A. The story is told of a boy, who wanted $100 very badly, so he prayed for two weeks but nothing happened.
1. Then he decided to write GOD a letter requesting $100.
2. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to GOD, U.S.A., they decided to send it to the President.
3. The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the boy $50.00. The President thought that this would satisfy the little boy.
4. Well, the boy was delighted with the $50.00 and immediately sat down to write a thank you note to GOD that read: “Dear God, Thank you very much for sending me the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington, D.C., and, as usual, those devil’s took half of it.”
5. Just like that boy, must of us are suspicious of what goes on in Washington, D.C. and at times we are fed up with what goes on there.
6. But in truth, there are many good people and many good things that do go on there.
B. As you know, two days from today, our nation will gather at the polls and cast our votes for the next President of the United States of America as well as many other governmental officials.
1. What a tremendous privilege and what an awesome responsibility that is!
C. If you have been around Wetzel Road for a while, then you realize that I try very hard to stay out of politics.
1. I am a preacher, not a politician nor a political expert.
2. The last time I devoted an entire sermon to this subject the Sunday before the presidential election dating all the way back to 1988.
3. Usually the Sunday before an election we just devote a special prayer to God concerning the election.
4. And certainly, that is the most appropriate and powerful thing that we can do.
5. But for a number of weeks, I have felt compelled to share with you something about the election and its connection to our spiritual lives.
6. So here we go.
D. Let me begin by saying that I am an American, and I’m proud and thankful that I’m an American.
1. There is no other country that I would rather have been born into.
2. It wasn’t that long ago that my relatives came to the United States. Had they not, I would have been born somewhere else in the world.
3. My grandfather Owens’ mother came from Germany, and his father’s father came from Wales.
4. My grandmother Owens’ relatives from one side came from Germany, and from the other side came from England.
5. Whereas, my mother’s grandparents came directly from Poland.
6. So in that sense, my family hasn’t been Americans all that long, but seeing that our country is relatively young in the history of the world, none of us, except for the native Americans, have been Americans very long.
E. There are many things about being an American that I’m proud of, but there are also many things for which I am ashamed.
1. Being a white male, I have had more opportunities available to me than any other group in the United States during my life time.
2. For that I’m thankful, but I am also greatly saddened for everyone else.
3. I’m frustrated by what we have done to the Native Americans: the way we took advantage of them and the promises that have been broken.
4. I’m sad for the lack of opportunity in the past for women in our country.
a. It wasn’t until 1920 that women were given the right to vote.
b. We are still trying to equalize the playing field and break the “glass ceiling” as it is called so that women have equal opportunity in business and receive equal pay as their male counterparts.
5. And, of course, I’m horrified by what has been done in the past, and what continues to be done to those of other races, nationalities and religions.
a. I’m sorry that it took a Civil War to do away with slavery in the 1860s, and then another 100 years for the Civil Rights movement to make progress for black Americans.
b. I hate racism, and I’m so thankful that all of the churches of Christ that I have been involved with have been multi-racial.
c. I remember growing up in the Southside congregation beginning in 1973, and we were all one in Christ. From my vantage point there wasn’t any black and white, just brothers and sisters.
6. As a country, I know we still have a long way to go before we will truly be color blind, and nationality blind, and even religious blind, but we need to keep striving toward that goal.
7. I look forward to the day when we will have a President who is not a white male – not that there’s anything wrong with being a white male!
8. Imagine a day when we can be served by a white woman, or a black male or black female, or a Chinese American, or a Puerto Rican American, or a Mexican American.
9. When that happens, maybe we will finally realize that we are all different, and yet we are the same – equal.
10. Can you imagine a day when we might have a president who isn’t a Christian?
F. Trying to imagine that might be a real struggle for some of us. That struggle may originate from fear or from some false notions.
1. I think that many of us Christians have the idea that the United States of America is and has always been a Christian nation.
2. The truth of the matter is that this nation has always been a God-fearing nation, not a Christian nation.
3. It is true that the Bible has always been held in high esteem and has been allowed to shape much of our thinking and policy.
4. The founders of our nation were a group of men who believed in God and allowed God to shape their lives and fortunes.
5. They believed that God was omnipotent and intervened in the lives of men and nations.
6. Many of them were Christians, others were not, but none of them were unbelievers.
G. When the founders framed the constitution, they wisely sought to make a separation between church and state.
1. The first Amendment of the Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791 and reads, “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.
