Doug Heidebrecht serves as the Director of Global Training for the MB Seminary and as Multiply’s Regional Team Leader for South Asia. He is also currently working on an extensive project with the International Community of MBs to develop a sustainable and biblical training curriculum for global leaders called Missional Leadership Training (MLT).
Mark: What is God’s mission?
Doug: In the Bible, we read the story of how God works in the world, a story that begins with his beautiful creation, but then quickly moves to a world marred by human rebellion, alienation, and death. God responds to that predicament by sending his Son, Jesus, into the world to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, to call people to repentance from sin, to announce the release of the oppressed, to die for the sins of the world, and to offer new life. God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him to God’s right hand—anticipating his coming again to establish the new creation where God will be forever present with his people. God’s mission, then, is his undertaking to reconcile all creation to himself.
Mark: Is that something that we, as his people, can be involved in?
Doug: Jesus gives us a clue as to our involvement in God’s mission when he says these words to his disciples after his resurrection: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). In this statement, Jesus declares that the Father is the source of mission. The English word mission is derived from the Latin, missio, which means “to send.” So, first we must understand that mission is the work of God. In fact, David Bosch, one of the most influential missiologists of the twentieth century, noted that for the first 1500 years of the Church, the language of mission was used exclusively for the work of the Trinity. God is a missionary God because he is a sending God.
Mark: Why is that so important for us to remember?
Doug: Well, it’s humbling to admit that mission is not just about us, but it’s about God and the work that he is already doing. His mission is central, and our involvement is to join him. If we want to join God on his mission, we need to understand the story of God’s work in the world. It is God the Father, who, because of his great love, sent his Son into the world in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17). When God himself entered his creation, it is the incarnate Son who demonstrated what God’s mission looks like through his life, death, and resurrection. Then it is the Father and the Son who send the Spirit to empower his disciples as witnesses, thus enabling them to participate in God’s mission.
Mark: So, what does that look like? How does Jesus send us as the Father sent Jesus?
Doug: I love how our MB missiologist, Hans Kasdorf, described it, that the mission of God is seen in the actions of God. So, one way we participate in God’s mission is when we imitate his actions. At the heart of his mission is his love—not just that God is love but that he loves. When we love others, we imitate God as his children (Ephesians 5:1). In the Psalms, we read about a God who “will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them” (Psalm 72:12-13). When we act like that, we reflect God’s love. When we care for people by feeding the hungry or defending the vulnerable, we are imitating God.
Mark: Is there also a message that we bring to the world?
Doug: Jesus came proclaiming the kingdom of God, which was a radically different way of seeing the world. As King, God reigns over his creation, which reflects his goodness, provision, and care. Jesus announced the good news of the kingdom of God by calling people to turn around, acknowledge God as King and live by faith under his rule and authority. God continues to call people by sending us to invite them to be reconciled with God through Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection, and to be freed from sin. Our message is God’s invitation to everyone to respond by faith to God’s love and grace revealed through Jesus.
Mark: How do we know we’re joining God on his mission?
Doug: We look at Jesus and see if our lives resemble his. When the Father sent his Son into the world, he revealed what God’s mission looks like. When we look at Jesus, we see how the incarnate God acts on mission. It is not only through Jesus’ life and ministry that we see what mission looks like but also through Jesus’ death. His death is also a model for how we participate in mission, where humility, suffering, and weakness are ways in which God accomplishes his purpose in the world.
Mark: Do you see this happening through us today?
Doug: Yes, I believe that Jesus is still sending disciples into the world today to continue the ministry that he began, and he is sending his Spirit to empower and enable us to participate in God’s mission. The transforming work of God’s Spirit is shaping us into the image of Christ, whereby our lives can reflect who Christ is through what we say, what we do, and who we are. The Spirit has gifted each believer in particular ways, so that everyone can contribute to God’s mission. In the Book of Acts, we see the example of the apostles and the Early Church. Their story reveals how the Spirit leads people in mission and empowers them to testify to who Jesus is. Today, as we respond to the leading of the Spirit, we also continue to be part of God’s mission.
DISCOVER
What is your role in God’s mission? If you would like to speak with a Mission Mobilizer and pray together about finding your place in God’s mission, call us today at 1.888.866.6267 to make an appointment.
