The Church’s Manifesto – demonstrating Missio Dei

As we come to the last session of the plan today, we are thinking about our responsibilities as a Church. Now, many churches have a mission statement on their website or a screen in the building that informs people of how they want to build God’s Kingdom.

God has a mission statement or a manifesto for His Church but before we come on to that here are some definitions.

Manifesto

A statement published by a person or a group of people in which they say what their aims and policies are – Collins Dictionary

When Jesus stood up in the temple and read from the scroll at the start of His ministry, he was reading from the prophet Isaiah, chapter 61, verses 1-3. 

It was His manifesto.

This manifesto is about release! 

Physical, spiritual and emotional release, from fear, addiction, slavery, poverty and captivity.

It’s about comfort! 

For the broken-hearted, for those in darkness, for those who mourn and grieve and for those in despair.

It’s about restoration! 

Bringing favour, beauty, gladness, praise, being planted and rebuilt. 

What a great message of encouragement to the people of God then and what a message of hope for our world today! And it’s through us - God’s people today - that He wants to share it. ‘The Church of God is the instrument of God in the hand of God to extend the Kingdom of God!’

The churches sought to live this out as ‘They gave to anyone as they had need’ in Acts 2:45, as a result ‘there were no needy persons among them’ it says in Acts 4:34. In Acts 6:1, widows were being provided for and later in Acts 11:29 the believers were sending gifts to help those in famine areas. 

So, the mission of the church is not just to preach Good News but to demonstrate Good News. God’s desire for His Church is that 'we loose the chains of injustice, and untie the cords of the yoke to set the oppressed free and break every yoke! It is to share our food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter and when we see the naked to clothe them’, Isaiah 58:6-7.

What a mandate! What a great purpose! Something to live for! Loving God and loving others.

As you reflect on these thoughts today, ask yourself, how can I, as a part of a church make a difference to the poor and the marginalised? You could find out what the church is doing corporately, what programmes do they have that I could serve in? 

Pray

Father God. Thank you that you have chosen me to be a part of your Church. Help me share the Good News and bring hope as you lead me into the lives of people whom you conquered sin and death and hell for that they might have life in all its fullness. Amen!

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