The Bible is our model of authority as well as the inspiration to reaching different people groups.

God’s word at different levels demonstrate an intentional attitude that is to say ‘perception’ for the lost and call’s the Church to do the same in reaching out with the gospel. The Bible is our model of authority as well as the inspiration to reaching different people groups. Through the Old and New Testament, one continuous story of Gods perception is being narrated, demonstrated and emphasized as God reaches the lost, reconciling them to himself – God on mission, God is a missionary God.

My intention is that we can reflect on the Bible to direct our perception as we do evangelism. Our goal is to see what God wants us to see through his word about reaching the lost to help us have a positive perception as we do evangelism. Understanding the beginning guides us on how to make the endings meet. Pondering on the subject of study will definitely call that we look through the entire Bible in order to comprehend the story of redemption. God’s perception was for a global call of worshipers but as well relationship from a true and faithful people as we reflect on the Bible as a story.

we can then be satisfied in engaging through missions and or evangelism if our perception is shaped towards true understanding of mission

 

Genesis 3 gives us a background that inspires our perception towards reaching ‘the fallen man [male and female]’ as we examine our role in redemptive story. The Bible dictates that we understand the gravity of man’s fall which will influence our perception in reaching un-reached people as we join God in His mission. His perception as demonstrated in His word is a vivid positive arena of consistency as He evangelizes the world.

God is a missionary God and He is at work reconciling His people and creation to his Ultimate purpose. Like Stott, I clearly believe that the phenomena that, we “. . . need biblical incentives, for we believe the Bible to be the revelation of God and of his will” is key. He further explains that we can then be satisfied in engaging through missions and or evangelism if our perception is shaped towards true understanding of mission, this to mean going out with the Gospel message to un-reached peoples. Our perception of scripture grounds and shapes our perception in evangelism. When we get to acknowledge this, our perception will change.

A missionary God call’s all those who have believed in His son through his word the Bible to join Him in the mission field reaching out with the gospel to the lost and in overcoming evil as we lean on Him.

A missionary God call’s all those who have believed in His son through his word the Bible to join Him in the mission field reaching out with the gospel to the lost and in overcoming evil as we lean on Him.

Our perception of who God is just like the Bible will as well change our perception towards more and more taking part in evangelizing the world. We will reflect through the Old and New Testament to get vivid grasp of how God’s perception through his word demonstrates a model the Church can adopt to reach evangelism and or missions.

Old Testament

The beginning is always the best place to start a story. For us to understand the perception of God and use it to inform our perception for evangelism, it’s important we reflect on the whole Bible. This section will be an overview of the Old Testament in demonstrating Gods perception for the lost.

Many have been tempted to dismiss the Old testament to rather seeing it as series of God demonstrating his harsh, judgmental side yet there lies more depth to these 39 books of the Old Testament that inform our perception towards evangelism. (Jeffrey, 1988, p. 29). These 39 records are so profound in demonstrating what God’s perception for the lost meant. Jeffrey (1988) puts it that “there is one central theme which . . . runs through all the stories of the Old Testament . . . ‘the coming Christ’. As long as one does not see this, the Old Testament remains a closed book. As soon as the idea is grasped, the Scriptures are opened” (pp. 29). The ‘good news’ in the context of the Old Testament might not have been literal in relation to Christ but all through, it points to Christ which again justifies evangelism perhaps in a demonstrative manner through the stories, seeing God reaching out His purpose as He gathers a people for Him sacrificing His status just so people could understand the sacrificed status.

The Old Testament is into four major sections, the law books, History books, poetry books and the Prophets [Major and Minor Prophets]. As we do survey the 39 books, our goal is to see the perception of God in reaching the un-reached. Like William Hendrikson says, as quoted by Jeffrey (1988)“. . . be deceived not to see God display a magnificent perception for the lost in failure to see “Christ” all through as Gods plan of redemption.” (p. 29) Through the very beginning (Genesis 1&2) – ‘creation’ demonstrates God’s inclined perception towards man for a relationship to experience His love. With Adam and Eve’s disobedience in chapter 3, there is a distort as man’s perception contradicts God’s plan of ultimate worship.

