How should the global church understand and implement missio dei to actualize the kingdom of God, so that the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt. 6:9-10)? What should be our biblical vision and our mission strategy?
\nRight after the Lausanne\u2019s Global Workplace Forum (GWF) held in Manila last June 25-29, 2019, I sent this post to my networks in WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger: \u201cGWF is the most important Christian conference since Pentecost. Acts 15 officially broke the barrier between Jews and Gentiles. But the church devolved and was reformatted towards the Christendom (clergy-centered, cathedral-based) system. GWF is the first international consultation in transforming the church to the original \u201cservant-church\u201d format (Ac.2:41-47; 8:4; 19:10). The agenda is kingdomization: how to equip the royal priesthood of all believers (1 Pet.2:9-10; Eph. 4:11-13) to effectively multiply Jesus\u2019 disciples who enthrone Him as Lord over all in (common) neighborhoods\/communities and (secular) workplaces among all peoples on earth!\u201d
\nAfter a few hours, I added: \u201cKingdomization is to transform the secular to sacred by incarnating Jesus in the institutions of societies (starting with families) by implementing prayer to God in Jesus\u2019 name and obedience to His word (1 Tim.4:4-5) through any small group (as small as 2 or 3) anytime and anywhere (including workplaces and residences) from the inside out (hence infiltratively and subversively) and from the bottom up (Lk.4:18-19; 7:22-23). Lk.12:32.\u201d
\nMay I elaborate and clarify what I meant by these two paragraphs: I believe that God has a simple plan for world evangelization and transformation. The Bible clearly says that God desires all people to be saved (2 Pet.3:8-9) and to know the truth (1 Tim.2:3-4). To achieve this, the all-loving and all-wise God must have devised the simplest master-plan to get this good news out to the whole world (of fallen humanity) in the soonest possible time. This He did by sending His Son Jesus Christ to not just provide the way of redemption in 33 years (cf. Gal 4:4), but also got Jesus to model this strategic plan (Lk.7:20-23) and train his disciples how to implement this plan (Lk.9:1-6; 10:1-20) by the power of the Holy Spirit across the Roman Empire and the world (Ac.1:8; 8:4; 11:19-21; 19:1-10; Rom.15:18-20).
\nSo let me describe how missio dei (God\u2019s plan for world redemption) looks like, in terms of its goal, outcome, strategy and methodology, as well as some such models in the world today. I will show that instead of the predominant Christianization (to fill the world with church buildings and facilities), God\u2019s simple plan is kingdomization (to transform the world\u2019s buildings and facilities to serve Him).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SIMPLE GOAL: Kingdomization or Societal Transformation (not Christianization)<\/strong> SIMPLE OUTCOME: Cellular networks of oikos churches<\/strong> SIMPLE STRATEGY: Insider Movements (IM) <\/strong> SIMPLE METHODOLOGY: Disciple multiplication (DM)<\/strong> KINGDOMIZATION TODAY<\/strong> CONCLUSION<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n ==========================<\/p>\n\n\n\n David S. Lim<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. David S. Lim is the Executive Director of China Ministries International-Philippines, that recruits Filipino missionaries for China. He serves as a key member of the Facilitation Team that seeks to mobilize and train 200,000 Filipino missionaries to reach the unreached peoples of the world. He had previously served as Academic Dean at Asian Theological Seminary(Philippines)
God desires to bless all peoples to inherit His eternal kingdom\/reign in heaven and experience His abundant life on earth as they obey Him as their Creator and King through their faith in His Son Jesus Christ. His goal or purpose is \u201ckingdomization\u201d or “societal transformation,” by which individuals, families, communities and institutions are enabled to relate with each other and with other communities with biblical norms and values \u2013 not perfectly, but substantially and significantly. This translates to building Christ-centered transformational communities that are growing in righteousness\/justice marked by self-giving love (agape), where every household (oikos) will be blessed (cf. Gen.12:1-3). Righteousness refers to just\/right relationships (usually using one word: “love” or peace\/shalom) with God, with self, with all people (esp. those already in the Kingdom, Gal. 6:10) and with creation.
