The Mission Mandate

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:15-16

Paul constantly exhorts us to pattern our lives after his (Phil. 3:17). His is the life of a missionary. So must ours be. Missions can be defined as God sending the whole church with the whole gospel to the whole world to meet the spiritual and social needs of humanity.

Why is missions so important?

(1) The purpose of Jesus dying on the cross is for world missions. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”(John 3:16). God sent His Son as a Missionary to our fallen world. His heart is in missions. Jesus died so that every nation, tribe, people and tongue could enter the kingdom of God (Rev. 7:9-10).

(2) The purpose of being a child of God is for world missions. God charged man to subdue and have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:28). That means to change the spiritual environment by saving the lost in every town, city and country.

(3) The purpose of your calling is for world missions. “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles”(Is. 42:6). God didn’t call you just to be an entrepreneur or a marketplace professional, or even a fivefold minister per se. His primary calling for you is to be a light to the unreached in the mission field.

(4) The purpose of Pentecost is for world missions. The anointing of the Holy Spirit was given so that you can do missions (Acts 1:8). Only when the 11 disciples obeyed the Great Commission and went out into the mission fi eld did the Holy Spirit confi rm their preaching through signs and wonders following (Mark 16:15-20).

(5) The purpose of prosperity is for world missions. The reason why God pours out His abundant blessings to you is so that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”(Gen. 12:3). God gives you the power to get wealth so that the Abrahamic mission covenant can be established (Deut. 8:18). How many mission trips are you planning to go on this year? Don’t procrastinate anymore. Prayerfully sign up for one as soon as you can!