The Expansion of the World Christian Movement Lesson 6 The Expansion of the World Christian Movement

MISSIONS PERSPECTIVES SYLLABUS Biblical The Living God is a Missionary God The Story of His Glory Your Kingdom Come Mandate for the Nations Unleashing the Gospel MISSIONS PERSPECTIVES SYLLABUS 2

MISSIONS PERSPECTIVES SYLLABUS Historical The Expansion of the World Christian Movement Eras of a Mission History Pioneers of the World Christian Movement The Task Remaining MISSIONS PERSPECTIVES SYLLABUS 3

Assignment: Read “The Kingdom Strikes Back:  The Ten Epochs of Redemptive History,” by Ralph Winter, pgs. 29-42. Winter contends that history is a “single, coherent drama.”  What are the outlines of the “plot”?  What themes are repeated?  What major lessons are to be observed? Outline: Ten Epochs thru 4,000 years, the counterattack on evil, redemption by blessing, mechanisms of missions, advance & flourishings Themes: grace of God, God’s intervention in an evil world Major lessons: God can raise up others if we falter.   Homework Review

Introduction to Historical Perspective Quotables: We study history not to find out what happened, but to find out who we are.” “People who are not making history become tools in the hands of those who will.” Introduction to Historical Perspective

Introduction to Lesson 6 The Kingdom Strikes Back Human beings have virtually erased their own history Redemptive plan, his story always becoming His Story Libraries, literature, cities have been wiped out God’s desire to commune with man during the cool of the day turned into civil war, genocide, etc. Blood diamond conflict in Sierra Leone, Angola, Khmer Rouge, etc. Mozambique 27 years of civil war Evil detailed in surviving documents of major religions Introduction to Lesson 6 6

Don’t ever think the Bible is unrelated stories as taught in Sunday School One single drama, authored by God that we GET TO participate in! What’s the theme? The entrance of the Kingdom, the power and glory of the living God in this enemy- occupied territory Lesson 6 Intro

The counterattack did not just await Jesus Christ First 5 epochs Theme: grace of God His plan: conferring an unusual blessing on Abe’s seed Enemy’s plan: stirs up hate, distorts DNA sequences, destruction, divorce, division, dissension, distrust Virulent germs tear down confidence in God’s character Malaria strains in Moz resistant to malaria medicine Ten Epochs over 4,000 years

Four Mechanisms of Mission Voluntary going Involuntary going Voluntary coming Involuntary coming Four Mechanisms of Mission

Second Half of the Story Advance both Cultural & Geographic Dismissing the BOBO Theory Flourishings or Renaissances Two structures of God’s redemptive mission for Period V: Modality (church) – structures are inclusive, nurture- oriented, structured fellowship, i.e., church congregation Sodality (para-church) – structures are second decision, task oriented, structured fellowship, i.e., missions society or military force Acts 14:21-28 Acts 13:1-5 Second Half of the Story 10