My favorite text to depict God\u2019s kingdom is Isaiah 65:17-25 (popularly called the \u201cIsaiah 65 vision\u201d), which envisions a \u201cnew heavens and new earth\u201d on earth. The first three verses describe the New Jerusalem as a \u201ccity of joy\u201d where life is celebrated and God is delighted. Verse 20 sees people living long lives, presumably with healthy lifestyles, clean environments and good governance (cf. 1 Tim.2:1-2), implying that the leaders are also godly and competent. Verses 21-22 show a society where social justice prevails, where each one\u2019s labor is rewarded accordingly, following the prophetic ideal of \u201ceach man sitting under his own vine and fig tree\u201d with nothing to fear (Mic.4:4) and with the Mosaic laws of gleaning and the year of Jubilee in force (so none will be poor, Deut.15:1-11; Lev. 25). The next verse depicts prosperity passed on from one generation to the next, and the last verse describes harmony among animals, humans, and the whole creation. And verse 24 hints at a mature form of faith in the gracious God whose blessings do not need to be earned or pleaded for, religiously or otherwise (cf. Rev. 21:22-27).
However, historically, the church diverted sadly into the \u201cChristianization\u201d vision, particularly in conceiving of its mission as a religious undertaking and its goal as a religious institution building (in short, to establish Christendom). Rather than infiltrating and subverting the institutions and cultures, the Christian mainstream sought to establish its own institutions, thus maintaining subcultures separate from the allegedly pagan, religio-cultural and social orders in the world. This is based on three major shifts in their understanding of the kingdom of God, particularly in their concepts of holy people, holy places and holy practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThis concept is important for effective kingdom expansion, too. Kingdomization is best actualized through a flat (non-hierarchical) structure of empowered individuals and families through \u201czero-budget missions\u201d (Lk.10:4a; Ac.3:6). There is no need to collect regular tithes, but only offerings as specific needs arise and as the Spirit leads. The focus is on the glory of God (not any gifted human being) in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Zech. 4:6). Christ-followers can develop a simple (yet mature) faith that they have direct access to God and can represent Him in whichever community, profession and situation God positions them in the world.<\/li>
\nThe goal is for all peoples to accept the kingdom\u2019s worldview and follow its lifestyle, which can (and have been) contextually institutionalized into laws, policies and structures. This can be achieved through the processes of evangelization and disciple-making \u2013 to form Christ-centered communities in any place, mainly in residences (neighborhoods) and places of work or study (schools, factories, government offices, banks, stores, etc.) \u2013 where God’s word is prayerfully discussed, applied and lived out relevantly in their daily life (1 Cor.10:31), usually in weekly small group devotions. <\/li>
\nHence the visible expression of God\u2019s kingdom is simply \u201cloving one another\u201d \u201cas I love you\u201d (self-sacrificially) (Jn.13:34-35, cf. 1 Jn.3:16-18), in the form of social services rather than religious services. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus taught that in the Final Judgment, God\u2019s only standard for sheep to get eternal life is whether their faith worked out in love (Gal.5:6), particularly to the least of His family (the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, prisoners). <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
What outcome then will have been established when God\u2019s kingdom is realized on any segment of the world? As the \u201cSecond Adam,\u201d Jesus modelled what a perfect person could be and what vocation a godly\/righteous human being should do for the kingdom (Ac.10:36-38). Thus, to expand the kingdom, he trained His disciples to transform the villages of Galilee by simply going two by two without bringing outside resources into the community (Lk.10:4a), and find a \u201cperson of peace\/shalom\u201d (vv.5-6) and disciple that person to disciple their oikos, kin, friends and neighbours (vv.4b-9). If there is no such person in a community, they can just leave and go to another one (vv.10-16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIt\u2019s simply discipling every believer to become \u201cperfect\/mature in Christ\u201d (Col.1:28-29), with the confidence to serve as a priest (minister) of God in their oikos. (The Reformation recovered the doctrine of the \u201cpriesthood of all believers,\u201d but failed to implement it). Disciples are made in small groups, never in big meetings. Each must grow in love, so they must practice and experience intimate relationships (as \u201cbest friends\u201d) as they teach, correct, love and confess sins to one another.<\/li>
\nWhat about accountability? Each one is accountable directly to our King Jesus who commissioned each of his followers to make disciples of the nations. Each believer\u2019s oikos is a \u201chouse of prayer for the nations,\u201d used to love, serve, bless and improve the homes of others. Each one is also accountable to their own disciplers and disciples in mutual accountability, including to confess sins to one another and to forgive the sins of one another.<\/li>
