Last Sunday my pastor said, “God’s church doesn’t have a mission. God’s mission has a church.” It got me thinking about whether I’m trying to do things “for God,” or seeking to do the things that are on God’s heart.
The former seems to have a lot to do with my effort, my goals, my mission. The latter requires me to do something that’s much harder – listen.
I posted this quote and asked for feedback and here are a few responses (with names removed):
1. “Can a church (or a Christian) really call themselves God’s people if they don’t share His heart nor obey His commands? Obedience in the missional commandment of God is not an optional extra for special people, but an essential in our identity. God’s mission is the church, the family of people who have made Jesus Lord of their lives and live according to the cross. Let me put it this way: every Christian is a missionary, an ambassador of God to a broken world in need of salvation, or they are not a Christian at all.”
2. “I don’t think that it is either/or. I think that it is perspective. Our mission should be the same as Christ and the Father. Christ same to seek and save the lost. As Christians we are supposed to be like him.”
3. “My comment would be how do we know what God’s mission for our church is supposed to be and not get distracted by all the other to do’s and fun things available out there?
4. “My understanding is that God has a mission and part of that answer is the church as a corporate expression of the faith that is within, being expressed outwardly by us as a body of believers… God’s mission is redemption of all, He uses individuals, and groups to be tools of communication of the message of redemption to all..”
5. “I like to think that church is a tool in working out God’s purpose. A place for encouragement, support, refreshment and (of course) collaboration and the sharing of resources. Even so, I am less worried on any given day about what church I belong to or what the church is doing than I am about being sure I’m living God’s purpose in my life. I thank god for church families, but am likewise thankful that there’s more to being a Christian than your connection to a church.”
So…what do you think?
