The Rise about the Outreach Church
Missional church is definitely a trendy title that is everywhere these days. The fact that we are required to compartmentalize churches, missional, has forever been a little strange to me. I mean, shouldnt all church buildings be missional in their very character? all churches, at its very core, yearn to connect their culture and area with the story of Christ as a missionary would in a foreign country? Isnt what the places of worship is commanded to do in the final charge of Christ in Matthew 28:19? Our own city deserves this kind of church. Austin churches is slowly going to what Christ instructed in Scripture.
The messiah gives the challenge 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 goes up to Heaven, He points the disciples on a exploration that would start right in their personal community. He begins with their origin of Jerusalem, and then enlarges the call to the outer parts of the world.
As Christians, we are not motivated to privacy, but to be missional persons who are aggressively going out and going to areas right where they are with the story of Christ. We have noticed this throughout history: God motivated Abraham on a mission to leave his city and his people and go to the city that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God sends Moses on a journey to restore an enslaved people and lead them to relationship with God (Exodus 3:8-10), God motivated Jesus on a mission to earth to pull all things to Himself through the cross (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending believers on a exploration to engage neighborhoods, cities, people groups, 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 resist this call and continue to treat the church buildings like a invite only country club ” requesting that people resolve their abilities, pay their dues, and visit to our place of worship God will continue His journey without us.
