Where Is the Body of Christ on a Exploration?
Church on mission is definitely a buzz-phrase that is anywhere you look these days. the notion that we need to title church buildings, missional, has always been somewhat strange to me. please, shouldnt all churches be missional in their very character? all churches, at its very essence, desire to introduce their culture and city with the story of Christ as a missionary would in a different country? Isnt what the bodies of Christ is encouraged to do in the last challenge from Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own local area needs this type of church. North Austin church is slowly transitioning to what Christ instructed in the Gospels.
Jesus 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 exemplifies this concept as, right before Jesus Christ ascends to Heaven, He points the disciples on a exploration that would start right in their local community. He begins with their hometown of Jerusalem, and then stretches the call to the uttermost parts of the globe.
As disciples of Jesus, we are not motivated to privacy, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are anxiously going out and finding communities right where they are with the story of Christ. We have gazed at this throughout history: God urges Abraham on a mission to move from his country and his people and go to the land that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God sends Moses on a journey to renew an enslaved people and lead them to freedom (Exodus 3:8-10), God moved 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 people on a journey to engage communities, cities, peoples, 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 dont respond to this urge and continue to treat the bodies of Christ like a invite only country club ” urging that people clean up their talents, pay their fees, and come to our church God will continue His journey without us.
