Brief commentaries on world evangelism Bible verses

Missions: The Heart of God

Need ideas for a sermon on missions?

Is world missions on God's heart? How passionate is God about evangelizing the world's lost people groups? Should you preach a sermon on God's mission? Do you need to prepare a sermon on the Great Commission?

"Global missions is not a 'new' or even a New Testament concept. From Genesis 3 onward, it has been an integral part of God's ultimate plan for humanity." -- Buford Edwards, Northwest Nazarene University student

What does the Bible say about missions?

The Bible speaks about evangelizing the whole world quite clearly and consistently throughout its numerous "books." Here are reflections on 36 key passages that emphasize the importance of spreading the Christian Gospel to all nations, These passages, among others, highlight the universal scope of the Christian message and the responsibility believers have to share it with others. These mini-essays on global missions make it clear that world evangelism is central to Christianity.

These three dozen brief articles were published as a series in Engage magazine, an online missions magazine. Use them to build a Faith Promise sermon or even a sermon series.

Articles translated into Spanish | Traducciones en español
    Translated by José Samuel Merida

Do you need a sermon for a Sunday with a world missions emphasis? Use one of these biblical passages as the focal point of a sermon about missions.

  1. Nothing left but the covers — Genesis 1:1 (also Jonah 2:8, Acts 14:15, Romans 1:25, Revelation 4:11 and 14:7)
  2. More than "a place in the country" — Genesis 12:1, 15:8 (also Exodus 19:6, Isaiah 42:6, 49:6 and Acts 13:47)
  3. Blessed to be a blessing — Genesis 22:18 and Galatians 3:7 (also Genesis 3:15, 12:1-3, 17, 18, 22, Matthew 28:19-20, Galatians 3:8)
  4. A call to mission at Sinai — Exodus 19:5-6 (also Genesis 12:1-3, 18:18, 22:18, 28:14, Exodus 28, Isaiah 49:6, 2 Corinthians 5:18, Galatians 3:7)
  5. Loving all people -- even foreigners — Deuteronomy 10:19 (also Genesis 12:3 and 1 John 4:8)
  6. Heart of God: Psalm 9:11 (also Psalm 18:49, Psalm 105:1, John 3:16, and Matthew 28:19-20)
  7. Among the Nations — Psalm 18:49 (also Matthew 28:19-20)
  8. Missions exist because worship doesn't — Psalm 48:10
  9. Global hope — Psalm 65:5 (also Acts 1:8 and Colossians 3:12)
  10. Recruiting for the heavenly choir — Psalm 68:32 (also Matthew 28:19-20 and Romans 10:14)
  11. Keeping track of everyone — Psalm 87:6 (also Exodus 32:32, 1 Chronicles 16:24, Psalm 69:28, Matthew 24:14, Luke 12:7, and Revelation 7:9)
  12. Make known among the nations — Psalm 105:1
  13. From farthest East to farthest West — Psalm 113:3 (also Exodus 19, Psalm 50:12, Isaiah 45:6, 59:19, Matthew 28:19-20)
  14. Proclaim to every island of the sea — Isaiah 24:15 and Isaiah 42:12
  15. The way Isaiah ends — Isaiah 66:18-19 (also Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah chapters 7, 9, 11, 35, 40, 53 and 65, Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15 and Acts 1:8)
  16. Proclaim in the distant coastlands — Jeremiah 31:10 (also Isaiah 42:12 and Psalm 97:1)
  17. Jonah's attitude problem — Jonah 1:2-3 (also Jonah 4:11)
  18. For All Peoples — Zephaniah 3:9 (also Genesis 12:3, Psalm 16:4, Hosea 2:17, John 3:16, Acts 8, 10-11, 16, Romans 10:14 and Revelation 7:9)
  19. Your Kingdom come — Matthew 6:10 (also Jonah 2:8, Matthew 9:38, and Matthew 28:19-20)
  20. The Mustard Seed Parable — Matthew 13:32
  21. No room for "all nations" — Mark 11:17 ( also Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, 1 John 2:2)
  22. Signs of the coming End Times — Matthew 24:14
  23. Missions declaration from the Cross? — Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 ( also Psalm 22, Matthew 28:19-20)  | en español
  24. The Great Commission: Suggestion or Command? — Matthew 28:19-20 (also Genesis 12:3, Isaiah 49:6 and Revelation 7:9)
  25. Tell everyone, everywhere — Mark 16:15 (also Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21 and Acts 1:8)
  26. Good News to all people — Luke 2:10 (also Joshua 2, Psalm 67:2, 98:2-3, Isaiah 49:6, 52:10 and Luke 2:30-32)
  27. The heart of God: His Lost Sheep — Luke 15:4 (also Acts 1:8)
  28. What's the hurry? — John 4:35 (also references to Matthew 9 and Luke 10)
  29. I am sending you — John 20:21 (also Luke 19:10, John 1:14, Galatians 2:20, and Colossians 1:17)
  30. Is missions first local and then global or all at once? — Acts 1:8 (also Matthew 28, Mark 16:15, Acts 8, Acts 15)
  31. Carrying out God's plans — Acts 13:47 (also Isaiah 42:6, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, and Galatians 3:7, 29)
  32. Light to the Gentiles — Acts 13:47 (also Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 2:28-32 and Acts 1:8)
  33. How can they believe in whom they have not heard? — Romans 10:14 (also Romans 10:12 and Isaiah 52)
  34. Unless they are sent — Romans 10:15 (also Luke 10:2, Acts 13:2, and Romans 10:9-10 and 15:24)
  35. The Regions Beyond — 2 Corinthians 10:16
  36. The Purpose Driven Life — Galatians 3:14 (also Matthew 28:19-20)
  37. Looking across the finish line — Revelation 7:9 (also Genesis 11, 12:3, 22:18, Isaiah 49:6, Matthew 24:14 and Acts 1:8)
  38. Revelation's Promise — Revelation 21:23-24 (also Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 28:14, Isaiah 60:3, John 8:12, Revelation 7:9, 7:9, and 14:6)

Essay: The Church as Missionary: Biblical Foundations

    -- Howard Culbertson,

"It was certainly eye-opening (and humbling) to see that from Genesis 1 all the way through Revelation, references to God's desire for the whole world to know Him can be found." -- Robert P., Northwest Nazarene University student

Afterword

These 36 mini-essays point toward some kind of involvement -- such as praying, giving or going -- in world evangelism as an imperative for Christ-followers. The reasons include:

More for you on what the Bible says about world evangelism

You might also like these