Micah and the Great Commission
The Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Micah’s mission has always been to be a catalyst for transforming mission through the promotion of integral mission. In the Micah Declaration on Integral Mission (September 2001) integral mission is defined as:
Integral mission or holistic transformation is the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel.
In many places people have preferred to use the term holistic mission as opposed to integral mission: holistic referring to meeting the whole of human need. Although different needs will be prioritised in different contexts, the central focus remains on meeting human need. The integral mission terminology helps us to broaden that and to root it in God’s Mission, out of which flows transformation.
The Kingdom of God and the Reign of God: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus.” This is the Good News. The Kingdom of God is here now.
Proclamation is letting people know that God’s mission to restore all things in heaven and on earth is in process through Jesus. In light of the terrible atrocities we are hearing almost daily in the news, people need to hear this Good News. People are hungry for truth and hope, that only the Gospel can bring. Do we believe that the Gospel has the power to break through the pain and destruction and be light to our hurting world?
Discipling Nations: teaching, modelling, mentoring, guiding, supporting, enabling, training, warning, correcting and speaking truth to power. All of this is a part of discipleship.
Micah takes hold of this command through our national Micah expressions gathering together in integral mission conversations to learn, to act, to unite, to articulate and advocate together, so as to disciple our respective nations. An integral part of this is to share the amazing truth of the Good News in Jesus. We only have to look at how Jesus did this daily in the public square to recognise the importance of speaking truth, giving hope and showing love to our nations.
Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded: What has God commanded? Is it not to love the poor, set the oppressed free, care for the stranger, the widow, the orphan? To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly? Is it not to seek fair wages, expose corruption, heal the sick, care for the vulnerable? Is it not to care for creation? Reading through Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, there are clear commands to demonstrate the love of God through our actions. In Micah we seek to work together on a united and effective action, showing the uniqueness of the Kingdom of God approach in all aspects of life. This is transforming mission – bringing the change we long to see in our world.
Baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: our shared goal of transformation is that every nation, every community, every family, every workplace, every person will experience and respond to the Lordship of Christ because they see evidence of His reign in us and hear the life changing Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Micah and the Great Commission – this affirms our shared vision: communities living life in all its fullness, free form poverty, injustice and conflict.
As you read through the April Newsletter, may I invite you to join in and invest your gifts and energy in this shared vision.
Sheryl Haw
International Director
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