Hot Topics 3 / Kingdom-Minded Politics

Like Israel living in Babylonian captivity, we don’t belong to the Babylonian System but we work within it bring about Heavenly Kingdom Goodness in Earthly Kingdom Brokenness.

Jeremiah 29:4–9 CSB

4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.” 8 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, 9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

God told the Hebrew people in Babylon to be engaged with the kingdom without compromising to the culture.

Build - prepare for the future

Invest - the economic welfare of the nation impacts you

Marry -

Increase - build a family

Engage - work for the common good of the city, nation

Pray - for your nation

Reject - the injustice, unrighteousness, and false religion of those around you

I think we can take this instruction by God to the Israel people and let it be the model for how we engage politics.

We recognize that while we live in a broken Kingdom we belong to and represent an unshakable Kingdom.

Hebrews 12:25–29 CSB

25 See to it that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven. 26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

As citizens of the unshakable Kingdom we seek the well-being of the broken Kingdom.

2 Corinthians 5:20 CSB

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

We desire goodness in the brokenness.

We desire righteousness in the brokenness.

We desire justice in the brokenness.

We desire the broken to be reconciled to God.

Micah 6:8 CSB

8 Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.

As we navigate Babylon we follow the path of the Heavenly Kingdom ruled by King Jesus.

Heaven and Earth

So we recognize the need for the Kingdom of Heaven to heal our broken Kingdom.

(Matthew 6:9-10 ESV)

Matthew 6:9–10 CSB

“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Gen 14 [18] And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) [19] And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Possessor of heaven and earth;

[20] and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

There are currently 2 Kingdoms.

The Kingdoms of this World and the Kingdom of God.

God's plan has always been for one Kingdom ruled righteously.

When he created Adam and Eve as image bearers he created them to rule.

Sin and rebellion has haunted our governance ever since.

That is why He chose a people and a nation to ultimately bring every nation and people under the KINGDOM of JESUS.

He chose Abraham

He chose Abraham’s seed.

Jesus.

He will return and establish His kingdom on earth.

But we’ve got to back up and look at this Israel and how the got a king.

Deuteronomy 17:14–20 CSB

14 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, take possession of it, live in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations around me,’ 15 you are to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. Appoint a king from your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people. 16 However, he must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire many horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ 17 He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won’t go astray. He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself. 18 When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes. 20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, he will not turn from this command to the right or the left, and he and his sons will continue reigning many years in Israel.

God And Governments

GOD allow’s Israel to set up a king, but it's not outside of his will.

It’’s not His perfect will, but he works with it.

Eventually Israel sets up Kings that go against God's plan for kings, but God still allows them to rule as judgement for their rebellion.

Paul talks about how Christian's are to submit to governments.

(Romans 13:1-7 ESV) [Submission to the Authorities]

Romans 13:1–7 CSB

Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities 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. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.

See God institutes governments.

He allows people to choose their leaders.

He allows people to elect leaders and rulers and presidents, but none of it is outside of his grand plan of redemption and the ultimate Kingdom of Jesus ruling and reigning.

God allows even for rebellion by the righteous against kingdoms that are wicked.

1 Kings - Obadiah hid prophets when Jezebel was killing them.

Dan 3 - Three Hebrew youth refused to bow to the idol and were thrown in the fire.

Dan 6 - Daniel refuses to stop praying and is thrown in the lions den.

Gen - Moses mom hides moses to prevent his death by the order of pharaoh.

Acts 5 - Peter and the apostles refuse to stop preaching as commanded by the Jewish leaders.

But unless there is direct conflict between the government and GOD we obey government.

Peter, while under persecution from Nero and eventually martyred by him, says to honor the emperor (1 Peter 2:17).

Jesus (Matthew 22:21) when pressed about government authority to require tax, said give to Caesar what is Caesar's. Even though the Roman government was oppressive towards the Jews. SO just because we may not like our leaders and governors, we aren't free, under GOD, to just ignore them, dishonor them or rebel against them.

So God allows for us to obey Him over earthly kingdoms and governments, but we are still subject to facing the wrath and punishment from earthly governments.

We also see that some wicked kings are used by God to bring repentance.

God will use evil to bring about his good purpose.

He is not the author of evil.

