An Emerging (Non)Vision Pt 3
Continuing my series on the emerging (non)vision for the Heights. If you missed them, here are Part One and Part Two.
Our desire is for The Heights to be a kingdom-focused church. This is similar to saying that the church is Jesus-focused or gospel-focused. But in my mind, kingdom-focused is more specific.
Jesus’ mission was to establish the kingdom of God—a community of people who submit to Jesus as King and Lord of all. The kingdom is here and now, but it is not yet perfect and complete.
When Jesus returns, he will bring his kingdom work to completion. As the Apostle Paul says, God revealed to us “the mystery of his will, according to His purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:9–10 ESV).
Our role, as the church, is to visibly represent God’s kingdom on earth. The Heights intends to fulfill our role in the kingdom by:
1. preaching the gospel that Jesus is Lord and that through his sacrifice on the cross, he has made it possible for us to find redemption and to participate fully in his kingdom,
2. calling people to repent of their rebellion and failure to recognize Jesus as the Lord of their lives,
3. living in community with one another, demonstrating the truth of the gospel in our daily lives and relationships,
4. equipping and empowering one another to fully participate in the work that God wants to do through our community of believers, and
5. striving for holiness in our own lives and for mercy and justice in our community.
We hope that God will use us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to establish genuine pockets of his kingdom throughout Noblesville and Hamilton County.
Next week: What it means for The Heights to live in community.
Our desire is for The Heights to be a kingdom-focused church. This is similar to saying that the church is Jesus-focused or gospel-focused. But in my mind, kingdom-focused is more specific.
Jesus’ mission was to establish the kingdom of God—a community of people who submit to Jesus as King and Lord of all. The kingdom is here and now, but it is not yet perfect and complete.
When Jesus returns, he will bring his kingdom work to completion. As the Apostle Paul says, God revealed to us “the mystery of his will, according to His purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:9–10 ESV).
Our role, as the church, is to visibly represent God’s kingdom on earth. The Heights intends to fulfill our role in the kingdom by:
1. preaching the gospel that Jesus is Lord and that through his sacrifice on the cross, he has made it possible for us to find redemption and to participate fully in his kingdom,
2. calling people to repent of their rebellion and failure to recognize Jesus as the Lord of their lives,
3. living in community with one another, demonstrating the truth of the gospel in our daily lives and relationships,
4. equipping and empowering one another to fully participate in the work that God wants to do through our community of believers, and
5. striving for holiness in our own lives and for mercy and justice in our community.
We hope that God will use us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to establish genuine pockets of his kingdom throughout Noblesville and Hamilton County.
Next week: What it means for The Heights to live in community.
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