Foundations for Christian Mission, Mentor's Guide, MG04

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F O U N D A T I O N S F O R C H R I S T I A N M I S S I O N

For mission, the main implications of the divine romance are these: God is drawing from all nations a people for his own, which includes both Jews and Gentiles. Mission, therefore, is the work of sharing this message of God’s selecting a people from all nations who by faith in Jesus Christ form the members of his kingdom community who will live with him forever. The motif of Mission as the War of the Spheres is perhaps the most dynamic image of mission in Scripture, and deals directly with the establishment and proclamation of God’s kingdom rule in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. A brief overview of the warfare motif in Scripture begins with Yahweh as creator and sustainer of all. At some time in the ancient and distant past, the mystery of iniquity occurred (i.e., the satanic rebellion in the heavenlies), which resulted in the temptation and fall of humankind, and the curse. Still, God placed hostility between the Seed of the woman and the serpent, and sovereignly and graciously promised to crush the head of the serpent through the Seed of the woman. As a result of the Fall, the universe is at war and God has declared himself at war with the serpent and those who side with him. Some of the major points of God as divine warrior include the image of God defeating evil symbolized as a river and the sea, as well as God as man-of-war defeating Pharaoh and his armies, and leading his people into victory over the nations of land as the great Lord of armies. Unfortunately, the Lord also had to fight against his own people because of their disobedience and rebellion. Also, Israel’s prophets pictured God as a divine warrior who through his Messiah would finally destroy all evil once and for all time. Through his promise of the Messiah as the son of David, God revealed his intent to provide a king who would restore the reign to his people, rule the nations with justice and righteousness, and bring a knowledge of God to the entire earth as Lord and King. This Messianic rule has been inaugurated in the person of Jesus, the heir from the Davidic line who is restoring God’s reign. In the various aspects of Jesus’ birth, teaching, miracles, exorcisms, deeds, death, and resurrection, the Kingdom of God is now here, already present in the life of the Church. The Kingdom has already come, and yet is not yet consummated; although the Kingdom has come in the fulfillment of the Messianic promise in the person of Jesus, it will only be consummated at his Second Coming, when the full and final manifestation will occur.

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