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Why Missions
The parting words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew declare our purpose and our mission. Jesus says his good-bye's with these words:
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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Verses 19-20).
The books we call the gospels, including Matthew, were written for a missionary purpose. They did not set out to simply tell the life story of Jesus, but instead the purpose of these books is to shape a group of followers of Jesus into community. They serve the purpose of demonstrating to the community of Christians how it should understand its calling and mission. As Professor Daniel at Candler School of Theology says, "The church exists for mission." If we are not fulfilling these words of Jesus then we are being less than the church. We are called to "Go!" We are not invited to sit back and hope that people will find their way out of the darkness. Instead we are called to be the light of the world. We are not called to keep the preserving presence of Christ from the world. Instead we are challenged to be salt. In the gospel writer's view, Christians find their true identity when they are involved in mission. It is when we are in communication with others through words and service, that Jesus is the way to a new life that the church lives out its calling.
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