Intro: Something has been weighing heavily on me as November quickly approaches like a growing storm. It is often said that this is the most important election of our nation’s history. What we have to do is look at the elections that are upcoming with a fresh and new set of eyes.
The election must not become about getting our man in place to run things our way. This upcoming election is an opportunity for us to obey God and submit to His will for the next President the United States of America.
Leadership is crucial to the protection, direction and future of this country. We must be careful as we pray and seek God’s face for this next election that we don’t superimpose our desires and our designs for the President of the United States.
God wants us to understand no matter who is in the white house He will move and work according to His will and His plan. Even though God is in control we are called be involved!!
He gave us clear instruction to pray leaders in authority in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (read)
He directs us to pray for our leaders so that we can live a quiet, tranquil and godly life.
Also it pleases God that we trust Him enough to ask Him to direct the dreams, decisions, and policies of our political leaders.
If our lives as a country are in turmoil and craziness what do you suppose is the problem?
1) A lack of prayer for our leaders
2) A lack of Godly leaders
God made clear how he expects us to respond to governing authorities. Romans 13:1-2 “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves”
Why on earth would God say all authority comes from Him and then expect us to have no involvement or impact on the governing authorities of this country?
One of the worst statements we make in regards to politics is what does character matter if they can lead. We must understand what we are saying with statement like that.
When you say character doesn’t count you are saying, “God doesn’t count.”
Character is rooted in God’s persons and principles. We might as well say God I don’t want your blessing on our country, county or city if you think character is that unimportant.
We as a country are saying, “God we are skillful enough to handle this on our own.” If skill were enough then what do you think about a surgeon who doesn’t wash his hands before operating.
What should we be looking for in our leaders? God gives us a very clear voter guide for the upcoming elections.
I. The character God requires of leaders
A) Leaders should be godly and righteous
We do not want the leaders to be simply religious. Satan is religious. Tyrants and terrorists are religious. We should want our leaders to have a relationship with Jesus Christ that makes an impact on how they act in and out of office. This is why we must pray desperately for our elected officials.
Proverbs 16:12 “Wicked behavior is detestable to kings, since a throne is established through righteousness.” According to God’s word and ungodly immoral man is not qualified to lead.
Can you think of any candidates we have running in November that fit this bill?
B) Leaders should have godly wisdom
Wisdom was illustrated by Solomon’s decision between the two mothers. Both claimed the child so he wisely said, “Cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
By the wisdom he requested from God he drew out the true mother.
Wisdom is the ability to see God’s solutions to life’s problems. This wisdom from God helps us to judge between good and evil, take the right course, see beyond the outward appearance, and exercise judgment to rule.
This wisdom only comes from above James 3:17. If our leaders are going to have this type of wisdom they must be under the rule and leadership of God.
Proverbs 8:16-11 “I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion. 13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. 14 I possess good advice and competence; I have understanding and strength. 15 It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law; 16 by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges
C) Leaders should be honest and have integrity
Proverbs 17:7 “Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler.”
One of our greatest presidents was known as honest Abe. The future president was first called "Honest Abe" when he was working as a young store clerk in New Salem, Ill. According to one story, whenever he realized he had shortchanged a customer by a few pennies, he would close the shop and deliver the correct change-regardless of how far he had to walk
Lincoln understood what many today do not. Liars are not leaders. If a person does not tell the truth he or she is not fit for leadership. People aren’t liars because they lie. They lie because they are liars and they belong to their father the devil.
John 8:44 “You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars.”
D) Leaders should be discriminating in choice of team members
Proverbs 25:4-5 (read) A leader isn’t just known by his character but also the character of those that are on his team. I know discriminate is not a popular word today. Discriminate simply means to recognize a distinction. How silly would it be for you to say there shouldn’t be discrimination between venomous and non-venomous snakes, all snakes are equal.
Leaders must have the ability to recognize distinctions and distinguish between people that will enhance or diminish the leader.
E) A willingness to defend and protect the weak
Proverbs 31:8-9 “Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. 9 Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.”
A leader needs to speak up for the unborn, the abandoned, the elderly, the widow, the orphan the homeless and the helpless. There are some laws that God says are evil.
Psalm 94:20-21 “Can a corrupt throne—one that creates trouble by law— become Your ally?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
What does God say about a nation that will not protect the weak, innocent and powerless?
Adrian Rogers – “There is nothing politically correct that is morally wrong.”
Gods gives us these guidelines for leaders to in order that we might follow them and choose God’s blessing and God’s best leader for us.
II. The choices God respects
A) God will allow us to choose wicked leaders
God sets the standard for leaders then lets us walk in freedom to either choose godly or ungodly leaders. God’s graciousness and judgment are both found in this freedom.
Hosea 8:4 “They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.”
If the people are wicked they will elect wicked rulers!!
1 Samuel 8:18 “When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”
God told Israel they were going to choose the wrong king and come crying back to Him.
They did choose the wrong king Saul. The choose him merely on his outward appearance
B) God will reveal the consequences (Proverbs 29:2)
Proverbs 29:2 “When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, people groan.” The KJV has the better translation here. When the righteous rule the people rejoice.
When the truly righteous rule then government fulfills its God given responsibility to punish evil. The United States of America is in desperate trouble. God has removed His hand of protection from us as a nation. I believe that ultimately the Us will fall. We will never stop this but we might slow it. If we as the church in the US ever got serious with God and repented and asked for Him to move in revival he process would be slowed like it was in Nineveh. The leaders we have in the US are merely a reflection of the people that support them.
C) God will control the leaders we choose
Know that Jesus Christ has never left the throne or lost control of what is happening in the US or in the world. Out of control leaders does not mean God is out of control.
Isaiah 40:23-24 “He reduces princes to nothing and makes judges of the earth irrational.
24 They are barely planted, barely sown, their stem hardly takes root in the ground
when He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble.
Psalm 47:7 “Sing a song of wisdom, for God is King of all the earth.”
Psalm 29:10 “The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.”
Politicians and leaders come and go. We didn’t vote God in and we will never vote Him out.
As so often when evil men gain control we panic. Corrie Ten Boom suffered under Nazi control in concentration camps because of her compassion and work to rescue Jews during the 2nd World War said this. “There is no panic in Heaven! God has no problems, only plans.”
God is planning to bring this world and its rulers to their knees. Do you know that is exactly what He is trying to do to us to? He wants us to so trust Him that we will bow and pray for our leaders our nation and our world.
Why? Proverbs 21:1 “A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses.”
Every ungodly ruler becomes an instrument in the hand of God. Pharaoh with his hard heart, the Persian King Cyrus, Pilate. Men may shake their wicked hands in God’s face but God still rules from heaven.
When we pray for wicked leaders we are inviting God to overrule their evil decrees and policies!
Examine the character and record of the people that are seeking office especially the office the highest office in the land Potus.
So what should we do? Pray for revival, but look for Jesus arrival.
Prepare your children and grandchildren for a life very different than how you grew up. Get serious open your Bible connect what God says to what is happening today!
Finally look for Jesus return!
Be aware of this as we honor our SS teachers today. You are leaders and God desires you to have this character.
Kingdoms will come and kingdoms will go but God rules over it all.
How you ever bowed you knee for the first time in faith to King Jesus? That is called salvation
Do you daily bow your knee to Jesus as King? That is called sanctification and is the method of maturity in Christians.
