Apostolic in a Distracted World

-JUSTIN RYAN BOYER-

What are some hang-ups people (maybe including yourself) have with “church”?
How do character and mission speak to one another about the Church’s identity?

The oneness of the Church is about relationship. The holiness of the Church is about character. The catholicness of the Church is about love. The apostolic nature of the Church is about the truth and facts of the Gospel that point to the past and the future.

For the church to be /APOSTOLIC/ at least means that it is /authentic/: it is tied to the historical roots, to the message of Jesus that has been carried on for 2000 years. While diversity is no doubt present in the faith, the Church is herself when she is “on-brand”, being nourished from the original source. God’s true Church is not just something people create and then slap on the label of CHURCH; it’s not something that looks like the real thing but then doesn’t have the same essential ingredients.

We have a family inheritance of truth from God and through the Church in generations prior that we not only need to guard but also invest into the next generation. The word apostle means /sent one/, and in that sense the Church continues to be apostolic as it presses into the future. 

The tyranny of choice distracts us so much in our culture. We can spend more time looking for a movie on Netflix than actually watching one. But Jesus empowers his disciples in John 20 to look to him for the focus they need.

“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

Our mission is to /GO/ into our neighborhoods with the message of reconciliation offered by Christ alone. The Good News heals our connection with our self, with God, and with others. In just about any type of work, play, and interaction, we are called to embody this message as light to the world.

“The Church is apostolic since it orients itself toward
the first-century message of the apostles and the promotion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
-Michael Bird, Theologian-