Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME241005S
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00:15 [ Piano plays ] 00:19 >> ♪ O Holy Spirit 00:24 ♪ Take rest in me 00:30 ♪ Make me your temple 00:36 ♪ Restore my soul 00:43 ♪ My heart is yours, Lord 00:48 ♪ This I decree 00:54 ♪ O Holy Spirit 01:00 ♪ Take rest in me 01:06 >> ♪ O Holy Spirit 01:12 ♪ Take rest in me 01:18 ♪ Make me your temple 01:24 ♪ Restore my soul 01:30 ♪ My heart is yours, Lord 01:36 ♪ This I decree 01:42 ♪ O Holy Spirit 01:48 ♪ Take rest in thee 01:57 ♪ Holy Spirit 02:04 ♪ Take rest in me 02:09 >> ♪ Oh 02:12 ♪ Take rest 02:15 ♪ Oh 02:18 ♪ Take rest 02:22 ♪ Rest 02:26 >> ♪ Oh 02:30 ♪ Take rest 02:32 ♪ Oh 02:36 ♪ Take rest 02:39 ♪ Rest 02:43 ♪ Oh 02:45 >> ♪ O Lord, take rest 02:49 >> ♪ Oh 02:51 >> ♪ O Lord, take rest 02:56 ♪ Rest 03:00 >> ♪ Oh 03:02 >> ♪ O Lord, take rest 03:05 >> ♪ Oh 03:07 >> ♪ O Lord, take rest 03:12 ♪ Rest 03:16 ♪ Oh 03:20 ♪ Take rest 03:22 ♪ Oh 03:25 ♪ Take rest 03:29 ♪ Rest 03:40 [ Applause ] 06:26 [ Piano plays ] 06:31 >> Today's -- 06:33 Today's scripture reading 06:34 will be found in Proverbs 4:3-7. 06:40 "When I was my father's 06:41 son, tender, 06:43 and the Holy One in the sight 06:45 of my mother, he also taught me 06:47 and said to me, 06:49 'Let your heart retain my words. 06:51 Keep my commands and live. 06:53 Get wisdom, 06:55 get understanding, 06:56 and do not forget nor turn away 06:59 from the words of my mouth. 07:00 Do not forsake her, 07:02 and she will preserve you. 07:04 Love her and she will keep you. 07:06 Wisdom is the principal thing. 07:09 Therefore, get wisdom. 07:11 And in all your getting 07:13 get understanding.'" 07:18 Please stand as we continue 07:20 to sing. 07:22 ♪ 07:31 ♪ 17:47 >> Who will Jesus vote for? 17:52 Don't say anything. 17:53 Nope, nope, nope, nope. 17:54 Stop right there. Yeah. 17:56 Let me tell you what 17:56 I've been hearing 17:58 about who Jesus will vote 17:59 for come November 5. 18:01 Some say that clearly 18:04 Jesus will vote Democrat. 18:06 After all, 18:07 they say, Democrats are kinder 18:08 and nicer, 18:10 and Jesus is clearly all for 18:11 kinder and nicer. 18:14 Others say, "Nope, nope, that's 18:16 not the way it's going to be." 18:17 Jesus will be voting Republican, 18:20 for even the old hymn says 18:22 that we ought to lift up 18:23 the trump and loud let it ring, 18:24 that Jesus might come again. 18:27 >> Amen. 18:28 >> Others respond, 18:30 "Are you serious? 18:32 It's obvious that the Creator 18:33 wants to see his creation 18:34 restored at all costs. 18:36 Jesus will obviously 18:37 therefore vote 18:38 for the Green Party candidate." 18:40 Others say 18:43 that, since sinners do have 18:44 rights and that they 18:45 should be allowed to pursue 18:46 those rights even to the point 18:47 of destruction, 18:48 Jesus will naturally 18:49 be voting Libertarian. 18:52 And still others say it. 18:54 I thought this one 18:54 was quite clever. 18:55 Still others point out 18:56 that Jesus owns the cattle 18:58 on a thousand hills, and that, 19:00 as Haggai 2:8 points out, 19:03 "All the world's silver and 19:04 gold are also his." 19:05 This means 19:07 that Jesus controls 19:08 both the means of production 19:10 and the means of distribution, 19:11 and that he will therefore 19:12 be voting Communist. 19:16 Did someone say amen? 19:17 That was an interesting thing. 19:18 Yes. We'll talk afterwards. 19:21 Come and see me. Yes. 19:22 And on and on 19:24 the prognostications and 19:26 prophecies go as 19:28 to who Jesus will be voting 19:30 for November 5. 19:34 Now, the truth is, of course, 19:36 that Jesus 19:37 himself personally will 19:39 not be voting on November 5. 19:42 The Bible is clear 19:43 that, when Jesus took 19:43 on humanity, 19:44 he retained humanity. 19:46 To this day, Jesus is in Heaven 19:48 since ascending 19:49 after the crucifixion 19:50 and resurrection. 19:51 He is there as our high priest, 19:52 interceding for us, 19:53 getting ready to return 19:55 physically to this planet. 19:56 But he's not here yet. 19:57 And that means that, 19:58 physically, Jesus will 19:59 not be voting on November 5. 20:05 However, Jesus will, 20:10 in a very real sense, 20:12 be voting by proxy. 20:16 That is, he will be voting 20:17 through his people. 20:20 Now, I think 20:21 sometimes we forget this. 20:22 You know, 20:23 the Bible makes it very clear 20:24 we're to be Jesus' hands and 20:25 Jesus' feet, to be Jesus' voice. 20:26 We are to do 20:28 and to say the things 20:29 that Jesus would 20:30 if he were here in our place. 20:31 This includes politics. 20:33 This includes voting. 20:34 We are to vote, 20:35 as we believe, 20:36 to the best of our knowledge, 20:37 that Jesus would vote 20:38 if he were in our shoes. 20:41 So if this is true, 20:43 if Christians are 20:44 to literally do their best 20:46 to cast Jesus' vote for him, 20:47 then we obviously ought 20:49 to have at least some idea of 20:51 how, biblically speaking, 20:52 we ought to approach politics 20:54 in general, 20:55 and perhaps that will help 20:57 us see how to vote 20:58 in this election in particular. 