A Rise of the Missional Church
Church on mission is definitely a trendy title that is anywhere you look these days. the notion that we have to categorize church buildings, missional, has since the beginning of creation been somewhat odd to me. come on, shouldnt all church buildings be missional in their very essence? Shouldnt a church, at its very essence, shoot to engage their culture and neighborhood with the message of Jesus as a missionary would in a different country? Isnt this what the bodies of Christ is challenged to do in the sending out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own city requires this style of church. Austin church is slowly transitioning to what Christ instructed in the Bible.
Jesus gives the charge in Acts 1:8 saying, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 personifies this idea as, right before Jesus Christ ascends to Heaven, He commissions the disciples on a journey that would launch right in their individual community. He begins with their area of Jerusalem, and then enlarges the call to the far parts of the world.
As believers, we are not urged to loneliness, but to be missional people who are aggressively going out and connecting with others right where they are with the gospel. We have noticed this throughout history: God motivated Abraham on a mission to exit his country and his people and go to the town that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God sends Moses on a mission to rescue an enslaved people and lead them to relationship with God (Exodus 3:8-10), God sends Jesus on a exploration to earth to restore all things to Himself through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending us on a story to engage homes, cities, people groups, and even nations with the story of Christ(Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we abandon this motivation and continue to perceive the church buildings like a invite only country club ” encouraging that people resolve their act, pay their deposit, and come to our church God will continue His exploration without us.