Embracing the Kingdom Amidst Political Chaos
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound invitation Jesus extends to us to become Kingdom People, especially in the midst of the political noise and tension that often surrounds us. As we approach election week, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the anger, anxiety, and division that seem to permeate our society. However, Jesus offers us a different path, one marked by faith, hope, love, courage, and wise engagement. This path leads us away from the chaos and towards the Kingdom of God, which is not about a distant heaven but about God's will and ways breaking into our present reality, bringing peace, fruitfulness, and flourishing.
We are reminded that no political victory or defeat can provide the eternal joy and peace we were created for. These are found only in the Kingdom of God. Our culture often treats politics as a new religion, but this is a temporary exchange for the eternal. We are called to be rooted in the eternal truths of God's Kingdom, which offers lasting peace and joy. This means not allowing political outcomes to dictate our inner peace or joy, as these are gifts from God that cannot be taken away unless we allow it.
The passage from Romans 5:1-8 serves as a foundation for understanding what it means to be Kingdom People. It speaks of being justified through faith, having peace with God, and experiencing God's love poured into our hearts. This justification is not based on our performance or achievements but on the finished work of Jesus Christ. We are invited to exchange our attempts to justify ourselves with the peace that comes from being justified by faith in Jesus.
Furthermore, we are encouraged to see suffering as an opportunity for growth, producing perseverance, character, and ultimately hope. This hope does not disappoint because it is rooted in God's love, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice for us. As Kingdom People, we are called to live out this hope, even in the face of political or personal challenges, trusting that God can use all things for good in our lives.
Key Takeaways:
- The Kingdom of God offers a path away from the chaos of political tension, marked by faith, hope, love, courage, and wise engagement. It invites us to be people of peace and flourishing, rooted in God's eternal will and ways. [03:11]
- No political victory or defeat can provide the eternal joy and peace we were created for. These are found only in the Kingdom of God, which calls us to be rooted in eternal truths rather than temporary political outcomes. [04:11]
- Justification through faith in Jesus releases peace with God, ourselves, and the world around us. It is the opposite of trying to justify ourselves through performance or achievements. [13:59]
- Suffering, when placed in God's hands, can be used for good, producing perseverance, character, and hope. This hope is rooted in God's love and does not disappoint, even in the face of challenges. [24:50]
- The Kingdom of God is driven by God's love, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice for us. This love invites us to be Kingdom People, living out the eternal hope and joy that God offers. [28:13]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[03:11] - The Kingdom of God vs. Political Noise
[04:11] - Eternal Joy and Peace
[05:20] - Power of Political Defeat
[06:41] - Temporary vs. Eternal
[07:52] - Romans 5: Key Concepts
[10:39] - No Word Salad Here
[11:51] - Justification Through Faith
[13:59] - Peace with God
[15:54] - Prayer of Exchange
[17:48] - Repent and Believe
[19:51] - Glory in Sufferings
[22:27] - Suffering and Redemption
[24:50] - God's Hands and Our Suffering
[26:02] - Hope in the Kingdom
[28:13] - God's Love and Our Story
[32:28] - Communion and Confession
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Romans 5:1-8
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the key characteristics of the Kingdom of God as described in the sermon? How do these characteristics contrast with the political noise mentioned? [03:11]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of being justified through faith in Jesus Christ? How does this differ from trying to justify ourselves through our own actions? [13:59]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between suffering and hope? What process does suffering initiate according to Romans 5:3-4? [19:51]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the permanence of political victories and defeats compared to the eternal nature of God's Kingdom? [04:11]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How might the concept of being "Kingdom People" influence one's perspective on political engagement and societal issues? [03:11]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our attempts to justify ourselves can lead to a lack of peace? How does faith in Jesus provide a different kind of peace? [13:59]
3. The sermon mentions that suffering can produce perseverance, character, and hope. How might this understanding change the way one views personal or political challenges? [24:50]
4. How does the sermon explain the role of God's love in the life of a believer, especially in the context of political and personal challenges? [28:13]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where political tension affected your peace. How can you apply the sermon’s message to maintain peace in similar situations in the future? [03:11]