21:01 Now, some might say that's 21:03 impossible, but as it turns out, 21:06 the Bible is more than familiar 21:07 with human politics 21:09 and human reasoning 21:10 and human frailties, 21:12 and it consequently provides 21:14 a solid guide for all facets 21:16 of life, 21:17 including the chaos 21:19 of an election year. 21:21 So, without further delay, 21:23 let me share with you 10 21:26 biblical principles for voting. 21:28 And really, 21:29 these principles can help 21:30 us deal in a Christ-like way 21:32 with politics in general. 21:34 And along the way, 21:35 perhaps we'll see some things 21:36 that can help us make 21:37 some good decisions, 21:39 specifically in 21:40 the upcoming election. 21:42 10 principles. 21:45 And I need to warn you, 21:47 we're going to go fast 21:48 and we're going to go deep. 21:50 This is going to be -- 21:50 There's going 21:51 to be some fairly densely 21:53 compacted points on this. 21:55 If I say something, 21:56 if I cut a corner and you're not 21:57 sure what it is that I meant, 21:58 come and see me afterwards, 21:59 we'll be glad to talk. 22:01 Are you ready? 22:04 Yes. Good. 22:07 Some of you aren't sure. 22:08 All right, let's get to it. 22:09 Principle number one. 22:21 Much hand-wringing and doom 22:22 casting has occurred 22:24 over the supposed supra eternal 22:25 importance 22:26 of the upcoming election. 22:27 Have you heard the phrase, 22:28 "This is the most important 22:30 election of our lifetimes"? 22:31 Have you heard that? 22:32 I've heard that, too. I've heard 22:33 that a lot in the last few weeks 22:34 and months in there. 22:35 I also heard it 22:36 a lot four years ago. 22:38 I heard it a lot 22:39 eight years ago, ad infinitum. 22:41 Well, maybe not ad infinitum. 22:42 But a lot of elections, 22:42 they have said this, 22:44 and indeed elections do have 22:48 consequences, even eternal ones. 22:50 That's true. They are important. 22:53 But sadly, 22:56 the gap between this election 22:59 is important, on the one hand, 23:01 and such and such a candidate 23:03 will be our savior, 23:04 on the other, 23:06 seems lamentably small for many, 23:09 and even Christians are 23:10 today sometimes framing 23:12 their favored candidates 23:13 in salvific terms. 23:15 Unless so-and-so is elected, 23:16 we're all doomed. 23:20 So let it be crystal clear. 23:22 Only Jesus 23:24 can transform the human heart. 23:27 Only Jesus. 23:29 Only Jesus can save us 23:30 from our sins 23:31 and secure a heavenly home. 23:33 And the latter will only happen 23:35 via the Second Coming, 23:36 not an earthly election. 23:39 You know, Jesus himself 23:40 explicitly said that His 23:42 kingdom is not of this world. 23:45 Not, N-O-T. 23:46 That means it's not here. 23:47 His kingdom is 23:48 not of this world. 23:49 Things that happen 23:50 here are important. Yes. 23:51 Do they affect our -- 23:52 our ability to be a part 23:53 of that world to come? 23:54 Yes. But His kingdom isn't here. 23:56 This is not 23:57 where it's being set up. 23:58 It is of a different sort 24:00 entirely. 24:01 And temporal politics, 24:02 while important, 24:04 recede into the background 24:06 when we compare Christ's Kingdom 24:08 and the establishment 24:09 of His Kingdom. 24:11 And speaking of which, 24:12 principle number two. 24:28 Let me read that one more time. 24:41 Now, this is not to say 24:43 that Christians do not believe 24:44 that politics or government 24:45 programs can assist 24:46 in positive societal change. 24:48 I'm not saying that. 24:49 I don't think most Christians 24:49 are saying that. 24:50 There indeed have been 24:51 programs over the years, 24:52 for instance, 24:53 that have been helpful to 24:54 keeping the peace in society, 24:55 to forming a more perfect union, 24:56 et cetera. 24:57 But that said, 24:59 we can never forget 25:01 that the state, as 25:03 in the government, 25:04 the state, by definition, 25:06 governs by force of law, and 25:09 force can never change a heart. 25:12 It may alter behavior, 25:14 outward behavior. 25:15 For fear of experiencing 25:17 bad consequences, 25:18 a person may say, "Okay, 25:19 I'm not going to do that," 25:20 but the heart remains unchanged 25:22 by such an exterior force. 25:24 Only Jesus can make that change. 25:27 Christians who are thus 25:29 craving a better society 25:30 may ultimately be 25:31 more successful 25:32 if they host a neighborhood 25:33 Bible study 25:34 than if they wave banners 25:36 at the local political rally, 25:37 regardless of which party 25:39 the rally is for. 25:43 You know, Jesus had this to say. 25:44 John 12:32, He says... 25:49 He says, "And I," 25:51 meaning himself, 25:52 not somebody else, 25:53 not a political candidate, 25:55 not a political savior. 25:57 When Jesus is lifted up, 25:58 He will draw all people to Him. 26:01 And the disciples, 26:03 even when their very lives were 26:04 literally at stake, 26:06 had this to say... 26:10 >> Amen. 26:13 >> Again, Jesus, not politics, 26:15 is the ultimate fix 26:17 for society's troubles. 