For Yours is the Kingdom...

We are in an election year for our nation. As candidates declare they are running, political campaigns heat up and people begin to make decisions, it is easy to find ourselves in conversations and difficult situations. Without being informed by the Bible this can cause a lot of pain and division no matter what political stance a person is taking on a particular matter. 

Over these next three days we want to spend some time as a church preparing ourselves as ambassadors of the Heavenly Kingdom living in the earthly realm. Here are a couple of starting questions to take to the Lord.

1. To what degree am I attempting to fuse my understanding of the Kingdom of God with my preferred version of a worldly kingdom? (This could be national interests, a certain form of government, programs etc.) 

2. Does my faith and moral convictions inform my political process? Or do I allow politics to inform my faith?

Here are a few passages with questions to dig into and consider what the Kingdom of God is and looks like. As you read each passage, look at it through the lens of ‘how does this affect our interactions with the kingdoms of the earth? '

1. Check out John 18:36 Jesus describes his Kingdom to Pilate as not of this world.

   1. What do you notice about this passage? 

2. Luke 22:25-26

   1. What is Jesus’s invitation to people who follow him? 

3. Romans 13:1-4

   1. What is God’s purpose for earthly government?

   2. Does this ultimately mean that every government is operating as God intended? 

4. 1 Peter 2:13-17 & Titus 3:1-2

   1. For who’s sake do we submit to authority and to what is the authority’s role?  

5. Read the story of Peter and some of the apostles in Acts 5:17-32

   1. When is it appropriate to not obey? 

   2. Do you know when God’s instructions trump human laws? If you are unsure of this, how would you find out? 

6. Luke 4:5-7 & 1 John 5:19 

   1. Who currently has authority over earthly kingdoms? 

   2. What was Jesus’s response?

7. Matt. 12:25-30 

   1. What do you discover about the Kingdom in this passage?

   2. Why was Jesus addressing kingdoms?

8. Romans 14:16-18

   1. What does the Kingdom consist of? 

Pray into this topic over the next few days as we fast together.