Patriotic Christians #6 - Get Out And Vote! Series

Patriotic Christians #6

Get Out and Vote!

Theme: On Election Day, citizens of our country participate in the greatest honor and responsibility we have as citizens — we cast our ballots for those whom we want to lead our local, state, and national governments. As Christians, we have a greater responsibility when voting — to ensure that Jesus is honored in our vote.

Introduction

We are concluding our study today of what it means to be a Patriotic Christian.

From where have we come? We started out talking about the need to pray for our country and fellow citizens.

We talked about praying for our leaders.

We talked about having a love for our country.

We talked about respecting the leaders that are extensions of God’s own authority in our world.

Last week we talked about not siloing our faith from the rest of our lives. We need to honor our country, and honor God. Those two things should not be separate parts of our lives.

So this morning, we see exactly where the rubber meets the road.

On Tuesday, we have the opportunity to set the course of our country for the next four years — by selecting which man will be the next President of the United States of America — by selecting federal Congressmen who will set the policy for at least the next two years.

This is where a democratic republic shines. The people are selecting the representatives to make decisions on our behalf.

We are trusting that those elected will remember that they are serving those who elected them.

In the United States, that is the way it has always been. This form of government is what makes us strong — the government is accountable to the people.

Have you ever wondered how we ended up with the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day?

I’m sure I learned this in school, but I had to look it up again.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_Day_(United_States)>

In 1792, federal law required the states to choose their Presidential electors for the electoral college within a window of time of 34 days before the first Wednesday in December. This allowed time for the electors to travel to the official meeting of the Electoral College to officially cast their votes.

Because of this, November became the time for the populous election because it would have been after the harvest and before most of the severe winter weather that would impede transportation.

Tuesday was selected as Election Day so that voters could attend church on Sunday, travel to the polling location on Monday, vote on Tuesday, and be home on Wednesday, when farmers would typically sell their produce at market.

With the advent of the telegraph, and the onset of nearly instant national communication, a fear arose that one state might influence another state in Presidential electoral outcomes. So Congress in 1845 mandated a uniform national date for elections. The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It fit well within the 34 day window established by federal law. By choosing this date, it is always 29 days between election day and the first Wednesday in December when the Electoral College is required to meet and officially cast their votes determining the outcome of the Presidential election.

<God's Voting Guide

By Terry Laughlin

Copied from Sermon Central>

And, so on Tuesday, we, the citizens of the United States of America are afforded opportunity and responsibility to vote for those who hold public offices — a privilege is given to us by God. After all, you must agree that it was God who raised this form of government in our country through our Founding Fathers. Many of them had a reverent fear of the Lord. George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

By example, in the Old Testament, God had called forth a great leader, Moses, to deliver His people from bondage of slavery at the hand of Pharaoh. After their deliverance and while Moses was judging the disputes of the people Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, gave Moses some very good advice that Americans would do well to heed.

21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. (Exodus 18, NLT)

Wise advice for us today.

At this critical time America needs men and women who will rule this nation in the fear of God. We need statesmen, not politicians, who are men and women of prayer and who passionately seek God’s wisdom through the written Word of God. Most of our Founding Fathers had great knowledge of God’s Word and they knew what was to be done. One of them was Noah Webster. He wrote the following: