Missional living is definitely a buzz-phrase that is anywhere you look these days. The fact that we need to compartmentalize church buildings, missional, has always been a little strange to me. I ask you, shouldnt all places of worship be missional in their very core? all churches, at its very essence, shoot to connect their culture and community with the story of Christ as a missionary would in a another country? Isnt that what the bodies of Christ is encouraged to do in the great commission in Matthew 28:19? Our own place of origin needs this kind of church. Churches in central Austin is slowly going to what our God instructed in Scripture.

The messiah gives the direction 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 points the disciples on a exploration that would launch right in their individual community. He begins with their hometown of Jerusalem, and then stretches the call to the uttermost parts of the world.

As believers, we are not motivated to social clubs, but to be missional believers who are passionately going out and going to areas right where they are with the gospel. We have observed this throughout history: God moved Abraham on a mission to go out of his city and his people and go to the place that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God moved Moses on a journey to restore an enslaved people and lead them to joy (Exodus 3:8-10), God motivated Jesus on a exploration to earth to bring back all things to Himself through the cross (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending us on a journey to engage areas, cities, people groups, and even nations with the gospel(Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we dont respond to this urge and continue to treat the bodies of Christ like a closed off country club ” requesting that people fix their talents, pay their fees, and come to our church God will continue His mission without us.

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