Biblical Mission Has Biblical Churches as its Goal

This is the fourth of four posts from Peter Schild (translated by Michael T. Schmid) which together constitute his booklet The Church and Missions.

In Acts chapter 14, beginning with verse 21, we see the result of their work:

‘And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed…’
Acts 14:21-23

This is how biblical mission takes place: The right men are sent out to preach the biblical gospel – with the goal of biblical conversions, so that men come to true faith through the gospel, these men join together in individual churches, and faithful elders are appointed over these churches.

This is the goal of mission: planting independent churches under the leadership of faithful elders, where God’s Word is proclaimed in purity and God is glorified in truth through worship that pleases Him and a corresponding church life.

This means: Here the cycle starts over again. This newly planted biblical church then again leads a biblical church life, and in doing so develops again this biblical longing for missions under much prayer and fasting, in order to then send out qualified men and plant biblical churches – and the cycle then starts over again. No, it is not sufficient – nowhere near sufficient – to build schools and construct orphanages and hospitals somewhere. All of this may be good and right and also important, but biblical mission work has biblical churches as its goal. If this is not the aim, if this is not the intention, then we cannot speak of biblical mission work. The Lord has commanded us to make disciples, to baptize them and to teach them to observe all things that the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us. This happens in biblical churches under the supervision of biblical elders.

Taking all of these things together, we see what we as the church of Jesus Christ need to pay attention to if we want to do biblical mission work. First of all, we need a biblical church life. We have the duty to faithfully proclaim God’s Word in all truth, to offer pure worship – not according to our own ideas, but according to God’s Word – and also to base our whole church life on the fact that the Lord Jesus really is the Lord and to prioritize obeying Him in all matters. Then we must also be careful not to become self-satisfied, but rather to develop a biblical longing under supplication and fasting, pleading with the Lord to use us and do great things for the glory of His name and for the furtherance of His kingdom.

Moreover, it is important that we nurture men in our midst – men who are learning to preach biblically, men who are useful for the kingdom of God. Doing this must be one of our main concerns! If our country needs one thing, then it is biblically oriented preachers. 2 Timothy 2:2 says, ‘And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.’ Who has the responsibility to train men so that they become pastors, elders, missionaries, preachers? Who has the responsibility to conduct seminars and provide Bible teaching? The church. Seminaries and Bible schools may help with this, but it is and remains the responsibility of the church to train men and then also to send out men, to appoint men, to nurture men in their midst, so that they learn to be faithful in all things. And the church must seek the Lord and plead that He would send out such laborers, also from their own congregation – men whom they would preferably keep for themselves. It is important that the church develop this selflessness, this willingness to make sacrifices, to send out these men, even when it hurts. A biblical church is always a church that is willing to make sacrifices and that also makes sacrifices for the furtherance of the kingdom of God.

If the concern of missions is on our hearts, we must be willing to let men go. Even if this means momentary weakening for us, others will be strengthened and blessed by this. And we do not need to worry or fear or mourn, because if we act selflessly for the kingdom of God, then God will bless this and He will equip us with sufficient teachers. And when we send out these men, then it is with the biblical goal that there would be biblical conversions and that this would lead to the planting of biblical churches where biblical elders can be appointed.

In all this we must be conscious of the fact that mission work without the help of our God is an absolute impossibility. Therefore, to emphasize it again, mission work is first and foremost prayer work. Let us therefore plead that the Lord would send out laborers, because mission work is a work of the Spirit. The Spirit enables people for Himself who the Spirit Himself calls – men whom He trains and forms for this ministry. Therefore, we must seek the help of the Holy Spirit with much prayer. Acts 13:4 says, ‘So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit …’ If we need one thing, it is this: the work of the Spirit, that He would enable us, give us boldness, grant us opportunities so that people would be converted, that He would call people and send them out and give His guidance in all of this. Missions ultimately is a work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let us plead for the fullness of the Holy Spirit! Our attitude must not be, ‘God, we have some plans. Maybe You can help us with them!’ Instead, we should pray, ‘Oh God, it is Your mission work! It is Your doing! And it is not only an honor and a joy for us, but also our longing to be a part of Your great rescue mission! Please be gracious to us!’

And when the Holy Spirit empowers us, when He fills us, then this does not result in some kind of a circus, but in boldness for witness, that we start to preach God’s holy Word with boldness and develop a zeal for missions. A missionary by the name of Henry Martyn went to Iran, even though this was very dangerous. He said, ‘The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.’

Therefore, may the Lord bless us with His Holy Spirit, with the spirit of missions, so that He would do His work in our midst! May it be that some of you also would be called to become missionaries, that you would be part of a biblical church where you prove to be faithful, and that the Lord would then one day speak in such a way that it would be clear to all: You are called and set apart to go. May the Lord do this work of the Spirit in our midst, for the glory of His name alone!

Peter Schild is a pastor of the Evangelical Reformed Baptist Church of Frankfurt.

First German edition, 2022. Original German title: Gemeinde und Mission. Translated by Michael T. Schmid. All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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