What are the concepts and the goals of Christian missions?

TL;DR:

Christian missions is all about being “sent” to share Jesus’ life-changing message, whether across the street or across the globe. The goal of Christian missions is to help others see their need for Christ, follow Him, and experience the transforming power of His Spirit in their lives.

what does the bible say?

Christian missions is an intentional effort to lead others to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. The word "mission" comes from the word "to send," and most Christians who are involved in full-time missions are sent to another location. All missions include the idea of leaving the comfort of the fellowship of other believers to engage with those who do not know Christ. This may be across town or on the other side of the globe.

Christian missions is mainly covered in the New Testament, though the Old Testament contains principles about missionary work. God’s people were to be “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 49:6), just as Christians should be today. God told His prophet Ezekiel that when He gave him a warning to give to the Israelites, if Ezekiel didn’t deliver that message, he would be punished for keeping quiet. Both passages show that believers are responsible for sharing God’s Word. The New Testament makes this charge more overt with Jesus giving His disciples the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). The missionary work of the apostle Paul is recorded in much of the remainder of the New Testament. Paul’s approach was to preach the gospel, but adapt his approach to his audience (1 Corinthians 9:20). A good example of this is when he addresses the men of Athens (Acts 17:22-34). Every believer is called to participate in missions, learning to love as God loves and making the sharing of His truth central to life.

from the old testament

Christian missions is not explicitly mentioned in the Old Testament; however, God’s heart has always been for people to know Him through His covenant people. Through the prophet Isaiah, God indicated that Israel was to be “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 49:6).
A principle of missions is found in Ezekiel 33. God sent Ezekiel to warn God’s people to repent. If Ezekiel didn’t warn them, the Israelites would be punished but so would Ezekiel for not warning them. Similarly, Christians are obligated to tell others about how to avoid the wrath of God through faith in Christ.

from the new testament

Christian missions began with Jesus' Great Commission, wherein He told the disciples "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). Christian missions entails teaching others the truth about Jesus, showing them their need for Jesus, and, once the Holy Spirit has drawn them, encouraging them to live according to Jesus' teachings.
Missions was always to be a part of the Christian life. In some ways, John the Baptist was the first Christian missionary, proclaiming to people their need for Jesus (John 1:26-31).
Shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples helped lead three thousand Jews to a saving faith in Him (Acts 2). Christianity then spread to Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, India, Italy, Tunisia, and France. By AD 197, North Africa was covered, and a year later, the first missionaries arrived in Japan.
Though the Gospel message stays the same, Christian missionaries must adapt their techniques to the different cultures they encounter. The apostle Paul did this: “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law” (1 Corinthians 9:20).

implications for today

Christian missions continues in a variety of ways today, including people physically leaving their cultures to share the good news of Jesus—sometimes for shorter periods and often making the new culture their new home, building relationships and investing in making disciples—and even in people sharing about Him online.

The way in which Christian missions spreads the gospel differs for every culture, even though the message is the same. To some degree, the method must be specific to the hearers. Different degrees of education, sophistication, and familiarity with Christian concepts will influence how the gospel can be shared.

But the core message is the same. God is perfect and holy. We cannot please Him because of our sin. We deserve death and eternal separation from God. We need someone who can earn forgiveness for us. That person is Jesus—the second person of the triune God who took on human flesh and is forever fully God and fully man—who lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose back to life proving He is who He claims and that His sacrifice was sufficient atonement. If we entrust ourselves to Jesus, He will reconcile us to God and give us His indwelling Holy Spirit who transforms us; we will spend eternity in paradise with Him (John 3:16-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 1:3-14).

Every Christian is called to missions in their own lives. Jesus charges all of us to reach others with His message. It is not easy, but as we learn to love people like God does, we find sharing the truth about God essential to the Christian life.

understand

Christian missions is the intentional sending of believers to share the gospel and help others follow Him.
Christian missions is rooted in God’s desire for all people to know Him.
Every believer is called to participate in missions, adapting methods to reach others while proclaiming the unchanging message of salvation through Christ.

reflect

How are you personally living out the call to share Jesus’ message in your life, to those both near and far?
Where do you need to step out of your comfort zone to engage with people who do not know Christ?
How can you grow in love and understanding to help others recognize their need for Jesus and experience His salvation?

engage

How can we adapt our approach to missions to reach different cultures while staying true to the gospel?
In what practical ways can we support one another in participating in missions locally and globally?
How do we balance sharing the truth about Jesus with building authentic relationships that reflect God’s love?