I have often taught and referred to the Kingdom of God (and Heaven) as in the New Testament Gospels books. Approximately half of the references refer to this Kingdom as “here and now”, and half to the “not yet” or the afterlife. In thinking about the “here and now”, some scholars refer to the “Four-Part Gospel”, which is summarized as: 1) Creation, 2) Fall, 3) Redemption, and 4) Restoration – of God’s Kingdom on earth.
The following comes from the Integrous blog #217.
https://integriosity.com/why-easter-matters-for-work-and-business-and-investing-2/
Easter for “Restorationists”. Believing that Easter is the beginning of a project to bring Heaven to earth in a restored Kingdom has huge implications for work, business and investing.
Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to Heaven but to colonize earth with the life of Heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord’s Prayer is about. NT Wright
When Paul wrote his great resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, he didn’t end by saying, “So let’s celebrate the great future life that awaits us.” He ended by saying, “So get on with your work because you know that in the Lord it won’t go to waste.” When the final resurrection occurs, as the centerpiece of God’s new creation, we will discover that everything done in the present world in the power of Jesus’s own resurrection will be celebrated and included, appropriately transformed. NT Wright
Does Easter shape the WHY of your work, business, and investing? Easter is important for every worker, business leader, and investor who follows Jesus because it serves as a vivid reminder of a bigger WHY and a sacred relevance for our work, business, and investing rooted in God’s Restoration plan for His Kingdom. Believing that Easter is the beginning of a project to bring Heaven to earth in a restored Kingdom has huge implications for the WHY of work, business, and investing. It gives forward-looking purpose and relevance to the underlying importance of work, business, and investing we can only learn from Genesis–work (and, by extension, business and investing) was designed as a sacred activity not only as a platform and vehicle for evangelism but as a way to beautify the world. It means every business and investment decision has the potential to move God’s Kingdom a little closer to God’s perfect Restoration. It means work, business, and investing have intrinsic Kingdom value, and the WHY and HOW of our work, business, and investing matter. He is risen indeed!
Larry W. Sharp, BAM Support Specialist, IBEC Ventures
Larry.Sharp@ibecventures.com