Where Is Sanctuary on a Mission?
Missional church is definitely a trendy title that is all over the place these days. The fact that we are obligated to compartmentalize churches, missional, has since the beginning of creation been somewhat weird to me. please, shouldnt all bodies of Christ be missional in their very character? why cant a church, at its very core, shoot to introduce their culture and neighborhood with the good news as a missionary would in a foreign country? Isnt that what the churches is instructed to do in the sending out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own local area deserves this brand of church. Churches in north Austin is slowly gravitating to what our Creator instructed in Holy Word.
The Son of God gives the charge 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 sends the disciples on a journey that would launch right in their personal community. He begins with their area of Jerusalem, and then broadens the call to the outer parts of the creation.
As Christians, we are not urged to social clubs, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are aggressively going out and going to areas right where they are with the message of Jesus. We have gazed at this throughout history: God urges Abraham on a mission to leave his place of origin and his people and go to the city that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God sends Moses on a story to save an enslaved people and lead them to joy (Exodus 3:8-10), God motivated Jesus on a journey to globe to restore all things to Himself through the cross (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending believers on a mission to engage neighborhoods, cities, tribes, and even nations with the good news (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 perceive the church buildings like a members only country club ” urging that people clean up their abilities, pay their dues, and walk to our church God will continue His journey without us.