Why do we do missions? We are told, by Jesus, to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. So missions is duty, right? Wrong. If you do missions purely from a sense of duty you will not honor those you are reaching out to, nor will you truly honor God. Duty is the wrong place to look, so where do we find the answer to why we do missions? We turn, according to John Piper, to worship.
In our worship of God we encounter God's glory. The overflow from our worship is a desire to share God's glory with others (the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever), and we naturally become missional. When Jesus was asked what the kingdom of God was like, he compared it to a pearl so valuable that one would sell all they owned simply to possess it. Does that seem like duty to you? Instead, Jesus calls us to a new mindset, which flows from the mindset that worship creates in us. Thus, according to Piper, does worship become the goal of missions and the fuel which makes missions possible.
Worship as the fuel for missions makes sense to a lot of people, but worship as the goal of missions? Piper reminds us that the true reason we share God with others is to make them worshippers (and sharers) as well. He feels that the true goal of missions is "the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God." If it is true, (as Piper states) that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him," then increasing the number of people who are satisfied in God will bring God more glory. And missions is the way we can do that.
Missions must be seen as more than simply saving people from sin, though that is a very important aspect. And missions is not just about getting people into heaven, although that is important as well. Instead, through missions we should always seek to make as many people as possible into true worshippers, into those fully satisfied with the greatness of God.
With that mindset, missions becomes a joyous experience, as we joyfully share the life-changing presence of God in our lives with those who don't know God. When we have made worship both the fuel and goal of all our missionary endeavors, we realize that "missions is not a recruitment project for God's labor force. It is a liberation project from the heavy burdens and hard yokes of other gods." Missions is never a burden, because it comes out of our overwhelming joy in God's grace and mercy, and we just want to share that joy. So make God the center of your missions work, and joyfully share what He has graciously given to you.
Average Rating: 4 out of 5 stars(4 out of 5 stars)
6 of 6 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Rick Baxter (Salem, SC), August 27, 2007
John Piper is an author that, unfortunately I had not read before. I will read his writings and encourage others to so from this point forward. I find many "Christian" authors to write about American Christianity which is not the Christianity of the Bible. John Piper is not your normal Christian author. The book is about the worship of Christ, missions is part of that love.
0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by D. Noronha (Dover NH), January 10, 2007
This book probably deserves 2 stars (not the 0 that I gave it) but it is so overrated by the other reviews that I felt a need to balance it out.
I have not finished this book yet, but I read the parts that are the most highly reviewed by other sources - especially the first chapter. Piper has interesting ideas which suffer from his attrocious use with the English language. For one, his obsession with constructing catch phrases from words that all begin with the same letter is corny, and leaves him scrambling to cohere to a malconstrued outline. The writing contains neither the common-man appeal of C.S. Lewis nor the eloquence of great theologeans such as Jonathan Edwards, to whom Piper seems to aspire.
As for the content - Psalms seems to be the bulk of his theology in the first chapter, and what follows is hardly an exigesis: ideas are presented as if from nowhere, while Piper hurls often non-contextual scriptures at them. If this is really the best book available on missions, then Christianity is in big trouble.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kevin Wood (Raleigh, NC), October 12, 2005
John Piper gives the reader a correct(Biblical) worldview on missions in this book. He goes to great length to point out a great deal of Scripture to the reader. I recommend this book to anyone interested in missions. If you are not interested in missions, read this book.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Edward Decker (Utica, IL), September 05, 2003
John Piper once again demonstrates that a high view of God and His sovereignty (which can be described as "an intense, ardent passion for the glory of God") is a MOTIVATOR to spend our lives pursuing missions and evangelism, and that reasons to avoid evangelism are simply excuses. He persuades us that the reason we evangelize and "do missions" is because there are not enough worshippers . . . we should deeply desire to add to their number! Piper explains that those who delight (take great pleasure) in the worship of God will experience multiplied delight in the increased number of worshippers with whom they can exult in the Glory of Jesus Christ. For pastors and Bible teachers, Piper's book contains some powerful stories and illustrations for use in communicating a passion for missions to their churches. Dr. Piper includes a much-needed section on suffering--the role of suffering is so often neglected in preaching about missions and evangelism--demonstrating from Scripture and history that God has intended suffering should be a part of the witness of His people. He shows how God uses that suffering to point people to Christ. Throughout the book, Piper establishes a sound Biblical motivation for evangelism and missions, overcoming the rationale of those who might justify their unwillingness to do missions on Biblical grounds, while at the same time providing believers with far better motivation than mere duty or guilt. His exhortation to all Christians might go something like this: "Do it for the joy in worshipping our glorious God, and the joy of inviting as many as possible to participate with us in our delight in God!" He helps us understand that to desire less demonstrates indifference to God's glory.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Rachel (Orange, CA), May 22, 2003
This book has truly been an eye-opener for me! It gives an inspirational and Biblical perspective on the reason missions exists. Also, check out other Piper books: "The Pleasures of God" and "Desiring God"! God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in HIM!!!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Rachel (Orange, CA), May 22, 2003
This book has been extremely inspirational to me!! It gives a new and Biblical perspective on the reason missions exist. Also, check out these other Piper books, "Desiring God" and "The Pleasures of God"! God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in HIM!!!
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