God Is God Even During Election Season

Sermon for Sunday November 1, 2020

Psalm 97 – pre-election Sunday

I had the opportunity to watch several college football games yesterday. And during that time, I was completely bombarded by commercials from every which political candidate. Some of those candidates I’ll be voting for, and others I will not. But most of the commercials tried to make me fearful of the outcome if I don’t vote for them. I certainly didn’t feel better about myself or my country as a result of watching a dozen or 2 political commercials.

This Tuesday is election day, and for the past months, candidates have been trying to do and say anything possible, both ethical and unethical to win their election, whether that be on a local, state, or national level. It’s almost like picking which kid built a better sand castle in the playground.

I was curious - after doing a brief and simple google search this week on who a Christian should vote for, the first page alone told me why evangelical Christians – that’s us – have no choice but to vote for Donald Trump, have no choice but to vote for Joe Biden, have no choice but to vote 3rd party, and have no choice but to stay home. That’s a lot of “have no choices.” And there are voices in our head that are practically yelling at us – you have to do it this way or you’re wrong. And I think our enemy would use this time to get in our heads, to cause us to despair, or even worse, to cause us to speak and lash out in ways which are not Christ-like against other people in this year, all over an election – an election that may be important today, but that one day when we are worshipping God in heaven, it will take its place in a long list of things which did not matter as much as we think it did.

Now when it comes to the issues such as abortion, such as military spending, such as the coronavirus response, such as immigrants, such as healthcare – I do have very strong opinions. I want to vote and plan to vote Biblically as best as I can. But when it comes to the candidates and the political parties, those issues become bogged down in people we don’t know, saying what they think we want to hear, all so we can support them. And it is contributing to anxiety, stress, and health of Americans all over our country today, believers and non-believers alike. Politics and elections do not bring this country together, they divide it. And even Christians think that the real enemy is the other party, when the Bible clearly tells us in Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

I am reminded that in my lifetime, there have been groups of Christians who have promised economic collapse, world wars, and other consequences everytime a certain candidate has been or has come close to being elected president. When Barack Obama was elected president for example, there were Christians who were just sure he was ussering in the endtimes. He did not. Most or all prognostications like these have been completely false. And yet, those same promises are once again being prophesied today, and those who forget that the Lord is sovereign and in control every election season have forgotten yet again.

And as we approached today, I once again changed course from my original plan, and wanted to preach a message of encouragement to you in the face of what is going to be a wild week. I don’t know who is going to win, but sometimes I fear that no matter what, it is the American people who will lose. But we don’t need to feel that way. It isn’t that way.

No matter who is on the American throne in the near future, rest assured, God is on His throne. And because of that – not because of our election, but because of His sovereignty, I know that it’s all going to be ok in the end. He is either worth trusting and having faith in, or He isn’t. And I say He is. And I know that whatever happens, I can trust that God will still be on His throne next week, because His promises are true, His platform is pure, His morality is perfect, His standards are high, and His glory is worth all of our worship today!

So today I invite you to turn to a text which I hope will remind us to keep our hopes on God and not on a man or a political party. Would you turn to the 97th chapter of Psalms with me.