26:19 Jesus, not government programs, 26:21 is the ultimate solution 26:23 to humanity's problems. 26:25 So, if you're a Christian 26:28 and you get more excited 26:30 about your favorite 26:31 political hero 26:32 than you do about sharing 26:33 your faith with others, 26:34 you have a serious problem. 26:37 If you get more excited 26:38 about tuning in 26:39 to the latest thing 26:40 that just been said, 26:41 the latest development 26:42 of what's going on with your 26:42 political party in there, 26:43 than you do about spending time 26:45 with Jesus in His Word, 26:46 you have a problem. 26:48 You've got your priorities 26:50 wrong and you might even be 26:51 guilty of idolatry. 26:53 Jesus, not politics, 26:55 is the ultimate answer. 26:58 Let us approach politics and 26:59 elections accordingly. 27:03 Principle number three. 27:15 Now, I said there, 27:15 as a general rule, 27:16 I mean, 27:17 there could be exceptions. 27:18 Possibly there's other things 27:20 that might come up that would 27:20 exceed this in importance. 27:21 But as a general rule, 27:24 religious liberty is 27:26 the most important issue 27:28 in any political election. 27:32 Now, it is true there are 27:33 other issues 27:34 in the political arena today 27:36 that are clearly 27:37 of deep importance. 27:38 I'm not denying that at all. 27:38 Some of them 27:39 are extraordinarily important. 27:41 But, and please listen carefully 27:43 to what I'm going to say next 27:44 here, because this is really 27:45 key. 27:47 No one can afford to forget 27:49 a foundational fact. 27:51 Let me put it 27:52 on the screen here for you. 28:06 Now, that's a mouthful. 28:07 Let me read it one more time. 28:18 In other words, 28:19 what I'm saying here 28:21 is that, if there is 28:23 not religious liberty, 28:26 religion will not flourish. 28:28 And because religion is 28:30 the source of morality, 28:32 morality will eventually fail 28:33 and society with it. 28:37 You say, well, Pastor Shane, 28:38 that's just you saying that. 28:39 Well, I have 28:40 a few friends this morning 28:42 I'm going to put on the screen 28:43 that actually agree with me. 28:45 You heard of a guy named 28:45 George Washington? 28:47 He used to work in this country. 28:49 Okay. 28:50 He was our first president. 28:51 And he had some things 28:53 to say about this. 28:54 And let me frame his comments 28:57 by giving you kind of 28:58 a biblical foundation here. 29:00 Let's do a little bit 29:01 of biblical philosophy 29:02 this morning. 29:04 Text in the Bible. 29:05 Acts 17:28. 29:07 "In Him," meaning in God, 29:09 Paul here is speaking to an 29:09 unconverted crowd, right? 29:12 "In Him [God], we live and move 29:15 and have our being." 29:17 "In God, we live and move 29:18 and have our being." 29:19 Probably one of the most power- 29:21 packed philosophical statements 29:23 in all of the New Testament. 29:25 Now, what is he saying here? 29:26 A whole bunch 29:27 we could point out. 29:27 Let me just point out this. 29:29 Paul is saying here, 29:30 at the very least, 29:31 that God is 29:32 the necessary condition 29:34 for life to exist. 29:36 "In God, we live and move 29:37 and have our being." 29:37 God is the necessary condition 29:39 for life to exist. 29:40 Our existence 29:41 is predicated on His. 29:42 He is, therefore, 29:44 God is, therefore, the basis 29:46 for defining reality, 29:48 and as such, 29:50 God is also the ultimate basis 29:52 for defining morality, 29:54 not just reality, but morality. 29:57 After all, by definition, 29:58 only the Creator 30:00 can define what is right 30:01 and wrong for the created. 30:03 You follow me? 30:04 You follow me here? 30:05 This is what 30:06 Paul is saying in this text. 30:07 Now, this is not to say 30:09 that an atheist cannot be moral. 30:11 It is to say 30:13 that, if an atheist is moral, 30:14 it is because he or she 30:15 is borrowing from 30:17 a theistic worldview that is 30:19 morally superior to their own. 30:21 I'm all for borrowing. 30:22 So if you're an atheist 30:23 listening right now, 30:24 please continue to borrow. 30:27 But note this carefully. 30:29 Note this carefully. 30:30 Let me put this on the screen. 30:32 Religion -- 30:35 And what do I mean by religion? 30:36 Well, what I mean by religion 30:37 in this context 30:39 is what the Founders meant 30:41 by religion in their context. 30:43 So listen carefully. 30:59 [ Whistles ] 31:02 We live in a republic. 31:03 This is not a straight 31:04 democracy, we're 31:05 a representative democracy. 31:06 That's what a republic is. 31:08 And religion, as understood 31:10 by our forefathers, 31:12 the Founding Fathers 31:13 of this country, 31:14 it was this brew of natural law, 31:17 deism, and Protestantism. 31:18 You know, I hear people say -- 31:19 not just now, this has been 31:21 said for quite some time, 31:21 at least the last 50 years -- 31:23 we need to get back to 31:25 America's Christian roots. 