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

The Vision and Biblical Foundation for Christian Mission: Part 2

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Welcome in the strong name of Jesus Christ! After your reading, study, discussion, and application of the materials in this lesson, you will be able to: • Lay out the divine romance between God and his people as one of the major motifs of mission in Scripture, that is, God’s determination to draw out of the world a people for his own possession, a possession fulfilled and completed in Jesus’ love for his Church. • Outline the notion of the bride and bridegroom in the OT, including its connection to the idea of mirth and gladness in Scripture, its use as a basic image of God’s relationship to his people (as seen in the book of Song of Solomon), and the way in which God’s relationship with his people matured, from the pitiful origins of Israel to its judgment and exile by God due to her unfaithfulness. • Detail the remnant’s return to the land, fromCyrus’ decree for the remnant to return, its actual reentry into the land through Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah, and God’s promise for a new covenant, not based on their obedience and faithfulness but rather his writing his law on their hearts and giving them a new spirit. Ultimately, his people would be restored to God, who would dance and rejoice over his people like a bridegroom over a bride. • Trace some of the major hints of the promise of a new covenant given in the OT, including the Abrahamic covenant and its prospect of Gentile inclusion, and show how with Jesus, the bride metaphor is extended and completed. Jesus becomes the source and life of the Church, his new bride, with John the Baptist being the friend of the bridegroom. • Show how the idea of God’s people was revealed through the disclosure of the mystery revealed through the apostles and prophets, that Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews in the new covenant promise of God, and through it, are welcomed as members of God’s new humanity and Christ’s bride.

Lesson Objectives

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• List the major doctrinal points associated with Gentile inclusion in the bride of Christ, including their welcome through faith, the resolution of the