He is not evil.

And you could say that if God is using it for our good and His glory it's not evil anyway.

He allowed Israel to be taking captive because of their idolatry.

He brings good out of evil.

Even when evil men rule, He puts in the hearts of men to stand up for goodness And stand against wickedness.

What Satan intends for our demise and destruction God uses for His glory and our good.

HE used and still uses persecution to spread the gospel.

It was because of persecution from governments and leaders that the gospel spread.

And it's still the same.

God seems to accomplish more when his people are persecuted and forced to choose between comfort and complacency than when his people are fat and lazy and in authority.

BACK TO GOD'S INSTRUCTION TO MOSES

Deuteronomy 17:16–17 CSB

However, he must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire many horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won’t go astray. He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself.

What God is telling Moses is that human Kings, leaders, have a tendency because of the mixture of sin nature, power and pride to govern in a way that makes things better for himself and not for the good of the governed.

There is a tendency to acquire horses and women and silver and gold.

There is a tendency for kings and governments to become corrupt.

To become prideful and arrogant. For leaders to fail sexually. To desire riches and glory and wealth above the betterment of society and those they lead.

They will even use social programs and moral agenda's to keep themselves in power because they are power-hungry.

Deuteronomy 17:18–20 CSB

18 When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes. 20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, he will not turn from this command to the right or the left, and he and his sons will continue reigning many years in Israel.

God tells Moses that the only remedy for a wicked king is to have the Law of God rule his heart.

The only thing that allows a king or president to rule and govern rightly is a fear of the LORD and an obedience to the precepts and teaching of God.

When a leader governs rightly it is not only good for him it is good for his society.

Godly governing is good for the governed and the governor.

Ultimately Israel demanded a King

Some Trust In Chariots

GOD SEES ISRAEL'S DESIRE FOR A HUMAN KING AS A REJECTION OF HIMSELF AS KING

And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

What the people were really saying was that they wanted to be like the other nations.

They wanted a figurehead.

Someone they could point to as their king.

It wasn't that they just wanted a King, they were wanting a different KING than YWHW

They were choosing to be like the other nations.

They were in effect voting God out of office.

They wanted to place their trust in a man to protect them during war instead of the KING who had brought them into the promised land.

They wanted to trust a man to provide for them during bad economic times and when famines would come and it would be a struggle to put food on the table instead of the KING who had provided manna in the desert.

The wanted to hope in a man to lead them spiritually and give them the idols they desired instead of the KING who had proved himself more powerful than the gods of their neighbors.

They wanted to hope in a man who they could trust with their eyes instead of the KING their could trust with their hearts.

The wanted to hope in a man that could enslave them by his decree instead of the KING that had set them free from their bondage.

The wanted to put their hope in a man that promised them everything they wanted to hear instead of the KING who would give them everything they needed!

We are as bad as the Israelites.

We want to get our provision for a man.

When what is truly broken in our country are the hearts of sinful men.

And the only thing that can truly fix what is broken is the true KING!

Yes God has established governments.

And we should be good citizens of our governments.

But we far to easily get entangled in party politics when we should be more concerned about the KINGDOM that is coming.

We look to men to fix what only God can fix.

We look to policy instead of looking to Jesus.

We look to the little letter beside a name instead of looking to the Cross.

We look to electing a man instead of advancing the true KINGDOM.

Jesus said "My kingdom is not of this world", and yet we keep trying to build it through elections instead of bring the gospel to people.

We are far too willing to surrender the KINGDOM to a political movement.

We should do what is in our God given power to promote a Godly government, a government that protects the weak, governess justly, and promotes freedom.

But we shouldn't place our hope in a government governed by men and women.

God still wants to be our KING.

No allegiance higher than our allegiance to our KING.

I'm reminded of the song King David wrote, the greatest king in Israel's history, he wrote,

Psalm 20:6–8 CSB

Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories from his right hand. Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm.

Godly Governing

So if the answer to bad governments is godly governing, what is godly governing?

Look after the weakest of it's people (the unborn, the poor, the immigrant)

Rewards right behavior and punishes bad behavior (from greed to rape)

Allows for a free society (allows for personal freedom so long as it doesn't harm society as a whole)

I think that Christian's are allowed to disagree on government policies and how best to for governments to govern all of its citizens. But I don't think is room for Christian's to disagree over what is godly.

