29 May Discussion Guide: The Gospel and Politics

Prayer

Take the first 10 minutes of your time together to listen to what God is doing in one another’s lives and pray for any specific needs people in your group may have.

It’s been said that there are two topics you should never discuss in a group of people unlike yourself—religion and politics. Well…today we’re going to talk about both. But, we’re not going to argue or ridicule or name call like most people would. No, we are going to put Jesus and the Gospel at the center of our conversation and learn to love one another even in our different political views. Our desire is to see God’s Kingdom come and His will being done on earth as it is in Heaven because our citizenship is first and foremost found in the sovereign reign of Christ.

Discussion Questions

Tim Keller, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era

”Any simplistic Christian response to politics—the claim that we shouldn’t be involved in politics, or that we should “take back our country for Jesus”—is inadequate. In each society, time, and place, the form of political involvement has to be worked out differently, with the utmost faithfulness to the Scripture, but also the greatest sensitivity to culture, time, and place.”

Which president would you say has made the biggest impact on American history? Why?

Why do you think the issue of politics can be so divisive?

2 Chronicles 20:5-6

And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.

Why do you think people are so passionate about political issues and political parties?

In the history of the world, has there ever been a political system, or a form of government, that has solved the problems humanity faces?

What might that indicate about the ability for men or women to fix the brokenness of our world?

If our hope can’t lie in the leadership of a person or a political party, then where should it be found?

N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Jesus

“Our task as image-bearing, God-loving, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled Christians, following Christ and shaping our world, is to announce redemption to a world that has discovered its fallenness, to announce healing to a world that has discovered its brokenness, to proclaim love and trust to a world that knows only exploitation, fear and suspicion…”

As Christians, do you think we should be involved in politics? If so, how involved? If not, why not?

What might it take for our church community and community group to navigate through this election in a way that demonstrates God’s Kingdom?

Closing Thought

Take the remaining time to pray for our nation and our church as we look to represent God and His Kingdom well during this upcoming election.