I remember when I first discovered the Bible is God’s mission book for His world and our lives. Until that time I had no idea that God’s plan was expressed in every book of the Bible! Suddenly, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy came alive for me. I still remember the excitement and presence of God as I read these books with an entirely different understanding. What I had been missing was the understanding of the Bible’s overall missional purpose, from the beginning to the end.
Missional Bible study has potential for providing a fresh look at Scripture, a new awareness of how and where God is at work, and models and methods for living missionally. The Bible is much more than a collection of stories, and in fact, was never intended to be just a story book. The Bible is more than a place to go for comfort or encouragement, although these are certainly provided in its pages. When we can begin to see God at work in our world and our lives through every page and word, then Bible study will take on new value to our personal growth and our potential to bring value to others. We will become engaged with life and with the very things God is wanting done in this world.
Sometimes I am tempted to watch the news and wonder how to live in a world disrupted by sin. But when I read the Bible I see the world hasn’t caught our Lord off guard. He has a cure and I am it. AND so are you! I’ve heard believers say they aren’t called to do “missions.” At first I couldn’t understand how a believer in Christ comes to the conclusion that missions is an option rather than a result of living in obedience to God. But after some reflection I have come to understand that until a believer understands that the Bible is God’s mission book, that believer may not see she or he have been commissioned since before the world was born.
Jeff Iorg writes in Live like a Missionary, “A missionary heart beats within all true followers of Jesus. Sadly, those impulses are squelched in many Christians.” Open your Bible to any passage you have read recently and ask the questions that are essential in understanding Scripture. “What was God saying to His people when these words were first written? What is He saying today? How does He want me to respond?” Your responsiveness will lead you to live like a missionary, and will fuel your desire to know God’s Mission Book more fully.