And I especially don't think Christians should let there political affiliations dictate how they live and interact in the worldly Kingdom.

Christian's should always be about the other Kingdom.

We should be praying THY KINGDOM COME.

Not give us the best kingdom we can vote into office, But give us the Best Kingdom, Your Kingdom. Bring Your Kingdom.

But until His Kingdom comes, we are to live as citizen's of His kingdom in a captive land that has afforded us, because of God's common grace, some rights as a citizen of this land.

Like Paul, when he appealed to Roman law, we must understand that we are dual-citizens.

And our Heavenly citizenship is eternal and of most importance, while this citizenship is fleeting but still important.

We Serve King Jesus

Jesus doesn’t pick sides. He tells us to choose.

#politics

Joshua 5:13–15 CSB

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.” Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in homage and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?” 15 The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did that.

When it comes to many things, including political engagement, I believe this conversation is still happening between Christians and the Christ.

Christians continue to ask: “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”

Jesus continues to answer: “No. I am holy.”

If we aren’t taking off our shoes and submitting to the holiness of Christ, we aren’t fighting for Him.

We may win some battles against our adversaries, but we won’t be gaining territory for the Kingdom.

If we are going to fight alongside Jesus we have to fight the way Jesus fights.

The weapons of this warfare are not carnal.

He conquered by dying. He won by sacrifice.

He took enemy territory by carrying a cross.

He converted His crucifiers by praying for them.

He proclaimed and demonstrated the Kingdom by loving his enemies.

In our social media, cable news culture everything has become political.

And everything political has become a battleground.

And every politician either a hero to be championed and defended or a foe to be defeated and villainized.

We have picked a side and demanded the Commander of the Army of the LORD fight for our side.

Church, its time we fight with him.

It’s time we lay down our weapons and pick up our cross.

It’s time we lead like Jesus.

It’s time we love like Jesus.

It’s time we show Jesus to the world.

It not time to build a Christian Nation its time to bring Kingdom Abassadors.

It doesn’t mean that we don’t engage politics.

It’s doesn’t mean that we don’t disagree.

It means that we engage those with whom we agree and with whom we disagree in a God-honoring posture.

We speak truth in love.

We are to be like Jesus - full of grace and truth.

We don’t name call.

We don’t engage in racist tropes.

We don’t bear false witness.

We don’t defend ungodliness.

We don’t dehumanize those we disagree with.

That’s not the way of Christ.

Perhaps we can all take a moment to consider if our social media and political engagement is Christ-like.

And if not, I pray we all do better.

There have been plenty of times I’ve typed out a post and then hit delete because I fear it won’t help or it will add to the noise.

But today I speak out because I genuinely believe that if the church doesn’t behave like Jesus in our political discourse and engagement our country is headed for a great collapse, as well as the public witness of the church compromised for generations.

Please don’t feel as if I’m bashing you or your politics.

I’m merely encouraging us to engage in a manner worthy of our calling.

To be civil. To be Christian. To be salt and light.

We must take the words of the Apostle Paul to heart in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 12:14–21 CSB

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. 20 But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. 21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Political Engagement

So what does Kingdom-Minded Political Engagement look like?

What is the church's role in government

-what can the church do to create a better society

-what roles do the church play in society

-what is dual citizenship in light of the Kingdom

We aren’t here to bash politicians.

We will end this night with a special prayer for our nation.

We live a country that allows us to choose our leaders.

So I want to give you some guidelines when choosing our leaders.

I want to explain what I will be looking at when voting.

What biblical principles guide my vote?

1 - Whose Side Are Their Policies On?

- Life (Pro-life womb to tomb, SCOTUS, economic policy)

- Family (traditional family values, including tax policy, legalization of marijuana)

- Racial Issues (combat systemic injustice)

- Poverty

Gun violence

- Just War & National Defense

- Humanitarian Policies (Syria for example, human trafficking)

- Humane Immigration Policies

- Religious Freedom (all religions)

- Gender and Sex

(now we may disagree on the policies, but we should be united in a Kingdom Agenda.)

2 - What Kind Of Person Are They?

