Missional Church in the Biblical Story

Michael Goheen

Vancouver B.C.

Starting with God’s Mission

Long term purpose/intention to restore creation, all of human life

Told in story of Bible

Through Israel-Jesus-church/Spirit

Missional identity comes from role church plays in biblical story

Participation in God’s Mission

‘Fundamentally, our mission (if it is biblically informed and validated) means our committed participation as God’s people, at God’s invitation and command, in God’s own mission, within the history of God’s world for the redemption of God’s creation.’ (Chris Wright)

“God’s mission involves God’s people living in God’s way in the sight of the nations.”

- Chris Wright

Mission is not primarily about going. Nor is mission primarily about doing anything. Mission is about being. It is about being a distinctive kind of people, a countercultural . . . community among the nations.

- Howard Peskett and Vinoth Ramachandra

God’s Mission and the Church

Locus or place of God’s redemptive work (foretaste of kingdom)

Instrument or channel of God’s redemptive work (agent of kingdom)

Salvation in and through

Three Directions

Backward to creation: Embody God’s original intention and creational design for human lifeForward to consummation: Picture of end of history—restored humanityOutward to nations: Missionary encounter with idolatry

Formation of People

Backdrop of creation and sin (Gen. 1-11)Abrahamic Promise: Blessed to be a blessing (Gen. 12.2-3)Blueprint: 2 part plan

Exodus: Formation of a holy peopleA redeemed people (1-18)A covenant people (19-24)

19.3-6: Vocation as display people through whole story 20-23: Distinctive life shaped by Torah

A people of God’s presence (25-40)

Through the OT

On the land: On display to the nations (Visibility is “part of their theological identity”)Distinctive way of life shaped by torah vs. idolatry of nationsTwo dangersNot teaching the next generationBeing absorbed into idolatry of nations

FailureProphetic promise

Prophetic Promise

Gathering of Israel

Restore to missional calling

Renewal of Israel

Pilgrimage of nations

Intertestamental period: Eclipse of missional vision

Ministry of JesusAnnouncement of the kingdomDynamic power and eschatological, comprehensive

salvationAlready-not yet: Delay of end to gather

Gathering and restoring Israel to their missional calling12: Constitution of end-time IsraelTaught a distinctive way of lifeParticipation in Jesus’ mission of gathering (Israel, then Gentiles)Words, deeds, prayer, suffering

Central Events of Biblical Story: Renewing a People for their Missional Calling

Crucifixion: Victory of sin and the end of the old age

Resurrection: Inauguration of age to come

Pentecost: Spirit as gift of end

A Witnessing Community (Acts 1.6-8)

Obvious question: Now you’re going to restore the kingdom, right? (1.6)Threefold answer:Not yet: Eschatological gathering will

continue (1.7)Already: The Spirit will give you the life of

the kingdom (1.8) Until then you are a community that

witnesses to the coming of the kingdom starting here to the ends of the earth (1.8)

Spirit MessiahSpirit Messiah

SinDeathEvil

Satan

Knowledgeof GodLoveJoy

Justice

AGE TO COME

Prophetic ExpectationProphetic Expectation

OLD AGE

Powers of sin death evil Satan

Power of Spirit’s renewingwork

AGE TO COMEOLD AGE

New Testament FulfillmentNew Testament Fulfillment

Already-Not yet: Time of Witness

Why the ‘not yet’?

The meaning of this ‘overlap of the ages’ in which we live, the time between the coming of Christ and His coming again, is that it is the time given for the witness of the apostolic Church to the ends of the earth. The end of all things, which has been revealed in Christ, is—so to say—held back until the witness has been borne to the whole world concerning the judgment and salvation revealed in Christ. The implication of a true eschatological perspective will be missionary obedience, and the eschatology which does not issue in such obedience is a false eschatology. (Newbigin)

Threefold Witness

Witness in life (be the witness)

Witness in deeds (do the witness)

Witness in words (say the witness)

Three Marks of Church: Acts 2:42-47

Devotion to apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer: Celebrating and nourishing kingdom life (v. 42)

