Here is Pastor John Piper explaining his quote, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” This quote can be found in his book, “Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions.” It was one of the most impactful book that I read while going to Fuller Seminary for my doctorate. Here is the first paragraph from the book:

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” (John Piper)

How about that for a motivation for doing mission work? When Pastor Piper states, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t,” he is highlighting the reality that the ultimate aim of Christian mission is not merely to make converts but to bring people into a relationship with God where they experience His glory and respond through worship. Worship, as he sees it, is the ultimate expression of human fulfillment and the purpose for which humanity was created. He explains that there are places and peoples in the world where God’s name is not glorified, where hearts are not surrendered in worship to Him. Missions exists to bridge this gap–to bring the gospel to those places so that worship can take place. The task of missions is then temporary, and it will cease when worship is perfected in heaven.

Pastor John Piper was born in 1946, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated from Wheaton College, and later Fuller Seminary where he earned his M.Div. and a doctorate from the University of Munich in Germany. He also served as the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as writing books. He is the founder of Desiring God Ministries, an organization dedicated to spreading the message that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” His ministry and writings have deeply influenced many Christians worldwide, particularly in the area of worship and missions.

I would encourage believers who seek to get involved in doing God’s mission to read his book, “Let the Nations Be Glad,” as it will challenge them to see mission from God’s perspective and understand the true motivation for doing the work. By understanding the theological foundation of missions, believers can faithfully participate in the Great Commission knowing who it is that they serve, why it is that they serve, and even give wisdom on how they can carry it out.

Here is a full sermon that Pastor Piper did at his church concerning the topic, “Missions Exists Because Worship Doesn’t:”