River City Church - Smyrna, GA
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Josh looks at John 17 and Acts 1 today, and we see Jesus praying for the disciples to "be one" as Jesus and the Father are one. Before His ascension, Jesus tells the disciples to return to the upper room to wait. Jesus understands that the unity they must forge will come in the waiting together before the Holy Spirit comes. In the waiting, they will be formed. And in our own lives, we may not like the waiting, but if we will submit to the waiting Jesus calls us to, we too can be formed more into His image. John 17:1-11; John 13:35; Acts 1:6-14.
Josh shared a quote today from Rick Mixon: "Jesus spent his postresurrection time with them reinforcing all he had tried to teach them about the reign of God. No, it would not be like the return of the glorious old Davidic kingdom for which they longed. Jesus would not fulfill their rapidly disappearing hope of driving out the Romans, doing in the religious authorities, overthrowing the rich and powerful, and putting them in those places instead. The reign of God would, however, come riding on their shoulders, through the work of their hands, following the journeys of their feet. What is this realm of God? Is it just spiritual? Is it also social and political? What will it look like, feel like, sound like, taste like? How will it work? Who will be in charge, and what will be their (and our) roles in such a realm? When will it come? William Barclay offers the perspective that 'by the Kingdom Jesus meant a society upon earth where God's will would be as perfectly done as it is in heaven. Because of that very fact, it would be a Kingdom founded on love and not on power.' So this coming reign of God will be characterized by love and its cousins, compassion and justice, not by power and privilege, wealth or might."
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