The fall of man shifts the relationship pattern between humanity and God; however, God’s perception for restoration is ignited as we see through his enduring love in totality displayed when He dresses Adam and Eve but as well fore-tells about the ‘seed’ that would bruise the serpents ‘head’.

The fall of man shifts the relationship pattern between humanity and God; however, God’s perception for restoration is ignited as we see through his enduring love in totality displayed when He dresses Adam and Eve but as well fore-tells about the ‘seed’ that would bruise the serpents ‘head’.

A demonstration of His positive perception to reconcile man as evil is overcome. To comprehend the attitude God demonstrates, we will survey how God in love is demonstrating a highly sensitive call and positive perception as He reaches the different nations and people groups all through the Old and New Testament.

The Old Testament points us towards God working on relationship. God faithfully working on peoples’ relationship for him. God chooses faithful men, then a faithful nation although many times they failed; God institutes the commandments to protect them from the wages of the curse. “. . . God’s promise is unconditional no matter what, but the behavior of the people will prescribe what blessings or curses found within the covenant will unfold.” (Mumme, 2012. p. 3). Through the different sacrifices and rules of worship, God’s perception demonstrated is that people may worship him in a relationship that rewards blessings. God is there for the people through all stages of their life as he prepares them for relationship. God demonstrates to other nations His power that those nations may acknowledge him as God. He continually overcomes barriers that people may accept him alone. God in his working through these books springs from a positive perception as he reaches out.

We cannot afford not to mention some edge cutting themes that will help us understand the Old Testament, however we need to fully at all points be able to connect these themes to God’s attitude and or positive perception all through. Covenants were a major thing in the Old Testament. The parity and suzerainty covenants are familiar as we read through the Old Testament books. Our concern draws towards the suzerain covenant or treaty that many times sides towards a guarantee from superior personality in this case [God] standing in for the weaker one. Often we see God doing the same in the different covenants with the people. “This format of a suzerain inviting a people group into relationship is closer to the depiction of Yahweh, the King, and His covenant people seen in the Old Testament” (Mumme, 2012. P. 3)

Kingship was very important too as it depicted the presence of a divinity among the nations. In the Old Testament, perhaps to start with, we share the significance of the Judges that represented God among his people. They were to direct but as well guide the people and or nation to walk in line with God. The person in leadership was Gods call because again God’s desire was that the people could always lean on him. His perception, everlasting grace, grace all through itself as a theme we see God drawing His people towards him. This demonstrated the kind of perception God had for his people at all time.

The prophets whom God constantly used reminding his people when they messed up of the need to return to God again demonstrates Gods perception. To knot the Old Testament into one whole theme, it’s preferably essential that we tie all other themes under ‘the glory of God’. “The reality is that the Bible is far more about God than it is about people. . . God is transforming people who can fully love Him. . .  Drawing people as worshipers to offer freely to him their love inspired glory.”(Hawthorn, 2009. pp.33-34). Understanding this statement will then inform us that all throughout even in the different stories of the Old Testament records that Gods perception is love, is of a good plan, is one that portrays how much he yearns that we worship him. Piper’s (2009) statement clearly helps ignite our conscious when he says that “worship . . . is the fuel and goal of mission. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into . . . enjoyment of Gods glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.” (p.51) Through the whole Old Testament, this is what we see God doing because his perception towards people is inclined for a positive relationship.

New Testament

The theme for which the Old Testament prepares us is climaxed in the New Testament, ‘the coming of Christ’. It may seem hard to see components of evangelism in the Old Testament but all throughout, God who is a missionary, is constantly reaching out to people and nations which is ‘good news’. The New Testament center’s on Christ as the way to prepare man but also that the lost world can be reconciled to GOD for worship; we earlier mentioned that the covenants initiated by GOD on man’s account for failure demonstrate positive perception of God for the lost. In the New Testament, God pays the ransom man owes him because his character defines the perceptions he portrayed of ‘God is love’.

