In 1987 John Piper preached at a missions conference on the importance of having a biblical foundation for missions. Piper’s presentation can be divided into three broad sections. In the first section, he argues from present day realities, the biblical mandate and historical facts, how missions need to have a strong doctrinal basis for its healthy progress. In his second section, Piper moves onto expounding a theology for missions from the gospel of John. After having developed a picture of missions from the Word, he comes to his final section of application.
He began his sermon by considering the present status of missions across the globe. He lamented over three observations : i) the greatness of the unfinished task, ii) the superficiality of the faith of professing Christians and iii) absence of strong leaders who can feed and fire the churches. To all of these three problems, Piper suggests one crucial answer which is, The doctrinal basis of faith and missions is too narrow.
Piper says, The depth and breadth of doctrinal understanding thought to be important for Christians and missionaries has been too shallow and too narrow. This low standard of biblical understanding is then passed on to the younger churches. The result is that the initial enthusiasm has no deep roots, and leadership in biblical study is not prized, and nominalism sets in. The erroneous notion prevails that a broad and deep understanding of biblical doctrine is for the advanced saints or, perhaps, just for scholars, but not for simple missionaries and certainly not for their converts. But this is not true. Paul says in Ephesians 4:13-14 that the only way ordinary people will cease to be children tossed to and fro by winds of false teaching and by the cunning of men is if they come to full manhood in knowledge—the knowledge of the Son of God. This is not the goal of an elite, educated few! It is the biblical mandate for every believer! You!
He then goes onto list 11 values of biblical truth as follows :
Biblical truth frees from Satan (John 8:32; 2 Timothy 2:24-26).
Biblical truth mediates grace and peace (2 Peter 1:2).
Biblical truth sanctifies (John 17:17; 2 Peter 1:3, 5, 12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Biblical truth serves love (Philippians 1:9).
Biblical truth protects from error (Ephesians 4:11-15; 2 Peter 3:17-18).
Biblical truth saves (1 Timothy 4:16; Acts 20:26-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:10).
Biblical truth is the ideal of heaven (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Biblical truth will be resisted by some (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
Biblical truth is the duty of elders (Titus 1:9).
Biblical truth is approved by God (2 Timothy 2:15).
Biblical truth should continually increase (2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 5:12).
Piper then argues from history how the state of affairs were different in the bygone age, especially during the beginning days of the modern missionary movement. He illustrates this using William Carey’s experience in India and then notes, So the modern missionary movement got its start in an atmosphere of strong doctrinal commitments. They were the commitments of the great American pastor and theologian, Jonathan Edwards. Edwards wrote the Life of David Brainerd, the young New England missionary—a biography that deeply influenced Carey….The keynote of Edwards' and Carey's theology was the centrality of God and the glory of his sovereign grace. The origin of Baptist missions sprang up among pastors in England who were decidedly doctrinal in their life and preaching. Andrew Fuller, Samuel Pearce, John Sutcliffe and William Carey were all of this sort. Their majestic view of God moved them to lay claim to the nations on his behalf and the modern missionary movement was born. Later on such names as David Livingstone, Adoniram Judson, Alexander Duff, John Paton, etc. were driven by the same vision. They were what some people call Calvinists though none of them cared for labels. They loved the historic doctrines of Biblical Christianity, and if Calvin taught them so be it.
In the next section of his sermon, he focuses on the gospel of John and develops a doctrinal basis for doing missions by knowing the God of John’s gospel, Whose sovereignty, Piper argues, is the glorious and gracious foundation for missions. His key text is John 10:16 and Piper argues that to understand this missionary promise of Christ we have to take notice of at least six things in the context of John 10.
The six observations are :
1) Jesus calls himself a shepherd.
2) This leads to the second observation, namely, that in John 10 some sheep are Christ’s and some are not.
3) A third observation: The reason some sheep belonged to Jesus so that he could call them his own is that God the Father had given them to the Son.
4) A fourth observation follows: Since Jesus knows those who are his, he can call them by name; and because they are already his, they follow.
5) But that is not all that Jesus does for his sheep. Verse 11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
6) And on the basis of this sacrifice Jesus gives eternal life to his sheep and it can never be taken away.
Piper summarizes his observations as follows : The picture we have in John 10 is of a great shepherd who sovereignly saves his sheep. The Father gives them to him. He dies for them. He calls them by name. He gives them eternal life. And he keeps them safe forever. What a great salvation we have! What a great Savior!
Piper then moves on from exposition to application and begins with a word of warning that this teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ does not leave any room for complacency. He condemns the Hyper-Calvinistic error and warns that the doctrine of election and predestination in John’s gospel cannot be twisted into an in-house, elitist doctrine for the private comfort of the chosen few, with no burden to reach the nations of the world.
After his warning, Piper offers four things in John 10:16 that should fill us to overflowing with confidence in our missions dreaming and planning and labor. These are his concluding applications from the key text.
They are :
1) Christ has people besides those already converted—other people besides us…“I have other sheep that are not of this fold.” It is a promise full of hope for those who dream about new fields of missionary labor.
2) The verse implies that the “other sheep” that Christ has are scattered outside the present fold… So we may be sure on the authority of God’s Word that among all the peoples of the world we will find people who belong to God's flock. That is a great encouragement to get on with the task of frontier missions and to reach the hidden peoples.
3) The third encouragement in John 10:16 is that the Lord has committed himself to bring his lost sheep home. He promises to do it….So we can take heart: all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the Son of God and he declares, “I must bring in my other sheep.” He will do it.
4) Which implies the final word of hope from the text: If he brings them, they will come! “I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice.” None of Christ’s sheep finally reject his word. What else can keep you going in a hard and unresponsive place of ministry except the confidence that God reigns and that those whom the Father has chosen will heed the voice of the Son?
Piper ends his presentation with a prayer for Christians to take this Reformed missiology seriously and launch out into frontier missions for the glory of God. Piper prays for God to, deepen and broaden the biblical foundation of your vision for the world. May he open our eyes not only to the fields that are white to harvest, but also to the majesty and splendor and glory of his sovereign grace. And may we be carried over all the obstacles and discouragements by the great confidence that the Lord himself will gather the ransomed from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Amen.
A Theology for Missions Read
Footnotes
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[1] All quotations taken from John Piper, A Theology for Missions, Conference on Missions Education, September 19, 1987