31:28 I'm always 31:29 a little puzzled by that. 31:31 And I always want to ask, 31:32 which roots do you mean? 31:34 Okay. Because most 31:36 of the Founding Fathers, 31:37 oh, they had Christian leanings. 31:38 And many of them, in fact, 31:39 most of them attended services 31:41 at some church somewhere. 31:42 But make no mistake, 31:43 most of them were deists. 31:45 You say, what's a deist? 31:46 Well, I'm glad you asked. 31:48 A deist is somebody who has 31:49 a kind of a bare-bones belief. 31:51 It's heavily 31:51 weighted towards reason. 31:53 A deist believes 31:54 that there is a God, 31:55 that He deserves 31:56 to be worshipped, 31:57 that He has a will, 31:58 that He desires people 31:59 to follow, 32:00 and that there will be 32:01 an accounting for how one 32:03 has or has not followed 32:04 that God's will. 32:05 That's about it. 32:07 Those are the broad things. 32:08 It meshed pretty well 32:09 with Christianity, 32:11 but it wasn't Christianity. 32:13 So when people say they 32:14 want to return the country 32:16 to its Christian roots, 32:16 I just say, "Well, show me 32:18 which root that is, okay." 32:19 Because the Founding Fathers, 32:21 while very sympathetic 32:22 to Christianity, 32:23 their idea of religion 32:25 was not a denomination. 32:27 In fact, 32:27 most of them despised 32:29 denominationalism. 32:31 Instead, 32:31 when they said the words 32:32 religion, they meant this brew 32:34 of deism and natural law. 32:36 John Locke, Voltaire, et cetera, 32:37 mixed in with Protestant 32:39 understandings of things. 32:40 And that turned out to be -- 32:42 And to this day, 32:43 it is the source 32:45 of the nurturing of a republic. 32:50 I mentioned George earlier. 32:51 Let me show you what he said. 32:52 George Washington, 1796. 32:54 This is his exit interview. 32:56 This is his farewell speech 32:57 as he was leaving office. 32:58 Among other things, 32:59 he said this. 33:08 Now, again, when he says 33:09 religion, he's not talking about 33:10 denominationalism, he's not 33:12 talking about Episcopalians 33:12 or Catholics 33:13 or Seventh-day Adventists. 33:14 He's talking about this 33:15 much more broad definition, 33:16 lowercase "r" of religion. 33:18 "Of all the dispositions and 33:19 habits which lead 33:20 to political prosperity." 33:22 For the government to flourish, 33:23 "religion and morality 33:25 are indispensable supports." 33:42 No religion, no morality. 33:44 So says George Washington. 33:47 And he was not alone in this. 33:49 Guy by the name of 33:50 Alexis de Tocqueville. 33:51 In 1831, he came to 33:54 the United States of America. 33:55 You know, the United States, 33:56 by the 1830s, this was a world- 33:57 renowned experiment. 33:59 This Republican form of 34:01 government that they're using. 34:02 And the way things are set up, 34:03 he wanted to see it 34:05 with his own two eyes. 34:06 de Tocqueville, 34:07 he was a French jurist, 34:09 he was a diplomat, 34:10 he was a keen social observer, 34:11 And he wrote, 34:13 as a result of his visit here 34:14 in 1831, 34:15 a two-volume work called 34:17 "Democracy in America." 34:18 Pretty famous. 34:20 First volume came out 1835. 34:21 Second volume, 1840. 34:23 In 1835, in volume one, 34:25 in part, he said this. 34:42 Well, what did he mean by that? 34:43 "Religion in America 34:45 takes no direct part 34:47 in the government of society." 34:48 Someone say "amen." 34:50 >> Amen. 34:51 >> Separation of church and 34:52 state, even de Tocqueville 34:53 here gets this, right? 34:54 "Religion in America 34:55 takes no direct part 34:57 in the government of society, 34:58 but it must be regarded 35:00 as the first of their 35:01 political institutions." 35:03 Huh. 35:05 In other words, 35:06 don't legislate religion, 35:08 but encourage religion 35:10 amongst the populace. 35:12 Huh. 35:14 "I do not know," he continues, 35:15 "whether all Americans have 35:16 a sincere faith in their 35:18 religion for who can search the 35:19 human heart, but I am certain 35:21 that they hold it to be 35:22 indispensable to the maintenance 35:24 of republican institutions." 35:25 Lowercase "r" there, republican. 35:27 Republican institutions. 35:28 "This opinion is not peculiar 35:30 to a class of citizens or to 35:31 a party, but it belongs to 35:32 the whole nation 35:33 and to every rank of society." 35:37 Now there are many more 35:38 historical examples 35:39 I could give you of this, 35:40 but let's just sum it up here, 35:41 because we see this progression. 35:42 In American history, 35:44 religion -- again, defined 35:46 by the Founding Fathers and 35:47 others -- is that which was 35:49 sympathetic to their brew 35:50 of natural law, deism, 35:51 generally Protestant theology. 35:53 Religion was seen as essential 35:55 to the maintenance of morality. 35:58 A moral populace was essential 36:02 to the thriving of the republic 36:03 for only a largely moral society 36:06 would uphold the dictates 36:07 of the Constitution 36:08 and thus preserve 36:09 the general peace. 