VOTE
Castle Hills Christian Church: October 19, 2008
Romans 13: 1-7
INTRODUCTION: VIDEO: Vote your Values
I saw a cartoon recently where two men were sitting on a park bench … neither one is saying anything for several frames. Then one man lets out a SIGH. The other guy gets up and mutters, “Well, if you’re going to talk Politics, I’m out’a here!”
It makes me think of the Proverb that says, When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan. (or sigh… as the case may be…) Proverbs 29:2
1. The Right to Vote
In case you haven’t noticed, we have an Election coming up in 16 more days. I certainly want to encourage all of you to VOTE! And you may not know it, but we have someone in our congregation who will enjoy that right for the first time this year.
Alexandra Gaitan became a citizen of the USA in June of this year. Alexandra is from Venezuela … and it’s a long process to become an American Citizen. She probably knows more about America than most of us! Alexandra’s husband, Robert, is our drummer. He told me she’s kind of shy, but it would be okay to embarrass her. So, Alexandra, would you stand for just a minute so people can see who you are? (You can blame Robert for that.) I think it’s a big deal to become a citizen, and we’re glad to welcome you as an American Citizen.
It’s a great privilege to be an American Citizen. But as Christians, we enjoy an even higher privilege. Philippians 3:20 says, Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is our ultimate citizenship, and Jesus is our ultimate leader.
We have the responsibility to vote as citizens of God’s Kingdom as well as citizens of the USA. Our country was founded with the Principle of Religious Freedom. Listen to the first amendment to the Bill of Rights: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
This amendment was meant to guarantee the government would not interfere with the individual’s right to practice their Faith. But it’s been turned on its head and used to intimidate individuals from letting their Faith influence their Government.
You hear the phrase “separation of church and state” a lot now-a-days --- usually to tell people of Faith they need to stay away from the public arena. Most people would be shocked to learn that the phrase "separation of church and state" appears NOWHERE in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.
And more than that, the idea that Christians should keep their faith out of political life is the exact opposite of what our founders intended.
I collected a few quotes from our Nation’s Founders that illustrate how much they expected Christians to influence the nation. (These are just a few of the many quotes I could have used!)
Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Whoever shall introduce into the public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world.”
John Adams concurred, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
His son, John Quincy Adams declared: “So great is my veneration of the Bible, that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society.”
Here’s a quote from John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court:
“Providence has given our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
Could that be any further removed from the anti-religion rulings of recent Supreme Courts? We don’t always get to vote on our Judges … but we DO get to vote for the people who appoint them. When I vote, I have to ask myself, What kind of Judges will determine the nation my grandchildren inherit?
This election could make that determination. We have 5 Supreme Court Justices over 70 years old and the next President will very likely appoint life-time replacements for some or all of them.
2. The Responsibility to Vote
When you look at the long-term effects from even one election, you can see what a great Responsibility comes with the Right to VOTE. Let’s look at what Scripture has to say about Christian Citizens in Romans chapter 13:
• All government is established by God: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Romans 13:1
• Christians must obey the laws of the land: "Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you." Romans 13:2-3
• God intends for government to be an agent of Justice: … "The Ruler is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong-doer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience."
• We are to show respect for government, pay our taxes, and fulfill all responsibilities of a citizen: "This is also why you pay taxes … If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." Romans 13:6-7 (I don’t think that ever won a contest for people’s favorite Bible verse, but there it is: Christians should pay their taxes!)
When you see what scripture has to say about good citizens, you can see why Daniel Webster said this: “Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens.” … This is from the man who came up with Webster’s Dictionary back in the 1800’s. And that’s how he defined a Good Citizen!
Scripture goes even further in I Timothy when Paul says, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” I Timothy 2:1-2
Don’t underestimate the power of your PRAYERS for our Nation. George Flurry wrote: “Prayer is political action. Prayer is social energy. Prayer is public good. … Prayer is an act of patriotism in the largest sense of the word … The single most important action contributing to whatever health and strength there is in our land is prayer.”
The early Church took this admonition seriously. Listen to what Tertulian wrote in about 200 A.D. (Tertullian was an Early Church Father of Carthage, Egypt. He wrote this in a letter to try to convince Caesar (the Roman Emperor) to stop the terrible torture and persecution of Christians.)
