22 november 2024 www.goodnewsfl.org Good news • South Florida edition CHURCH UNITED This month, churches from all across South Florida will take part in Church United’s annual combined teaching series. Focusing on a different regionally relevant topics each year, this year’s series will focus on aligning the hearts and minds of God’s people towards the reality that JESUS IS KING. Collaboratively co-created by local pastors of various denominational backgrounds, this 3-week joint teaching series is designed to proclaim to South Florida the miraculous hope, unity, and humility found in Jesus' kingdom. Local pastor Jon Elswick of Crossway Church and one of the serval pastors who helped architect the series said, “As we come together this November for our annual Church United joint teaching series, our region will likely be experiencing fear and division due to the Presidential election. In a politically polarized and uncertain moment like this, the Church has an incredible opportunity to point South Florida to the hope we have in the true King - King Jesus. Jesus reigns over a kingdom that is the very opposite of what we see in the world around us. His kingdom is not a kingdom of fear, it's a kingdom of hope. It's not a kingdom of division, it's a kingdom of unity. It's not a kingdom of me-centered pride, it is a kingdom of others-centered humility.” In the middle of difficult and divisive times, it’s no surprise that we often look to political figures, cultural commentators and political ideology as sources of hope and assurance that things are going to be ok. As the old hymn says, “my heart is prone to wonder Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” Put differently, my heart, and your heart, is prone to forget that Jesus is the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. No matter who gets elected this month, Jesus is King, and we are citizens of his Kingdom. His Kingdom works differently than the Kingdom of this world. The people of God are divinely designed to show up in the opposite spirit of the world. Where this is hopelessness, we bring hope. Where there is division, we bring unity. Where this is pride, we bring humility. Where there is pain, we bring healing. Where there is anxiety and fear, we bring peace and calm. Why? Because Jesus is King and his Kingdom is at being displayed through the people who follow him.” Jesus is the King our hearts long for, and His kingdom is the only kingdom that has the power to bring lasting transformation to the brokenness and pain of South Florida. Series Overview: As Church United, we believe that God will use this series to help Christians in our region gain a clearer perspective of the beauty of Jesus' kingdom and the courage to invite others to follow Jesus as their King. Week 1: Jesus’ Kingdom is a kingdom of HOPE. In week 1 we explore Ephesians 1:15-23. This text reminds us that, because Jesus is King above all rule and authority and because we are deeply loved by Him, we have an unshakable HOPE. Politicians and business leaders promise us hope for a better future but are never able to deliver hope that lasts. Jesus is the only one who has the strength and power to provide us a hope that is not tied to the circumstances around us. We can stand strong in every situation because Jesus is king, and His kingdom is a kingdom of HOPE. Week 2: Jesus’ Kingdom is a kingdom of UNITY. In week 2 we explore Ephesians 2:11-22. This passage reveals how Jesus' kingdom is a kingdom of miraculous UNITY. In the first century, there was significant animosity between Jews and Gentiles. But through Jesus, the hostility between the two groups has been removed and now all who believe in Him have become a part of the new humanity of His kingdom. In a time when the world around us is becoming more and more divided, Jesus offers a different way. He offers a kingdom of unity, where people from different backgrounds, different educational levels, different financial situations, and different races can stand together as one, under the Lordship of Jesus. As the Church lives out this radical unity in the midst of a divided world, we bear witness to the wisdom and power of King Jesus. Week 3: Jesus’ Kingdom is a kingdom of HUMILITY. The series concludes with week 3 exploring Philippians 2:1-11. In this passage, Paul reveals to us something shocking about King Jesus. Even though He possessed ultimate glory and power as God, He did not hold on to the privileges of His position, but rather humbled Himself to the point of dying on a cross for our sins. Imagine that. Jesus, God the Son, humbled Himself to serve us! Using this example of Jesus' radical humility, Paul calls us to treat others the same way. This mindset directly clashes with the self-serving pride that dominates much of modern life. But here again, Jesus invites us into a better way of living in His kingdom. When we follow Jesus as King, we are freed from me-centered pride and empowered to live an others-centered life of humility, valuing others as better than ourselves. This kind of surprising humility disarms the world and builds a beautiful, inviting, counter-cultural community of faith. Final word: Lead Pastor Jacob Bramos, of Victory Life Church in Plantation, said this of the series, “Doing this the past few years has been extremely eye opening for us as a church to see the local church at work together. Pastoral unity in preaching a series like this has the potential to change the spiritual climate of our community. During these incredibly divisive times it’s critical that we not lose sight of who we are as the people of God and who we belong to as citizens of his Kingdom. I love the way the series aligns our hearts back to the reality that our faith is anchored in: King Jesus.” Interested in joining in the collaborative teaching series? It’s not too late to join in this year or plan for next year? Get your church involved by visiting churchuntiedfl.com. Churches Unite Over Common Message - Edwin Copeland - Executive Director, Church United
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