36:11 Religious liberty, therefore, 36:13 has always been a primary, 36:16 overarching concern 36:18 for thoughtful Americans, 36:19 leaders, and general citizens 36:20 alike, 36:22 because it was widely recognized 36:23 from the earliest of times 36:25 in the United States that no, 36:27 or even merely weak, 36:28 religious liberty 36:29 would ultimately lead 36:30 to the suppression of religion, 36:33 which would leave morality 36:34 without a source, 36:36 which would lead 36:37 to moral bankruptcy, 36:39 which would sooner or later lead 36:40 to the breakdown of society. 36:44 And we as 36:45 Seventh-day Adventists, 36:47 we understand further 36:48 that such breakdown will lead 36:49 directly to Revelation 13 36:50 type scenarios and 36:52 to the end of the world. 36:54 So to stave that fate 36:57 off as long as possible, 36:59 we, as Adventists, 37:01 and many others, to be fair, 37:02 have fought long and hard 37:04 for a robust religious liberty 37:06 to prevail, 37:07 one that will allow freedom 37:09 for others and a faithful, 37:11 Christ-like voice 37:12 to proclaim the true faith 37:13 as long as possible. 37:16 That as many as possible might 37:17 come to know Christ 37:17 and be saved. 37:19 Vote first and foremost 37:22 with religious liberty in mind. 37:24 Study the candidates' platforms. 37:26 Find out what they 37:26 have both said 37:28 and done in this crucial area, 37:30 and vote accordingly. 37:34 And speaking 37:35 of religious liberty, 37:37 principle number four. 37:52 Let me read that one again. 38:06 You know, one reason 38:07 why so many Christians have been 38:09 so engaged in 38:10 the political process of late 38:11 is their concern 38:12 for the sagging state 38:13 of national morality. 38:15 I get it, I understand. 38:16 I mean, there's all kinds 38:17 of various issues 38:18 that have led people 38:20 to be very concerned 38:21 about the moral heart 38:23 of the United States of America. 38:25 However, we can never forget 38:29 the seminal truth 38:31 that sinners have rights. 38:37 Sinners have rights. 38:42 The ability today to choose 38:44 what is right assumes 38:45 and even requires the ability 38:47 to also choose what is wrong. 38:50 Now, to be clear, 38:52 it is also true that successful 38:54 human governments down through 38:56 the ages have rightly 38:58 limited the ability to express 39:00 either one of these options. 39:02 They've rightly limited 39:03 the ability to choose whatever 39:04 they think is right, 39:05 or to choose whatever 39:05 they think is wrong. 39:06 They put limits on that, 39:07 and that is wise. 39:08 But hear it carefully. 39:11 Outside of the church, 39:12 the rights 39:13 of individual citizens 39:15 to engage in what we 39:17 as Christians would consider 39:18 highly objectionable behavior 39:20 in their own personal lives may, 39:22 sadly, in some situations, 39:24 need to be preserved in order 39:26 to maintain a sufficiently 39:27 free society 39:28 in which the gospel can 39:30 be unreservedly preached. 39:35 You know, Paul hinted 39:36 at this, 1 Corinthians 5:12-13. 39:38 He says... 39:48 Now we can argue over 39:49 to what degree 39:50 this particular text applies 39:51 to the chaos 39:52 of American politics. 39:53 But my hope is, 39:54 at the very least, 39:55 we can agree on this -- 39:57 that the Bible here 39:58 is highlighting the seriousness 40:01 with which Christians must take 40:03 the prospects of controlling 40:05 the personal behavior of someone 40:07 who is outside of the church 40:08 and does not believe in Christ. 40:11 We must take that very seriously 40:14 because great wisdom is 40:16 essential in those situations. 40:19 You can't just willy nilly 40:21 off the cuff make a decision 40:22 in these situations. 40:23 It must 40:24 be done with great wisdom. 40:27 As Bible-believing Christians, 40:29 we desire neither a theocracy 40:31 nor a modern day 40:32 Sodom and Gomorrah. 40:34 We must therefore weigh 40:36 political issues 40:37 extraordinarily carefully 40:39 when they deal with morality 40:40 to find the right balance 40:42 between preserving moral agency 40:43 on the one hand, 40:45 and a sufficiently moral society 40:47 which will 40:48 tolerate the spreading 40:49 of the gospel on the other. 40:55 Principle number five. 41:16 Now, honestly, 41:17 Christians of all denominations 41:18 ought to be 41:18 able to agree on this one. 41:20 It is one thing to live and let 41:22 live in today's political chaos. 41:24 But a deeply important line 41:26 is crossed 41:27 when Christian institutions, 41:29 to say nothing of Christians 41:29 as individuals, 41:30 are required to embrace immoral, 41:33 unbiblical practices 41:34 in their own ranks. 41:37 And against such policies, 41:38 no votes, as in nay, 41:41 I vote against that, 41:42 are emphatically required. 41:45 And the Bible tells us this. 41:46 Romans 14:22. 41:53 If Christians just sit by silent 41:54 and let these things roll into 41:56 their churches and institutions. 