Heaven on Earth part 1 - Pastor Cindy Hope 7-5-26

So I wanna begin this morning by asking you a question.

Is God in control? You know, you hear things like, everything happens for a reason.

And God is in control of it.

It'll work out.

You know, God's got it.

He'll work it out.

He's in control of everything.

And, you know, it's probably one of the most common statements that are made in Christianity today.

But, you know, if everything happens automatically, then, and if everybody's just going to get saved without us doing anything... everybody's just going to get saved, which we know that's not true, right? God gives us assignments to do.

But then you're like, well, once I become a Christian, then God is in control of my life.

Everything that will happen will happen.

Whether I do anything about it, whether I pray about it, whether I get up in the morning, whatever happens, God is in control and will make everything happen in my life.

Well, that's okay if that's your point of view because we come to learn, right? We come to be stretched.

We come to grow.

If you knew it all, you could stay home.

Look at the empty chair next to you and be like, mm-hmm.

If that was the case, why did Jesus teach us to pray, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven? If his will was just going to be done in your life without your partnership at all, why would you need to pray? Why would he tell you to do something if it was just going to automatically happen in your life? Could it be that we've misunderstood something? Could it be that maybe we've misunderstood not so much His power or His sovereignty, but we've understood something about the message that Jesus preached? Because when Jesus started His public ministry, He didn't start by telling people, come to church.

He didn't start by telling people, be a better person.

His first message was Matthew chapter 4 and verse 17 and was this, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

See most of us have heard this verse our whole life and I think maybe we've we've missed what Jesus was actually saying.

Because when we hear the word repent, most of us think, well, stop sinning, right? Repent, stop sinning.

Or do better, you know? Or stop that thing you're doing and feel bad about it.

Now, there is an element of repent that that fits into.

But remember, the New Testament was written in Greek.

Primarily.

So I wanna begin this morning by asking you a question.

Is God in control? You know, you hear things like, everything happens for a reason.

And God is in control of it.

It'll work out.

You know, God's got it.

He'll work it out.

He's in control of everything.

And, you know, it's probably one of the most common statements that are made in Christianity today.

But, you know, if everything happens automatically, then, and if everybody's just going to get saved without us doing anything... everybody's just going to get saved, which we know that's not true, right? God gives us assignments to do.

But then you're like, well, once I become a Christian, then God is in control of my life.

Everything that will happen will happen.

Whether I do anything about it, whether I pray about it, whether I get up in the morning, whatever happens, God is in control and will make everything happen in my life.

Well, that's okay if that's your point of view because we come to learn, right? We come to be stretched.

We come to grow.

If you knew it all, you could stay home.

Look at the empty chair next to you and be like, mm-hmm.

If that was the case, why did Jesus teach us to pray, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven? If his will was just going to be done in your life without your partnership at all, why would you need to pray? Why would he tell you to do something if it was just going to automatically happen in your life? Could it be that we've misunderstood something? Could it be that maybe we've misunderstood not so much His power or His sovereignty, but we've understood something about the message that Jesus preached? Because when Jesus started His public ministry, He didn't start by telling people, come to church.

He didn't start by telling people, be a better person.

His first message was Matthew chapter 4 and verse 17 and was this, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

See most of us have heard this verse our whole life and I think maybe we've we've missed what Jesus was actually saying.

Because when we hear the word repent, most of us think, well, stop sinning, right? Repent, stop sinning.

Or do better, you know? Or stop that thing you're doing and feel bad about it.

Now, there is an element of repent that that fits into.

But remember, the New Testament was written in Greek.

Primarily.