The Mission of the Kingdom : Seeking & Saving
This is our Sunday teaching from Senior Pastor, Tom Thompson. Recorded live at our Sunday Service in Harris Academy Purley, Croydon on Sunday 9th November, 2025.
Below you can find the full talk audio, and a summary article.
Want to lead a connect group session on this teaching? The notes are here!
The Mission of the Kingdom (Part 1): Seeking and Saving
This Sunday we opened a new series, The Mission of the Kingdom, by stepping into Luke 19 and the story of Zacchaeus. Luke—doctor, researcher, careful historian—centres his gospel on a simple, seismic line from Jesus: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
Jesus isn’t merely passing through Jericho. He looks up, sees Zacchaeus—corrupt, disliked, a true outsider—and says, “I must stay at your house today.” Presence before persuasion. Meal before moralising. And by the end of that table time, Zacchaeus is radically different: half his wealth to the poor; fourfold restitution to any he cheated. Grace lands, and generosity follows.
Why “Son of Man”? Jesus is drawing from Daniel’s vision—God’s appointed ruler who brings a new, just kingdom. In this in-between time (between His first coming and His return), Jesus makes His mission clear: He is seeking people—one by one—and saving them into a new way of life. John’s Gospel adds the Trinitarian lens: the Father seeks worshippers; Jesus invites them; the Spirit leads them into truth. Heaven is actively looking for people—here, now.
So what does this mean for us? Two big applications:
1) Grow “trees.” Zacchaeus met Jesus up a sycamore. We want our Sundays, socials, and online spaces to be full of “trees”—places where people can safely watch, wonder, and warm to Jesus before they’re ready to decide. Practically, that means making room, welcoming curiosity, and choosing hospitality over hurry.
2) Practise presence. Jesus doesn’t demand Zacchaeus fit His agenda; He steps into Zacchaeus’ world. We’re renewing our commitment to unhurried meals, deeper discipleship (“huddles” of three for honest growth), and a clear pathway that helps newcomers move from first visit to transformed life. Generosity fuels multiplication: we’ll keep serving the poor, investing in under-18s, and planting/multiplying communities across South London so more people can find a nearby “tree.”
This is the best story going: the God who made us looks up, calls us by name, and shares our table—then turns our lives outward in joy and justice. If you’re curious, come sit in the tree. If you’re in, join the search. The Son of Man is still seeking and saving.