The Politics of Exile
Big Idea: Jesus calls us to engage politics as exiles - people who are in this world but not of it.
Jesus is political, but not partisan.
Politics: beliefs, opinions, and actions concerned with the ordering of society.
Reject both pride and panic.
Embrace your limitations.
Embrace hope.
Message Questions
For the first three weeks of March, we’ll be in a teaching series—US vs. THEM: Escaping the Hold of Political Tribalism. We’ll be looking at a Jesus-centered understanding of politics, embracing a kingdom ethos that transcends earthly divisions and fosters a commitment to truth and love. This Sunday we’ll be looking at The Politics of Exile, and the big idea is: Jesus calls us to engage politics as exiles—people who are in this world but not of it. Our passages are John 18:36; Jeremiah 29:1-14; and Ephesians 6:12.
Use these questions to discuss the message from Sunday, focusing on how you can grow as an everyday follower of Jesus and how you can go accomplish what Jesus calls you to do.
- Pastor Wyatt said Jesus is political, but not partisan. How do you define politics in your own words? Have someone read John 18:36. Describe Jesus’ kingdom in your own words.
- Have someone read Jeremiah 29:4-14. What did God ask the exiles to do? What did God ask them to pursue? Pastor Wyatt encouraged us to reject pride and panic and instead, embrace our limitations and hope. When it comes to politics, how are you prone to pride or panic?
- Have someone read Ephesians 6:12. What is our struggle not against? What group of people are you tempted to think are the enemy? Who is the real ‘them’?
- How does taking on the identity of an exile help you grow in your love of Jesus? What does it look like for you to embrace hope in the current political moment?
- Jesus calls us to engage politics as exiles—people who are in this world but not of it. How can you go towards the relationships Jesus is calling you to go towards with the calming presence of hope and joy?
