The Glory Of The Church

The Electoral College was established to balance the power between the states and the federal government.

(1)No single state could dominate the election process.

Illus: For example, three or four swing states could get together an elect a president because of their large population.

(2)The system also aimed to prevent any one candidate a majority of the popular vote, thereby reducing the risk of a single party dictatorship.

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President.

• Each State has the same number of electors as it does Members in its Congressional delegation.

• One for each Member in the House of Representatives plus two Senators.

• The District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a State for purposes of the Electoral College under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution.

The Electoral College is a protection of power for the smaller states (Population) to be equal to the larger states (Population).

This was a safety-net that has proven to be a very wise thing that our fore-fathers did.

God also has provided a safety-net for His church.

That is, God’s church regardless of the size of its membership can have the presence of God as much as a large church.

The requirement is they…

1. Will Acknowledge God.

2. Worship God.

3. Obey God.

Will never be as RISK!

This is the safety-net God has placed for the church; such a church will never be at risk!

However, whenever any church turns it back on God, God will turn his back on them.

We can see that very clearly in the scriptures in a few minutes.

Let me show you THREE things in this text today.

Look first at-

I THE DESIRE OF GOD.

It has always been the desire of God for His church to be a strong godly influence in molding and shaping this nation to be what God would have it to become.

HOW CAN THE CHURCH BECOME A STRONG INFLUENCE IN DOING THAT?

It can only happen as God's Church is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.

Whenever God's people will:

• Acknowledge God.

• Worship God.

• Obey God.

They will be a church that God can use to influence a nation.

In America we have this silly notion, if you build a church building and have a worship service God is obligated to be there.

Listen, the only time God has obligated Himself to be in any church is where people have come together to acknowledge Him, worship Him, and obey Him.

Matthew 18:20, For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Anytime God finds a church where you find these three ingredients you will find God in the midst of them.

For example:

• When MOSES acknowledge, worshipped and obeyed God, God revealed Himself to him in such a way that those who saw him afterward noticed he glowed

• When ISRAEL acknowledged, worshipped and obeyed God, God sent the shekinah glory of God on the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle for nearly five hundred years.

• When the TEMPLE was built God moved into the temple and dwelled there for four hundred years.

For almost a thousand years, God's presence was with Israel.

However, when Israel cease to acknowleged God, Worship God, and Obey God there came a time when God withdrew His shekinah glory from among Israel.

WHY?

They trusted in a false security, that is, God would never leave Israel, BUT HE DID!

We have looked at THE DESIRE OF GOD

Let us look at-

II. THE DEPARTURE OF GOD.

WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?

The Babylonian empire had become the super power of that day in the near East and they were beginning to threaten the kingdom of Judah.

Prophets like Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel tried to warn the people of God of the impending danger.

During the next ten years the people of God refuse to repent, instead they went further into worshipping idols.

Than we read these startling words in II Choronicles 36:14-16, we read, "Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which He had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy."

Look at those words,"…There was no remedy."

Why?

• From the priest on down to the people they had forsaken God and now God says Israel and God's relationship was beyond repair.