Twenty seven books of the New Testament again demonstrated the kind of perception God through Christ and the Holy Spirit are illustrating to the world. Perhaps it’s important to glimpse the perception of the devil in John 10:10 where the devil’s mission is to steal, kill and destroy but God through His son comes to give eternal life. The New testament comprised of the gospels which give us the accounts of events surrounding the life of Jesus and his disciples, Acts as a Historical book, the Pauline epistles, from Romans to Philemon, the general letters from Hebrews to Jude and lastly the book of revelation guide us to see just how much God intends to demonstrate his positive perception towards people. All these books from the gospels that open the life of Christ to us and his perception for the lost. and the utmost reason he came to reach the lost. The perception of Christ Jesus as seen from his ministry, the perception of his disciples, the perception of the early church, and the insight of the ultimate goal after all has reached the climax is demonstrated in the New Testament again for purposes that the church today can be able to learn and adopt the same perception and or attitude in reaching the lost.

We need not to stop asking ourselves the question that as God inspired the different authors in writing these books, what perception did He want us to have at both individual but as well Church level towards his mission for the lost? The gospels are the gist of answering these questions as we learn from the life of Christ, unfortunately we can’t exhaust to explain just how much Christ demonstrated to show the gravity and in-depth of God’s perception for the lost. Perhaps the best we can quote from scripture is that God’s perception for the lost was clear when He crucified His son on the cross for our sake for a relationship. The purpose of the New Testament is, “. . . to show us Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world, who came from heaven to die as an atonement for our sin.”(Jeffrey, 1988. p. 40). 

The gospels, although from four different perspectives, in portrayal of Christ points us to Christ. Mathew writes to people who totally understand the Old Testament, the Jews and all his emphasizing is that ‘Christ is King’ who calls for a relationship. The “. . . theme of the coming Kingdom of God was central in His mission, His teaching was designed to show people how they might enter the Kingdom of God.”(Ladd, 2009. p. 62). Christ as King in the world meant that he has the right to exercise his authority. Through compassion for the lost, Christ mission was for the lost that they may worship his father and that the fullness of this Kingdom as seen through the Lord’s prayer comes to accomplishment as people acknowledge him as father and Lord. Christ’s greatest will was his Father’s will and that he showed through his life until death on the cross that many may be part of the Kingdom of God. “What Christ has done guarantees what he will do. This is the gospel that we must take into all the world” (Ladd, 2009. p. 70).

John the Baptists missions and purpose in preparing the way and hearts of the lost was all one that God himself was part of. Proclaiming to people Christ’s coming again portrays the kind of perception God had in mind for the lost. He cared that much that he encourages them to repent that he may relate with them on his coming. This helps us see the perception God demonstrates.

Other books Mark, Luke and John portray Christ in different ways, the son of man, the suffering servant, Messiah and others – all these Christ fervently searching the lost. Goerner (2009) puts it that “Jesus claimed the title ‘son of man’ . . . Identifying with the whole human race” (p. 81) as a common ground to reach the lost. “The gospels report that Jesus was profoundly concerned for . . . people. . . . He modeled Gods heart for all people by deliberate outreach to [the lost]. . . . Because his teaching throughout His ministry emphasized the global scale of Gods heart.” (Goerner, 1234 p. 81)

Mathew, John and the many other disciples as we study through the New Testament draw us towards Christ and they carry on a perception, a desire, a will for Gods will in all that they do as they reach out to many lost people. Paul never settled, He was on the move, different missionary journeys again all because of the perception he has grasped on the mission of God in reaching the lost. Peter and the other apostles of the Church never settled, for all their focus was the gospel for it was the power of God for Salvation in saving the lost. Even as Paul mentors’ different personalities to the call he experienced on his way to Damascus, this he wanted the Church to fully comprehend so that their perception can soar with the mission of Christ for the lost souls. Christ’s perception kept him in search for the lost souls, Paul’s perception kept him even through the hardest of situations keeping on that people may acknowledge Christ. The Churches perception today should inspire them to reach out to unreached peoples groups around.

If Christ’s perception for the lost was cold, we never would have experienced the ultimate salvation, if his perception for the lost souls didn’t carry him to the cross, then we would never be able to relate with God ever, If Christ’s perception for the lost was lukewarm, we never would have had a counselor, the Holy Spirit, to guide us on our perception as we relate with God. If the perception of the disciples and early Church was one that like what we experience today, then we would have never had a global movement of Christians that seek and desire to carry out the great commission and commandment as the lost come to relate with Christ again. Gods move for Christ’s birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection all demonstrated the perception the Church needs to have as it reaches the un-reached. The perception of the disciples and Apostles whom Christ selected is evidently the work of the delegation trusted in them as many and many have come to witness and believe God as Lord, all because they had a positive perception.

