Rationale Behind KingdomCome Vision & Mission
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The Story
Redemption is a wonderful story. It begins in Genesis 3.
The story of God's love must be told ..., but redemption is not the full story. The story begins in Genesis 1 and 2 and it's important for us to tell the rest of the story. KingdomCome is committed to proclaiming the whole story. Jesus' emphasis on Kingdom priorities *
The reason Jesus came to earth
In Luke chapter 4 Jesus tells us, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God ... because that is why I was sent." Luke 4:43 The focus of Jesus' public preaching In Matthew chapters 5-7 we have the best written record of the message Jesus preached to his public audiences. After addressing the essence and the worries of life, in chapter 6 Jesus declared, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness....." Matthew 6:33 The Lord's Prayer In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus also instructs his followers to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:9-10 The first assignment Jesus gave to his disciples In Luke chapter 9 we read: "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." Luke 9:1-2 What is so significant that you need to be "born again" to see it and to enter it? "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3 "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." John 3:5 In Luke 4, Jesus identified with an Old Testament passage from Isaiah 61, and he used it to declare what his mission to earth was about and what "good news" looks like. He said: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor...." Isaiah 61:1-2 The focus of Jesus' post-resurrection ministry with his apostles Luke records, "... he appeared to [his apostles] over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." Acts 1:3 The activities and behaviors that receive special mention when Jesus sits on his throne "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. ... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:35-36, 40 Kingdom priorities emphasized in Isaiah 61
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