\nMoreover, OCNs are lay movements and their leaders serve in various sectors of society \u2013 not in the clergy-led structures of Christendom. Each Christ-follower is discipled to be self-supporting through a means of livelihood (Eph.4:28). OCN leaders in Christendom (and Buddhist) contexts will have to gradually phase out the need for the clerical (and monastic) order, as they learn about the \u201cpriesthood of all believers.\u201d Though they may continue to be supported by \u201ctithes and offerings\u201d at the start, they will each transition to a livelihood or trade (to serve as models, 2 Th.3:6-12), most probably for many as teachers of philosophy and ethics. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
What then is the mission strategy to set up OCNs in the whole world, which has multi-cultural and multi-religious contexts? Jesus trained his disciples to do his simple strategy effectively (Lk.9:1-6; 10:1-17), which he also illustrated cross-culturally among the Samaritans (Jn.4) and in Gentile Decapolis (Mk.5:1-20; 7:31-8:10). When entering other cultures, Paul practiced \u201cbecoming all things to all people\u201d (1 Cor.9:20-23), in fact \u201cmaking himself a slave (doulos) among them\u201d (v. 19). As for the local converts, his simple strategy \u2013 now called \u201cInsider Movements (IM)\u201d \u2013 included three dimensions: incarnational (1 Cor.7:11-17, 20, 24), contextual (vv. 18-20) and transformational (vv. 21-24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nKingdomization is an occupation plan, not an evacuation plan (1 Cor.15:24-25; Phil.2:9-11), because Christ is ruler over all things (Col.1:16-17) (Taylor 2015, 377). Christ-followers sanctify the non-believers (1 Cor.7:14) and food offered to idols (10:20-26), because all things can be purified (Tit.1:15) by prayer and the Word (1 Tim.4:4-5). Jesus Christ entered European pagan cosmologies and transformed them Christward. New Christ-followers can continue to join in the activities and festivities of their community with clear conscience. When they are confronted and asked about their motivation, then they can explain and witness to Christ, even if it may result in persecution.
\nIMs may thus be called \u201cincarnational missions\u201d which contrasts with the disastrous effects of Christendom\u2019s \u201cimperial missions\u201d on making Jesus look very bad (aggressive, foreign and irrelevant), esp. in the Global South. Perhaps worst is the heavy burden that the latter has been imposing on new believers and churches (esp. those among the poor) as they need to invest their very limited resources in supporting the salaries and theological studies of their clergymen, buying property, constructing cathedrals, financing their religious activities \u2013 all of which make them look insensitively rich (and irrelevant) in relation to the houses and facilities in their poor(er) neighbourhoods. Most of these projects have been highly subsidized from abroad, esp. their denominational partners, up to this day. Almost all of them don\u2019t even have small budgets for community services, unless they partner with some Christian development organizations.
\nIn contrast, the rich harvest that Jesus expected from his disciples are being reaped nowadays through the simple incarnational approach by OCNs. By just following the instructions of Jesus in his \u201czero-budget missions\u201d (Lk.10:4a), every disciple just leads someone (usually a relative or new friend, called a \u201cperson of peace\u201d) to trust and obey King Jesus in love and good works. As they serve one another, the people (esp. community leaders) around them will take notice of \u201chow they love one another\u201d (and the neighbourhood) and will soon also ask for their help. They then naturally rise to become leaders in the community.<\/li>
\nThey may even become more biblical and Christ-centered than the tradition-laden and liturgy-oriented denominations in today\u2019s uncontextualized and Westernized Christendom. They will gradually learn how to get rid of anything that is sinful: idolatry, individualism, immorality and injustice. Not all at once, as all of us have not been totally rid of such sins ourselves, and as Elisha permitted Naaman to do ceremonial worship to pagan gods (2 Ki.5:17-19), and Paul permitted the Corinthians to eat foods offered to idols (1 Cor. 8-10). Almost all of our present Christian practices (in liturgies, weddings, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc) were adapted from pagan customs of pre-Christian European tribes anyway (cf. Walls 1996, 15-54).
\nContextuality should also mark the OC meetings, with the free mixture of activities according to the needs and gifts of the participants, as set by the leader(s) in close consultation with all the members. Following the 1 Cor.14:26(-40) pattern of meeting, all members come prepared to \u201cprovoke one another to love and good works\u201d (Heb.10:24) in their body-life together. In literate cultures, Christ-followers can go through any biblical text according to the needs and interests of people present. In oral cultures, they can learn about Jesus and his teachings through story-telling, singing and drama, which can lead to worldview change (Evans 2008).
\nTransformational. And what will be the outcome of fulfilling Jesus\u2019 IM to realize \u201cJubilee everyday\u201d? The OCNs will ultimately help their societies to have a simple yet profound religiosity marked by \u201cloving one another\u201d as members of one big family as Christ loves us (Jn.13:34-35; 1 Jn.3:16-18), most concretely expressed in the \u201ccommon purse\u201d of the earliest church\u2019s \u201ccaring and sharing economy\u201d (Ac.2:42-47; 4:32-37; 6:1-7; cf. 2 Cor.8-9), for sustainability and socio-economic development (cf. 1 Cor.7:21-24), where no one is left behind.
