Living Missionally (Vintage Values: Part 4)
/Photo by Shawn Hoke
This is the fourth post in a series on the core values of Vintage Church. Be sure to check out part one, part two, and part three.
Anyone who knows me knows that I really don’t like buzzwords. You know what I mean: phrases like “do life,” or “do church,” or “relevant Christianity.” With that being said, I find it comical that I’m writing a post on “missional living.” However, I think this phrase is different. Though it's relatively new and catchy, it has a Biblical root and meaning.
In order to understand what it means to live missionally, we have to know what our mission is. Our mission in life is clearly stated in an important passage we all know as the Great Commission.
“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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The call to evangelize and make disciples applies to every believer: man, woman, adult, child, pastor, or church member. The only difference is how that looks for each person.
If we are seeking to live missionally there are three things we must do:
1. We must know the Gospel we are called to share.
There are many different plans and techniques designed for easily sharing the Gospel. Whatever method you use, make sure that you know it well enough to be able to share it comfortably and consistently. Also, be able to share in casual conversation. This may cause you to stray away slightly from the method you’ve chosen to use. That’s why its more important to focus on the message rather than the method. Methods change with the time, and there are always new ways being made available to share, but the one thing that will never change is the Gospel. It is the story of God’s love for his sinful people--love so great that he gave up his Son, so that we can have life with the Father, sealed by the Holy Spirit for eternity. All of this is made available by repentance and faith in him. That is the message that should be at the heart of every method we use to share with people.
2. We must be around people who don’t know Jesus.
It may seem silly for me to say this, but you may be surprised at the number of Christians who can go extended periods of time without having any conversation with a person who doesn’t know Jesus. So, what does it look like to be around people who don’t know Jesus? I can’t answer that for you, but I can gladly give you some pointers to let you know what that looks like in my life.
The main idea is that we must go where they are. Andy Mineo, a rapper who follows Jesus, has a song called “Wild Things.” In this song, he shares that he wants to go where the wild things are. That’s what it looks like to be around people who don’t know Jesus. If we are to reach people who don’t know Christ, we must step out of our comfort zone, and go to the places where they are.
If you’re as lucky as I am, the place where those people are often overlaps with the things you love. For instance, basketball is my second love. I can play and watch and just be around it all day. Anywhere there is a basketball court, there are people--people who need Jesus. God has already placed me around people who need him. So, now it’s up to me to take a step out of my comfort zone and share the message of redemption with the people around me.
3. We must live “on mission” wherever we are.
As a believer, your mission field is wherever you are currently living. God calls us to live on mission wherever we are. Your home, your job, your neighborhood, and your city will always be your mission field. That field is always subject to change, but we must understand that our mission is forever the same: to glorify the Lord by making disciples as described in Matthew 28.
Practice sharing the gospel with yourself and your friends. Look for those opportunities God has given you to share the Gospel, and then share the Gospel. We should always be on mission. Grace and Peace.