What Is the Body of Christ on a Story?
Sent church is definitely a trendy title that is all over the place these days. the idea that we are obligated to title bodies of Christ, missional, has for eternity been a little weird to me. I ask you, shouldnt all churches be missional in their very nature? it should be expected from a church, at its very essence, shoot to introduce their culture and city with the message of Jesus as a missionary would in a different country? Isnt that what the church buildings is instructed to do in the last challenge from Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own hometown begs for this style of church. Central Austin churches is slowly going to what our God instructed in Holy Word.
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 explains this concept as, right before Jesus Christ leaves to go to Heaven, He commissions the disciples on a story that would begin right in their own community. He begins with their hometown of Jerusalem, and then stretches the call to the far parts of the globe.
As believers, we are not motivated to loneliness, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are passionately going out and meeting people right where they are with the message of Jesus. We have noticed this throughout history: God moved Abraham on a mission to move from his home and his people and go to the land that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God urges Moses on a exploration to restore an enslaved people and lead them to joy (Exodus 3:8-10), God moved Jesus on a exploration to earth to bring back all things to Himself through the death of Jesus (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending believers on a mission to engage neighborhoods, cities, ethnicities, 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 encouragement and continue to perceive the church buildings like a members only country club ” requesting that people clean up their performance, pay their deposit, and visit to our church God will continue His story without us.
