One of the places in Scripture that we find missions and worship intertwined is in Acts 13:2. This is a description of the birth of the great missionary movement that in a sense continues today. Paul and Barnabas on their mission to the Gentile world is the beginning of that movement.
We see that the mission commission comes in the midst of worship. It says in this passage "they were ministering to the Lord and fasting" when the Holy Spirit calls them to the mission. Their mission came while they were worshipping. Authentic Godly mission will always begin and end in worship. We mentioned in other blogs how we see the same principle in Isaiah 6. Worship will always lead us to be on mission. If it doesn't, then we are not really worshipping. We may attend church regularly, love to sing, be very religious, but if it doesn't lead us to mission, we are not really worshipping. If we are not telling others about the Lord, praying, going, and giving then our basic problem is that our hearts are not abounding in Him.
Why are these people in the church in Antioch found "ministering to the Lord and fasting"? Because in chapter 11 we find the church of Jerusalem sending out people on mission, reaching those at Antioch. The mission to the church at Antioch leads the new church at Antioch to worship. Missions is not an end in itself. Missions is a means to the greatest end - worship.
John Piper is well known for saying: "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church, worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't." We were not created to be on mission, we were created to worship. Because if our worship is genuine we will be on mission to those who are not worshipping Him. Those who are reached are reached so they may worship the same glorious God whom we serve and worship. And the very, very end of the mission will be the worship in heaven around the throne as predicted in Revelation 7.
Missions starts in worship, when God's people become caught up in His glory and majesty, becoming compelled to do everything possible to share Him with all peoples. And the mission will end in worship... with peoples from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation one day standing before the throne of God joining with us in the eternal worship of heaven. Hallelujah! mjm
