On Mission
The term "missional" is confusing to a lot of people, it has become a church buzzword without clear meaning. Often the members of a church want to form their own sanctuary where they can live with minimal interruptions from the surrounding culture. While avoiding temptation and remaining pure is very important, avoiding non-believers is not part of God's plan for us.
We'll say that being "missional" means learning to re-order our priorities and our lives so that we continue to spend time building relationships with people who do not know Jesus, so that we might show them who he is and invite them to follow him along with us. This is a much deeper commitment than what people often think of as evangelism. While evangelistic activity is useful, it is often viewed as event-oriented with a start and stop time. Missional living is changing the way we interact with people all the time, committing time and energy to the people in our community who do not yet know Jesus.
This means setting aside our own preferences, opening our home, and being active in our community so that we can be a blessing to those around us and build real relationships. Rather than simply trying to pull people into a church event for a night so that they can hear an altar call, or handing out bible tracts, we are looking at a long-term commitment of service and friendship building with the message of the gospel present in our conversations and actions. Rather than volunteering for an annual volunteer slot to serve at a soup kitchen, we are looking to engage those in need regularly, becoming involved in their lives so that they view us not as people who give hand-outs but as people who really care about them as human beings. We're not just looking to fulfill a felt need (that is important too), but are looking to become involved in peoples lives so that we can show them and tell them about Jesus and offer them a relationship with the greatest care-giver ever.
Jesus sent the church out into the world as a community that is to show the world what God is really like. We are to serve our community in a loving and redeeming way. This is not just a monthly "outreach" event, its a whole-life incarnation of the gospel. Just as Jesus gave up his glory and comfort in order to live with and love people who did not know him, we too are to go out and live among these people so that they may come to know him. Through this we are demonstrating the Kingdom of God to our neighbors and are inviting them to turn from their sins and experience God's grace. Take a look at Jesus prayer to God the Father, near the end of his earthly ministry. Remeber that He's talking about His Church here, and then think about his purpose for them, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." (John 17:15-18 ESV)
Jesus final command to his followers was this... "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)
Are you ready to go? How can you impact your neighbors regularly, serving them with love and grace?