- Character matters

- Can I in good conscience cast a vote for them?

- Humility

- Just

Honesty

Morally Upright

- Are they worthy of my vote

3 - Does My Vote Harm My Christian Witness?

- Does publicly supporting a particular candidate cause those outside the church to question the faith that I profess?

Does publicly supporting this candidate reveal hypocrisies in the church?

I will not compromise my convictions to vote and don’t believe any of us should.

Pray On It’s Behalf

So what do we do.

First, we pray.

Second, we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Third, we engage in politics in a Kingdom-Minded way.

But we must pray.

2 Chronicles 7:13–15 CSB

13 If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on my people, 14 and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 15 My eyes will now be open and my ears attentive to prayer from this place.

America is not a new Israel.

America is not God’s chosen people.

As Christian’s we are God’s people.

As Christian’s we want our nation healed.

Just like Christians in Ukraine, or Guatemala, or China, or Iran, or Zimbabwe want their nations healed.

We pray for the healing of nations including our nation.

As Christian’s we understand that ultimately the healing will come in the Kingdom of Christ.

We also understand that God causes distress to bring us to repentance.

Let me remind you of the Word of the LORD to a people living in Babylonia captivity.

Jeremiah 29:7 CSB

Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

Like Israel we are exiles.

We are to seek the welfare of our nation while remaining true to the Kingdom of which we belong.

I believe it's important we do not confuse God's covenantal promises with Israel with us as Americans and us as Christian.

God wants a godly government.

He wanted a theocracy (God-rule).

Israel wanted a man king (homocracy).

God still wants a theocracy.

Jesus rules.

He rules in us.

He ants us to live as kingdom citizens.

He will rule this world physically as King.

And if we recognize the covenant is for us as Christians, not a covenant with America, and we live as Kingdom citizens in America we can expect the blessing on us as Christians regardless of what America looks like.

We pray for the welfare of the city be we recognize that the covenant isn't with the wicked city, but that the Covenant Believers can impact the wicked city and bring Kingdom blessings to it while we await the King and his Kingdom

We mustn't trust in the power systems of this world.

They can be used by God.

They can by good.

They can be used by God.

But we must trust in the LORD our God.

We must return to the KING.

Our God And King

David, the greatest king of Israel, looked for a time when God himself would rule again as KING.

(Psalm 145:1 ESV) [1] I will extol you, my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever.

[13] Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The LORD is faithful in all his words

and kind in all his works.]

MY GOD AND MY KING

The oppressed, the hurting, the broken, the desperate, the rich, the affluent, the educated, the commoner, the official, everyone in Israel longed for a King. Not just any king, But the PROMISED KING, THE CHOSEN KING, THE ANOINTED KING, THE KING OF KINGS, THE KING DAVID PROPHESIED ABOUT, THE KING THAT WOULD RULE JUSTLY AND RIGHTLY AND DELIVER HIS PEOPLE. The people recognized Jesus as that KING. AND JESUS SAID, IF THEY DON"T RECOGNIZE ME AS KING, CREATION WILL RISE UP AND TESTIFY OF MY KINGDOM.

The Psalms again speak of the everlasting king who would reign in righteousness

(Psalm 45:6-7 ESV)

[6] Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

[7] you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

This everlasting KING will ultimately return to set up his Kingdom and destroy the wicked kingdoms of the world,

(Revelation 17:14 ESV) [14] They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

KING JESUS will also destroy all the spiritual rulers that have influenced this world system, namely the beast and the false prophet.

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away. Listen,

(Revelation 19:11-21 ESV)[The Rider on a White Horse]

[11] Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. [12] His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [13] He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. [14] And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. [15] From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords...

[19] And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. [20] And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. [21] And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

We see all this imagery, but the point is this, one DAY King Jesus will return and it will be like it was always destined to be, HE WILL BE OUR GOD AND WE WILL BE HIS PEOPLE.

Titus 2:13 CSB

while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

JESUS, THE ETERNAL KING, WILL BE OUR KING.

AND WE WILL NOT REJECT HIM, BUT WILL JOIN WITH THE ANGELS IN WORSHIP TO OUR GREAT KING!

That is our great, blessed hope.

That is our King and Kingdom.

Related Media

Related Sermons