Life of kingdom manifested: Attractive ‘good news people’ (v. 43- 47)

Lord adds to number (v. 47)

Church as Missionary Community: Nearby and Far Away

Pattern in Antioch (Acts 11, 13)

‘Evidence of the grace of God’ (11.23)‘Great number of people were brought to the Lord’ (11.24)Sent Paul and Barnabas to establish witnessing communities in areas where there was none (13.1-3)

Paul’s Pattern

Pioneer church planting (Rom. 15:23)Three missionary journeys

Build them up for faithful witnessVisits on journeysLetters

Mode of Witness in Acts

Attractive life of communitySpontaneous evangelism by common members of churchPlanting new churches

-Spontaneous Expansion of the Church (Roland Allen)

Acts 15 Jerusalem CouncilJewish form of ChristianityNew Gentile form emerges in AntiochSpreads in Paul and Barnabas’ journeyCrisisTorah: God’s creational design for a particular people at a particular time in a particular cultural context in a particular point in redemptive historyCouncil: “. . . not even the original, divinely sanctioned culture of God’s elect nation has the right to universalize its particular expression of Christianity.” (Flemming) Missionary encounter with every culture of world

Need for Cultural Analysis

Difficulty of situation of living amidst the nations: Danger of syncretism

All cultures shaped by idolatrous core

Need to understand culture

Redemptive-tension

Contrast community

Mission of the church today

Being a light to the nations: Continuing the mission of Israel (Ex 19.3-6 cf. 1 Pet 2.9)

Making known the kingdom: Continuing the mission of Jesus (John 20.21)

Bearing faithful witness: Continuing the mission of the early church

Implications for church’s gathered life

Leadership: Not simply professionals who give pastoral care to the congregation but those who lead the congregation into mission in the world. Worship: Liturgy with an eye to God’s mission in the world; celebration and nurture of God’s mighty acts in history, especially Jesus Christ, to nurture the church in a different story than the one of the culture; nourish the life of Christ in the congregation with a view to its manifestation in the world. Structures: Structural forms enable the congregation to be equipped for its mission in the world; emphasis on small groups integrated in various spheres of society

Activities in world characteristic of congregation

Evangelism: Evangelizing church that makes the good news of Jesus Christ known in verbal witness. Socially active church: Deeply involved in the needs of its neighbourhood, country, and world embodying the justice and mercy of the kingdom. Importance of the believer’s callings in various aspects of culture: Gathered church—believers will be nourished, equipped and supported in their callings; Scattered church—believers will embody the Lordship of Christ over all areas of life challenging the cultural idols. ‘Primary witness!’Deeply committed to missions: participate in task of taking the gospel to places and peoples in the world where the gospel is not known.

Thirteen Priorities1. Church with worship that nurtures missional

identity2. Church empowered by preaching of gospel3. Church devoted to communal prayer4. Church striving to live as a contrast

community

The Christians’ lifestyle should not only be exemplary, but also winsome. It should attract outsiders and invite them to join the community… Their ‘exemplary existence’ is a powerful magnet that draws outsiders toward the church. (David Bosch)

Contrast CommunityA community of justice in a world of economic and ecological injusticeA community of generosity and simplicity (of ‘enough’) in a consumer worldA community of selfless giving in a world of selfishnessA community of truth (humility and boldness) in a world of relativismA community of hope in a world of disillusionment and consumer satiationA community of joy and thanksgiving in a world of entitlementA community who experiences God’s presence in a secular world

Thirteen Priorities1. Church with worship that nurtures missional

identity2. Church empowered by preaching of gospel3. Church devoted to communal prayer4. Church striving to live as a contrast

community5. Church that understands its cultural context6. Church trained for a missionary encounter in

its callings in the world

Thirteen Priorities7. Church trained to do evangelism in an organic (not

methodological) way8. Church deeply involved in the needs of their

neighbourhood and world 9. Church committed to missions10. Church with well-trained leaders11. Church with parents trained to nurture children in

faith12. Church with small groups that nurture for mission

in the world13. Church that seeks the unity of body of Christ