Why Is Sanctuary on a Mission?
Missional living is definitely a popular saying that is all over the place these days. the idea that we have to label church buildings, missional, has forever been a tiny bit strange to me. come on, shouldnt all church buildings be missional in their very character? why cant a church, at its very essence, shoot to engage their culture and community with the good news as a missionary would in a another country? Isnt what the church buildings is commanded to do in the sending out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own place of origin begs for this style of church. North Austin church is slowly moving to what Jesus instructed in the Gospels.
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 exemplifies this idea as, right before Jesus Christ ascends to Heaven, He directs the disciples on a exploration that would start right in their personal community. He begins with their local place of Jerusalem, and then stretches the call to the uttermost parts of the earth.
As Christians, we are not urged to privacy, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are anxiously going out and connecting with others right where they are with the good news. We have seen this throughout history: God sends Abraham on a mission to move from his place of origin and his people and go to the place that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God urges Moses on a exploration to rescue an enslaved people and lead them to freedom (Exodus 3:8-10), God motivated Jesus on a exploration to earth to restore all things to Himself through the death of Jesus (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending the church on a journey to engage homes, 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 dont respond to this call and continue to display the bodies of Christ like a private country club ” encouraging that people clean up their performance, pay their deposit, and come to our place of worship God will continue His mission without us.
