Missional in One Minute

God is a sending God, and we are a sent people. Another way to think about IT is that if Jesus was sent by God as a missionary to redeem His people; then, if we are going to incarnate here on earth, be Jesus in the flesh, then we are going to have to be sent like He was. Basically, that all boils down to that every believer in Jesus Christ is a missionary, or is missional. That gives us a good definition of missional. It is any time that we incarnate as Jesus and act like the missionary that he was. Sometimes that is looking after the sick, the poor, the widow, and the orphan, so there is a lot of social justice to be missional like Jesus because He was definitely into social justice. But, Jesus was a missionary way beyond social justice. All of the good works were to point to the Gospel -- the good news that the Messiah has arrived to take away the sins of the world. So, we cannot be missional without being first Gospel-centered AND willing to share that Gospel in every missionary outpost that God sends us which includes everything from family reunions to our place of employment to school to ALL social settings. The question is how do we effectively share the Gospel in a world that apparently hostile to the Gospel and in cultures where everyone think they know all that there is to know about it (when actually they probably know nothing).

I have been training some folks that past couple of weeks -- missional cells in Arnold and membership classes at The Bridge -- something stolen from Pastor Ying Kai from China that we got to lay our eyes on at The Verge Conference in Austin -- on sharing the Gospel in a very simple non-threatening manner.

I hope I have your interest, but let me back up on two things that must be in place as we understand this. First, we do a nice job at The Bridge in creating landing places for not-yet-believers (folks who have not repented and believed the Gospel) to land in areas of community where they can hear what the Bible really says about Jesus and His incredible Gospel. These havens of team evangelism must be established where a not-yet-believer can sit around a dinner table and a group of people use their Spiritual gifts where some shower concern, others are hospitable, others are giving, and still others are to teach and preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. That way we are not out there on our own as the Holy Spirit works through us to regenerate a man or a woman.

Also, our correct theology frees us from the pressure of selling someone on the Gospel or talking them into praying a prayer of "God come into my heart." (Which is nowhere in Scripture by the way). God regenerates lost people and He brings them to repentance and belief. He is the Savior of lost souls. Romans 10 tells us that our role is to be the the missional means by which he does His thing - the Gospel public address system. He tells us to love people and the main way we do that is tell them about the Gospel.

Pastor Ying says that we should tell them the Gospel through our story (how God did heart surgery on us) in one minute. I think he may know something about mission as he is responsible for a missional movement that has brought MILLIONS to Christ in 150,000 church plants in just past few years. Let's learn from the best. He says we can do our job in one minute.

So, here is what I have been teaching folks to do.
1. Develop a one minute testimony of your life that matches the Gospel.
Goes something like this:
a. I once was....(selfish, addicted, immoral, etc. or all the above - haha)
B. But, God....Jesus redeemed me
C. Now I am....... (quickly list the changes)
D. BUT, I still struggle with....
Write it out and practice it. It is essential that the name of Jesus be used instead of generic statements like "I met God" or "I started going to this cool church." It is the name of Jesus and His Gospel that the Holy Spirit will use to move in a person's soul. "D" is optional, but shouldn't be. Not-yet-believers are put off by church and its pseudo-holiness. I think it is essential that they understand that we understand that we are only sinners saved by grace that still struggle with sin.
2. Tell this 1 to 1 and 1/2 minute Gospel/story to your friends and family. Then, watch God go to work. You have done your job.
3. Then, move out to co-workers, neighbors, the nurse at your doctor's office, etc - the people that you see all the time but are not close friends with. Talk about other interests and then throw in the 90 seconds, then move on. You do not have to seal the deal - that has already been done. You have given the Gospel in a story form and used the name of Jesus. That is what you have been called to do.
4. Then, watch for the opportunity to invite to one of the landing places that a team will enhance what you have started like missional community (cell) or church where all the other gifts come to play on this person (including psycho preacher Jesus freaks like me). All we will do is give them the same Gospel; there is only one.
5. The next step is what I call the "Corrie Ten Boom Step." When feeling empowered by the Holy Spirit, start giving it to the check out lady at Wal-Mart, to the Muslim cab driver, the person next to you on the bus or plane -- anybody that you have two minutes but may not see again. You may not know until you get to heaven what God has done with these encounters.

Last point - we can talk about every believer is a missionary, or we can really step up and do it. Jesus spent all of his time talking about Himself or taking care of needs. Let's incarnate - be Jesus in the flesh - and do the same.

In the next post, we will discuss being missional by being a blessing.