Lesson 3

Common Ground?The Challenge of Unbelief

Missions: The Church’s Marching OrdersOur Lord Jesus gave the church global “marching orders” which involves each one of us. It is precisely because this mission is world-encompassing that it has local implications. Know this global mission well in order to understand the commission graciously given to Proclamation and my particular role in it.

1.The Real Problem – The Real Solution2.The End Game – The Objective of Missions3.Common Ground? The Challenge of Unbelief4.It’s Dangerous Over There! Suffering and

Persecution5.You Will Receive Power! The Holy Spirit and

Missions6.Mission of Mercy – Justice and Poverty7.Something More? Scripture as a Guide8.Missions in our DNA - The Global Church 9.Does the Church Need Missions? Summary

What is your “religion”?

“Religion” or “relationship”?

Creator

Creature

• Distinction• Dependence• Condescension• Knowledge• Obligation

Covenant

1. Adam’s Sin• Legal disobedience• Substitute authority• Autonomy• Allegiance to Satan• Fall: All of Creation & All of History• Rebellion and Idolatry

2. Golden Calf

• They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. (Psalm 106:20)

• They forgot God, their Savior (v.21)• They sacrificed to demons that were no gods,

to gods they had never known (Dt 32:17)• I have formed you, you are mine (Isaiah 43)

Idolatry is having or inventing something in which to put our trust instead of, or in addition to, the only true God who has revealed himself in his Word.

- Heidelberg Catechism

3. The Horrible Exchange

Romans 1:18-25

• Clearly Perceived• They Knew God• They Suppress the Truth• Exchanged the truth about God for a

lie

Implications

• Unbelief is essentially uniform• Unbelief: not consist of partial truths• Unbelief counterfeits truth• Unbelief is self-deceiving• Unbelief is cultural• Unbelief is suppressing the truth

Unbelief to Belief• Not even one who seeks God• Complete lack of ability

45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. . . 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Corinthians 15)