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YOUR SPACE

There's a funny bit I heard a comedian give one time.

The bit essentially goes like this:

  • Two friends are playing video games in the bedroom
  • The mom walks in and starts yelling at the son to clean the bedroom because it had not yet been cleaned
  • The mom leaves
  • The friends start telling the son "She can't do that. This is your space. She's violating your right to privacy."

The bit is funnier than the above makes it sound, but the idea is this: there are certain spaces in which we all seek to have our reign honored.

  • Dads over the family.
  • Moms over the house.
  • Teachers over the classroom.
  • Etc.

Something similar is going on in Acts 1:6.

ACTS 1:6

In this scene, Jesus has raised from the dead, is teaching his disciples, and is about to ascend to the Father. Acts 1:6 says this:

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

When the disciples say this, the sub-text reads like this:

"Lord, are you at this time going to dispel Rome and the Herods' rule and reign over Israel, and give rulership back to proper kings of Israel so that we can live the way the law tells us and stop paying taxes to Rome, etc?"

Even after the resurrection of Jesus, this is still the hope and expectation of the disciples.

Surprisingly, Jesus does NOT rebuke them and says something like "You still don't understand."

He actually affirms their hope in 1:7 with “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority."

In other words, it's going to happen - just not yet.

THE REIGN OF NATIONS

The Bible affirms over and over again that God doesn't just love people broadly and blindly.

He also loves the nations.

He loves diverse ethnicities, tribes, tongues, and languages.

He establishes a nation's borders and installs its leadership.

God loves people and nations.

That being said, he holds nations and their leaders accountable for being just and righteous.

This is really the cry of the disciples at this point. They sense that the rule of Rome is unjust, unrighteous, and ungodly. The disciples desire an Israel that is just, righteous, and godly.

As people that inhabit all kinds of nations, this should be our cry to: that God would restore the nations to righteousness, justice, and godliness.

Here are a few ways we can be involved in God's dream of nations that honor him.

  1. Pray for our leaders - that they would lead with righteousness and justice
  2. (Moderately) be involved in the political process - it's a good thing to vote and a good thing to participate in gatherings that promote justice, righteousness, and godliness (ie - Pro-Life marches)
  3. (Some of us), spend a season running and holding office in an effort to pursue righteousness and justice

God loves the nations.

He desires for the nations to be restored to righteousness, justice, and godliness.

This can be a prayer of ours too: "Lord, will you at this time restore our nation."