Beyond the Weekend: Politics and Unity
It's election season. As Jesus followers, we are called to engage politics through the lens of our faith and to pursue unity with each other. What does unity look like when convictions clash? Join us as Pastor Aaron and author and speaker John Dickson explore biblical unity and our calling to engage in this cultural moment.
The Kingdom
Read: John 18:36-37 Listen: John 18
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18:36
Jesus’s kingdom is not like the kingdoms Pilate is used to. It isn’t about a country, or ethnic group and it doesn’t have borders. Jesus’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that transforms the physical world. As the good news of Jesus spread, it had a transforming impact. The countercultural beliefs of the early church completely transformed the ethical values of the world. The kingdom of Jesus brings life, a return to the life people were created to live.
Jesus’s kingdom isn’t a country. The United States isn’t the kingdom of God. Our hope isn’t in a country but in a person—Jesus. We see and feel the kingdom of God wherever Jesus is king. That’s one reason many Christians care about politics. They want our policies to align with what they believe is true and right. As we interact with the world around us, whether it is how we vote, where we volunteer, what causes we donate to or the way we treat our friends, we can transform the world. When we place Jesus first and try to make him king over all of life, it will first transform us. Then, God begins to use us to transform the world.
TODAY: Open your journal and write “God’s Kingdom” at the top. Think about how God has given you an opportunity to transform the world. It may be at home, at work, with friends, at church, at a local nonprofit or through your generosity. Jot down ways you could intentionally lean into those spaces. Ask God to give you wisdom as you discern your next steps.
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
Read Jeremiah 21-23. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Consider how Jesus is the King who rules with wisdom, the righteous Branch of David.
