Restoring the Kingdom: Bigger than Politics

"While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father's promise. "This," He said, "Is what you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they asked Him, "Lord, are you restoring the Kingdom of Israel at this time?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1: 4-8

Observations:

Who said what?

• Jesus commanded the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father's Promise. 
• Jesus reminds the disciples that He told them that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 
• The disciples asked Jesus if that meant that he was restoring the Kingdom of Israel.
• Jesus told them that it was not for them to know the time for the Kingdom of Israel to be restored. This was a time that the Father had set by his own authority. Nevertheless, they would still receive power from the Holy Spirit and it would enable them to be His witnesses all over the world.
• Jesus told the disciples that it was not for them to know the times or periods the Father has set by his own authority. 

What can we learn about these people based on what was said? 

• When there is good news (like Jesus rising from the dead!), or even a mission God has given us (thinking of the Great Commission here), it is not always God's will for us to immediately leave and share it, or even accomplish it. Sometimes, if we wait where we are, God has additional blessings (Maybe even necessary blessings) in store. Can you imagine how history might be different if the disciples had started spreading the Gospel without first being baptized by the Holy Spirit? It's about listening for His instructions in the moment. 
• The disciples had an intense desire to see the Kingdom of Israel restored to its former glory. They believed that God's salvation would be a political salvation. That's not how God chose to  show up. 
• Jesus' focus, instead was on spreading the news that people could be free from sin to the ends of the earth. 

Applications: 

Today, does God still answer some prayers by saying, "Not yet on this issue, but if you will wait for me, I will bless you in this other area"? Yes. Yes, I believe He does, and if I'm honest, it drives me crazy when He does. 

Today, do we still have an intense desire to see our nation restored to a "former glory"? Yes, I think we do. I think it is human tendency (at least for religious folk) to desire to see God involved in politics... for their side. But I also believe that Jesus is bigger than politics, and that what this world is hungering for from the church is for the church to live in such a way that we show that Jesus is bigger than politics, that we aren't waiting for a political hero or savior. A lot of times, and I know especially in this last election, we get caught up in politicians being the answer to the worlds problems. The lure is this: "what our world needs to solve its problems is better leaders..." and I would argue that probably anyone who has been in leadership for any amount of time would say is, "what this world needs is better followers..." or, "if people would just do what I say, everything would work out fine!" But, that's just the problem. We're looking at each other. We're looking at flawed, messed up people to fix a flawed, messed up world. If we want to fix or change the world, it's not going to be through politics. I think politics is a fight for a lesser power. The greater power is the power that heals broken and abused hearts; the power that sets people free from years of addiction, hopelessness, and sorrow; the power that raised Jesus from the dead, and I think most of us know that in our heads... but I don't think it is matched by how we spend our time. We spend our time worried about politics, just like the disciples, instead of loving the people around us. So, I'm committing to something today. I do believe that politics are important. I'm not saying they're not. Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's." It is one of his most radical teachings. But, to keep politics from becoming too important in my own life, or more important than the main thing, I am committing that every time I read a political article in the news or watch a political piece on TV, I am going to follow that up (within 24 hours) with reading a passage from the Bible that is of equal or greater length or watching a Christian you tube video (maybe of one of my favorite pastors) that is of equal length. I am going to commit to whenever I find myself in a state of political anxiety to commit to at least five minutes of prayer about whatever it is that makes me anxious. And I'm going to hope that it changes something... if nothing else, that it changes me.