As Christian citizens, our role is not to seek worldly power, but to remain faithful to Christ, knowing that he has established his forever kingdom in heaven. The challenge is to resist the temptations of a Kingdom without the King, to give Caesar what belongs to God, to let cultural trends dictate faithfulness, or to seek glory in this life. Instead, Christians should engage in public life with wisdom, love, and conviction as the Kingdom of God overflows in all of our life, standing firm in truth even when it means losing. Like the widow who gave all she had, true discipleship means surrendering everything to God, knowing that we serve a victorious King whose Kingdom will never fail.
In this Bible Talk series, Nick Lindeback uses Mark 12 as a foundation to help us think about what it means to be a Christian Citizen. Across four talks, this series moves from theology to practice, showing how Christian citizenship in God’s Kingdom affects our engagement with culture and politics. It challenges us not to fear, compromise, or grasp for power, but to trust, engage wisely, and remain faithful, even when it costs us.
Talk 1 lays the foundation: Jesus is the King of the Kingdom. As we live for him, we are Kingdom driven in all of life.
Read the text – Psalm 1; Mark 12:1-12
Talk 2 addresses engagement with earthly authorities: Our faith does not make us silent or apathetic but leads us to engage with government whilst keeping our ultimate allegiance to Jesus.
Read the text – Psalm 2; Mark 12:13-17
Talk 3 confronts moral collapse and our actions: Without a right love for God, society loses its moral and spiritual fabric. Political engagement is one way we can love our neighbour.
Read the text – Psalm 3; Mark 12:18-34
Talk 4 calls for courage and faithfulness: True discipleship means standing firm in truth, even at great personal cost. We can do this because we know Christ is the risen King.
Read the text – Psalm 4; Mark 12:35-44