\nAs each disciple grows in Christ-likeness, they will be liberated from sin to become more generous, more caring towards and sharing with their neighbors, which is the \u201cagape\u201d law of Christ (Gal.5:13-23; 6:1-2; Rom.13:8-10). They are discipled to do acts of kindness and justice locally and globally, which is called \u201ctransformational development\u201d or \u201cintegral mission\u201d nowadays.
\nThis spirituality translates into discipling and transforming the global economic system, too. Many OC leaders are involved in Christian development organizations that are already leading in building the third (other than capitalism and socialism) alternative economic order called the Solidarity Economy, which equips and empowers the poor through social entrepreneurship and fair trade, so each person can have their own land (Lev. 25) and their own \u201cvine and fig tree\u201d (Mic.4:4), passed on to the next generations (Isa. 65:21-23).
\nFor instance, the OCNs that had \u201cgospel explosion\u201d in six big provinces in China spread from village to village through the witnessing lifestyles of ordinary Christ-followers who were known for their hard-working, in service, and care work in their neighborhoods. Even Communist cadres and leaders became \u201csecret believers\u201d in these OCNs (cf. Hattaway 2003). <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
What then is the methodology of IM to expand the kingdom to the whole world? Like what Jesus did in equipping and sending each of his disciples out into their world (Mk. 3:13-15), \u201cdisciple multiplication\u201d (DM) is the OCN\u2019s simple method to \u201cdisciple all nations.\u201d Every believer (oikos, tribe and nation) can be mobilized and equipped to multiply disciples where they live and work! Anything less \u2013 or more \u2013 is a diversion from God\u2019s simple plan to evangelize and transform the world speedily.
Disciple-making. Oikos churches (OCs) are actually \u201cdisciple-making groups,\u201d which may also be called \u201csimple (or organic) churches,\u201d \u201cbasic ecclesial communities\u201d (BEC, cf. Boff 1986), \u201ckingdom cells,\u201d \u201ccare groups,\u201d etc. It is any small (not more than 10 couples, preferably as \u201ctwo or three\u201d for intimate sharing) Christ-worshipping and Scripture-honoring body of believers who have covenanted to meet regularly and are willing to be held accountable for their Christ-centered lives to one another.
Life is relationships; the rest are just details. To disciple means to equip Christ-followers with just three relational habits: (a) hearing God through prayerful meditation to turn His word (logos) into a word (rhema) to be obeyed (2 Tim.3:16-17); (b) making disciples through leading a \u2018HC\u2019 in Bible-and-life sharing, thereby each one learns how to do personal devotions (or \u2018Quiet Time\u2019 = lectio divina) with fellow believers (Heb.10:24; 1 Cor.14:26); and (c) doing friendship evangelism to share what they learn of God and His will with their non-believing networks.
The OCs may be (a) residential, where its members meet in homes, living out their faith in their neighborhood (Eph.5:21-6:4), or particularly in urbanized and industrialized centers (b) professional, where its members meet in their place of work or study, and witness to their faith in the marketplace (6:5-18), for the transformation of all socio-cultural structures.
Spiritual Reproduction. \u201cDisciples\u201d are those who are willing to be mentored to form a more Christ-like character, and be equipped to discover and minister with their spiritual gift(s). They also desire to be trained to do evangelism and lead their own OCs. They should have become a \u201cdisciple-maker,\u201d empowered (given authority) to lead their own OCs and OCNs as soon as possible. They will seek to turn their contacts into friends and into converts through \u201cfriendship evangelism,\u201d and then also into disciple-makers by equipping them and sending them to form their own OCs and OCNs.
Disciple-making should be finished normally in less than a year, so that the discipler can make more disciples and start more OCs. This should happen intentionally, as OC members are encouraged to disciple new believers in new (their own!) OCs, or to pair up and start new OCs in other contexts, as soon as possible. At the start of each OC (say, the first month), it is best that they meet as often as possible (if possible, daily). After several months (maximum of one year), OCs can meet less regularly, say, monthly and then quarterly, and later annually or even just through correspondence and social media (email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.).