41:59 And furthermore, the disciples, 42:00 again with a sword 42:01 quite literally 42:02 at their throats, they said... 42:08 These are to be our watchwords 42:09 even in the chaos 42:11 of electoral politics. 42:15 Principle number six. 42:26 [ Chuckles ] I know, you didn't 42:28 know you were going to get a 42:29 civics lesson when you came to 42:30 church today, but just for a 42:31 moment, let's do a little civics 42:32 lesson, all right? 42:40 Now, why do I talk 42:41 about tyranny here? 42:42 Because the Bible at the end 42:43 of time makes it clear tyranny 42:45 will be the order of the day. 42:47 Now, Revelation chapter 13, 42:49 if you read there, we find 42:50 this unholy trinity 42:51 of the Roman Church, 42:52 apostate Protestantism, and 42:54 Satan himself, expressed 42:55 in spiritualism 42:56 and even his own 42:57 manifest presence. 42:58 Together, the unholy trinity is 43:00 going to wield tyrannical power 43:02 to force the world -- 43:04 to try to force the world to 43:05 essentially engage 43:07 in demonic worship. 43:08 Tyranny will be 43:10 the order of the day. 43:13 Well, logic dictates, then, 43:15 that any vote 43:17 we can cast prior to that time 43:20 that can deter the accumulation 43:22 of undue power in any one person 43:24 or one group, 43:26 is probably a good vote to cast, 43:29 because it may possibly preserve 43:31 religious liberty 43:31 and the gospel witness 43:32 that much longer. 43:36 Now, blessedly, 43:38 this idea of federalism 43:39 and the separation of powers 43:40 is part of the core 43:42 of the genius of 43:42 the American experiment. 43:43 We are a republic, 43:45 as I mentioned earlier. 43:45 We are 43:46 a representative democracy. 43:48 We don't have a king. 43:49 We're not intended 43:50 to have a king at all. 43:51 This idea of we elect various 43:52 representatives at 43:53 various levels in the country. 43:55 They work together to govern. 43:56 We also have 43:57 a constitutionally specified 43:58 separation of powers. 44:00 Separation of powers 44:01 is manifest 44:03 in our tripartite government. 44:04 We have the legislative branch, 44:06 the executive branch, 44:07 the judicial branch. 44:08 We do not have a president 44:09 that is all authoritative. 44:10 That's not what 44:11 the Constitution says. 44:11 Instead, there are 44:12 three branches 44:13 that work together. 44:14 We also have the separation 44:16 of powers in federalism, 44:18 where the states, 44:19 the 50 states 44:19 and other territories, 44:20 we have this power diffused 44:22 amongst us 44:23 that together we might be 44:24 able to come up with the best, 44:25 hopefully, government decisions. 44:27 And by the way, 44:28 this is a basic Bible principle. 44:34 Proverbs 24:6. Many of you 44:36 probably memorized it. 44:37 It says that, "In a multitude 44:39 of counselors, there is safety." 44:41 Even the Trinity itself 44:44 proclaims 44:45 that even God shares his power. 44:50 And such examples as this, 44:51 as well as much of the last 200 44:53 plus years of US history, assure 44:54 us that federalism 44:55 and the separation of powers 44:56 can be solid safeguards 44:57 against tyranny. 44:58 So if you see those things 45:00 breaking down, 45:01 you ought to be alarmed. 45:04 Study candidates and issues 45:06 to see whether they will support 45:08 or diminish these two pillars 45:09 of liberty and vote accordingly. 45:14 Principle number seven. 45:28 >> Amen. 45:35 >> If you're an offender here, 45:36 I promise I won't put your 45:37 picture up on the screen, 45:38 all right? 45:40 But ladies and gentlemen, 45:41 this is a truth 45:42 that we cannot afford to ignore. 45:44 How many? 45:46 I don't know, 45:47 probably tens of thousands 45:49 of Christians 45:51 have destroyed their ability 45:53 to witness to countless others 45:54 by the rants 45:55 or even just the political 45:56 opinions that they 45:58 have posted on social media. 46:02 You know, the Bible actually 46:02 does address this. 46:04 Romans 14:1. Paul here says... 46:12 How many times have I heard 46:13 well-intended Christians say, 46:15 "Well, boy, you know, if the 46:16 people that didn't think like I 46:17 do politically could just see 46:18 the light, right? 46:19 They're so weak 46:21 in their opinions." 46:21 Well, ladies and gentlemen, 46:22 if that's true, 46:23 here's how you 46:24 ought to treat those weaker 46:25 brothers and sisters. 46:29 It's true 46:30 that this particular context 46:31 here in Romans chapter 14 46:32 is with regard to food laws. 46:34 But I can't help but think 46:35 that it may apply equally well 46:37 to partisan bumper stickers, 46:38 Facebook posts, Instagram, 46:39 and potluck conversations. 46:43 Ellen White was actually 46:45 even more pointed in 46:46 her instructions in this regard. 46:47 Politics were a big deal 46:48 back in her day, too. 46:49 And it's kind of funny 46:50 because, if you read about 46:51 40 years ago, 46:52 people commenting 46:53 on the quotation 46:54 I'm going to put up here, 46:55 they say, "Oh, but 46:56 you have to understand the level 46:58 of chaos that was present 46:59 in US politics in those days." 47:02 Oh, well, perfect. Welcome home. 47:04 All right, here we go. 47:06 "Gospel Workers" 392, 393. 