The Robo Pope

Sent church is definitely a trendy title that is all over the place these days. The fact that we are obligated to title church buildings, missional, has forever been somewhat weird to me. please, shouldnt all bodies of Christ be missional in their very nature? it should be expected from a church, at its very nature, want to connect their culture and neighborhood with the story of Christ as a missionary would in a overseas country? Isnt this what the churches is commanded to do in the great commission in Matthew 28:19? Our own hometown requires this type of church. Missional church in Austin is slowly gravitating to what Jesus instructed in Holy Word.

The messiah gives the command 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 personifies this subject as, right before Jesus Christ rises to Heaven, He directs the disciples on a mission that would start right in their personal community. He begins with their hometown of Jerusalem, and then broadens the call to the many parts of the earth.

As believers, we are not called to isolation, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are anxiously going out and connecting with others right where they are with the message of Jesus. We have seen this throughout history: God motivated Abraham on a mission to go out of his home and his people and go to the city that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God urges Moses on a mission to rescue an enslaved people and lead them to independence (Exodus 3:8-10), God moved Jesus on a story to earth to reconcile all things to Himself through the crucifixion (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending believers on a journey to engage areas, cities, people groups, and even nations with the gospel(Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we reject this encouragement and continue to perceive the bodies of Christ like a closed off country club ” demanding that people clean up their performance, pay their money, and walk to our building God will continue His mission without us.