Introduction:
If Jesus is the King and came to reign, then why is the world still a mess? Why do different people, including Christians, disagree politically? (Think back to the session on the Fall for inspiration)
As we look back on what we have learnt about governance we see God’s heart for justice and His Gospel plan to reconcile all things including governance to himself. Yet God’s good Kingdom is in the ‘not yet’ whereas we live in the ‘now’. As Christians we await His return when His perfect rule will be fully implemented for all to see – this helps to be both realistic and hopeful.
Passage: Psalm 145:1-21
Greater King
- What do we learn about the character of the Lord?
- What do we learn about the kingdom of this greater King?
- What is David’s (a great earthly king) response to this greater King?
Application:
- Compare this King to the kings (political leaders) we see in the world around us. Why is he worthy of David’s (and our) praise?
- In what ways do we fail to recognise God as King? What difference would putting our hope in this King and Kingdom make to our political engagement?
Here we see God’s Kingship over His creation, and we see it is very good. Unlike the earthly leaders we have, God is pure and blameless, righteous and holy, just and merciful in all that He does. Our earthly leaders may be good, but they will always fall short of this greater King. If our hope is placed in the rulers of here and now, we will always be disappointed for we were made to worship this greater King for ever and ever.
To further explore the greater King and his character have a read of Psalm 146...
Passage: Revelation 22:1-5
Greater Kingdom
- What do we learn about the new creation, the greater Kingdom?
- How does this Kingdom undo the damage of the Fall (Session 3)?
- How is this Kingdom the ultimate fulfilment of the kingdoms sought after throughout human history? (Think of what the Bible has told us a king and kingdom should be like...)
Read Revelation 21 to see more about the greater Kingdom we await...
Application:
- What does living in the now, awaiting the not yet, mean for our political expectations?
- What do the truths of this greater King and greater Kingdom mean for political parties, ideologies, and politicians in the here and now?
- If this greater Kingdom is only for God’s people (his servants) what should be our political priority?
This greater Kingdom under the perfect reign of the greater King is yet to come. That is what our hearts crave and will be where the Biblical principles of justice and prosperity are truly realised. Until that day our kingdoms here on earth will all fall short in some way. Our priority then is to speak of this greater Kingdom whilst seeking to honour our King (Christ) here on earth.
Pray:
- Spend time thanking God for the hope of this greater King and greater Kingdom
- Pray for opportunities to share the news and point people towards this greater King
- Pray for wisdom and clarity over how to serve the king now whilst hoping for the Kingdom to come
