The Story above all Stories, Is the Story 0f His Glory
When the focus on missions activity is the object of the mission rather than the God who sends us, we risk reducing our service to simply meeting humanitarian needs.
Our desire at Lake Forest is to develop and grow followers of Jesus who are fully alive and aware of how their personal story, and the role of the church, fit within the larger story of Gods redemptive love for His people and creation. It is out of this context that we hope cross-cultural and local service departs.
It is right for us to say we are acting as the “hands and feet of Jesus” when we serve others, but we are propelled against the backdrop of a much larger redemptive story where God is the main actor and the central biblical theme is His mission to save and restore his creation. The Gospel or Good News of Jesus Christ does not stand isolated and disconnected in redemptive history. It is part of God’s long history and revelation of his purpose revealed in a chosen people, time, and location.
In the Old Testament we see how God entered human history by choosing to work through Moses to rescue the nation of Israel from the oppression and bondage under Pharaoh’s rule in Egypt. In this act, God displays his mission through power and compassionate love (Exodus 3:7-9) for His people, and commissions them to spread the word about what He has done; “…Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. There are the words you are to speak to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:6)
In the words of Bishop Lesslie Newbigin, lifelong missionary to India, God “trod a long road of redemption with Israel, until out of the depths of His love the Father sent the Son to reconcile all things to Himself.” In other words, despite all God did to reach into humanity and rescue His chosen nation from bondage, they continued to turn away from Him. Out of His redeeming love, God sent His Son to announce the end-time Kingdom of God. In the act of sending His Son to atone for our sins, to set the captives free, and to announce the final reign over Satan, we see a loving Abba (daddy) who cares deeply for His creation and does not abandon us. He is involved and is the author of life.
Mysteriously , God has withheld the final chapter of the story that will establish His final Kingdom. During these middle times between Jesus Christ’s revelation of God and before the Kingdom of God is revealed in it’s fullness, the church is assigned the role of being a witness of the Good News of Jesus Christ to the ends of earth. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you (John 20:21). 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 (Matthew 28:19).