V. God's World: His Call & His Commission Doing the Works of Jesus
The DTS believes God is interactive and gives people responsibility for his world.
- equips to actively invade the kingdom of darkness with truth.
- challenges one to action to see people of every tongue, tribe, and nation take their place around the throne of God.
- affirms that God calls all believers to "full-time service" into any realm of society. encourages one to seek the empowering and equipping of the Holy Spirit.
- brings hope to people and nations.
- inspires, equips and regularly gives opportunity to share the Gospel with the lost in relevant and sensitive ways.
- practices intercession/spiritual warfare for people and nations.
- imparts God's heart of mercy and compassion and displays it to those in need.
- affirms that one believer, who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit, has the potential to make a significant contribution to help complete the "Great Commission."
- challenges one to clarify with God one's personal life direction and purpose
Concepts to Understand and Apply
- Before ascending Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into all the world to live, proclaim and teach the gospel of God's Kingdom; taking back from the enemy that which is God's.
- One way God's kingdom advances throughout the world is when believers discern and defeat the enemy's strategies through intercession.
- Believers, empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit, can also defeat the works of the enemy by responding in the opposite spirit (respond with humility to pride, generosity to greed etc.).
- All believers are called by God to glorify him in every aspect of their lives (general calling).
- Every believer has the privilege and responsibility to be ready to share the gospel in an effective manner that is relevant ( a basic knowledge of cross- cultural communication principles is included in the DTS to equip the staff/students to talk to people of other cultures).
- There are still nations/peoples with little to no gospel witness. Every believer has the privilege and responsibility to respond in some way to this need (Pray, Go, Give, Support) (general calling).
- Every believer has the privilege and responsibility to demonstrate God's mercy and compassion to those in need (general calling).
- Each believer has been created by God with certain abilities, capacities, gifts, and personality. Understanding one's God- given design can help a person discern his specific calling.
- Believers are co-workers with God. As they intimately relate with God and others, they come to understand God's call and how he is leading them to fulfill it.
- The Holy Spirit equips and empowers believers to fulfill their call (general and specific).
- The prayer and counsel of others plays a vital role in the formation and strengthening of one's ability to know and walk in one's calling.
- God loves, respects, and has a purpose for peoples/nations (not just for the individuals of a people group/nation).
- The Body of Christ has the privilege and responsibility to serve God's redemptive purposes in cultures/people groups.
- God calls ALL believers to serve in one or more of the spheres of society. He calls some into nations, cultures, or situations that are "foreign" to them and calls others to serve in their familiar setting.
Attitudes To Nurture
In relationship to God's Call and Commission:
- joyfulness
- thanksgiving
- patience
- endurance
- faithfulness
- obedience
- uncompromising
- yieldedness
- servanthood
- responsible stewardship
- selfless
- respectful of others contributions
- surrender of "self" will
- celebration of our uniqueness and callings
- purity of motivation
- hope
- love
- sober awareness we will give an account
- delighting to do God's will
- a desire to please the heart of God
- compassion
- mercy
- commitment
- discernment
- listening
- respectful
- wise
- courageous
- bold
- humility
- inquiring
- seeking to understand
- loving
- in faith
- passion for the lost
- zealous
- willingness to learn from others
- cooperation with others
- loyalty
- longsuffering
- graciousness towards others
- compelled by love
- hospitable
- accepting/celebrating other cultures.
Activities To Do
(These should be happening throughout the DTS. Some are structured into the schedule, some are simply expressed in informal interactions. The goal is for every person to take responsibility for engaging in these ways.)
- Discern and defeat the enemy's resistance in situations through intercession.
- Respond in a godly way regardless of the way people treat you.
- Take time in prayer, individually and corporately, to enter into the thoughts and longings of God and take active steps to fulfill his purposes (Co-Creating with God).
- Seek out the lost and build relationship when possible.
- Intercede for the lost in nations, people groups and spheres of society and specific individuals by name.
- Be ready to share Christ everywhere you go (e.g. in the shops, on the bus, in the streets, in the neighborhood).
- Share the Gospel in ways appropriate to the audience.
- Formulate, practice and share personal testimony of God's current involvement in your life. (It may be helpful to write this out.)
- Participate in or develop activities that will disciple new believers (e.g. build friendships, gather them together for Bible Study or discussion, accompany them to a local church or house group).
- Broaden awareness of the poor and needy throughout the world.
- Be aware of and respond appropriately to situations and people in need of a demonstration of God's Kingdom (e.g. feeding the hungry, playing with children, picking up trash, creating beauty out of a wasteland, assisting the elderly, bring laughter in the midst of despair).
- Increase understanding of the current status of world missions in response to Jesus' last command.
- Respond in some way to nations/people groups with little to no Gospel witness (Pray, Go, Give, Support).
- Intentionally highlight, recognize and incorporate other's ideas, vision, gifts, talents, and abilities.
- Get feedback from others to aid in the discovery of one's gifts and God-given design.
- Practice doing things that support or engage one's gifts and motivations as they are presently understood.
- Pray for one another in a way that strengthens one to know and do the will of God.
- Reflect on how one can can use all God has given one to make the greatest difference possible.
- Challenge and encourage each other to pursue God's general and specific call beyond DTS into whatever context (e.g. with a mission agency or in an occupation or for further training).
- Personally explore a wide variety of opportunities to serve God in the future, including further training if relevant.
- Build relationships and serve others from different nations, cultures or foreign situations.
- Research Study and pray for a specific people group.
- Exposure to the mind molders/cultures/spheres of societies through various means (e.g. visit a mosque, watch the news, attend the theater, pray for the government).
- Study/ reflect on Scripture relevant to the concepts in this category.
DTS Curriculum Category: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | About Design