What do you think?
Rate this book
Finish the Mission: Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached and Unengaged
As in previous years, Desiring God has put together a book based on the six sessions of their annual national conference. The 2011 event boasted an impressive line-up of speakers whose messages are now featured in this David Platt, New York Times best-selling author of Radical; Louie Giglio, founder and leader of Passion conferences; Michael Ramsden, one of the foremost apologists of our day who works alongside Ravi Zacharias and speaks at events worldwide; Michael Oh, president and founder of CBI Japan and All Nations Fellowship; Ed Stetzer, church planter, professor, and vice president of Lifeway Christian Resources; and John Piper, teacher, author, and pastor, and founder of Desiring God ministries. The book is purposed to compel Christians to cross cultural and linguistic barriers to reach the lost with the gospel.
ebook
First published September 30, 2012
43 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
About the author
John Piper
609 books4,586 followersJohn Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.
John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.
John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 5, 2023
Very thorough and offers a few different perspectives that are all cohesive with the main message of the mission God has saved us to participate in. Would highly recommend for anyone wondering about what living out the great commission really looks like and why it’s important to reach the unreached!!
May 6, 2013
For years there has been a dichotomy in the church when it comes to what believers are called to be and live. I know of churches who teach every teenager who travel through their youth ministry that they are each meant to be an overseas missionary and that they are somehow less serious a believer if they do not become one. I also know churches that are so inwardly focused that they do not send anyone out. But today there is a growing trend that understands the “sending,” which we are all called to, as simply local.
In 1978 Frank DuBose in his book God Who Sends first used the term “missional,” since then it has become the buzz word for many movements that seek strictly to define God’s mission for His people as merely local (though I highly doubt that is what DuBose intended).
Even at Element we encourage and call people to “live on mission.” By that we mean that all of us in a sense are involved in cross-cultural work. When a missionary goes to foreign countries they learn the culture, they learn words that are used to describe “things,” they learn the family and social dynamics…in the same way, we that do not live overseas, have many similar experiences as well. We live, work, and go to school with people who do not know Jesus and so we are also called to missions work exactly where we are.
The word “Missions” is rooted in the Latin for “to send” and “missionary” can be understood as “sent ones.” We are all sent ones, but there is a core shift in the American church that is both good and bad when comes to its emphasis for, and on, missions. Where many older churches have placed the majority of their focus on “missionary” meaning “over there,” many younger churches have placed the entire focus of “missionary” to mean “right here.”
The truth is that the word means both, and that is the essential push of Finish The Mission (Crossway 2010). Finish The Mission is a book that helps redefine mission in terms of “missions.” It is edited by John Piper and David Mathis and is comprised of 6 chapters by 6 different contributors. I have always enjoyed Ed Stetzer’s insight and found his chapter to be the most helpful, though John Piper’s was excellent as well.
For people to think that missions work is only overseas leads to a disengaged people in their own city. Those who attend local churches may even begin to think that what they do with their lives (raising there children, loving their spouses, working their jobs) is not as honoring to Jesus as living in hut, eating bugs, and learning a foreign culture.
As I said, I have known churches where everyone was told they needed to find a way to be an overseas missionary, as if that is the only spiritual thing they could ever do…but I have also known churches who lead everyone to believe that the most spiritual thing they could do is to be “in ministry” which, to them, would translate to “work in a church.” How sad it would be if those were the only things people ever saw as “spiritual.” Think about it, there would be no garbage men, no plumbers, no farmers, no loggers, no automobile makers, no one to make your pizza…and ultimately there would be no church and no missionaries because no one would have a any money to support locally and send internationally.
We must understand that the jobs people do are deeply spiritual, they are good in the eyes of God. We are told that our God works and values work. All that we do is meant to be honoring to Jesus and is a deep act of worship…this includes our jobs and our homes…and it is all to be lived “on mission.”
In remembering our own sent-ness to the culture in which we live, we must never forget that there is also deep calling of having a special vocation of a “missionary” as a person sent to unreached people groups around the globe.
Let us never forget one or the other, hand in hand…we are sent and the senders, all for the great glory of Jesus. Let’s Finish The Mission.
In 1978 Frank DuBose in his book God Who Sends first used the term “missional,” since then it has become the buzz word for many movements that seek strictly to define God’s mission for His people as merely local (though I highly doubt that is what DuBose intended).