2. Identify an area in your life where you are trying to justify yourself through performance. How can you begin to rely more on the justification that comes through faith in Jesus? [13:59]
3. Think of a time when you faced suffering. How did you respond, and how might you approach similar situations differently with the understanding that suffering can lead to hope? [19:51]
4. How can you actively remind yourself that no political outcome can provide the eternal joy and peace that only God's Kingdom offers? What practical steps can you take to focus on eternal truths? [04:11]
5. Consider a person or group you find challenging to love due to political differences. How can you engage with them in a way that reflects the love and hope of the Kingdom of God? [03:11]
6. What specific actions can you take this week to demonstrate the love of God in your community, especially during politically charged times? [28:13]
7. How can you incorporate the practice of repentance and belief in your daily life to align more closely with being a Kingdom Person? [17:48]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing the Kingdom Path
The Kingdom of God offers a path away from the chaos of political tension, marked by faith, hope, love, courage, and wise engagement. It invites us to be people of peace and flourishing, rooted in God's eternal will and ways. In a world filled with political noise and division, the Kingdom of God provides a refuge and a different way of living. This path is not about escaping reality but engaging with it through the lens of God's eternal truths. It calls us to embody faith, hope, love, courage, and wisdom in our interactions and decisions. As Kingdom People, we are invited to rise above the chaos and be agents of peace and flourishing, reflecting God's will and ways in our present reality. This invitation is not just for a select few but for all who choose to follow Jesus and embrace His Kingdom values. [03:11]
Isaiah 32:17-18 (ESV): "And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively choose to embody the values of faith, hope, love, courage, and wise engagement in your daily interactions this week?
Day 2: Rooted in Eternal Joy and Peace
No political victory or defeat can provide the eternal joy and peace we were created for. These are found only in the Kingdom of God, which calls us to be rooted in eternal truths rather than temporary political outcomes. In a culture that often elevates politics to the level of a new religion, it's easy to get caught up in the temporary highs and lows of political victories and defeats. However, the Kingdom of God offers a different perspective, one that is rooted in eternal joy and peace. This joy and peace are not dependent on external circumstances but are gifts from God that remain constant regardless of political outcomes. As Kingdom People, we are called to anchor our lives in these eternal truths, allowing them to shape our responses and attitudes in the midst of political tension. [04:11]
Psalm 16:11 (ESV): "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Reflection: How can you remind yourself to seek joy and peace in God's presence rather than in the shifting tides of political events?
Day 3: Justification and Peace Through Faith
Justification through faith in Jesus releases peace with God, ourselves, and the world around us. It is the opposite of trying to justify ourselves through performance or achievements. The passage from Romans 5:1-8 highlights the profound truth that our justification is not based on our own efforts but on the finished work of Jesus Christ. This justification brings peace with God, which in turn affects our relationship with ourselves and the world around us. Instead of striving to prove our worth through performance or achievements, we are invited to rest in the peace that comes from being justified by faith. This peace is a gift that transforms our inner world and empowers us to live with confidence and assurance in God's love and acceptance. [13:59]
Titus 3:5-7 (ESV): "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are striving to justify yourself through performance? How can you embrace the peace that comes from being justified by faith in Jesus?
Day 4: Growth Through Suffering
Suffering, when placed in God's hands, can be used for good, producing perseverance, character, and hope. This hope is rooted in God's love and does not disappoint, even in the face of challenges. The journey of faith is not without its challenges and sufferings. However, as Kingdom People, we are encouraged to view suffering as an opportunity for growth. When we place our suffering in God's hands, He can use it to produce perseverance, character, and ultimately hope. This hope is not a fleeting wish but a confident expectation rooted in God's love, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice for us. It is a hope that does not disappoint, even in the face of political or personal challenges, because it is anchored in the unchanging nature of God's love and faithfulness. [24:50]
James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Reflection: How can you view a current challenge or suffering in your life as an opportunity for growth in perseverance, character, and hope?
