THE MISSION OF MISSIONS IS PRIMARILY SPIRITUAL
See Mark Dever’s “35 Somewhat Overlapping Statements as a Pastor to Pastors Concerning the Topic of The Congregation’s Responsibility for its Wider Community”

THE MISSION BELONGS TO GOD, FOR HIS GLORY, ON HIS TERMS
GLOBAL MISSIONS IS PRIMARILY THROUGH THE LOCAL CHURCH
-The local church makes clear who is and who is not a disciple through baptism and
membership in the body (Acts 2:41).
-The local church is where most discipling naturally takes place (Heb. 10:24–25).
-The local church sends out missionaries (Acts 13:3) and cares for missionaries after they aresent (Phil. 4:15–16; 3 John 1–8).
-And healthy, reproducing local churches are normally the aim and end of our missionary effort (Acts 15:41; Titus 1:5).

THE BIBLE SAYS A LOT ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH MISSIONS
-The Bible tells us what the mission is: the church’s mission is to display the glory of God by declaring the gospel to all peoples, by gathering churches in every place, and by filling them with disciples who obey God and will praise him forever for his grace (Isaiah 56; Matt.28:18–20; Rom. 15:7–13; Eph. 3:8–11; Rev. 7:9–10).
-The Bible tells us how the mission will go forward: through prayerful dependence, gospel proclamation, biblical discipling, and church planting (Ex. 6:5–8; Rom. 10:17; Col. 4:2–4; 1 Thess. 5:11).
-The Bible tells us what kind of missionaries we should support: biblically faithful,
methodologically patient, gospel-proclaiming, church-loving missionaries (Acts 16:1–3;
Rom. 10:14–15; 2 Cor. 8:23; 2 Tim. 4:1–5; 3 John 1–8).
-The Bible tells us what the end goal of missions should be: transformed individuals in
biblical churches who will ultimately join a heavenly multitude praising the Lamb of God
forever (Rom. 8:1–11; Heb. 10:19–25; Rev. 7:9–10).