  Rom. 4) if we are the people of Abraham, we are
  blessed in order to be a blessing to all nations.
  Abrahamic blessing Abrahamic mission.

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Gods people chosen to be different

• Biblical ethics and mission
• Walking in the way of the Lord- Gen. 1819
• Gods representatives among the nations Exod.
  194-6
• A visible model to the nations
• There is no biblical mission without biblical
  ethics.

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God and the nations in the OT

• Subject to Gods sovereign justice and mercy
• Jer. 181-10, Jonah
• Witnesses of Gods dealings with Israel
• Ex. 1515, Deut. 928 Ezek. 3616-23
• Beneficiaries of Israels salvation history
• Ps. 47, 1 Kgs. 8 41-43, Ps. 67
• Ultimately to be included within Israel in
  blessings of salvation and covenant.

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Gods future for the nations

• Biblical eschatology and mission
• Registered in Gods city Ps. 87
• Blessed with Gods salvation Isa. 1916-25
• Accepted in Gods house Isa. 563-8
• Joined with Gods people Zech. 210-11 97
• Rejoice in Gods new creation Ps. 9611-13, Isa.
  6517-25 Rom. 818-21, Rev. 211-5, Col. 115-26

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Jesus with a mission

• Simeons double recognition
• The glory of your people Israel
• A light to the nations
• Baptismal identity Israel and the world
• Servant Isa. 421
• King Ps. 27
• The great commission

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Church with a mission

• You are my witnesses Isa. 4310, Lk. 2448,
  Acts 17
• Servant - light to the nations Acts 1347 ,
  Isa. 496
• Gods priesthood among the nations 1 Pet.
  29-12, Rom. 1516

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Reading the whole Bible for Mission

• Read it in the light of
• Gods purpose for the whole creation
• Gods purpose for all human life
• The election and role of O.T. Israel in Gods
  purpose for the nations
• The messianic identity of Jesus
• The mission of the church to the nations

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The Mission of GodUnlocking the Bibles Grand
Narrative

• The Bible renders to us the story of Gods
  mission through Gods people in their engagement
  with Gods world for the sake of the whole of
  Gods creation.
• Christopher J.H. Wright
• International Director,
• Langham Partnership International
• (John Stott Ministries, in the USA)
• www.johnstott.org