Day 5: Living Out God's Love
The Kingdom of God is driven by God's love, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice for us. This love invites us to be Kingdom People, living out the eternal hope and joy that God offers. At the heart of the Kingdom of God is the transformative power of God's love, demonstrated through the sacrificial love of Christ. This love is not just a concept but a reality that invites us to live as Kingdom People, embodying the hope and joy that God offers. As we experience God's love poured into our hearts, we are called to extend that love to others, becoming agents of hope and joy in a world that desperately needs it. This is the essence of being Kingdom People—living out the eternal hope and joy that God offers, and inviting others to experience the same. [28:13]
1 John 4:9-11 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
Reflection: Who in your life can you intentionally show God's love to this week, and how can you do so in a way that reflects the sacrificial love of Christ?
Quotes
1. "The kingdom of God, contrary to some popular kind of Christian kind of belief, it's not heaven after you die. The way that Jesus talks about it, it's God's will and God's ways breaking into right here and right now to bring this beautiful biblical word, shalom, which is translated peace. Wouldn't it be great to be people of peace during election week? Shalom, fruitfulness, flourishing." ([00:01:30] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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2. "No political victory can give you the eternal joy and the eternal peace you were created for. No one else is going to tell you this week that this is true. Everyone else is going to tell you that your eternal joy, your eternal peace hangs on your party winning the election. We're here to declare something different." ([00:03:44] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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3. "Every political victory, passing, fleeting. It's not eternal. And you were made for eternal things, not passing things, not fleeting things. Now, this is true, right? No political victory can give you the eternal peace, eternal joy you were made for. The inverse is also true, and this is the heart of truth. No political defeat, political loss, has the power to steal your joy and steal your peace unless you give it that power." ([00:04:44] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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4. "When you exchange eternal things for temporary things, eternal things, God, grace, the kingdom, for temporary passing things, politics, the fruit is very, very short. It has a very, very short shelf life. And it rots very quickly. Even the winds have about 24 hours to 48 hours before it all expires. But when you hook into Jesus, he offers us the fruit that lasts, he says, forever and ever. Amen." ([00:06:41] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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5. "When you love the kingdom of God more than you love our nation, it sets you free to see our nation for what it is, all the good and all the bad, and to love our neighbors the way Jesus calls us to. That's the invitation today." ([00:07:10] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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6. "Paul says, we have been justified through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We have peace with God. The only way that we have peace with God. Bruce has no peace. He's relentless. It's a slave. It's a master. He keeps serving it over and over again. Because you can't have peace with yourself or with God through how hard you work or how hard you perform." ([00:14:06] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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7. "The only justification for us forever and ever that generates peace with God is with ourselves and the world around us is if we let Jesus justify us rather than us trying to justify ourselves." ([00:15:27] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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8. "Suffering and setbacks, they're going to come. They'll come to all of us. Suffering and setbacks come to every single one of us. And here's what I want to say, it's really important. Not everything that happens to us is good or a part of God's plan. When people sin against you, God did not plan that. When people harm you, do terrible things to you, God did not plan that. Not everything that happens to you is good or part of God's plan. But here's the really good news. Everything that happens to us will be used for good in our lives if our lives are in God's hands." ([00:25:29] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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9. "What if you were a person of hope even if your person lost the election? Wouldn't that be awesome? Wouldn't that be fantastic? Wouldn't that be fantastic if you were so committed to the kingdom of God that you became a person of hope even if you lost, even if you said, you know what, I am so disappointed at the outcome of the election and yet I have hope because God's hope is in my heart." ([00:27:11] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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10. "God is so committed to your eternal joy, your eternal peace, he sent his son to die on a cross for your sins, that you might have eternal joy, eternal peace forever. That is your primary story this week on election week 2024. It's the most important story for the last 2,000 years. It'll be the most important story for the next 2,000 years and beyond." ([00:29:08] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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