Even at Element we encourage and call people to “live on mission.” By that we mean that all of us in a sense are involved in cross-cultural work. When a missionary goes to foreign countries they learn the culture, they learn words that are used to describe “things,” they learn the family and social dynamics…in the same way, we that do not live overseas, have many similar experiences as well. We live, work, and go to school with people who do not know Jesus and so we are also called to missions work exactly where we are.
The word “Missions” is rooted in the Latin for “to send” and “missionary” can be understood as “sent ones.” We are all sent ones, but there is a core shift in the American church that is both good and bad when comes to its emphasis for, and on, missions. Where many older churches have placed the majority of their focus on “missionary” meaning “over there,” many younger churches have placed the entire focus of “missionary” to mean “right here.”
The truth is that the word means both, and that is the essential push of Finish The Mission (Crossway 2010). Finish The Mission is a book that helps redefine mission in terms of “missions.” It is edited by John Piper and David Mathis and is comprised of 6 chapters by 6 different contributors. I have always enjoyed Ed Stetzer’s insight and found his chapter to be the most helpful, though John Piper’s was excellent as well.
For people to think that missions work is only overseas leads to a disengaged people in their own city. Those who attend local churches may even begin to think that what they do with their lives (raising there children, loving their spouses, working their jobs) is not as honoring to Jesus as living in hut, eating bugs, and learning a foreign culture.
As I said, I have known churches where everyone was told they needed to find a way to be an overseas missionary, as if that is the only spiritual thing they could ever do…but I have also known churches who lead everyone to believe that the most spiritual thing they could do is to be “in ministry” which, to them, would translate to “work in a church.” How sad it would be if those were the only things people ever saw as “spiritual.” Think about it, there would be no garbage men, no plumbers, no farmers, no loggers, no automobile makers, no one to make your pizza…and ultimately there would be no church and no missionaries because no one would have a any money to support locally and send internationally.
We must understand that the jobs people do are deeply spiritual, they are good in the eyes of God. We are told that our God works and values work. All that we do is meant to be honoring to Jesus and is a deep act of worship…this includes our jobs and our homes…and it is all to be lived “on mission.”
In remembering our own sent-ness to the culture in which we live, we must never forget that there is also deep calling of having a special vocation of a “missionary” as a person sent to unreached people groups around the globe.
Let us never forget one or the other, hand in hand…we are sent and the senders, all for the great glory of Jesus. Let’s Finish The Mission.
February 16, 2018
This is a repackage of the 2011 conference. Much of what Platt, Oh, and Giglio say are repeats of all the stuff they always say in other books. I did enjoy this quote. "Too often, Christians just seem to be interested in other things. I've noticed that when I blog about theological controversy, readers flock to my blog. And if I engage with dissenting comments, readers go crazy. But when I blog about the testimony of Christian missionaries in foreign contexts like Turkey, my readership drops significantly. It breaks my heart, because it is a reminder that people love theological controversies but not the nations." Ed Stetzer, Finish The Mission
May 18, 2022
This book is a collection of articles and due to the context of each writer (pastors, scholars, apologists etc) each article contains a unique perspective on missiology. All of them however have one central message which underpins everything else, a call to completing the mission of taking the Gospel to those who are unreached. Each article is sharp and to the point reflecting the author’s individual personality, this means that if you are beginning to drift there is a fresh voice on hand to pinch you back into concentration.
January 8, 2024
O autor é excelente em mostrar Cristo como o grande exemplo de discipulador, e como é importante voltar aos ensinamentos que Ele deixou, não é necessário florear aquilo que esta colocado como o principal da missão que Deus está fazendo no mundo. Comunicar a verdade do evangelho é um chamado para todo cirstão.
July 15, 2018
I wasn't overly thrilled by this book in whole, but it did bring up good points. As a huge fan of Piper's work, this felt disappointing because it got very repetitive. I am very passionate about missions and the purpose of this book is very important, but personally it was not a five star book.
August 20, 2023
This is a great book. There are messages from a number of people who are totally devoted to reaching the world for Christ. If you are even slightly interested in joining the Lord in His work of reaching the world with the gospel message, this would be a good book to read.
May 30, 2017
I wish that every Christian would read this book and understand that if you believe the gospel, you must care about these things.
