Missio Dei: The Mission of God
In this powerful teaching, we explore the profound concept of Missio Dei—the Latin phrase for "the mission of God." Far from being just a program of the church, mission is revealed as something anchored in the very DNA of God himself. From the foundations of the world and the earliest pages of Genesis, God has been on a "search and rescue mission" to restore His image in humanity and reconcile the world to Himself.
What Is Missio Dei?
The Latin Phrase
Missio Dei literally means "the Mission of God." It is not something we invented — it is anchored in the very being of God. There is a sentness about God in His DNA, something that moves Him out and invites us to become part of what He is doing.
John 20:21
After the upper room discourse, Jesus said to His disciples: "As the Father has sent me, so send I you." This is the heartbeat of Missio Dei — the Father as Sender, the Son as the Sent One, and the Holy Spirit as the power to go.
The concept was wrestled with by Augustine and later developed by Karl Barth, who spoke of God "getting His hands dirty" in the action of the world.
A Trinitarian Mission
Our mission theology is rooted in a God who is on the move. The Blessed Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — is the very source from which we draw anything to do with missions.
God the Father
The Sender. He is the origin and initiator of all mission, calling and commissioning from before the foundations of the earth.
God the Son
The Sent One. Jesus Christ is the missionary par excellence — the model of incarnational, sacrificial mission to the world.
God the Holy Spirit
The Spirit of missions. Poured out at Pentecost, He sends the church out to the ends of the earth with power and purpose.
Mission Starts at the Beginning
Mission does not begin in John 3:16 — it begins in Genesis 3:15, the proto evangelion: the very first good news embedded in the curse. God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. God's mission of moving into the world begins in the garden.
As Chris Wright of the Langham movement puts it: "We don't find a biblical basis for missions — we find a missional basis for the Bible." The entire Scripture is the story of a God on a search-and-rescue mission.
A Personal Journey into Missio Dei
I come from a very poor family — a street kid who got into fights. My mother, not knowing what else to do, pawned her gold necklace to put me in a school to learn English and keep me out of trouble. What she didn't know was that it was a Christian school. That's where I first heard the gospel of Jesus.
My karmic mind asked: how can I get everything for nothing? There must be a catch. Then I discovered the word grace — God's forgiveness is free, but it's not cheap. Somebody paid the price. And that changed my life.
Dorothy, my wife, was a senior teacher at that very school. We named one of our daughters Charis — the Greek word for grace — to remind us of the sovereign grace that drew us into Missio Dei. -Dr. Chris Gnanakan
Missio Dei Is a Global Mission
God's heart for His world is universal in scope — for all people, everywhere. When God called Abraham in Genesis 12, the blessing was never just for one nation. It was so that Abraham would be a blessing to all the ethne — the ethno-linguistic families of the earth.
All Nations
Psalm 22:27 — "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; the families of the nations shall worship before Him."
God's Kingdom
The Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7 points to King Jesus — whose kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit over all nations.
His Glory
Israel was called to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). The goal of Missio Dei is Soli Deo Gloria — for the glory of God alone, seen by all nations.
Missio Dei Is Gospel Mission
If everything is missions, then nothing is missions. Drilling a well, medical work, and micro-investment projects are good — but the secular world can do those too. The difference is God's method: en Christos — in Christ.
Paul's logic in Romans 10 is clear: How can they call on a name they've never heard? How can they hear unless someone goes and tells them? How can someone go unless they are sent? The mission is rooted in the redemptive gospel of Jesus Christ.
Missio Dei is God's mission in Christ to reconcile the world to Himself — making His saving name and glorious grace known so that all people may worship Him, empowered by the Spirit.
The Four Actions of the Spirit
- He comes down — Day of Pentecost
- He is with us — Comforter, Paraclete
- He comes in — sealed by the Spirit (Eph. 1:13)
- He leads us out — into all truth and to all nations
God Is on the Move: Stories from the Field
From the Hindu world to the Buddhist world, the mission is flourishing. In places like Laos, Vietnam, and the Mekong Valley, we've maintained friendships with Buddhist monks and seen church planters reach the most remote jungle areas. Nationals are reaching nationals — crossing geopolitical, ethno-linguistic, social, and cultural boundaries.
India
From Dalit untouchables to government ministers — Hindu and Sikh — the grace of God brings all together. Urban funding is now being mobilized to reach the unreached north.
Southeast Asia
A movement started in Ho Chi Minh City spread to Hanoi, then into Mongolia — each generation training the next. This is what a wave looks like.
Pakistan
A co-worker witnesses two blocks from Osama bin Laden's home in Abbottabad. Asked if he's afraid, he replied: "Jesus called me here. It is the safest place in the world."
Ministry, Missions, or Movement?
I don't believe ministry alone will change the world. Even secular companies have mission statements. What changes the world is a movement — because Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not stop its advancement." It's moving. That's why even the authorities of hell can't stop it.
God is on a mission and He is inviting us to join Him. That is Missio Dei — from the Father who sends, through the Son who models, empowered by the Spirit who leads us out.
You Are Invited
One day there will be people from every nation, kindred, tongue, and tribe worshiping — Revelation 7:9-10: "Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb seated on the throne." I witnessed a foretaste: 5,000 leaders from 202 nations in Incheon, singing How Great Thou Art in 18 languages.
God is on the move. Jesus is coming again. You and I are invited to participate in the Mission of God.
The Source
God the Father — the Sender of all mission
The Model
God the Son — the Sent One, missionary par excellence
The Power
God the Spirit — poured out to lead us to the nations
The Church
You and I — called, sent, and empowered to join Him