Our hearts were torn this week as we saw the story of the elementary school children killed in Texas. It was a stark reminder that Satan and his demons are still active spreading evil. It was a reminder that we live in a fallen world where evil stalks. What can we do about the evil in the world?
I’ve entitled today’s message “Bringing Heaven to Earth.” God desires to use you and me to bring heaven to earth. Back in the garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve a promise.
Genesis 3:15 (ESV) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The promise was that an offspring of the woman, a human being, would bruise or crush the serpent’s head, that is Satan’s head. All through the Old Testament, the prophets spoke of a coming Messiah. A Messiah who would defeat evil and bring heaven to earth. Finally after thousands of years, the Messiah came, Jesus Christ, the anointed one. When He came, He spoke of the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 4:17 (ESV) From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Other translations say that the kingdom of heaven is near. What that meant was that the supernatural power of heaven was breaking into our world for the first time. Heaven was invading earth and driving out evil in people’s lives. Jesus taught us to pray in …
Matthew 6:10 (ESV) Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
We are to pray that the kingdom of heaven would come to this earth so that God’s will would be done on earth as it is perfectly done in heaven. The process of the kingdom of heaven coming began in Jesus’ ministry and continues to this day. If you are a believer today, then you also have been authorized by Jesus to bring heaven to earth through your life. Then end of the Bible tells us when the process of heaven coming down to earth will be complete.
Revelation 21:2 (ESV) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Ultimately at the return of Christ, heaven will come down and all evil will be removed from the earth as heaven merges with earth.
Today, we want to better understand how we can make a difference in our world. Making a difference by bringing heaven to earth in our own lives. A difference that will impact eternity. So let’s look more closely at how Jesus was bringing the kingdom of heaven near.