SS: on earth as it is in heaven

Lately, in Sunday School, we've been using a curriculum that I don't really have to change much, just print.  Today, I changed it up.  Instead of going from verse to verse, I really like to just take one passage and camp out.

Today's part of the Lord's Prayer is "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  The curriculum started out with the verse from Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Not everyone who says they are a Christian is a Christian.  I will explain two types of that, but first, I will deviate from the lesson and contrast heaven and earth.

For heaven, I will go to Mark 9:2-8.

"After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone.  There he was transfigured before them.  His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.  And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.  Let us put up three shelters - one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: 'This is my Son, whom I love.  Listen to him!'

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."

What is heaven like?  Jesus is there in his complete God-ness.  Believers who died are there alive.  No pain, frustration, sadness, crying.  Only excitement.

Now for earth, I will go to the next passage, Mark 9:14-29

¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.

So, in heaven, we have Jesus in his complete God-ness, believers who died are there alive, no pain, frustration, sadness, crying, only excitement.  On earth, there is unbelief, arguing, demon-possession, illness, death, and believers who struggle.  Jesus helped make earth more like heaven by healing the boy of his demon-possession and erasing the father's unbelief.  He also gradually got the disciples to stop arguing with each other.

So this leads me to two signs that someone might be a person who says "Lord, Lord" but isn't really a follower of Jesus.  A false Christian.  They don't necessarily mean a person isn't a real Christian, and even I struggle with both of them from time to time.  1: People who are nice, know Scripture, lead worship, but watch vulgar TV shows with violence, nudity and bad language.  They also spend time looking for guidance from luck, horoscopes, and mediums.  2: People who never watch bad shows, and never live bad lifestyles, but they judge people and put limits on who they can be friends with.

All these people need prayer and love and this is one way we can pray for God's will to be done on earth in heaven.  Also, if we are praying for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, then we are praying for earth to be more like heaven now.

How does God answer this prayer?  Through you and me.  How are we going to help God answer this prayer? 1) Tell people about Jesus.  2) Obey Jesus.  3) Cheer people who hurt.

Also, we made Christian road signs such as "Stop sinning," or "Yield to Jesus."  And I started the lesson with funny road signs such as this: