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In the introductory post I explored the spectrum of meaning surrounding the term mission mobilisation, considered the possible questions that arise from undertaking this theological reflection, and did my utmost to lay bare my presuppositions on the matter (although I’m sure that I have many more buried within!). In the first part of this theological reflection, I will be searching the Scriptures and reflecting on the role that God Himself plays in mission mobilisation.
The Triune God is the First and Primary
Mobiliser of the Missionary
The above premise is a key place to begin this theological reflection. The mission of world evangelisation through the good news of Jesus Christ belongs to God first and foremost. It is his mission that he has bestowed on the church and derives from his redemptive plan from before the foundation of the world. Therefore, it would follow that as God sends the global Church out to be his agents for proclamation and reconciliation, he would also equip them to be that mission force. But not only is God the first mission mobiliser, he is also the chief mobiliser of the missionary. He has a great influence on the missionary far above other Christian brothers and sisters, above churches, and above mission organisations (although these may all be instruments he may use). This therefore helps us understand where churches and other Christian organisations fit in their role in mobilising missionaries. This premise also establishes the Trinitarian nature of mission mobilisation. Although, as we will see, the Scriptures show different emphases of mission mobilisation from each person of the Godhead, both the means and the end of mobilisation are a co-equal, indivisible endeavour of the Triune God.
The Triune God mobilised prophets as forerunners to missionaries
The Old Testament prophets serve as a forerunner to the early church in their declarative role of God’s promises to the nations. Hebrews 1:1-2 testifies that:
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things”.
The prophets served as conduits for God in calling ancient Israel to repentance of their sin and idolatry, and to put their faith again in his covenant promises. Hebrews then shows that this is continued and fulfilled by God the Son in the last days, who in turn utilises the global Church as his instrument of proclamation. It is therefore instructive to review this continuity between prophets and missionaries, because God’s mobilisation of Old Testament prophets can help shed light on mobilising the modern missionary. Whilst this list is not exhaustive, here are a few examples:
The mobilisation of OT prophets originates from a call to mission by God. God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt [Exod 3:10] at Horeb, Isaiah was called after his grand temple vision [Isa 6] and Jonah was commanded to prophecy to Ninevah [Jonah 1]. Interestingly, in all of these examples, the prophets are called despite themselves. Moses protests because of his feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy, Isaiah is resistant because of his sin before a holy God, and Jonah even flees from the call. But the call proves irresistible for all.
Those mobilised by God will never be unequipped for the task. During Ezekiel’s call to mission, “the Spirit entered” and strengthened him [Ezekiel 2:2] and God gave him the words to speak to Israel [Ezekiel 3:3-4]. God equipped Moses with various signs to validate his credentials and his message [Exod 4:8-9], and provided Moses with the eloquence to declare the message to Pharaoh [Exod 4:12]. The tools given to the mobilised prophets were at times practical and strategic, and then at other times supernatural, according to the needs of the prophets.
God also applies peerless strategy when mobilising his people. In light of Moses’ fear and unbelief, God provided Moses with Aaron as his co-labourer in the mission, to be a support and also to use Aaron’s honey-tongued speech [Exod 4:14-17]. Elijah is accompanied by Elisha on his prophetic journeys, so that when Elijah is taken up to heaven, God bestows a double portion of his spirit on Elisha, thus the work continues [2 Kings 2]. We will see more of this wider strategy of deploying people in this theological reflection.
God the Son equipped for his mission
Is it acceptable to say that Jesus was mobilised for his mission on earth? I believe that Scripture speaks to a progressive growing “in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man” [Luke 2:52] that culminate with the beginning of Christ’s ministry in his early thirties. Although the work of the missionary and the work of Christ are different, with our role to declare the work and merit of Christ to the nations, we can draw out some parallels regarding how Jesus was mobilised and how we are mobilised.
The initial calling to mission comes from eternity past, when the Triune God agree the covenant of redemption. But from the point of the incarnation, much needs to happen before Jesus is ready for his “hour”. For example, when Jesus was left at the temple as a young teenager, we gain a glimpse into the inclinations of his heart. He longs to be “in his Father’s house” [Luke 2:49] and gaining knowledge through the questioning of the rabbis present at the temple [Luke 2:46]. Certainly, the rabbis marvel at Jesus’ knowledge but this is not a one way transfer. Jesus is becoming more equipped for his future mission.
Then, at the waters of baptism, Jesus is confirmed as the beloved Son. It is fair to say that in this remarkable event Christ is commissioned from that point to carry out the ministry that he had been called to [Luke 3:22]. Once he is equipped through the filling of the Holy Spirit, he is then strategically deployed in the wilderness in order to resist the trials of temptation [Luke 4]. Even there in seemingly isolated circumstances, God provides resources through his angels to strengthen Jesus for his mission [Mark 1:13].
God the Son mobilises his disciples
When we see Jesus’ interactions with his disciples, we can see a similar pattern emerge regarding mobilisation for kingdom purposes. There is a definitive call of the twelve disciples, both individually [Matt 4:15-22; Luke 5:27; John 1:43] and collectively in Luke 6:13, specifically to be his apostles, his “sent ones”. He fills them with zeal for the Kingdom of Heaven, exhorting them many times that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” [Matt 9:37].
In Luke 9 and 10, Jesus calls the Twelve again (and then the 72) for a specific mission to go into the surrounding towns and villages declaring the news of the Kingdom of God. These twin missions are incredibly instructive for seeing how the Triune God mobilises people to make disciples:
They are officially sent on a specific mission with a specific goal [Luke 9:2, 10:1].
Jesus empowers them with supernatural power and authority both over spiritual forces and in their proclamation of the Kingdom of God [Luke 9:1].
He trains them to be safe whilst on mission, and to be fully reliant on God’s provision [Luke 9:3, 10:4].
