The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission

Front Cover
Zondervan, 2010 - Religion - 301 pages

What does the Bible say about God's purpose for us, the witness of the church, and our mission to spread the message of the gospel?

Chris Wright's pioneering 2006 book, The Mission of God, revealed that the typical Christian understanding of "missions" encompasses only a small part of God's overarching mission for the world. God is relentlessly reclaiming the whole of creation for himself, and each of us fit into that big-picture plan.

In The Mission of God's People, Wright argues that having a strong biblical theology that shapes our thinking and behavior must be in place before answering the call of the Great Commission. Wright first steps back and answers some of the biggest questions of God's story and our place within it:

  • Who are the people of God?
  • What kind of people are we?
  • What are the priorities and limits of our mission?
  • What exactly is the gospel that lies at the core of our mission?
  • What was it that made Christianity a missionary faith from the very start?

While answering these essential questions, Wright thoroughly details what the Old and New Testaments teach Christians about being God's people. He addresses questions of both ecclesiology (the theology of the church) and missiology (the practice and methodology of missions) with topics like "called to care for creation," "called to bless the nations," "sending and being sent, and "rejecting false gods."

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Part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, this practical and robust book will help you and your church ground your witness-bearing purpose and worship on the solid foundation of biblical understanding and reflection.

 

Contents

Preface
17
Introduction
19
QUEUING THE QUESTIONS
21
Who Are We and What Are We Here For?
23
ARRIVING AT ANSWERS
33
People Who Know the Story They Are Part Of
35
People Who Care for Creation
48
People Who Are a Blessing to the Nations
63
People Who Bear Witness to the Living God
163
People Who Proclaim the Gospel of Christ
179
The Gospel Is a New Redeemed Humanity a Single Family of God
191
The Gospel Is the Power of God Transforming the Universe
197
People Who Send and Are Sent
201
People Who Live and Work in the Public Square
222
People Who Praise and Pray 224
244
REFLECTING ON RELEVANCE
263

People Who Walk in Gods Way
82
People Who Are Redeemed for Redemptive Living
96
People Who Represent God to the World
114
People Who Attract Others to God
128
InterludePause for Thought
148
People Who Know the One Living God and Saviour
151
The Journey So Far and the Journey Ahead
265
Scripture Index
289
67
293
Subject Index
297
87
300
Copyright

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About the author (2010)

Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright is Global Ambassador for the Langham Partnership International. His many books include Hearing the Message of Ecclesiastes, Hearing the Message of Daniel, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, Deuteronomy (Understanding the Bible Commentary), Salvation Belongs to Our God, The Mission of God, The God I Don't Understand, and The Mission of God's People. Chris and his wife Liz, who have four adult children and eleven grandchildren, live in London, UK, and belong to All Souls Church, Langham Place.