Mission is the heartbeat of God. God is interested in Christians sharing the gospel and preaching about the love of God to all nations. The Bible contains several scriptures that emphasize the importance of mission. I’ll be sharing the meaning of mission according to the bible, why we need to preach the gospel and bible verses about mission in this piece.

Featured Image Credit: Christianity Today

What is missions according to the bible?

Mission is a vital work given to an individual or persons. Mission for a Christian simply means sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. People often think that mission work is for pastors or people called to ministry only; this is not true. Jesus commanded everyone to preach the gospel wherever they find themselves. We are all missionaries once we accept Jesus as our lord and saviour.

The word mission (Latin: missio), as a translation of the Greek apostolē, “a sending,” appears only once in the English New Testament (Galatians 2:8). An apostle (apostolos) is one commissioned and sent to fulfil a special purpose.

Britannica

Pastors and other fivefold ministers are indeed at the core of the work but that doesn’t exempt us. The ministers may be at the forefront but we also have a responsibility.

Preaching the gospel is an important mission given to us by Jesus. The mission is more urgent and necessary than ever before.

Adelekan Bolanle

Why should I be involved in mission?

1. It was commanded by Jesus. Jesus commanded us to go and preach the gospel, bringing the world to the knowledge of Christ.

2. The world becomes a better place. If everyone in the world becomes a Christian and genuinely submits to the Lordship of Jesus, this world will become a better place for us all.

3. We depopulate the kingdom of hell and free the oppressed from the oppression of the devil.

4. We receive the blessings of God. God blesses anyone who spreads the good news with blessings beyond imagination.

5. We create an atmosphere of joy in heaven. The heaven rejoices over a sinner who repents and comes to the Lord. Luke 15:7

6. Sharing the gospel is an act of love and compassion.

How do we preach the gospel?

Spreading the gospel has become easier than before. These days there are more strategic ways to preach the gospel and here are some ways you can preach the gospel

• Living a Christian lifestyle that attracts people to God. No matter how much you go around preaching the gospel, our lifestyle is very important. We must live a lifestyle that is based on love and the bible.
• Tell your friends about Jesus. Do you have friends who do not know the lord? Tell them about Jesus
• Use technology to preach the gospel to as many as you can. Technology is a great tool to share the gospel. Utilizing social media, websites, blogs, podcasts, or videos to share testimonies, teachings, or discussions about faith can reach a wide audience. In one of my previous posts, I shared how you can use technology to propagate the gospel. You can find the post here.
• Give to organisations sharing the gospel. You may not be able to physically go to the mission field but you can support organisations spreading the gospel financially.
• Share the gospel among your circle of influence. Are you influential and powerful? Use your influence to introduce people to Jesus. You don’t have to threaten or bully them. Just tell them about Jesus and let the Holy Spirit do the work of conviction.
• By praying for the lost souls around you. No soul can be won without prayers. You can dedicate your time to praying for that colleague, friend or family around you who needs to hear the word of God.

• By sharing your personal testimony. Sharing personal stories of how God has impacted your life can be powerful. It allows others to see the real-life benefits of believing in the gospel. 2 Corinthians 1:4

• By building relationships with people. Developing genuine relationships with others provides opportunities to share faith naturally and comfortably. This can happen through friendship, support, and being there for others.

• By serving others and showing acts of kindness. Actions often speak louder than words. Engaging in community service, volunteering, or acts of kindness can demonstrate the love and values of Christianity.

• Inviting others to church services like, Bible studies, or Christian events can expose them to the gospel.
• Distributing Literature to people around you. Sharing books, tracts, pamphlets, or resources that explain the gospel or answer common questions about Christianity is a great way to share the gospel.

• Hosting Small Groups or Bible Studies: Creating a space for open discussions and study groups where individuals can explore and ask questions about faith.

• Using Creative Arts: Art, music, drama, or other creative expressions can be used to convey spiritual messages and open avenues for discussion. I am happy that more creatives are using their talent to propagate the gospel.

Different approaches work for different people and situations. The key is to be sensitive, respectful, and genuinely caring toward others while sharing the message of the gospel.

Bible Verses about Mission and Evangelism

Missions and evangelism are important themes of the scriptures. Here are some Bible verses related to missions:

1. Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) – “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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2. Acts 1:8 (NIV) – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

3. Isaiah 6:8 (NIV) – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'”

4. Mark 16:15 (NIV) – “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'”

5. Romans 10:13-15 (NIV) – “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'”

6. 2 Timothy 4:5 (NIV) – “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

7. Romans 15:20 (NIV) – “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.”

8. Romans 1:16 (NIV) – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”

9. Romans 15:21 (NIV) – “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”

10. Psalm 96:3 (NIV) – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

11. Matthew 24:14 (NIV) – “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

12. 1 Chronicles 16:24 (NIV) – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

13. John 20:21 (NIV) – “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.'”

14. Romans 10:14-15 (NIV) – “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'”

15. Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV) – “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'”

16. Acts 13:47 (NIV) – “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'”

17. Psalm 67:2-3 (NIV) – “so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.”

18. Isaiah 52:7 (NIV) – “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'”

19. Acts 20:24 (NIV) – “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

20. Luke 10:2 (NIV) – “He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'”

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.

Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy! This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him.

If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.

1 John 1:1-7 MSG

Final thoughts

Imagine walking into a clothing store for the first time and you are treated like a king, given incentives and your concern duly addressed; I believe you will be impressed and overjoyed you found the store. You will share the address of the store with your friends and neighbours telling them about your awesome experience.

This applies to sharing the gospel. We must tell others of the things we have seen and handled, we should never be afraid to preach Christ to others. These bible verses about mission emphasize the importance of spreading the message of faith to all nations and people, following the Great Commission given by Jesus to His disciples. It encourages believers to be witnesses and to go forth, sharing the gospel with the world.

I believe you will take a leap of faith today to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.