September 2024

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Bringing People to Jesus
and Heaven to Earth
Sundays September 8, 15, and 22

This month, as we kickoff off the new school year, with all our programs and groups starting back up, we will be exploring an expression of our God-given mission as "bringing people to Jesus and heaven to earth."

"Bringing people to Jesus and heaven to earth" is a statement that captures our evangelistic and missional heart. The first half captures the essence of John 1:41–42 where Andrew tells Simon, "We have found the Messiah!" and he brought him to Jesus. The second half captures the heart of the Lord's prayer from Matthew 6 where Jesus teaches us to pray "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".

We want all people to know that Jesus is our only hope. Trusting in him brings healing to our hurting lives and hope to all of humanity. By trusting Jesus, keeping his commands, and following his example, we can find freedom, healing, peace, and unity in the kingdom of God. This is the meaning of God’s “will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” There IS hope for humanity, but it only comes through Jesus. When we come to Jesus, heaven comes to earth. This is our mission.

Bringing people to Jesus requires that we actively share the gospel with those who don’t have faith in Jesus. This includes publicly sharing the gospel during our Sunday services and messages and giving people an opportunity to respond. It also includes each of us personally sharing the gospel with others in our own lives—whether they be family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.

Bringing heaven to earth requires intentional discipleship of those who have put their faith in Jesus on what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the kingdom of God so that His will would be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” It includes living in community with one another and actively serving each other with love and compassion through missional ministries and partnerships both inside and outside our church. And, it reflects the beauty of heaven when we gather together to worship God.

I'll be preaching about this statement over three Sundays, September 8, 15, and 22. As I do, I encourage you to explore the following resources. 

VIDEOS

WHERE HEAVEN AND EARTH OVERLAP
This short video from the Bible Project does a great job of helping us visualize what this means.

THE TEMPLE: WHERE GOD AND HUMANITY OVERLAP
This short video from the Bible Project does a great job of helping us visualize God's place among us.

HEAVEN AND EARTH PODCAST SERIES

This podcast series from the Bible Project does a great job of explaining further what this means.

SERMONS

Review this sermon series from Pastor Jim about the Gospel that Jesus preached—the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Review this sermon series from Pastor Jim explaining what the Bible says about Heaven, Hell, and the Final Judgment.

BOOKS

Here are a few books you could read for more consideration of our mission as the church. Each of these are available for Kindle but we'll also have some paperback copies available at church.
"The King Jesus Gospel" by Scot McNight 
"Surprised by Hope," by N.T. Wright 
"The Divine Conspiracy," by Dallas Willard
"Bringing Heaven to Earth," by Josh Ross and Jonathan Storment (an entry-level, easy to read book, capturing the heart of this statement for the average person)

Note: Every book we read, video we watch, or podcast we listen to will likely contain various statements that are either confusing or with which you or I might disagree. Biblical study always requires personal, Spirit-led discernment, careful analysis and discussion, as well as humility to learn and the granting of charity for different perspectives.