The Missio Dei refers to the mission of God and involves three elements: God as the source who calls and sends people, God's people as the instruments sent, and God's message entrusted to them. It is found throughout the Old and New Testaments where God calls prophets and apostles to participate in his work. The kingdom of God is both present in Jesus' ministry but also still to come in the future. God's mission involves restoring creation through proclaiming the gospel, confronting injustice, and redeeming sinners and culture.

1. INT-525 Worldview and Mission • Session 2
The Gospel Matters
The Missio Dei — Mission of God

2. The Missio Dei — The Mission of God
God’s Program that we participate in

3. Missio Dei
“Expresses the conviction that mission is not the invention, responsibility, or program of
human beings, but
fl
ows from the character and purposes of God.”
Van Rheenan, p. 5

4. Missio Dei Involves three elements:
(a) God — the source of mission who calls and sends his people to carry out his purposes
(b) God’s people — Imperfect instruments, in the image of God are called and sent.
(c) God’s message — The gospel entrusted to us by which He authorizes us to convey
Van Rheenan, p. 5

5. Mission — Latin, “To Send”
Apostello — Greek “to Send”
Shelach — Hebrew, “to send”

6. Missionary — one who is sent
Apostle — One who is sent
Sheliach — one who is sent

8. Biblical Foundations of the Missio Dei

9. Mission of God in Old Testament

10. ‫שלח‬ Shelach — To send (vb)
‫שליח‬ Sheliach — One who is sent (noun)

11. Come, I will send [shelach] you to Pharaoh that you
may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
(Exod 3:10 ESV)

12. Come, I will send [shelach] you to Pharaoh that you
may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
(Exod 3:10 ESV)

13. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon
a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe
fi
lled
the temple…And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send [shelach], and who will go for us?”
(Isa 6:1–8 ESV)

14. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon
a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe
fi
lled
the temple…And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send [shelach], and who will go for us?”
(Isa 6:1–8 ESV)

15. But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever
I command you, you shall speak.
(Jer 1:7 ESV)

16. But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever
I command you, you shall speak.
(Jer 1:7 ESV)

17. And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the
people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled
against me. They and their fathers have transgressed
against me to this very day. The descendants also are
impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you
shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’
(Ezek 2:3–4 ESV)

18. And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the
people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled
against me. They and their fathers have transgressed
against me to this very day. The descendants also are
impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you
shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’
(Ezek 2:3–4 ESV)

19. ‫שלח‬ Shelach Sending in the OT
1. God calls his messengers
2. God commissions them
3. God sends them
4. God gives them speci
fi
c instructions
5. God entrusts them with His message
6. God imparts divine authority to them to carry out his MIssion

20. Mission of God in New Testament

21. ἀ
π
ό
στολος apostolos (noun)
ἀ
ποστ
έ
λλω apostello (verb)
One that is sent — Greek ship that is sent out, persons who are
dispatched for specific purposes, ambassadors, delegates, envoys, or
messengers with special missions.
Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich, eds. “
ἀ
π
ό
στολος” in BDAG. 3rd edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000:

22. He [Jesus] went to the mountain to pray…all night…And when day
came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom
he named apostles [sent ones]:
(Luke 6:12-13 ESV)

23. And he called the twelve together and gave them power and
authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent
them out [apostello] to proclaim the kingdom of God and to
heal.
(Luke 9:1–2 ESV)

24. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you [shalom
Aleichem]. As the Father has sent me, even so I am
sending you.
(John 20:21 ESV)

25. ἀ
ποστ
έ
λλω Missio Dei in NT
1. Holy Spirit is the One who calls (ex. Jesus prayed before appointing)
2. Missio Dei is God’s program that we participate in. It was already in play before the Great Commission
3. God calls and appoints his people to go
4. God imparts power to, and authority upon his people to go
5. Missio Dei is Trinitarian — Father sent the Son, The son sent the Holy Spirit, and the HS sends us.
6. Missio Dei is about the Kingdom of God invading our world (ex. Proclaim the KOG)
7. Missio Dei is about the restoration of creation.

26. 7. Restoration of Creation

27. Kingdom of God is NOW
Kingdom of God is NOT YET

28. Kingdom of God is now…

29. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
(Matt 3:1–2 ESV)
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
(Matt 4:17 ESV)

30. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
(Matt 3:1–2 ESV)
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
(Matt 4:17 ESV)

31. [The Pharisees asked Jesus] when the kingdom of God would come,
he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that
can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for
behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
(Luke 17:20–21 ESV)

32. [The Pharisees asked Jesus] when the kingdom of God would come,
he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that
can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for
behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
(Luke 17:20–21 ESV)

33. Kingdom of God is not yet

34. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your
name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven
(Matt 6:9–10 ESV)

35. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your
name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven
(Matt 6:9–10 ESV)

36. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory…he will sit on his glorious
throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations…he will place the
sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to
those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
(Matt 25:31–34 ESV)

37. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory…he will sit on his glorious
throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations…he will place the
sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to
those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
(Matt 25:31–34 ESV)

38. The Kingdom of God is invading our world NOW
Redeeming sinners, Restoring creation
The Kingdom of God is NOT YET
Proclaiming Messiah’s return & reign at the end of time

39. What are Biblical themes in the Missio Dei?

40. Application —Topic 7, Part 1a
Explain the Missio Dei — the Mission of God

41. Presentation Themes

42. Student exercise

43. 7. Missio Dei is about restoration of Creation
a. Healing the sick
b. Casting out demons
c. Proclaiming Justice and mercy
d. Confronting injustice
e. Teaching the Word of God
f. Calling sinners to repent
g. Freeing the captive (those in bondage to Sin)
h. Redeeming culture