They are given practical advice for how to evangelise and build relationships with those receiving the message, as well as respond to opposition [Luke 9:4-5, 10:5-12].
Jesus deploys the 72 (although it is likely that the Twelve were also deployed like this) tactically for the greatest reach, but not compromising on their security [Luke 10:1,3].
God the Holy Spirit mobilising the Early Church
As the baton is passed to the early church to carry forward the Gospel message to the world, the Triune God is no less involved in mobilising followers of Christ. Before Jesus’ necessary ascension and enthronement he charges his disciples to continue his work: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” [John 20:21]. Directly after this commissioning, Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit onto the apostles as a confirmation or seal of this missional succession, but also recognising the spiritual power that is now invested in the apostles for the work of making disciples. This intensified at Pentecost, which represents the first opportunity for the apostles to carry out The Great Commission, but also starkly reminds us that despite Christ’s ascension, the Triune God continues to embolden the early Church through the person of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the reasons why Jesus commands his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:4-5 before beginning to spread the gospel far and wide. Strategically this is a masterstroke, for the influx of Jews from “every nation under heaven” [Acts 2:5] into Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost allows the apostles, now filled with the Holy Spirit, to make disciples from a large pool of people – the perfect beginning for the early church. In addition, the Holy Spirit equips the apostles with the ability to proclaim the gospel in many languages [Acts 2:4] and fills Peter with boldness to preach to the crowd for the first time.
Throughout Acts, we can see the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit towards mobilising the infant Church in several ways. When opposition inevitably came, the first question asked of Peter by the Sanhedrin is “By what power or by what name did you do this?” [Acts 4:7]. The succeeding verse answers their question: “Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit” [Acts 4:8]. In the face of opposition, the missionary can be encouraged by the promise of Christ that “the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” [Luke 12:12]. As the Church was scattered by early persecution, it was the Holy Spirit alone who directed that Philip should evangelise to the Ethiopian eunuch [Acts 8:26, 29] and then to transport Philip to Azotus [Acts 8:39-40]. The consequences of that encounter likely led to the spread of Christianity in Nubia and Aksum and other parts of North Africa. Finally, the evident transformation seen in the apostles through the Spirit’s mobilisation is typified in Saul of Tarsus. Again, it is the Triune God at work to mobilise a “chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” [Acts 9:15]. The Risen Christ meets Saul on the Damascus road, commanding him to enter the city and await further instructions [Acts 9:6]. Ananias is then also led by the Spirit to heal Paul of his blindness and then the Holy Spirit fills Saul. Reflecting on his conversion, Paul identifies the specific call to mission from God: “to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things which you have seen…to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to lift and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins” [Acts 26:16-18]. This call strongly resembles those that the OT prophets were given.
Concluding Remarks
The Triune God calls us, often despite ourselves.
God is actively involved in the sending of his missionaries for the advancement of his glorious kingdom. The call on these missionaries is always direct and unquestionable, although they often lack precise detail. But whether we are unsure of ourselves like Moses, wilfully resistant like Jonah, or a great adversary like Paul, the Triune God calls missionaries to undertake specific Kingdom work despite our shortcomings. For missionary organisations, therefore, I would argue that part of the role of the mobiliser is to evaluate the missionary call that a candidate may have. As the evangelist’s role is not to change the heart of the sinner to saving faith, the mobiliser’s role is not to engineer a missionary call, but to perhaps assess the finer details with the candidate and to support them in their own discernment, much like Ananias and Barnabas did with Paul.
The Triune God mobilises our voices to proclaim the Gospel.
Missionaries are mobilised by God as voices crying out in the wilderness, exhorting others to prepare the way of the Lord. We are equipped to do this firstly because of the message itself, lived out in full by the Lord Jesus. The gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone is what we are mobilised to carry. God then equips our voices to be bold in proclamation, cross-cultural in our delivery and defiant against opposition.
The Triune God mobilises our hearts with zeal for his name and compassion for the lost.
Peter and John fearlessly replied to the Sanhedrin: “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” [Acts 4:20] . The zeal for God’s name above all other names fuels the missionary, and God fills our hearts with this passion. Ever since the time of Stephen, church history has seen Christian missionaries with hearts bursting to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commission, even at great cost to themselves and their families. In addition, what began the opposition against Peter and John was their compassion at healing the man at the gate called Beautiful [Acts 3:1-8]. We are mobilised to have compassion for the wandering lost in this world, and there are many acts that the Triune God prepares us for that adorn the primary message of the Gospel – healing the sick, casting out demons, restoring the dignity of the least, and many more.
The Triune God mobilises us through communion with the Holy Spirit.
We have a helper, a Comforter to aid us in our missionary lives. God does not send us to battle simply as a general would order his soldiers. Rather, he is the grizzled veteran sergeant who leads inexperienced privates on the front line. As we commune with the Holy Spirit, he shows us where to go and who to approach. He empowers us with encouragement and the words to say. He is the one who has the almighty power, which he chooses to invest in missionaries for his purposes. He mobilises us as missionaries through our daily lives with him.
The Triune God strategically deploys mobilised missionaries.
Thankfully, missionaries are not sent haphazardly, or on a whim (even if sometimes it may feel like that). Our God is one of strategy and tactical deployment. Jesus had a specific plan of action as he ministered to towns and cities on earth, and he encouraged his disciples to do the same. He also sent them forth in power, but also with prudent, practical counsel. From the dawn of the Church, the Holy Spirit continues in this same vein: he supernaturally places people in locations, he provides resources and personnel at the right time, and he even brings those receptive to hear the gospel message to missionaries that he has mobilised to preach it.
In Part Two, I hope to explore the importance of discipleship in mobilisation that was seen in the early Church.