On Global Missions and The Westminster Confession of Faith pt1

There is much to consider when we think of the ministry of the church, especially when we think of the church’s responsibility in going to the ends of the Earth to share the gospel with all the nations. We think of the massively different context in which ministry will be done, the social changes that will take place, the issue of funds, the difficulty of doctrine translation, interpersonal relationships, potential hazards in differing lands, different cultural norms, qualifications for being sent, raising up officers of the church, establishing a local church government, growing the church, and many many more. This is no small task of Christ’s church, It is not a task that can be heedlessly embraced, but it is a task in which the church must enter with much prayer and fasting, and wholly relying upon the work of the Holy Spirit and his strength and might.

This being the case we will move slowly as we think through some of these considerations. This article - being the first in a short series - will focus on what the goal of missions is, looking to the Westminster Confession of Faith as a lens through which we may be appropriately guided.

The Goal

The goal of missionary work is not to bring the Gospel to all nations. That may seem like a bit of a contradiction or a backward statement, but it is true. Bringing the Gospel to all the nations is not the goal, but is however the means of achieving the goal - it is the work at hand. The goal of missions work is precisely what Jesus says at the end of Matthew,

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine).

In other words, the work that Jesus sets forth for the church is to send people into the world to manifest more churches. Its mission is to make more disciples of Jesus by teaching them and baptizing them which will accomplish the goal of making them become a worshiping body: the church. In the words of John Piper, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t,” and this is a profoundly true statement as we will see.

The purpose of the church is to worship God, and the mission of the church is to make disciples.

The Church

In speaking of the universal church around the globe, the WCF helps us by stating:

25.2 The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation as before under the law) consists of all those, throughout the world, that profess the true religion,a and of their children;b and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ,c the house and family of God,d out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.e

Psa 2:8; Rom 15:9-12; 1 Cor 1:2; 12:12-13; Rev 7:9. • b. Gen 3:15; 17:7; Ezek 16:20-21; Acts 2:39; Rom 11:16; 1 Cor 7:14. • c. Isa 9:7; Mat 13:47. • d. Eph 2:19; 3:15. • e. Acts 2:47.

So just as Jesus spoke, we see confessed here, that the universal church consists of those who profess the true religion by way of their obedience to Christ (John 14:15,21-24) as well as their entrance by the sign of the covenant, which is baptism. When we go into the world, therefore, with an aim to make disciples we teach and baptize. These two elements are necessary in forming a church. So it is, when the church goes into the world it does so in obedience to Christ’s command trusting that “Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth by his own presence and Spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual thereunto” (WCF 25.3).

To The Ends of The Earth

As the church is obedient to the command of Christ, we do so in a spirit of hope, courage, and “winning”, as Charlie Sheen would say. “Why is this?” you might ask. Isn’t the world hostile, fallen, and filled with vitriol for Christ and his bride? Well, the answer is yes, but those realities are but minimal concerns to the Christian who is on a mission. How can this be? Well, Christ tells us, when he says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This is an oft quickly read sentence. But for a moment consider its implications. What does all authority mean? It means precisely that. No one on Earth has authority, except for Christ. There is only one kingdom, and Christ is ruler over it. He is the ruler of all things, and in him, everything holds together (Colossians 1:16). With Christ’s declaration that he has all authority, the Christian has unbounded courage at his fingertips. We cannot lose! The Church will prevail and not one single solitary ounce of opposition will prevent its propagation or expansion into the world (Matthew 16:18). The efforts of the Church in the path of obedience to her Lord can and will produce much fruit for the Kingdom of God. All the nations of the Earth will flow to Christ (Isaiah 2:2) and this will result in many peoples calling others to the house of the Lord to hear God’s law and to walk in God’s path (Isaiah 2:3). So, as Christians are obedient now, we have hope that our labor is not in vain, and that we have every reason to be assured and optimistic about the future of the Church and the world.