A Growth about the Sending Christian Assembly
Church on mission is definitely a buzz-phrase that is all over the place these days. the notion that we have to title church buildings, missional, has since the beginning of creation been a tiny bit weird to me. I mean, shouldnt all bodies of Christ be missional in their very nature? it should be expected from a church, at its very core, want to introduce their culture and city with the message of Jesus as a missionary would in a foreign country? Isnt that what the bodies of Christ is encouraged to do in the sending out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own city deserves this kind of church. Churches in north Austin is slowly gravitating to what Jesus instructed in Holy Word.
Christ 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 exemplifies this idea as, right before Jesus Christ rises to Heaven, He directs the disciples on a story that would initiate right in their personal community. He begins with their local place of Jerusalem, and then enlarges the call to the outer parts of the globe.
As believers, we are not urged to privacy, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are passionately going out and connecting with others right where they are with the story of Christ. We have noticed this throughout history: God motivated Abraham on a mission to go out of his country and his people and go to the place that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God sends Moses on a story to renew an enslaved people and lead them to freedom (Exodus 3:8-10), God motivated Jesus on a mission to globe to pull all things to Himself through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending believers on a story to engage areas, cities, people groups, and even nations with the message of Jesus (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 church buildings like a members only country club ” encouraging that people resolve their act, pay their deposit, and drive to our sanctuary God will continue His story without us.