May 16, 2019
4.5 stars.
July 12, 2019
A good short book on the call to missions and how to be missional. The first chapter is definitely the most compelling and exhortational.
December 12, 2021
Another great conference compilation, this time on the urgency of missions in Jerusalem, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
December 12, 2022
AMAZING MISSIONS BOOK!!!! Lots of amazing authors.
January 17, 2023
One of the best books on missions that combines sane evangelical theology with practical insight into the practice of mission!
June 10, 2024
3.5 stars
November 6, 2012
Jesus gave His Church a mission to complete, a mission that begins and ends with Himself and His declaration that He came to seek and save the lost, mend the broken hearted, restore families, people groups and nations to Himself for His joy, and glory. In 2011 Desiring God hadc a conference by the name Finish the Mission which was turned into a very helpful book featuring the writing of Louie Giglio, David Mathis, Michael Oh, John Piper, David Platt, Michael Ramsden and Ed Stetzer.
One of the most outstanding features of this book is the introduction to David Mathis. He writes that, “global missions is about the worship of Jesus. The goal of missions is the worldwide worship of the God-man by his redeemed people from every tribe, tongue and nation. The outcome of missions if all peoples delighting to praise Jesus. And the motivation for missions is the enjoyment that his people have in him. Missions aims at, brings about, and is fueled by the worship of Jesus” (14). Mathis notes that a “call to finish the mission is a call for martyrs—not a call for kamikazes, but a call for missionaries bent on Jesus’s worldwide fame and satisfied in him that they can say with Esther, “If I perish, I perish” (Est. 4:16) and with Paul, “To die is gain” (Phil. 1:21), (25). This is just a sampling of what this insightful book offers to readers.
Finish the Mission is in my opinion one of the most important books written on the topic of missions. This book combines biblical-theological and practical insight that speaks to one of the biggest conversations going on within evangelicalism; how the church can reach the culture with the Word of God and how Gospel empowers the Church to finish the mission to the glory of God. Whether you are a seminary student, pastor, or lay person, Finish the Mission is an important book for every Christian to read, and re-read to learn the heartbeat of the Savior who longs to seek and save the lost and who uses the Church He redeemed to proclaim the fame of Jesus to the nations for His glory.
Title: Finish the Mission: Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached and Unengaged
Authors: John Piper and David Mathis Editors
Publisher: Crossway Books (2012)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
One of the most outstanding features of this book is the introduction to David Mathis. He writes that, “global missions is about the worship of Jesus. The goal of missions is the worldwide worship of the God-man by his redeemed people from every tribe, tongue and nation. The outcome of missions if all peoples delighting to praise Jesus. And the motivation for missions is the enjoyment that his people have in him. Missions aims at, brings about, and is fueled by the worship of Jesus” (14). Mathis notes that a “call to finish the mission is a call for martyrs—not a call for kamikazes, but a call for missionaries bent on Jesus’s worldwide fame and satisfied in him that they can say with Esther, “If I perish, I perish” (Est. 4:16) and with Paul, “To die is gain” (Phil. 1:21), (25). This is just a sampling of what this insightful book offers to readers.
Finish the Mission is in my opinion one of the most important books written on the topic of missions. This book combines biblical-theological and practical insight that speaks to one of the biggest conversations going on within evangelicalism; how the church can reach the culture with the Word of God and how Gospel empowers the Church to finish the mission to the glory of God. Whether you are a seminary student, pastor, or lay person, Finish the Mission is an important book for every Christian to read, and re-read to learn the heartbeat of the Savior who longs to seek and save the lost and who uses the Church He redeemed to proclaim the fame of Jesus to the nations for His glory.
Title: Finish the Mission: Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached and Unengaged
Authors: John Piper and David Mathis Editors
Publisher: Crossway Books (2012)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
December 7, 2012
Finish the Mission is an excellent book about the church reaching every tribe, and tongue and nation – finishing the mission. But the book is so much more than this. Many Christians do not connect worship and missions. This book makes clear that worship is what it’s all about. Davis Mathis states in the introduction “The outcome of missions is all peoples delighting to praise Jesus. And the motivation for missions is the enjoyment that his people have in him.”
