Book Review: Jesus Manifesto

After reading Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet‘s online essay ”Jesus Manifesto”, I was captivated by their thinking.  The original online essay can be found HERE.  I read through the original Manifesto dozens of times each time reflecting on a new part of the implications.  I began to teach through 10 points of the essay in the young adult Sunday school class here at Crosspoint.  So when I heard that Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet were going to publish a book under the same title, I purchased the book on the day it was released.

The book Jesus Manifesto expanded on the ideas found in the original essay.  The original essay states the problem clearly:

“We believe that the major disease of the church today is JDD: Jesus Deficit Disorder. The person of Jesus is increasingly politically incorrect, and is being replaced by the language of “justice,” “the kingdom of God,” “values,” and “leadership principles.”

Do you agree or disagree with that statement?  Before you answer that, let me ask you a couple of questions:

1. Have you ever heard a sermon where the name of Jesus Christ was not mentioned? 
2. Take note of Christian worship.  Is Christ mentioned and exalted by name?
3. Ever been to Bible study where the topic of study was so topical in nature that one’s walk with the Lord Jesus was never discussed?
4. What percentage of what we do as Christians is focused on us and what percentage is focused on the person of Jesus Christ?

Fortunately, rather than blasting the fact that we don’t focus on Jesus Christ enough, Sweet/Viola choose to just reveal Christ.   The authors state their goals upfront saying:

“We hope to present our Lord to you in such a way that you cannot help but love Him, that you cannot help but fall at His feet and give Him your undying devotion – not out of guilt, duty, obligation, or fear, but because your heart has been captured by a glimpse of the greatest person this world has ever know, Jesus the Christ.                                Introduction, p.xix

This is where the book comes to life.  Each chapter paints beautiful pictures of who Christ is.  The book uses the epistle of Colossians as an outline to describe who Jesus is.  By revealing who Jesus Christ is in all his majesty the other issues seem to take a back seat.  When I was reading this book I stood speechless after every chapter.  Page after page I was learning more about more about my Savior, my King, my Lord Jesus Christ.  He was called to be my center, my passion, my all.  Jesus was to have the focus of my worship, my time and my energy.  But the fun doesn’t end there.  Not only is Christ the center of all things, early on the book Sweet/Viola hit the heart of the message found in Colossians 1:27:

 ^“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

How stinkin’ cool is that!  The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the man who conquered sin and death chooses to reside in you and me.  Christ in YOU!  He doesn’t just choose to love us, forgive us, save us and allow us into heaven.  Jesus Christ does all that and more!  He chose not just to empty himself to take the form of a servant as described in Philippians 2:6-7, every single day he chooses to dwell and live in the hearts of all Christians, including you and me!  Knowing that, why wouldn’t Christ be the center of all we do in the church?  Why wouldn’t Jesus be the center of every Bible study?  Even our daily lives, if Christ does truly reside in us our lives should reflect His!  In order for Christ reign supreme and sovereign in the church, he MUST reign supreme and sovereign in you and me.

For the last 6 months I have felt something is brewing in the Kingdom of God.  I felt that we are on the tip of some sort of revival, some type of renewal within the hearts of Christian men and women.  I believe that this book and those who read it may be the catalyst for this type of movement.  Why do I say that?  Because if a movement like that is going to happen, Christ will be the center of that movement.  The Jesus Manifesto has Christ at the center as well.  I encourage anyone wanting to know the person of Jesus Christ on a deeper more intimate level to pick up this book.

A Jesus Manifesto

Over the last 6 months I’ve been on a unique spiritual journey.  It all started off by reading some books by an author named Frank Viola.  I started off the Pagan Christianity, then Reimagining Church and lastly Finding Organic Church.  Through his writing I have questioned, researched and searched for truth on almost everything we do as a church in the 21st century.  This process has brought me nothing but closer in my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Where Frank Viola has some new and interesting views on the church and how it should operate, one thing is for sure, he’s 100% for Jesus Christ.  It is very evident in his writing, that he wants nothing to take place of our Lord Jesus Christ.   This passion can seen most clearly by two works of his and Leonard Sweet both titled Jesus Manifesto. The original essay written by them can be found here.   The second work (title under the same name)  is in book format and was released yesterday on amazon.com.  I personally ordered the book yesterday and UPS says it was delivered today.  I’m very excited about reading this book and will update my blog with a review after I finish reading the book.

If anyone is up for going trough this book with me, please pick up a copy and let me know.  If you can’t pickup a book checkout the original essay and let me know your thoughts. I find that learning is best when done when done together with other Christians.