Our Duty – Deut 1:13

October 27, 2024

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter. —MLK, Jr

not really a message I want to preach… message I feel like I have to preach…
2Tim 3:1-5… “in the last days there will be very difficult times… people will love only themselves and money… boastful and proud… scoffing at God… disobedient to parents… ungrateful… consider nothing sacred… unloving and unforgiving… slander others… have no self-control… be cruel and hate what is good… betray their friends… reckless… puffed up with pride… love pleasure rather than love God… act religious, but will reject the power that could make them godly… stay away from people like that…”

message is about our duty to vote… some people will be offended… feeling like pastors should stay out of politics… not about politics… it’s about good and evil…
Gen 3:1-7… “did God really say… don’t eat of this tree… you will be like God…”
Isa 5:20… “woe to those who call evil good and good evil… call dark light and light dark…”
Isa 14:12-17… “I will set up my throne… I will make myself like the Most High…”
2Cor 11:1-4… “serpent deceived… fear your minds corrupted from simplicity in Christ…”

much of our issue in politics is that each side tries to determine right and wrong… good and evil… without God… it can’t be done… embarrassed by both presidential candidates… what’s the answer… knowledge and wisdom from HS… pray…
Deut 1:13… “choose for yourselves… wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes… and I will make them your leaders…”
Hosea 4:6… “people destroyed by lack of knowledge… rejected knowledge…”
John 14:26… “the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things…”
1Cor 2:13… “not taught by human wisdom… but taught by the Spirit…”
Gal 5:24-26… “those who belong to Christ… follow HS in every part of life…”

America established on Christian values… inadequate for anything else…
Psa 33:12… “blessed is nation whose God is the Lord… people He chose for inheritance…”
Prov 29:2… “godly in authority, people rejoice… wicked in power, they groan…”

hear a lot about tolerance… not about tolerance… not about silencing hate… about silencing opposition… silencing anyone who dares to stand up for the Gospel…
Rom 1:16… “not ashamed of gospel… the power for salvation… all who believe…”
GA – Dr Eric Walsh… Dept of Public Health … demanded he turn over documents, sermons, notes, even his bible… then fired him… other staff assigned to examine his sermons on YT…
TX – lesbian mayor Annise Parker subpoenaed sermons of multiple pastors who opposed an equal rights ordinance… all sermons relating to her, homosexuality, gender identity…
PA – Little Sisters of the Poor… refused HHS mandate to provide abortion pills to women… fought for 10 years… recently won Supreme Court ruling…
CA 2021 – strip clubs, casinos remained open while churches were required to close…
Mark Tushnet (Harvard Law) – Christians are losers in the culture wars and should be treated like Germany and Japan in the aftermath of WW2.
Martin Castro (Commission on Civil Rights)… Americans need protection from bible thumpers and anyone whose beliefs run afoul of the Administration.

if God is in control… none of this matters… no reason to vote… He’ll take care of it all… but if He lets us choose the course of our nation… then your vote is critical…
Gen 1 AMP… “be fruitful, multiply… subjugate earth [put under your power]…”
Deut 1:13… “choose for yourselves… wise, understanding, respected men…”
Josh 24:15… “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…”
Psa 115:16… “the heavens belong to the Lord… the earth He has given to man…”

guarantee you won’t like everything about every candidate… now what… study party platforms… representatives vote along party lines 75% of time… choosing neither is a terrible choice… pick best available path forward to slow decay…
Matt 5:13… “you are the salt (slows decay) of the earth…”

God and Government

Rep – with love for our country, faith in our people, trust in God’s grace…
Dem – promises to enable all Americans to live up to their God-given potential…

Life

Rep – no person can be denied life and liberty; proudly stands for families and life…
Dem – restoring reproductive rights; allow abortion thru birth; appoint leaders who will…

Male and Female

Rep – men out of women’s sports; restore protections for women; no taxpayer fund trans surgery…
Dem – oppose bands on trans health care; protect LGBT kids; fight for LGBT youth…

Marriage and Family

Rep – values sanctity of marriage; blessings of childhood; foundational role of families…
Dem – enshrining gay marriage equality in federal law; pass Equality Act to protect LGBT…

Religious Freedom

Rep – right to worship according to conscience and to act upon those beliefs… fight anti-Christian bias; champion 1st Amendment right to pray and read bible in school…
Dem – maintain separation of church and state; combat hate crimes and white nationalist terrorism…

in a Christian society… our duty to vote… vote for godly candidates who uphold biblical principles… called to pray for and obey them so it will go well for us…
Rom 13:1… “let everyone submit to the governing authorities…”
1Tim 2:1-2… “urge prayers for everyone… kings and all those in authority…”
Titus 3:1-11… “submit to rulers and authorities… avoid foolish debates…”
1Pet 2:13-17… “submit to human authority because of the Lord… respect king…”

is there a limit to our prayer, no… is there a limit to our obedience, yes… bible is full of examples of people who obeyed God rather than government…
Est 4:14… “keep silent… be destroyed… perhaps you’re here for such a time as this…”
Psa 146:3-10… “do not trust in princes or powerful people… no help for you there…” Psa 147:10-11… “take no pleasure in human might… but hope in His love…”
Prov 29:25… “fear of man is a snare… one who trusts in the Lord will be protected…”
Dan 3… “even if the king does not rescue… we will not serve your gods or bow to you…”
John 12:41-43… “did not confess… because they loved human praise more than God…”
Acts 4; 5… “is it right to listen to you rather than God… obey God rather than people…”
Rom 12:2… “do not be conformed to the world… be transformed by renewing mind…”
1Cor 10:31… “whether you eat or drink… do everything for the glory of God…”
Gal 1:10… “try to please people or God… if people, I would not be a servant of Christ…”
Col 2:10… “Jesus is head over every ruler and authority…”
1Thess 2:4… “entrusted by God with gospel… speak not to please people, but God…”

not just about national races… local, state, school board (6-8%) just as important… nation is not beyond hope… but if we don’t exercise our duty to vote for Godly candidates who will uphold biblical values… it will decay much quicker…
Prov 14:34… “righteousness exalts a nation… but sin is a disgrace to the people…”