Restoring Jesus to His Mission

In my recent sermon, I quoted Gordon Fee, who didn’t mince words when he warned …

“You cannot know anything about Jesus, anything, if you miss the kingdom of God. You are zero on Jesus if you don't understand this term. I'm sorry to say it that strongly, but this is the great failure of evangelical Christianity. We have had Jesus without the kingdom of God, and therefore we have literally done Jesus in.”

To miss the Kingdom is to risk misrepresenting Jesus altogether. And, I fear, this blind spot is reshaping modern Christian witness in our culture today. When we reduce Jesus to a personal insurance policy or an abstract moral teacher, we lose the core of his earthly message. Jesus didn't just invite people to a distant future in heaven; he announced the breaking in of God's reign right now!

The Kingdom of God is the present and future reign of God, breaking into the world through the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and restore all of creation!

This distinction changes everything. Faith isn't just about escaping the world; it’s about joining God in restoring it. When our focus turns entirely inward or upward, we miss the Holy Spirit’s invitation to reflect God’s justice, mercy, and renewing power in our communities today. To truly follow Jesus requires embracing the Kingdom he preached: a present reality that changes how we love, live, and serve right here, right now.

May we fully surrender our hearts to Christ and his mission, praying AND living “Thy kingdom come!”