Louie Giglio, Michael Oh, David Platt, Michael Ramsden and Ed Stetzer write chapters in addition to those by Piper and Mathis. Giglio in Chapter 1, using Isaiah 6:8 “Whom shall I send?” conveys the fact Isaiah is hearing a voice from our incomprehensibly great God.
David Platt in Chapter 2 gives a biblical, sobering view of hell highlighting the lostness of so many.
Michael Ramsden in Chapter 3 gives a realistic view of the dangers of mission and challenges us to be courageous.
Michael Oh in Chapter 4 teaches from the Lord’s Prayer the necessity for Christians to go “from every land and to every land.” He describes how this is currently happening in various locations around the world.
Ed Stetzer in Chapter 5 challenges all of us to send or be sent, and to be missionaries where we are. He emphasizes we are to be gospel centered and Spirit empowered.
In the final chapter John Piper teaches on Psalm 62 “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy…” He comments on Islam as not worshiping God and suggests the reason we have been given material wealth is so we will reach the nations.
At the end of the book is a conversation with the authors and an appendix by Mathis on What Next? This is a challenge to the church and to all Christians to disciple others.
Mathis says in the introduction “This is no ordinary missions book.” He’s right about that. I highly recommend this to all who are ready for a challenge.
Louie Giglio, Michael Oh, David Platt, Michael Ramsden and Ed Stetzer write chapters in addition to those by Piper and Mathis. Giglio in Chapter 1, using Isaiah 6:8 “Whom shall I send?” conveys the fact Isaiah is hearing a voice from our incomprehensibly great God.
David Platt in Chapter 2 gives a biblical, sobering view of hell highlighting the lostness of so many.
Michael Ramsden in Chapter 3 gives a realistic view of the dangers of mission and challenges us to be courageous.
Michael Oh in Chapter 4 teaches from the Lord’s Prayer the necessity for Christians to go “from every land and to every land.” He describes how this is currently happening in various locations around the world.
Ed Stetzer in Chapter 5 challenges all of us to send or be sent, and to be missionaries where we are. He emphasizes we are to be gospel centered and Spirit empowered.
In the final chapter John Piper teaches on Psalm 62 “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy…” He comments on Islam as not worshiping God and suggests the reason we have been given material wealth is so we will reach the nations.
At the end of the book is a conversation with the authors and an appendix by Mathis on What Next? This is a challenge to the church and to all Christians to disciple others.
Mathis says in the introduction “This is no ordinary missions book.” He’s right about that. I highly recommend this to all who are ready for a challenge.
Read
November 11, 2013At the end of the day, global missions is about the worship of this spectacular Jesus. The goal of missions is the worldwide worship of the God-man by his redeemed people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The outcome of missions is all peoples delighting to praise Jesus. And the motivation for missions is the enjoyment that his people have in him. Missions aims at, brings about, and is fueled by the worship of Jesus.
Another way to say it is that missions is about Jesus’s global glory. From beginning to end—in target, effect, and impetus— missions centers on the worldwide fame of the Messiah in the praises of his diverse peoples from every tribe, tongue, and nation. What’s at stake in missions is the universal honor of the Father in the global glory of his Son in the joy of all the peoples. ~ David Mathis
Discipling... means not merely the pursuit of our own spiritual maturity but getting outside ourselves for personal connection and substantial, intentional investment of time in a few others—the kind of investment for which there must be going to accomplish among the nations. ~ David Mathis
Not only is suffering the consequence of finishing the mission, but it is God’s appointed means by which he will show the superior worth of his Son to all the peoples. Just as it was “fitting that he . . . should make the founder of [our] salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb. 2:10), so it is fitting that God save a people from all the peoples from eternal suffering through the redemptive suffering of Jesus displayed in the temporal sufferings of his missionaries~ David Mathis
Another way to say it is that missions is about Jesus’s global glory. From beginning to end—in target, effect, and impetus— missions centers on the worldwide fame of the Messiah in the praises of his diverse peoples from every tribe, tongue, and nation. What’s at stake in missions is the universal honor of the Father in the global glory of his Son in the joy of all the peoples. ~ David Mathis
Discipling... means not merely the pursuit of our own spiritual maturity but getting outside ourselves for personal connection and substantial, intentional investment of time in a few others—the kind of investment for which there must be going to accomplish among the nations. ~ David Mathis
Not only is suffering the consequence of finishing the mission, but it is God’s appointed means by which he will show the superior worth of his Son to all the peoples. Just as it was “fitting that he . . . should make the founder of [our] salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb. 2:10), so it is fitting that God save a people from all the peoples from eternal suffering through the redemptive suffering of Jesus displayed in the temporal sufferings of his missionaries~ David Mathis
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2013
This was one of those books, that I'm very much glad I took the time to have read, but it left me a little wanting. I agreed with the overarching premise; that to narrow too specifically the Great Commission is to short change God's global mission. Instead the Great Commission is in fact intended to include all persons, and since that is true, we cannot ignore those unreached people groups living within our world today. I felt the book did a good job setting up this point, and I enjoyed the use of different voices to state and argue the point. Yet, I felt as though the application side of the coin was a bit lacking when compared to the argument side. Still, Finish the Mission is an important and likely necessary book as it relates to the topic of global Christian mission. It's a book that maybe in actually is meant to focus more on establishing the argument, rather than providing for application. After all, until we believe the argument for joining with God on his global mission for all persons to hear and have opportunity to respond to his Gospel, it's of little good to write a book that focuses on an application of putting the argument into practice.
