The Process of the Missional Place of Worship
Missional living is definitely a trendy title that is anywhere you look these days. the idea that we have to title bodies of Christ, missional, has since the beginning of creation been weird to me. come on, shouldnt all bodies of Christ be missional in their very character? it should be expected from a church, at its very essence, want to connect their culture and community with the story of Christ as a missionary would in a another country? Isnt it what the bodies of Christ is instructed to do in the sending out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own local area begs for this type of church. Churches in central Austin is slowly transitioning to what our God instructed in Holy Word.
The messiah gives the command 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 explains this topic as, right before Jesus Christ leaves to go to Heaven, He points the disciples on a story that would begin right in their personal community. He begins with their origin of Jerusalem, and then enlarges the call to the many parts of the earth.
As disciples of Jesus, we are not motivated to loneliness, but to be missional believers who are passionately going out and meeting people right where they are with the story of Christ. We have gazed at this throughout history: God motivated Abraham on a mission to leave his home and his people and go to the town that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God moved Moses on a story to renew an enslaved people and lead them to freedom (Exodus 3:8-10), God motivated Jesus on a journey to creation to restore all things to Himself through the death of Jesus (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending believers on a journey to engage neighborhoods, cities, ethnicities, and even nations with the good news (Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we abandon this urge and continue to see the bodies of Christ like a invite only country club ” demanding that people straighten up their act, pay their deposit, and visit to our place of worship God will continue His exploration without us.
