SENT: A Movement of Missionaries
What it means to be missional.
By Jason Salamun
Being missional is a posture of living sent. Jesus was sent by God the Father and we are sent by Jesus.
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’”
John 20:21 (ESV):
Do you know what Jesus’ mission was?
- Jesus tells us in Luke 19:10 that he came to seek and save that which was lost.
- We follow Jesus and HIS mission.
- This is why this church exists: To lead people far from God to live lives following Jesus.
- This is why we are a church where you can belong before you believe.
- This is why we say that we’re a church for explorers and followers of Christ.
- We like to think that missions is something that happens “over there.” Truth be told, the mission is wherever you are.
- Where we are, thousands of people do not have a relationship with Jesus. Thousands.
- If you’re a follower of Jesus, does that bother you?
How does this affect your life?
John 17:15 (ESV) – “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”
- C.T. Studd (missionary in China, India, and Africa) “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”
- “It’s about replacing personal or Christian activities with time spent building relationships with people in the surrounding culture.” – Hugh Halter in “The Tangible Kingdom”
- Following Jesus isn’t safe.
- Relationships- Your relational network is your mission field
- Mission fits into the natural rhythms of your life.
- Mission takes place in every nook and cranny of your life.
- If you’re a follower of Jesus, then you are missionaries in your zip code.
- The question isn’t if you’re a missionary. It’s what kind of missionary are you.
- God has you given you burdens and passions. Maybe you have a special place in your heart for homeless. That’s a great place for you to serve. But perhaps he’s given your friend a passion to do something with kids. Don’t get mad at them because their biggest passion isn’t yours.
- Be thankful that God is spreading us out with various callings.
- Don’t wait for the church to organize mission activities. Just do it. Coordinate something. Call friends and family and just GO!
- Some of us simply need to dwell in culture more. Make friends who are at a different place on their spiritual journey than you. Not so you can beat them over the head with the Bible- but so that you can show them love like Jesus would.
- Too often, Christians retreat from “the world” Some reject meaningful relationships with people who aren’t Christian. They could never lower themselves to step into a bar or sit in the smoking section. We judge one another if we’re having lunch with someone they don’t approve of- a known sinner. Funny though, Jesus did too.
How does this affect the Church?
- The church is a body of believers sent into this world.
- Faithful to Scripture: Relevant to culture
- Calling all people into a lifelong pursuit of following Jesus.
- The heart of discipleship is to become like Jesus.
- Reproduce disciples —-> Leaders —–> Churches —-> Movements
- Replace the word, “outreach’ with the word, “dwell.”
- How did God reach the world. Incarnated himself in Jesus. Same is true with us. We must dwell.
- Unfortunately many U.S. churches say, “come” to our cities when we’re told “go” into the world by Jesus.
- Being missional means that we see the church not as a place we go only on Saturday night or Sunday morning, but as something we are throughout the week.
- We bring the church to the people instead of people to the church.
- We are a church “for” the city/culture/people where God has placed us- Rapid City, the Black Hills, and the world.
- Evangelism – Not on the street corner passing out booklets and tracts. Not effective. What is effective is building relationships with people and, as a church, creating environments where an explorer can belong before they believe.
- Social Justice - There are children in other countries who need fresh water and food and there are hungry and lonely children right here in the Black Hills. There are people who are hurting and need a friend in other countries and there are people who are hurting and need a friend in your neighborhood, your workplace, your school.
- Here are three questions the world is asking: (Dave Gibbons of Newsong Church)
- What is my pain?
- What’s in your hand?
- Can anything good come from Nazareth?
Yes, and his name is Jesus Christ. And he gave us a mission. Right before his ascension to the right hand of God the Father, Jesus left his disciples these words which echo to us today.
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.’”
Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me
It’s all about Jesus. This movement of missionaries begins with him. He is our God and Savior. Everything we do is because we love him. We have all the authority we need because he’s the one who’s sending us. We have permission.
Go therefore
GO! This is not a suggestion- this is a charge. It’s the mission he’s given us. Following Jesus isn’t an outside-in walk it’s an inside-out one. It propels us to a world in need of the grace and truth of Jesus. The gospel. “Therefore” implies we go because something has happened. Something did happen. Everything changed with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no greater love. Churches are sent- they don’t sit.
and make disciples
Here it is: the charge of the church: To make disciples. Being a disciple is following Jesus and becoming more like him. The first step in being a disciple is to actually believe in gospel, deny ourselves, and follow him. And following Jesus is a series of next steps. Discipleship is so much more than just knowing more about God. It’s not a program- it’s a lifestyle. A true disciple loves God and loves people and seeks to join God in his mission in the world.
of all nations
This movement begins right where we are and extends to the whole world. There are people right where we live who don’t know Jesus. They have no idea what grace is. This is the gravest of injustices. We must reach them. The same is true around the world. This is why we must multiply, start new churches, think bigger, and think global from the beginning.
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
We have to reach people with the gospel. We will not be a church that compromises the truth for the sake of a crowd. It’s in this power that we go and make disciples. Baptism signifies that we belong to Jesus. It’s a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It’s by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Son, Jesus Christ, and to the glory of God.
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you
Let us remember the nutshell of Jesus’ teaching: love God and others as yourself. It’s not simply head knowledge- it’s about heart. Yes, we teach the Bible, theology, life stuff. But it was never meant to end there. We love. In fact, Jesus just commanded that we “Go” so we teach them to do that too. Being a follower of Jesus means that you are a missionary wherever you are. At home, work, traffic, store, bar, restaurant, church, friends, sidewalk, park, movies, coffee shop, school, wherever you are.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We end with a promise from the lips of Jesus. He is with us. He is always with us and will never leave us. It’s in his name, by his power, with his message that we go. He won’t let you go. He’s with you always. When you feel like you can’t go on. He’s with you. When you don’t feel good enough. He’s with you. When you screw up or fall down. He’s with you. Wherever you go.
John Piper says it well in the opening lines of “Let the Nations Be Glad”:
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal in missions.”
God help us be a movement of missionaries.
More on Being Missional:
A Fistful of Scripture
Genesis 12
Matthew 4:18-22
Matthew 20:25-28
Luke 4:42-44
Luke 19:1-10
John 17:13-26
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
Acts 17:22-34
Luke 9-11
Jeremiah 29:4-7
John 20:21
Luke 15
A Handful of Good Books
The Forgotten Ways – Alan Hirsch
The Shaping of Things to Come – Alan Hirsch & Michael Frost
Let the Nations Be Glad – John Piper
The Tangible Kingdom – Hugh Halter & Matt Smay
The Radical Reformission – Mark Driscoll
Breaking the Missional Code – Ed Stetzer & David Putnam
