Ingenious Markets

Missional church is definitely a buzz-phrase that is all over the place these days. The fact that we are required to title church buildings, missional, has since the beginning of creation been a tiny bit weird to me. come on, shouldnt all church buildings be missional in their very character? why cant a church, at its very essence, yearn to engage their culture and neighborhood with the story of Christ as a missionary would in a different country? Isnt that what the places of worship is instructed to do in the last challenge from Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own hometown deserves this type of church. Churches in central Austin is slowly gravitating to what our Creator instructed in Holy Word.

Christ 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 justifies this idea as, right before Jesus Christ rises to Heaven, He sends the disciples on a story that would launch right in their own community. He begins with their local place of Jerusalem, and then broadens the call to the outer parts of the world.

As followers of Christ, we are not urged to loneliness, but to be missional believers who are passionately going out and meeting people right where they are with the story of Christ. We have noticed this throughout history: God urges Abraham on a mission to go out of his country and his people and go to the city that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God motivated Moses on a mission to restore an enslaved people and lead them to relationship with God (Exodus 3:8-10), God sends Jesus on a exploration to creation to restore all things to Himself through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending the church on a exploration to engage communities, cities, peoples, and even nations with the gospel(Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we resist this motivation and continue to see the church buildings like a invite only country club ” encouraging that people straighten up their abilities, pay their deposit, and drive to our sanctuary God will continue His journey without us.