He wrote, “So then, as we kneel with arms extended to God, let the hooks dig into us, let the crosses suspend us, the fires lick us, the swords cut our throats, the wild beasts leap upon us; the very posture of a Christian in prayer makes him ready for every punishment. Carry on, good officials, torture the soul which is beseeching God in behalf of the Emperor! Here will lie the crime, where there reigns truth and devotion to God.” (Apology Ch. 30:7)
These early Christians prayed for the very government that was murdering them. How can we … who enjoy more Freedom than any people on earth … how can WE fail to pray for OUR leaders?
We need to pray for those who are currently in power. We also need to pray that God will raise up righteous and wise leaders for our future. Let’s pray that God will give us the wisdom to cast our votes for the right people, and for the right reasons.
3. The Reason to Vote
Back in 1930, there was an election in the small town of Wilton, Washington. (Now, I’ve heard this is a true story.) The name Boston Curtis appeared on a ballot for Republican Committeeman. The town’s Mayor sponsored this candidate … because he wanted to illustrate the fact that people will vote for a Candidate without knowing anything about him.
He proved his point. You see, Boston Curtis was a mule. And the mule won!
As Christians, we need to know as much as we can about the Candidates before we vote. To do that, we have to look past the sound bites the Media wants to “spoon-feed” us. We need to know more than what the candidate says. We need to know their track record … what they have done in the past … who they look to for advice.
We need to know how the Candidate votes before we give them our votes! That’s why we have voter guides in our Lobby. I hope you’ll take one home and study it before you visit the Voting Booth.
Here are some of the questions I like to get answered before I vote for someone:
• What is the candidate’s “worldview”?
• What is the candidate’s guide for moral issues?
• Is the candidate faithful to his or her family commitments?
• Does the candidate have a history of being truthful?
• Does the candidate handle finances with integrity and generosity?
• Is the candidate committed to Justice for the innocent and vulnerable?
• Is this candidate committed to protecting the Nation from her enemies?
It’s not always easy to get answers to those kind of questions. I thought one of the most helpful programs in this voting cycle was when Rick Warren’s Church held a Presidential Forum. I wasn’t sure what I would think of it, but after watching the program I felt like I knew a lot more about the character and political direction of the two candidates. The main reason was that Rick Warren asked the kind of questions you hardly ever hear … specific questions about worldview and moral issues.
Of course, we will never see a perfect candidate. But God can give us the discernment … if we ask Him to … so that we can choose wisely. Consider our Current Moral Issues. (These are issues where God’s Word is clear.)
• Marriage – This is the foundational human institution created by God … between a man and woman.
• The Value of Human Life: This issue shows up over and over in our elections, with issues that involve abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, and cloning.
• National Defense: Our government takes on a lot of jobs, but Protecting our Nation from outside Attack is its most basic responsibility.
• Economics: The Bible has a lot to say about money. To sum it up, our Congress needs to take a crash course in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. The same principles that make a family run smoothly apply to the government, and if our leaders continue to give out money they don’t have, they are going to bankrupt all of us. (If they haven’t already done it.)
On the topic of Economics, consider this quote from the late 1700’s:
“A democracy … can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses … The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. (Attributed to ALEXANDER FRASER TYTLER, LORD WOODHOUSELEE. Unverified)."
Have you noticed how Politicians try to promise the most people the biggest pay back so they can get their votes? It’s obvious that they expect most people to “vote their pocketbook.” Politicians figure that those who pay taxes will vote for them if they promise to lower their taxes. They figure that those who get entitlements will vote for them if they promise to give even bigger entitlements.
Unfortunately, I think it may very well be true that the majority of people vote that way. But Christians shouldn’t just vote their pocketbooks!
Christians should vote for the greater good. Christians should vote on the basis of wisdom … not just looking at what benefits ME today, but at what benefits the nation today and for future generations.
CONCLUSION:
In the late 1800’s Benjamin Disraeli said this: “Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.” (Attributed to Benjamin Disraeli. Unverified.)
I beg you then, not to enter the Voting Booth seeing yourself only as a tax payer, or even as a loyal member of a political party. We shouldn’t just vote on the basis of what will make OUR individual lives easier or better.
As Christians we need to vote wisely, looking at the big picture of what will be good for long term and best for the people as a whole. We need to vote for our children and grandchildren’s future.