Minimal religiosity. IMs will result in OCNs whose spirituality will require less and less religious practices. Following Christ does not require public displays of religiosity \u2013 in fact, Jesus literally discouraged such (Matt 6:1-18), which included alms-giving, praying and fasting, which God will reward in secret. As each Christ-follower walks humbly and simply for God\u2019s glory (1 Cor.10:31; Mic.6:8), their community leaders will establish shalom where their constituents enjoy life with love and justice (1 Tim.2:1-2). Their spirituality does not need to develop elaborate theologies, ethics, liturgies and hierarchies (cf. Am.5:21-24; Ps.131).
If a community already has good community services, OCs just need to join and aim to become part of the leadership and introduce devotions (prayer and the Word) in the existing structures. If the community lacks such ministries, IMers can start serving informally as volunteers and later help set up people\u2019s organizations or non-government agencies to address particular needs with the blessing of the community leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By God\u2019s grace, in the past 25 years, most OCNs in all continents, esp. Asia, North America & Australia, have been catalyzing IMs. Among the better known writers are Wolfgang Simson (Houses that Change the World), Neil Cole (Organic Church), Tony & Felicity Dale (Simply Church), Frank Viola & George Barna (Pagan Christianity), and Rad Zdero (The Global House Church Movement). Most significant in promoting IMs are Frontier Ventures (formerly the U.S. Center for World Mission), its organ Mission Frontiers and its publishing arm William Carey Library, as well as the International Society of Frontier Missions (ISFM) and its organ International Journal of Frontier Missions (IJFM).
In China and the Philippines, OCNs have been sending multitudes of disciple-makers as \u201cants, bees and (earth)worms who are ordinary people using ordinary\/organic ways to bless (develop, enrich) the lives of others. OCNs are spreading the Gospel of \u201ceternal life (in heaven) and abundant life (on earth) for all\u201d in Christ simply \u2013 through \u201cnameless, faceless and (apparently) powerless\u201d servants of the most high God.
The OCNs in China have sent 17 and 18-year-olds to go (with one-way tickets) and help in the farms and tell stories of Jesus. In the Philippines, we\u2019re setting up training centers for organic farming and marketing hubs for social enterprises to sell their products beyond their communities. Since 2005, the Philippine Missions Association\u2019s (PMA) flagship mobilization program has focused on equipping and sending overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be tentmakers who catalyze simple disciple multiplication movements (DMMs) to bless the nations (Lim 2013a).
In India, they\u2019re going from village to village to enrich farmers with organic farming technology. In Japan, businessmen are leading fellow-businessmen and their employees to follow Jesus through \u201cbusiness coaching;\u201d the top leader is now getting a PhD in Urban Engineering in order to position himself to catalyze an IM among the Parliament (Diet) members in his district. In Thailand, the main leader has a satellite TV program that gives socio-cultural commentary on issues in various sectors of society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across the world today, most of the OCNs are doing IMs to form transformational communities that are led by local Christ-followers who have not been extracted from their relational and religio-cultural communities. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, OCNs will continue to catalyze IMs in Asia and beyond, for they believe that the harvest has always been ripe for reaping (Jn 4:35). Our King Jesus is indeed building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Mt 16:18-19).
IMs aim to form OCNs to simply multiply Christ-followers who can disciple and transform societies into Christ-following communities and workplaces \u2013 contextualized, holistic and transformational \u201cindigenous churches\u201d that are truly replicable: self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating and self-theologizing. We will be \u201cplanting churches\u201d that will be copied by future generations of Christ-followers, so we should avoid transplanting denominational churches (= complex Christianity) which are often decontextualized (= foreign-looking, if not actually foreign), hence have almost always produced marginalized Christ-followers who are separated from their communities \u2013 despised and rejected by their family and friends, not because of the Gospel but because of their extra-biblical forms.
So, we should not encourage our disciples to attend denominational churches, if there is any, perhaps except in special occasions. We should just focus on making disciples and multiplying OCs, for where two or three believers are gathered prayerfully, there is the church. We should encourage all Christ-followers to just \u201cgossip Jesus\u201d and multiply small \u201cdisciple-making groups\u201d among their friends and kin in their neighborhoods and workplaces. We all have to just do this spiritual \u201cnetwork marketing\u201d of the Gospel from village to village, city to city, region to region, and nation to nation \u2013 till every home and workplace in the world knows and obeys Jesus as King. May God find us faithful in working together in and through IMs to actualize the kingdom of God effectively (not perfectly yet substantially) among all peoples of the world in our generation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and Oxford Centre for Mission Studies(U.K.), and now serves as President of two schools: Asian School for Development and Cross-Cultural Studies (ASDECS) and Asian Center for English Studies(ACES). His Ph.D in the New Testaments was earned from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, U.S.A.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t