S: John 18
10 Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?”
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36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
O: The Jews expected the Messiah to have a political kingdom like David. However, Jesus wasn’t here to build a political kingdom, but his kingdom was not of this world.
As believers, we need to be careful not to try to make his kingdom of this world. Yes, we should be salt and light and influence the world, beyond making disciples, but we are not to enforce by force.
Christians since the time of Constantine had made this mistake — but we see how the church had time and time again been corrupted by this.
A: Let us be salt and light, and be his ambassadors to this world. Let us be, as Jesus intended, known by our love, and not by our hate.
P: Father, help me to be salt and light, and a good ambassador for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
We are so far from our homeland
With each passing day it seems so clear
This world will never want us here
We're not welcome in this world of wrong
We are foreigners who don't belong, ooh...
We are strangers, we are aliens
We are not of this world
We are envoys, we must tarry
With this message we must carry
There's so much to do before we leave
With so many more who may believe
Our mission here can never fail
And the gates of hell will not prevail, ooh...
We are strangers, we are aliens
We are not of this world
We are strangers, we are aliens
We are not of this world
Jesus told us men would hate us
But we must be of good cheer
He has overcome this world of darkness
Soon we will depart from here, ooh...
We are strangers, we are aliens
We are not of this world
We are strangers, we are aliens
We are not of this world
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