Sermon Central
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God Is In Control! But What About Your Part?
Contributed by Kelvin Mckisic on Jun 25, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: God is control of all things, but you do have a part to play in it all. God wants us to submit to authorities, but are you following God's will by voting for the person who should be in office?
God is in Control! But What About Your Part?
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
Understand this, God is in control! It is He who determines the outcome of everything. Although He has that power it does not mean that you are a preprogrammed robot, you have choices, and you can exercise those choices. But know this, the choices that God makes for you are always for your good, even if that choice causes you to get hurt or suffer lose. Because out of that choice you will have learned something.
That brings me to our topic: God is in Control! But what about your part?
Today, I’m going to do something that I’ve never done. I’m going to address the election from the pulpit. I’ve heard it said that there are 2 things you should never talk about RELIGION (I’ve pretty much blown that one) and Politics. So, I figured why not be 2 for 2. As Christians our faith should inform every area of our lives. Right? We are to be informed and led by the truth of God’s Word. That is our part, whether we do that or not. Because God gave us free will to make these choices…follow His word or not.
Therefore, we study the bible, to know the truth. And when we know and apply His truth to our lives we are blessed.
Selecting government leaders has very serious ramifications. When selecting government leaders to oversee the largest business in the US and the most powerful nation in the world, please keep in mind the following:
It is not a popularity contest!
It is not a beauty contest!
It is not like choosing a favorite movie star!
It is not like choosing a favorite ball team!
It is not about picking a celebrity!
It is not about a candidate’s eloquence in speech!
It is not about ethnicity!
It is not about who will give you the most benefits!
It is not about your personal preferences!
It is not about your ancestral family loyalties!
What is it? The United States Constitution Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 gives the oath of office for the President of the United States as follows: "I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
This means it is imperative that we carefully and prayerfully select the candidate who will best preserve, protect, and defend the US Constitution. Therefore, you should select the person who has demonstrated the most appreciation, commitment, and regard for the Constitution. Which candidate most closely believes in, adheres to, and supports the standards and values established by the Constitution? Considering the magnitude of the office, you should select the person who is most qualified to oversee the biggest business in the world, yes, the United States of America is a business; and manage personnel for the largest employer in the US. This person must understand economics and finances to make wise business decisions. It is also essential to pick the person who has the most wisdom and experience to make responsible decisions regarding national and international calamities.
Although we seemingly vote for an individual for the office of president, we are in fact voting for the party that the candidate supports. So, not only do you get the candidate’s personality and characteristics, but you also get the political party they support as well.
Clearly, the selection of a nation’s leaders is vitally important, and that is why the Lord God Almighty instructs us to pray diligently and take the election process very seriously, as given to us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2. God is in Control! But what about your part?
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Are you looking for the perfect leader? Well sorry, you will not find one, at least not in this world. But then you’re not perfect either, for all have sinned, missed the mark of perfection, and come short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23). So, in a sense, we are not qualified to truly pick our world leaders, apart from us doing it prayerfully looking for God’s direction. There is only one perfect leader. His name is Christ Jesus (Hebrews 5:9). He does not require your vote. His Word is settled in Heaven. King David acknowledged this in his prayer to God in 1 Chronicles 29:12.
