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This past Sunday we started looking at the third core value, We are a Missional People. 

What does it mean to be a missional people? To be missional is to recognize that we are a sent people - sent by Christ, empowered by the Spirit to go into the world sharing the Good News of Christ and joining God in the work God is doing to bring God's Kingdom to earth, as it is in heaven.

To help us understand this we looked at Matthew 28:16-20 where Jesus says, "GO and make disciples of all nations..." We are called to be a Spirit-filled, holiness people, who are sent into the world to show others what it means to be a Spirit-filled, holiness people.

But, before we can do this, we have to have the right perspective. We are sent to make disciples, but we are not the ones making the disciples. The word Jesus uses in the original language for "make," literally means TEACH. But, it's even deeper than that. It means, "be a disciple that teaches a disciple." As the Church – we are the living, breathing, manifestation of God’s on-going presence here on earth and we live out this calling we become the hands and feet of God as we reach out to the world in the power of God that is at work within us. It is not because of anything WE do – it is the work of God in the lives of others that makes the difference – our call is to go and share!

To do what God has called us to do we have to have the right tools. Before we can go and teach someone else how to be a disciple, we first must BE a disciple! We have to have been taught how to be a disciple ourselves before we can teach someone else how. We have to be a student of Jesus - learning from Jesus, listening to Jesus, striving to be more like Jesus. If we have not made the decision to follow Jesus, then how can we show someone else the way?

We are a sent people, but what are we sent to do? We are sent to to teach others about Jesus. We do not have to have any specialized training to do this. We do not have to have all the answers, we do not have to be "perfect," we simply have to tell others what Jesus has done in our lives. Each of us has a story to tell and we have all we need to share our story! We are called, just as the disciples were, to go and we go in all our inadequacies because we do not go alone! We go in the power and presence of God to share what God has done in our lives! What are we sent to do? Jesus is sending us into the world so that others will see Jesus in you!

Who are we sent to? Jesus says, "Go into all the nations..." But, who are the nations? The word Jesus uses here is not the word we think of when we hear "nations." The word in the original lanugage is the word, Ethnos, which literally means, all human kind - it also means, those who do not know Jesus. So who are we sent to? We are sent to the people who are in our sphere of influence that do not know God. Each and every one of us has someone we know that does not know Jesus...that is who we are called to go to! We are called to tell them and show them what it looks like when Jesus is Lord of your life!

We make it so complicated sometimes – we think there has to be some scheduled encounter or some written out speech – sometimes, yes…but when Jesus tells the disciples to GO – the literally translation is AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAY… TELL! As you go to the store – be the reflection of Jesus to someone. As you go to school – show someone what it looks like to love like Jesus. As you talk with your family – tell them what Jesus is doing in your life.

You have friends, family, neighbors, teammates – fill in the blank – you have people close to you, people you interact with on a daily basis and Jesus is calling you to GO and TELL – tell them what Jesus means to you. Tell them the difference Jesus has made in your life. Show them how Jesus has changed your life – be a Christ-like reflection in the ways you talk to them, the ways you treat them…The call from God to be a missional people is not as complicated as we make it sometimes – it is simply GO and TELL…

The question of the week is a simple one:

Who is Jesus calling you to share the Good News with?

There is someone that popped into your head when you read that question. What does it mean to be missional? It's simple. Share the love of Jesus with that person!