47:08 "Let political questions" -- 47:10 What's the next word? 47:12 Uh-oh, uh-oh. 47:13 That's what she says 47:14 to church workers. 47:30 [ Whistles ] 47:32 Can you imagine if we made 47:33 this a job requirement in the 47:35 North American division today? 47:36 How many people 47:37 would be left standing? 47:38 I don't know, I don't know. 47:42 You should know this is 47:42 not an isolated statement, 47:43 by the way. 47:44 She had to deal with this 47:45 in her day every bit 47:46 as much as we do today. 47:48 And her counsel was 47:49 very, very clear. 47:50 Ladies and gentlemen, 47:51 we have got to get our house 47:53 in order on this one. 47:55 We must clean up 47:56 our public postings 47:57 of unnecessary 47:58 and counterproductive 47:59 political opinions. 48:00 After all, 48:02 we are not Republicans, 48:05 we are not Democrats. 48:08 We are Christians. 48:09 >> Amen. 48:12 >> And consequently, 48:13 we cannot immerse ourselves 48:15 in partisan politics. 48:17 We are instead much the wiser 48:18 if we are discreet 48:19 in sharing our political views, 48:21 knowing that the person 48:22 were directly communicating 48:23 with, or those 48:25 who might hear our opinions 48:26 through other means later on, 48:29 they may need to hear 48:30 about Jesus far more than 48:32 about our personal 48:32 political convictions. 48:35 I plead with you. 48:37 Don't let your thoughts 48:39 on earthly politics 48:41 damage someone else's 48:42 reception of a heavenly home. 48:48 Principle number eight. 48:59 [ Laughter ] 49:09 You know, 49:11 if I were to ask Christians 49:13 today -- I don't have 49:14 a survey to back this up. 49:15 It's just my own thoughts. 49:16 If I were to ask 49:17 most Christians today, 49:19 my guess is they would say 49:20 that the days of a clear-cut, 49:22 you know, this issue is good 49:23 and this one's bad. 49:25 You know, this candidate's good 49:26 and this candidate's bad. 49:27 Those days are gone, okay? 49:29 We instead live in a world 49:31 of moral mush 49:32 where gray is 49:33 the favorite color, 49:34 and societal elixirs and poisons 49:37 are freely mixed together 49:38 and offered to society to drink. 49:41 And because of this mush, 49:43 many Christians, and to be fair, 49:45 many people of no faith at all, 49:46 have kind of checked out. 49:48 There's just not a consistency. 49:49 And they're like, "Ah, you know, 49:50 I'm not doing this 49:52 political stuff." 49:54 But we have to understand 49:56 that, even in the messy world 49:58 of casting votes, 50:00 that Christians have 50:01 a different calling 50:02 than the rest of the world. 50:05 We are called to work for God 50:07 until working is no longer 50:08 possible, not just 50:09 when it's distasteful. 50:12 Jesus himself 50:13 clearly admonished us in this. 50:14 John 9:4. Jesus said... 50:23 Okay? So Jesus recognizes 50:25 that there is a time 50:26 when working will not be 50:27 possible any longer. 50:28 But until then, keep it up. 50:30 Keep on going. 50:32 Until that night finally comes, 50:35 we must not quit. 50:36 Instead, even 50:38 as the ideal candidates 50:40 and causes fade away, 50:41 let us do our best to vote 50:43 for the person or policy 50:45 that will bring in the end 50:46 of time 50:47 at the slowest possible pace. 50:52 Principle number nine. 50:54 "Wherever possible, 50:56 personally study 50:57 original sources" -- 50:59 What kind of sources? 51:00 >> Original. 51:01 >> ..."original sources 51:02 to discover the true nature 51:04 of candidates and issues." 51:07 It sounds like common sense, 51:08 doesn't it? 51:10 I'm in an academic setting. 51:12 Surely we all know. 51:13 Find original sources 51:14 and all of that, right? 51:16 I got to tell you, 51:16 when it comes to politics, 51:17 in my experience, 51:18 this is not common practice. 51:21 Instead, what most people, 51:22 including what most Christians, 51:24 do -- Again, in my experience. 51:25 I don't have a survey to tell me 51:26 this, but in my experience, 51:27 most, even Christians, will get 51:29 their information for 51:30 how to vote on an issue 51:31 or for a candidate 51:32 from their favorite news outlet. 51:34 That's where it comes from. 51:38 For the thoughtful Christian, 51:39 I would suggest 51:40 that there is a better way. 51:41 And actually, the example 51:42 does indeed come from Scripture. 51:44 Check out this, Acts 17:11. 51:46 Says, "Now the Bereans were 51:48 more noble-minded 51:51 than the Thessalonians, 51:52 for they received the message 51:54 with great eagerness and" -- 51:56 key word here -- "and examined 51:58 the Scriptures every day to see 52:00 if these teachings were true." 52:02 In other words, they went back 52:04 to the original source 52:05 to see whether this lined up, 52:06 this message they were hearing 52:07 of the gospel, et cetera. 52:08 Did it actually match up 52:09 with what we would call now 52:10 the Old Testament? 52:11 Did it match? 