March 11, 2013
Whenever I pick up a Christian book, I am looking for it to teach me something new, inspire me, or both. This book did little of either for me. In all fairness, it may have something to do with the fact that I am not new to the concept of unengaged people groups. The Missions Committee on which I serve has been reading about and discussing unreached and unengaged people groups for a couple of years. I had hoped this book would add to what I already knew. Unfortunately, it added very little to my comprehension of the great need that is out there. In addition, I found the text to be somewhat disjointed, lacking in any real flow of thought. Perhaps this was due to the fact that each chapter was written by a different author. In the end, I feel like a three-star rating (okay) is justified. I did learn some new things, but I had expected more from a book influenced by John Piper.
December 4, 2016
I really tried to get into this book but an hour into the audiobook, I was deeply confused on the books focus and message. I thought this book would be about sharing the Gospel or reaching people with the Gospel message but instead it seemed like a bunch of sermons on why the Great Commission exists versus the what and how to fulfill the Great Commission.
Don't get me wrong, the why is very important but then don't title your book about bringing the Gospel to the unreached. If you really want to read some books on missions and actually bringing the Gospel to all the nations then read:
The Insanity of Obedience: Walking with Jesus in Tough Places by Nik Ripken
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien
Don't get me wrong, the why is very important but then don't title your book about bringing the Gospel to the unreached. If you really want to read some books on missions and actually bringing the Gospel to all the nations then read:
The Insanity of Obedience: Walking with Jesus in Tough Places by Nik Ripken
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien
April 8, 2013
Excellent resource for the church of Jesus Christ. I was challenged myself to rethink my commitment to joining God in His galactic mission (as Giglio) calls it. The One who created the stars, galaxies and visible/invisible universe is the One who speaks from Heaven to invite, even calls, us to join Him as "sent ones"; whether that be at home being missional or abroad in missions as missionaries (those who cross-cultural boundaries). This book is more than a missiological text, it's a call for each & every believer to join God in fulfilling the task of proclaiming His glory among the nations.
December 31, 2015
I read this book on vacation, which I would probably not do again. It is not a 'lounge by the side of the pool' type book, though that was exactly what I was doing as I read it. This is a 'prepare to give your life in a cause greater than you could ever imagine' type book. I loved it. Piper, Stetzer, Platt, et al sound the trumpet on reaching the unreached and unengaged. It is thoroughly biblical, pastorally responsible, and winsomely arranged. This is a book I would put in the hands of every Christian. I'm sure anyone who reads it will feel the visionary tug of a call to global mission.
August 14, 2015
David Platt was always going to be good but, if it wasn't for Ed Stetzer's rambling chapter, this would be the perfect book on mission; concise, inspiring, comprehensive and practical.
I need to give this to loads of my students.
I need to give this to loads of my students.
February 14, 2013
A strong book on missions, but most of it has been said before, particularly in Piper's Let the Nations Be Glad.
July 1, 2016
I found the panel discussion with the contributors at the end most practical and insightful; it helps to have a snapshot of the distinctions, in some aspects, in their views
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews