The mission is the lifeblood of the church. The church, therefore, goes into decline when missions go into decline. The importance of missions and the discipline of missiology is that without missions, there is no church. However, missiology as a discipline and practice of life is much more profound and transformative. Missiology equips ‘disciples who walk with Jesus and equip others to reflect the life and teaching of Jesus in maturing, faithful, reproducing communities of faith.’ [1] The missiology of Jesus challenges the church’s compromise with ‘the world—with a business structure of full-time people administrating an organization—rather than a community of people on mission with God.’ Mission from the word ‘mitto‘ “I send” is one of the missional keywords of the Christian faith because our God is a sending God. [2]

The missiology of Jesus shapes Christianity in a different view from every other religion or moral teacher in the world. Jesus Christ is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. In Genesis, God sent His power in creation. In the Gospel, God sent His redeeming power in Jesus Christ and His enabling power in the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:16). Jesus, at the close of His earthly ministry, commands His disciples to enter the sending ministry of God, that is, missio Dei, ‘the sending of God’ (Mk 16:15-18). [3]

Christian theology is essentially missiological; hence Christian practice has the mission as its center. Jesus called his first disciples with a clear mission mandate to ‘catch people’ and exemplify ‘Kingdom values.’ Biblical theology leads to Jesus Christ. Biblical Christology leads to the mission. Moreover, biblical missiology leads us to the poor, especially the poor in the spirit. The missiology of Jesus Christ teaches us that Christianity is essentially a missionary movement. As followers and disciples of Jesus, we are ‘sent out into the world in the name of Jesus’ to share the work of our missionary God.

The missiology of Jesus Christ shaped and built on the Great Commission is counter-cultural to the complex missiology devised by academics’ great omission and regressive views. Progressive views shaped by great omissions become regressive views and decline the church. The prime emphasis of the missiology of Jesus is ‘upon personal evangelism, making citizens for the Kingdom. The missiology of Jesus reminds us that Satan loves a silent Christian and church and knows how to shut out their mouths with fleshly love and immorality or get us busy with church activities and maintenance. Busy but guilty of lack of soul-winning. Is your church guilty? Are you guilty? The missiology of Jesus calls you and your church to repentance.

Today, the church’s problem and leadership remind us of wartime when some so-called ‘Christians’ wanted to retain their Kingdom citizenship while cooperating with the enemy.’ The denial of Jesus Christ is as much a sin today based on the increase and domination of non-missional Christians and leadership in church structures, great omission, and complex missiological teachings that promote regressive theological views.

The missiology of Jesus calls for a revival of sharing the missio Dei, bearing in mind the missional unanimity among the Synoptic writers and Jesus Christ’s final earthly instructions to His disciples (Mk 16:15-18; Matt 28:19-20; Lk 24:47; Acts 1:8). The Synoptic missional consensus is that Christians are sent out to make more Christians. [4] The missiology of Jesus tells us that being a Christian is about evangelism; hence ‘Jesus insists that conversion dominates the ‘mission’ canvas.’ William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921), in one of his hymns, ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,’ offers us a summary of the missiology of Jesus:

  1

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

 Just to take Him at His word;

 Just to rest upon His promise;

 Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,

 How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,

 Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!

  O for grace to trust Him more.

  2

O, how sweet to trust in Jesus,

 Just to trust His cleansing blood;

 Just in simple faith to plunge me,

 ‘ Neath the healing, cleansing flood.

  3

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,

 Just from sin and self to cease;

 Just from Jesus simply taking

 Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.

  4

 I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

 Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

 And I know that Thou art with me,

 Wilt be with me to the end.

  [1] http://www.missiology.org/blog/What-Is-Missiology-Gailyn-Van-Rheenen

[2] Dunn-Wilson, David, ‘Mission: DNA and Discipline; The Dry Sponge: Personal and Church Mission Practice’ in Dunn-Wilson, David; Jackson, Richard, The and Now of Church Mission (Milton Keynes, UK: FeedARead.com Publishing, 2015), pp. 47-57

[3] Okegbile, Deji, Revival of Preaching: ‘Juvenility’ to Maturity of Faith and Preachers (London: SADL Print, 2018).

[4] Dunn-Wilson, ‘Mission: DNA and Discipline;