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Missional leaders see the world through a different set of lenses. They see the world through the eyes of a God who is on mission and cries out to a lost world "Where are you?" and "What is this you have done?" (Genesis 3:8, 13 NIV) They see the world through the heart of a God who so loved the world the he gave and he gave his Son sacrificially so that those who came to him would experience the very life of God. (John 3:16) This deep stirring within their souls causes missional leaders to act and to freely accept the call and the challenge from Jesus when he said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you". (John 20:21 NIV)

The Apostle Paul's heart was broken not only for the lost souls of Athens but for the whole world. This is why he wrote, "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings." (I Corinthians 9:19-13 NIV) In Athens Paul figured out how to reach sophisticated Greeks. In Jewish circles he knew what to do to reach his fellow Jews.

Missional leaders not only feel the burden of God's mission but they also act on the burden and act upon it sacrificially. Leading a missional church is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and to lead the church beyond it personal limits. Brokenness, inner turmoil and sacrifice will always be part of the missional leader's life.