2. Though many people assume the 1st Amendment sets out some separation, the phrase does not appear in the Constitution.
3. The phrase "wall of separation" appears to have been coined by Jefferson, in speaking of the religious liberties granted by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
4. Madison, however, said that there is “a line between church and state”, not a wall - the distinction may or may not be significant.
5. In practice the separation is more theoretical than actual.
6. In a truly separate society, we would not invoke the name of God on our currency, nor would we speak so highly of our Judeo-Christian values.
7. But we do, and the fact of the matter is, completely separating religion and government is probably impossible, so long as religion is an important part of the lives of the citizenry.
8. The best we can hope for, and what I think the Constitution tries to protect, is to ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of religious belief - that there be no religion litmus test, and that there is no interference in the practice of religion.
9. James Madison said it well when he said, “And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in showing that religion and Government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.”
H. I believe that we have a right to demand that our leaders be moral and that the laws of our nation be based on morality.
1. The challenge, however, is rooted in the question of who’s morality? How do we decide what is moral?
2. We Christians would say, “Just look at the Bible. God’s Word is the basis for truth and morality.”
3. But as I have already pointed out, we are not a Christian nation, in the sense that not all of our citizens are Christian, and that the constitution keeps us from imposing Christianity as the official religion.
I. You might be interested to know what the religious make up of our nation is.
1. Determining what is the religious make up of the U.S. is difficult for numerous reasons – including: the accuracy and honesty of polling. The definitions beings used. And the fact that people’s religious commitments change by the day.
2. In 2001, the Graduate Center of the City University of New York conducted an American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS).
3. It was a massive poll, questioning 50,281 American adults about their religious affiliations.
4. The results were as follows:
a. 76.5% of American adults are Christian (52% Protestant; 24.5% Catholic).
b. 14.1% do not follow any organized religion; they are Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, Secularists, or have no religious affiliation.
c. 1.3% are Jewish.
d. 0.5% are Muslim, followers of Islam.
e. 0.5% are Buddhist.
f. 0.4% are Hindu.
g. 0.3% are Unitarian Universalist.
h. 0.1% are Neopagan (Druids, Pagans, Wiccans, etc)
i. There are many more small religions, each of which are followed by fewer than 0.1% of American adults.
j. The results don’t mention Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses, so I don’t know if they are lumped in the category with the Protestant Christians, or if they are among the “other” group that makes up less than 1 tenth of a percent. (I’m guessing that they are lumped in with the Protestant Christians, for that is what they want to be seen as)
J. Our nation isn’t just religiously diverse, so is our government.
1. The make up of the Congress changed in the 2006 mid-term elections, and for the first time, includes a Muslim, two Buddhists, more Jews than Episcopalians and the highest-ranking Mormon in congressional history (there are presently 15 Mormons in the House.
2. Roman Catholics remain the largest single faith group in Congress, accounting for 29 percent of all members of the House and Senate, followed by Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Jews and Episcopalians.
3. Interestingly, the most under-represented group in Congress is the 14 percent of all American adults who claim no religion at all.
4. Only six members of Congress identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated.
K. Did you know that there are more than two people running for President?
1. On the ballot here in NY, you will find 16 different people running for president.
2. Two are women. Five of the 16 are African American.
3. One is a Buddhist, and several listed no religious affiliation.
4. Can you foresee a time when the U.S. President will not be a Christian religiously?
5. I’m certain that at some point in the future, if the U.S. still exits, there will be a non-Christian President.
L. Something that I think is important to keep in mind is that God is concerned about all the countries of the world, not just our country.
1. Do you know that there are 194 countries in the world that are presently recognized by the U.S. State Department.
2. That’s a lot of countries, made up of a lot of people, who are not American.
3. I think that it is very presumptuous to think that God is only interested in our country, or to think that God is more concerned about our country than any of the other countries of the world.
4. I do believe that we have been greatly blessed by God in our short history as a nation.
5. And I’m sure that some of those blessings have come as a result of our nation’s desire to honor God to the best of our ability.
M. But I think that we are mistaken when we liken our country to the nation of Israel – I run into a lot of Christians who think that way.
1. It is abundantly clear in Scripture that God chose Israel from all the nations of the world to be His prized possession.
2. God made a special covenant with Israel that would bring blessing to all the nations of the world through Israel.
3. All that has occurred as Israel was given custody of the Law, and that it was under that Law and out of that nation that Jesus came.
4. But God has made no such covenant with the United States of America.
5. God now works not through a specific, singular country, but through His kingdom, which is made up of Christians from every country in the world.
