What the Church IS vs. What the Church DOES (Pt1)

To understannd the Church, in light with the Scriptures, it will be helpful to divide What the Church IS? from What the Church DOES?

In the same way that a surgeon does surgery after what a professional is, likewise the church cannot do without being. If we sit several believers of various denominations, they may agree that the church should preach the gospel, the church should pray, the church should help, the church should proclaim the Kingdom of God, among other things. What the church DOES is an answer that although varied is easy to answer. All the answers that can be given about the function of the church are summarized in this: The church must be missional.

Why do I say Missionary and not missionary?

Because Missionary implies an essence, a foundation to everything that is done. It implies that the fundamental purpose of ministries is to reach the lost with the gospel. When we say a missionary church, we are referring to a church whose DNA is impregnated with the great commission.

Instead, the missionary Church does missions. The missions ministry / department works alongside all other ministries. All ministries aim for something greater, a goal or goal, or purpose greater than missions per se.

At first glance it could be seen how if there were no differences between the two, however the main characteristic that distinguishes them is that one IS and the other DOES.

In Acts 1:8 Jesus Himself says to his disciples and first members of the first church gathered:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

From the Holy Spirit we have received the power to BE his witnesses. The believer's life (individually) reflects what he is a witness to the things he has seen and heard. It is not about testifying from time to time. It's about being witnesses.

The same applied to the church. It is not about doing missions one day here and one day there. It is essentially about having a missionary attitude. That the Church more than witness sporadically, be a Witness. That the church can recognize that the task entrusted and to which it must dedicate its resources is to the missions.

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