This may seem like a no brainer but the harsh reality is that many churches today don't even use scripture from the pulpit! I have listened to many sermons that don't even mention the name of Jesus once. I have a problem with that. How can a church be on mission without even mentioning its Leader?
As a Missional Church we must not only stand firm on the fact that the Bible is the inspired word of God (1 Timothy 3:16) but we must, as a whole, try to the best of our abilities to live out the teachings of Jesus. We must develop a yearning for Scripture that goes deeper than mere curiosity and find ourselves deeply trusting and hanging on to every word that the Trinity has spoken to us.
Since it is biblical, a Missional Church must fight for the validity of those parts of Scripture that are essential to the gospel of Jesus Christ, doing so with humility and grace as to stay biblical. We have to find biblical answers for new assaults on biblical truth that we are facing in the culture we find ourselves in. Therefore, it is important today to contend for doctrines such as:
_Scripture, as the inerrant Word of God;
_God's sovereignty and foreknowledge;
_True humanity, which has been created in the image of God, though it has been depraved
because of sin;
_The virgin birth and the resurrection of the Christ;
_Jesus' death as our penal (receiving punishment) substitution, triumph over evil and death,
and model for every believer's life;
_The exclusivity of Jesus as our only possible means of salvation;
_God-designed, complimentary male and female gender distinction and the sinfulness of any sexual activity outside of a heterosexual marriage;
_The reality of a conscious, eternal hell for non-believers;
_The priority of God's Kingdom over any human kingdom;
_The reality of Satan and demons working to devour us like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Finally, "because a Missional Church is biblical, a Missional Church is always, only, solely, fully, passionately, uncompromisingly, whole-heartedly, unwaveringly, and continually all about Jesus as God, Savior, Lord, Hope, and Friend (Driscoll)!" As a Missional Church we want to use the name of Jesus as often as possible so that people know Who we worship and Who is the Senior Pastor of the Metro.
Making Him Famous,
Donovan
donovan@metronwa.com
479.586.6636
*Please don't think that I'm this smart because this information can be found in its entirety in "Vintage Jesus" by Pastor Mark Driscoll on pages 221-222.
