Why Does God Call Us Into Mission
April 12, 2008 by Jonathan Brink
Alan Roxburgh has an interesting article on “What Is Missional Church?” I appreciate his thoughts on the subject because it brings up so many more questions than it answers, which is a good thing. Questions drive us to so many good conversations that hopefully lead us to exploring what God is already doing in the world. And hopefully we can partner with him.
But as I read his article, it got me focused on one question. Why does God call us into mission? What’s the point? At the basis of this conversation is the assumption that God is restoring His creation. I’ve outlined here that God is primarily restoring four relationships in the world by bringing people out of oppression and into His kingdom of love and trust.
Jesus released us to mission in his final words when He said,
Matthew 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
And much of the confusion then becomes what do we do when we go. We’re in, we’re pumped and we’re ready to go. Then the question becomes what do we do at that point. Sarah Jane Walker followed Alan in asking this question. I would offer that at that moment, the moment we begin to participate is when we learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit who is already in mission. So listening becomes central. And when we meet the Holy Spirit in the places she’s already working, the purpose is to reveal the Imago Dei, or love.
And I would suggest that God calls us into mission so we can reveal love. It is always love that draws us into the arms of the Father, into relationship. I appreciated Alan’s intro on this. It was love that truly drew him in. Love is so profoundly unhuman, so unlike us, that we realize the presence of something divine. We recognize what we were looking for all a long.
And when we give love we’re revealing Jesus all over again. We’re revealing the Imago Dei, showing the world what God really is like. We’re bringing the sweet aroma that captures the soul.
And when we give love we’re also receiving love because love is the fullest expression of who we were designed to be. We get to see God at work. We become Jesus in the moment. It’s a win-win for everyone.
