Living Like the the Word Says

[What does Missional living look like to me?]

As part of the Missional Syncroblog at Missio Dei I am taking some time to reflect on missional living and some of the mandates of the Word of God.

Missional – The intentional association of ones life with a particular passion or goal.

I first heard the term missional in the spring of 2005, when I picked up Mark Driscoll’s book Radical Reformission. As I read the book, I began to realize that my “Christian” life needed some rethinking. I followed up that book with Velvet Elvis, Blue Like Jazz, and then A Generous Orthodoxy. As I have sought to become a missional man, I have sought out the bible, and looked at the commands and example of Christ

Missional living looks like Acts 2:41-47.

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Christ followers are devoted to the fellowship of the body. We share each others lives, we love the Word, we live in the spirit. And perhaps most importantly, we see that the community of faith grows through the salvation of individuals.

Missional living looks like Matthew 28: 18-20.

18 And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Christ followers are devoted to helping people grow spiritually. We take seriously Christ’s command to make disciples. We seek to bring people into the community of Christ through the sharing of the word and call to repentance. We do this in the authority of Christ.

Missional living looks like Isaiah 58: 6-10.

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.

Christ followers love people. We seek to make people’s lives better. We live our lives in service to others, and seek to demonstrate God’s love and justice in a hurting world. We desire to see the whole world reconciled to God and made right.

Missional living looks like II Corinthians 5:17-21

17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Christ-followers have been given a mission. We have been called to bring the reconciling message of Christ to a lost and hurting world. We all are “ambassadors of Christ” who demonstrate the sacrificial love of God to the world. We must demonstrate the love that sent the Son to die, to every person we meet. In the text, the call is not merely to evangelize, but to bring about the reconciliation of sinners to God. This means more than just a heart change, but also the reclamation of human dignity and personhood.

Let us live these truths as missionaries in our Culture.
Let us love others with the love of Christ, and demonstrate the change He has made in us.

Synchroblog Participants

Jonathan Brink - Meeting God Where He’s Already Working

Ben Wheatley - Are Things You Are Living For Worth It

Blake Huggins - What Does Missional Living Look Like

Alan Knox - Living in the love of God

Dave DeVries - The Missional Challenge

Bryan Riley - What Does Missional Living Look Like To Me