Preaching to Become an Outside In Church
Pastors who are in traditional evangelical churches that desire to see their people become missional must teach them through their preaching the biblical pattern showcased in Acts. It is radically different from what is done in the name of local evangelism in traditional evengelical churches in Australia.
If being a Christian is Christ changing us from the inside out. Then being the church is Christ sending us out that others may come in. We would be naïve to think that having a great new position, faculties and new programs these will guarantee we grow as a Church. These may once have draw people into Church but today people will no longer come to Church. What are we to do? How did the early church get people to church? They reversed the order we use today. They started further back with people. The early church sets the pattern of how we are to do Church. The church in Acts gathered to worship and scattered on mission. How did the church in Acts become a reproducing community? They did this in a logical process of connecting, community, conversion and churching.
They connected to people: As the church was scattered on mission they built loving relationships with workmates, neighbourers, friends and relatives. Good works showcased the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Few could resist this powerful apologetic. Living in community with each other lead naturally to conversions as their new friends wanted to know why they where different and desired the same. As they listened to people’s stories they helped them make sense of them through the meta narrative of God’s story of creation, fall, redemption and consummation. This exposed their idolatry, self-discovery or self-righteousness and lead to naturally to faith in Christ and genuine repentance. As new Christians they wanted to begin churching.
What is hindering us from seeing conversions. Are we worshipping counterfeit God’s? Do we have a self-righteousness attitude to outsiders. If so we need to repent and reconnect with Christ through pray, reading God’ word. The gospel must conquer us again. Only then, will the Spirit renew us for mission. How are we to use these new facilities? To be a learning, responding, relational and reproducing church.” Lets begin this process not by add more programs but by following the church in Acts and we will be surprised when people want to begin Churching because we went out to them and loved them inviting them into our homes and communities, listening to their stories and making sense of them with the gospel. Then God wonderful converted them and the couldn't wait to start churching!
Based on Total Church by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis and Being a Missional Church by Tim Keller