Why the Local Churches Should Be Missional? [Part Two]

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Mission of Local Church

If the gospel of Christ Jesus is the only remedy, which is the only community on earth to spread this gospel? Upon whom is the responsibility laid to carry the gospel of Christ?

The last commission of Christ is the great commission to the church. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only agent of God on earth to spread the gospel and His glory. If the church doesn’t go and proclaim the gospel, who else will do this task?

If the gospel of Christ Jesus is the only way for a man to be saved, then church is the only means to spread this gospel. May I repeat this for emphasis—if the gospel of Christ Jesus is the only way for a man to be saved, then church is the only means to spread this gospel.

Here is a word of caution—if a local church is not active in spreading the gospel of Christ Jesus, whatever else it does, it is not pleasing to the Lord who gave us the Great Commission. A church which is not earnestly engaged in missions is misled in its function and vision.

How Can a Local Church Accomplish the Task of Missions?

Local Missionaries: First, every local church should be missional and every believer should live in a sense as a local missionary. It is written about the early church believers that wherever they were scattered, they proclaimed the gospel of Christ Jesus in the surrounding places and beyond (Acts 8:4).

Wherever we are, be it in study place or work place, we should live as God's missionaries. Christians today are missing to live with this perspective. O, let this be revived. 

The biggest problem with the church today is that our local churches have become spiritual entertainment clubs than mission entities. The focus of today’s believers is on attending the church programs and activities with no passion for the spread of the gospel of Christ. The pathetic thing is that there is not even guilt for not doing so because that’s not the emphasis in the culture of today's churchianity.

Don't you suppose our churches have become more ceremonial rather than being missional?

Let us examine: Is the local church evangelism a regular activity of our local churches? Is personal evangelism emphasized in our local churches? Are we active in proclaiming the gospel of Christ and planting churches, which brings glory to the name of the Lord?

Foreign Missionaries: Second, every local church should not only be missional in its local place but also send missionaries to the places where gospel and church planting are unheard. Paul writes in Romans 10:13-15:

For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

Observe the above order: For a person to be saved, he has to believe. In order for him to believe, he has to hear. For him to hear, someone has to preach. And how can they preach unless they are sent? It ends with the word “sent” because it begins with it. Without sending, nothing of the rest is going to happen. And who will send? Is this not the responsibility of the local churches? And is this not what we are neglecting?

Of course, it is the Lord who sends workers into the harvest. But from where will He pick them? Is it not from the local churches? And who will stand with them? Should not the local churches?

Unless our churches commit themselves to live as missional communities, people are not going to be saved in foreign lands, which means, they cannot be restored to live for the glory of God. If we love God and if we want God’s name to be glorified among all the nations, we, the local churches, should become missional.

If we echo the words in Isaiah 26:8, "Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts", then we have to become missional. If we truly mean by praying, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven", then we have to become missional.

The glory of God is the reason why the local churches should become missional.

If every local church is determined to send at least one missionary in a year, we can reach many unreached places where people are not living for the glory of God. Sadly, there are many local churches existing for years, some for decades, without ever sending missionaries to spread the gospel and plant churches in foreign fields. They are existing only as historical monuments, not to make history by becoming missional.

There are thousands of places where the gospel has not reached and the churches are not planted. Multitudes of people are not living for God's glory. O, the glory of God is at stake! Let the local churches take this challenge to turn people, through the gospel of Christ Jesus, from self-glory to the glory of God.

May the Lord bring revival in the local churches to become Christ-centered, kingdom-minded and missional-oriented. Let our passion for the glory of God drive us to become missional. Are we, the local churches, willing to become missional?  [Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] |  2 of 2 

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