The Bible and Evangelism

God is a missionary God and the Bible is God’s word. The Bible in itself is a mission’s book from the beginning to the end. It is the story of redemption of all creation. “God’s worldwide purpose is, in fact, the basis for the entire biblical revelation” thus “If God had not purposed to redeem mankind, there probably would have been no need for him to reveal himself through Biblical record.”(Stott, 2009. P.28) This then draws us to why our fast perspective in understanding this topic directs us to the Bible.

“God desires our participation in sharing the good news” (Stott, 2009. P.29) and this good news we only find in His word the Bible. “The Bible is the story of God’s redemptive mission” (Stott, 2009. p.29). Through the whole Bible, redemption is the thread that cuts across entangled clearly in the threads that all nations give glory to God, thus the Bible is one story from which we as the Church can learn, use and apply as we reach-out to the lost.

Stott (2009) says that “. . . without the Bible, world evangelism would be not only impossible but actually inconceivable.” (p. 28). It’s the Bible that gives us the mandate and authority to go into the world with the gospel. When the Church understands the greatness of authority in the Bible then, the Churches’ perception to evangelism would be vibrant and active today. (Stott, 2009. p. 30). Stott (2009) gives us four major reasons why the Bible plays a big role in world evangelism.(p.28-31)

The Bible gives us the mandate. This mandate goes way beyond the great commission but embracing the entire Bible. Stott (2009) says that “Our mandate for world evangelism is the whole Bible. .  .” (p. 28)

The Bible gives us the message for world evangelization. “Our message comes out of the Bible” as it has been given to us to use in world evangelization. 1 Timothy 6:20, 2 Tim 1:12-14. 2 Corinthians 4:1-2.(Stott, 2009. p. 29)

The Bible gives us the model for world evangelization. The Bible is the Gospel even as much as it contains the gospel. “All scripture preaches the gospel, God evangelized through it [thus] . . . we can learn to preach the gospel by learning how God preached it.”(Stott, 2009, pp. 29-30).

The Bible gives us the power for world for world evangelization. “Preaching the gospel is the God appointed means by which the prince of darkness is defeated and the light comes strong into people’s heart [because] . . . without the bible, world evangelism is impossible, for without the Bible, we have no gospel to take to nations” Stott further ponders on the fact that “. . . the Bible gives us the mandate and the power we need for world evangelization.” (Stott, 2009, p.30)

The Bible is Gods story from Genesis to Revelation and clearly demonstrates and shows the perception of God and Christ towards redeeming the lost. God’s attitude as the Church seen through the Bible should be the same we depict in reaching the lost around us.

The Bible is Gods story from Genesis to Revelation and clearly demonstrates and shows the perception of God and Christ towards redeeming the lost. God’s attitude as the Church seen through the Bible should be the same we depict in reaching the lost around us. Piper (2009) says that “Mission is not the ultimate goal of the Church, worship is. . . . Missions exist because worship doesn’t.”(p. 50). We understand the numerous deities the Indians have, the different rituals that surround their religion thus our call as the Church is that they can know and worship the one true God through knowing his word the Bible and the gift of salvation through His son. “Biblical expressions of the supremacy of God is mission.” (Piper, 2009, p. 52). Dearborn (2009) states that, “the Kingdom of God is good news of great hope” (p. 56) and definitely we find this good news in God’s word which again calls for strategic prayer.

Coleman says that the Bible gives us the clear master plan for evangelism. (Coleman, 1993) hence we engage the lost through obedience of both the great commission and great commandment. The Bible gives us clearly vivid proof of Jesus’ supremacy as absolute truth. (Fernando, 2009, p.111). Understanding the gravity of the Lost from a Biblical view as a Church will give us even more zeal waxed by compassion and scripture that the lost may come to know Him otherwise they are destined for hell. (McQuilkin, 2009, pp.117-118) As evangelical Christians, the Bible should be the turning factor for us in unleashing the gospel in Acts of obedience, and then becomes a turning point for others like Indians to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. (Thomas, 2009, p.128-129)