6. Certainly, being a Christian living in the United States has had its advantages, but it is not the most important thing.
7. Being a Christian wherever a person lives is the most important thing.
8. Certainly we can love and serve our country, but our greatest love and allegiance must be to God’s kingdom.
9. That’s why Paul wrote, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Phil. 3:17-21)
10. What a blessed hope we have as citizens of the kingdom of heaven!
N. So as the election arrives on Tuesday, what spiritual truths should we keep in mind? Let me mention three.
O. First of all, let’s keep in mind that God is in control.
1. When Jesus’ life was in the hands of Pilate, He made an important point to Pilate.
2. The conversation went like this, “‘Do you refuse to speak to me?’ Pilate said. ‘Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?’ Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.’” (John 19:10-11)
3. In our Scripture Reading for today we read, “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)
a. That is a truly shocking statement when we realize that Paul wrote that statement as a Roman citizen while Nero was the emperor!
4. Psalm 22:28 says, “For dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.”
5. And Daniel 2:20-21 says, “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.”
6. What a blessing it is to know that no matter who is President, no matter who gets elected to what office, no matter what laws get passed, God is in control and He is working things out for His purposes.
P. Second, let’s keep in mind that Christians are to be salt and light.
1. We are all familiar with Jesus’ words from Matthew 5, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?...You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Mt. 5:13-16)
2. Even though we are to submit to the government that is established, that doesn’t mean we disobey God, or stop voicing what we believe is the truth.
3. Last week we mentioned Shadrach, Meshack, and Abendigo. When their government told them to worship an idol, they refused and said that they had to obey God.
4. When the officials told the apostles to no longer preach about Jesus, they replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)
5. There are many very important issues facing our country – terrorism, war, health care, global warming, same-sex marriage, abortion, immigration, and the economy, just to name a few.
6. We must humbly, yet boldly declare what we believe about these issues.
7. Then we must let our beliefs about them guide us in choosing the best candidates accordingly.
8. We must vote according to conscience and principle, not according to party or how it will affect our, personal, pocketbook, nor anything else!
9. One of the most important outcomes of the election will be the future of the Supreme Court.
a. The cover story of the USA Today, a week ago Thursday spelled this out quite clearly.
b. The USA Today stated that the real legacy of the next president won’t be the economy or the war, but the Supreme Court. The next president will appoint at least 2, and maybe 3, Justices in his first term. If he serves 2 terms, it could be 5 Justices.
c. Five of the 9 Justices on the Court are 70 years old or older.
d. And since the trend is to appoint younger and younger Justices, the next president will most likely shape the court for the next 30-40 years.
e. So keep the Supreme Court in mind as you cast your vote for the next president – what kind of Justices do you want to see appointed?
10. But let me also add, as we attempt to be salt and light we need to take the most righteous of roads – truly the high road – because the ends don’t justify the means.
11. We must not employ unjust tactics or hateful speech, and must speak against those who do.
Q. Finally, let’s be in prayer, because prayer is the most powerful tool available to us.
1. For the Bible says that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, (Jms. 5:16)
2. Concerning the nation of Israel, God said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
3. I would have to believe that God would do the same for the United States of America if we would humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways.
4. I would encourage all of us to fast and pray for our country on Tuesday.
R. In Oklahoma City, across from where the federal building was bombed, stands a statue of Jesus.
1. I have been to this site, and it was a powerful experience.
2. As you can see in this picture, one of His hands covers His face, while the other is fisted at His chest.
3. The caption on the statue simply says, “Jesus wept.”
4. When He saw what happened when the building was bombed and 800 were injured and 168 died, Jesus turned, broken-hearted, and wept.
5. I wonder what is Jesus doing right now as He looks upon our nation?
S. I hope that the future of the United States of America is even better than the past.
1. I hope that we can be a more godly and moral nation.
2. I hope that we can be a place where all people are valued regardless of their race, nationality, or religion.
3. I hope we can be a place where justice and mercy are equally dispensed to all people.
4. But more than all these things, I hope that the Kingdom of God, the church, will grow in our country and around the world.
5. I hope the words I have shared today can give us the right kind of spiritual perspective.
6. To God be the glory.
T. The most important question today is not: Are you a citizen of the United States of America?
1. Rather the most important question is: Are you a citizen of the kingdom of heaven?
2. If you are, then keep honoring and obeying your King.
3. If you are not, then don’t you think it is time to bow your knee and give your allegiance to the King of Kings, maker of heaven and earth, who’s kingdom will never end?
