The great WHY of Missions. Why is there Missions? Why does Missions exist? What is Missions all about?
It is about GOD'S GREAT GLORY! It is about His Glory filling all the earth.
John Piper said, "Missions exists because worship doesn't." Meaning there are places and people in the world, created in the image of God, who do not know Him or worship Him with their whole being.
And God alone is worthy of worship and praise of everyone and every created thing in this universe!
God desires His own Glory.
The concept of missions is not limited to the New Testament and the example of the Apostle Pail. Scripture from Genesis to Revelation points to God's heart for missions - His great, extravagant love for all peoples-every ethne, every people groups of the world.
In Genesis, God tells Abraham that through him all the peoples of earth will be blessed.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3
From the New Testament, we know that, because we are now in Christ, we are also included as sons of Abraham. So all the peoples on earth will be blessed through us!
One of the many great purpose statements of the Old Testament, 1 Kings 8:60:
that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.
Psalms 67 is phenomenally missional:
67 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6 The earth has yielded its increase
God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!
In Revelation 5:9 we see every tribe, nation, language, people group worshiping before the throne in Heaven. It's an amazingly glorious picture.
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
The last Scripture we'll look at today is Romans 15 where Paul builds a defense of Christ's love for the Gentiles - that is, everyone outside of the Jewish faith. Christ's love is for all nations, every people group, every ethne. It always has been.
8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”10 And again it is said,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”12 And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Missions exists because God desires all peoples of the earth to worship Him. We are called to enter into this mission because we know that He alone is worthy of this worship and we also desire to worship with them on that Revelation Day. Our God is Gloriously Great!
Check out this post by The Traveling Team to see this grand theme of missions weave throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation: http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/the-global-thread-through-scripture