52:12 They did their research 52:13 personally with 52:14 original sources. 52:18 Oh, that we would have 52:19 more political Bereans today 52:23 because similar diligence 52:25 can yield wise dividends 52:27 even in the political realm, 52:28 maybe especially in 52:29 the political realm. 52:31 Read the actual published 52:32 platforms of 52:33 political candidates. 52:35 Search online 52:36 for full interviews, 52:37 not merely sound bites 52:38 that you may get through 52:39 whatever outlet you use. 52:40 Look for full interviews 52:42 of candidates in which their 52:43 policy positions are stated. 52:44 Keep a simple log of links 52:46 so that you can refer back 52:47 to them later on. 52:48 Listen to 52:49 professional media newscasts 52:51 with skepticism on whatever side 52:54 of the aisle they come from. 52:55 Because, remember, 52:56 those sources all 52:58 are also businesses. 53:00 Giving you the truth is not 53:02 necessarily top of their list. 53:04 And there's just 53:05 the basic things, again, 53:06 on both sides 53:07 of the political aisle. 53:09 There's the basic things 53:10 of scheduling 53:11 for commercial breaks. 53:12 You got to cut the interview 53:13 off somewhere, you can't put 53:14 the whole thing up. 53:14 There's people 53:15 that are making decisions 53:16 as to what we will hear. 53:18 So be a political Berean. 53:20 Go back 53:21 and find those interviews. 53:22 Find those documents 53:23 and study them for yourself. 53:26 Finding the truth regarding 53:27 politics today 53:29 is not always easy, 53:32 but you can be 53:33 a political Berean 53:35 that does proper research 53:36 so that you can cast a vote 53:38 that accurately reflects 53:39 both reality 53:41 and Christ-like wisdom. 53:42 >> Amen. 53:45 >> Which brings us finally 53:47 to principle number ten. 53:59 >> Amen. 54:02 >> You know, for Christians, 54:03 this is not optional. 54:05 The Spirit declares -- 54:06 1 John 4:20... 54:17 And even Jesus himself 54:18 left no space 54:20 for politically motivated 54:21 disdain when he said this. 54:22 Matthew chapter 5. 54:36 I'll tell you what, I cringe 54:37 when I hear Christians make 54:38 statements about 54:39 political candidates 54:40 that Christ would never say, 54:43 and they sound for all the world 54:44 like a secular partisan 54:45 who cares nothing 54:46 for their target's salvation. 54:49 I'll tell you what, 54:51 take the political candidate 54:52 at the top of the ticket 54:54 on the other side from you. 54:56 And now imagine 54:57 that that person knew everything 55:00 that you had ever said about 55:01 them, in private or publicly. 55:04 And then, you went to them 55:06 and said, "Would you like 55:08 Bible studies from me?" 55:10 [ Laughter ] 55:16 Ladies and gentlemen, we are 55:17 called to a higher standard, 55:19 even, and maybe especially, 55:21 in politics. 55:24 You know, the old campfire 55:25 song is still correct. 55:27 And if you know this song, 55:30 would you sing it with me, 55:31 please? 55:32 [ Hums tuning note ] 55:35 ♪ We are one in the spirit 55:38 >> ♪ We are one in the Lord 55:42 ♪ We are one in the spirit 55:46 ♪ We are one in the Lord 55:49 ♪ And we pray that our unity 55:54 ♪ May one day be restored 55:57 ♪ And we'll know we are 56:00 Christians ♪ 56:01 ♪ By our love, by our love 56:07 ♪ Yes, we'll know 56:09 we are Christians by our love ♪ 56:16 >>May that message 56:18 and these ten principles 56:21 and the God behind them 56:23 be exemplified as we seek 56:26 to vote as Jesus 56:28 would this election season. 56:30 >> Amen. 56:32 [ Applause ] 56:43 >> Have you ever wondered 56:44 what Jesus was like 56:45 when He walked on this planet 56:46 2,000 years ago? 56:49 Have you ever wondered where 56:50 He traveled, who He talked to, 56:52 who His friends were, 56:53 what His family was like? 56:55 Or have you heard about 56:56 the astonishing miracles 56:57 that Jesus did, 56:58 like feeding 5,000 people 57:00 with just five loaves of bread 57:01 and a couple of fish 57:02 or giving sight back to a man 57:04 born blind? 57:06 What would it have been like 57:08 to be there with Jesus 57:09 in those unprecedented days? 57:12 I hold in my hands a free book 57:14 that I'd like to give to you. 57:15 It's called 57:15 "The Desire of Ages," 57:17 and it's one of the finest 57:18 biographies of Christ 57:19 ever produced. 57:21 It goes into incredible detail 57:22 of who Jesus was, 57:24 what His life was like, 57:25 who His enemies were, and what 57:26 His followers were like, 57:28 and, of course, ultimately how 57:30 He died on the cross and rose 57:31 from the grave to give freedom 57:33 to people just like you and me. 57:35 "The Desire of Ages" can be 57:37 yours for free by calling 57:39 877-HIS-WILL. 57:41 That's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:44 Jesus is the most influential 57:46 person in all of human history. 57:48 You owe it to yourself 57:50 and those you love to find out 57:52 who he really was. 58:00 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:19 ♪ |
Revised 2024-10-28