January 2022 from the desk of John Spadafora, Crossworld Director of Church Engagement
Genesis 1 and the Great Commission A Necessary Connection
Hello Friend,
What does it take to engage the whole body of Christ in Jesus’ disciple-making mandate? In our last issue of CCN, Crossworld President Dale Losch suggested several tips to move our congregations in that direction. One tip was to teach in our churches a theology of work so that all believers understand the connection between who they are, what they do, and God’s work in the world.
That understanding begins on the first pages of the Bible.
Genesis 1 tells us that, unlike everything else God created, we are made in God’s image. That means in some finite and imperfect measure, humanity reflects the love, justice, and beauty of God.
As soon as we’re told that we’re made in God’s likeness, God then commands us to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth….” In my experience, few people connect these first pages of the Bible to what they understand of “missions.” Yet Jesus later reiterates this same command in Mark 16:15 when He says, “Go into all the world.”
What was God’s intention when He created humanity? An enormous question! And essential to understand if we want to know “who are we” and “why are we here” — not only on this planet but also in our daily jobs.
We can answer this question when we put together the two realities of being made like God and commanded to fill the earth, and set them in the world of Genesis 1-2. What do we see? Total well-being (shalom), perfect relationships with God and one another, and satisfying work in the life-giving garden.
We are image-bearers of God…
…made to flourish with our Creator and one another.
…made to work as God does, to provide, create order, bring beauty, and release potential.
…made to reflect God’s presence, identity, and authority in all the world.
Thousands of years later, we still have no greater dignity nor purpose. The command to “fill the earth” was not for a select few. It was given to all humanity — embodied in Adam and Eve, the crown of God’s creation. God’s intention was to glorify Himself through humanity flourishing to the ends of the earth.
We know too well that sin sabotaged that plan of God. But imagine for a moment if Genesis 3 had not happened and Genesis 1-2 were fulfilled. We would have a whole world that reflects God’s love, justice, and beauty through a diverse yet unified, working, flourishing humanity — a world of shalom.
God has not rescinded His Genesis 1 command. Jesus renewed it in His Great Commission command to “go and make disciples of all nations.” This commission, just like the original in Genesis, applies to all humanity in relationship to Him, in all kinds of work.
When we as churches help our people connect those dots, may God raise up more disciple-makers from all professions to flood the world’s marketplaces with life.●
Workship: Recalibrate Work and Worshipby Patrick Lai
This book is designed to help the church integrate work and worship by exploring the Hebrew and Greek words for worship, service, and work. The first in a series, it emphasizes witness through plowing hard soil with prayer and love, illustrated by many stories from Lai’s 30+ years working cross-culturally.
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Let’s partner together and fulfill the Great Commission.
Whether you’re sending your first cross-cultural workers or you’ve been doing this for years, we can help. Empower the people in your church to find and thrive in their role in God’s mission.
