Sermon Tone Analysis

\\ Chapter 1

 

 

Election 2008

 

Thinking Biblical About Politics

Part 1[1]

/[Romans 13:1-7]/

 

*13 *Let every person pbe subject to the governing authorities.

For qthere is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

*2* Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

*3* For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.

Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?

Then do what is good, and you rwill receive his approval, *4* for she is God’s servant for your good.

But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.

For he is the servant of God, tan avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

*5* Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also ufor the sake of conscience.

*6* For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

*7* vPay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

*[Slide 34]* On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, roughly speaking 439 million people[2] will select the 56th President of the United States of American.

* The media would have us believe that there are only two contenders . . .

actually there are 9 contenders vying for the presidency of the United States.

* The media would have us believe that there are only two political parties.

Actually there are nine political parties from which to choose.

! I.     [Slide 35] Party Summaries

!! A.     Primary Candidates

As we all know, the two primary political parties are the Republicans and Democrats.

·        The *Republican Party* has chosen John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona as its nominee;

·        the *Democratic Party* has chosen Barack Obama, the junior United States Senator from Illinois, as its nominee.

!! B.    The 2008 election is particularly notable*[3]*

. . .

because:

 

·        it is the first time in U.S. history that two sitting senators will run against each other for president

·        it is the first time an African American is a presidential nominee for a major party,

·        it is the first time both major candidates were born outside the continental United States—Hawaii for Obama and the Panama Canal Zone for McCain.

With Senator Barack Obama, who is of mixed African and Caucasian parentage, and John McCain's selection of Governor Sarah Palin for Vice-President, the eventual winning ticket will bring a new context to American history.[4]

!! C.    Other Presidential candidates*[5]*

·        Libertarian Party--nominated former Congressman Bob Barr,

·        Constitution Party--nominated pastor and radio talk show host Chuck Baldwin,

·        Green Party--nominated former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.

·        Ralph Nader declined to seek the Green Party nomination and is running as an independent candidate.

·        America’s Independent Party—Former Ambassador Alan Keyes of Maryland

·        Party for Socialism and Liberation—Gloria La Riva of California

·        Socialist Party USA—Antiwar activist Brian Moore of Florida, and Steward Alexander of California

!

II.

[Slide 36] Thinking Biblically

| As a sidebar . . .

you can pick up in the narthex a platform comparison document . . .

this is not a candidate document . . .

but a comparison document of the Republican~/Democratic platforms.

If you are having trouble sorting out agenda stuff, you might find that helpful in your preparation for casting your vote.

|

In light of the number of candidates and platforms, and in light of the length the Presidential election campaigns this year, many are giving up on politics and the voting process.

A common phrase we hear is: "I don't like either candidate, so I'm staying home."

It is easy to become cynical over the empty promises and bantering.

But as a Christian, whether we like it or not, to not vote is not an option—it's not only a civic duty, it is also a very sacred responsibility.

Voting is required of us, not only because it is a mark of good citizenship, but because we are God’s agents for appointing leaders for today.[6]

As we approach Election time, I want to challenge us to think about selection process.

After all, this could be an 8 year commitment.

Were not going to talk about red states and blue states, nor will we talk about political parties, voting blocs, platforms or even candidates.[7]

!! A.     [Click] How should we go about choosing the best candidates?

Let me suggest up front, that it is not by pulling a partisan lever—that's knee-jerk ideology that many of us have bought into the voting booth out of frustration.

Christians are to live instead by revealed truth, never captive to any political party.

Thus, the best place to go for wisdom is not the candidates' websites, but the Bible.

!! B.    [Click] So what might a faith-informed vote look like?

I’ll admit that the Bible does not talk about everything under the 21st century sun.

But believe it, God has a lot to say about the political arena.

For example:

 

* Daniel 2:20-21, He sovereignly removes and sets up rulers

* Proverbs 21:1, He sovereignly turns ruler’s hearts

* Exodus 21-22, He addresses such issues as manslaughter, premeditated murder, assault, kidnapping, slavery, abortion, infanticide, property crimes, criminal negligence, assaulting parents, robbery and bestiality.

* Leviticus 13, 20 He address such issues as public health laws and homosexuality

* Deuteronomy 17-22 He sets forth his position regarding violation of court orders, perjury, malicious accusations, building codes, juvenile delinquency and rape.

* Exodus 18:21(ESV), he sets the standard for civil government leaders-- look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

[8]

* Romans 13, We are told that God ordains civil powers  . . .

meaning government is not a secular institution, but a God ordained institution.

God has given government the role to wield the sword to preserve order and restrain evil.

Thus, the guiding principle here is that we should seek leaders best able to do just that, leaders that are capable in pursue justice.[9]

If we take God's perspective on politics seriously, we see that he is deeply concerned about fairnesshe h.

 

* Hosea 12:6(ESV) by the help of your God hold fast to love and justice

* Amos 5:15(ESV) Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate  

* Micah 6:8 (ESV) what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

 

God also has special ‘interest groups’--the poor, the hungry, the unborn, the handicapped, the prisoner—those with the least access to political power.[10]

! III.  [Slide 37] A Biblical Voting Grid

In order for us to think biblically when we go to the polls November 4th, we need to develop what I am going to call ‘a Biblical Voting Grid’ that’s consistent with Kingdom purposes, or Kingdom values.

So let’s look at some kingdom values that we should use as we go to the polls.

!! A.     [Click] The primacy of love*[11]*

I think the first principle should come from Luke 10:27(ESV)  Remember the Lawyer who asked Jesus, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (v25).

Jesus then asked him a question: “What is written in the law?”

The Lawyer responded:

 

V27 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Here’s the principle—the command to love must be at the forefront of our thinking.

That being true, in light of this principle, we would be forced to ask:

 

What does it look like to demonstrate love to the people involved in this matter?

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Let’s play with this for a moment.

If we’re asked to vote on an educational issue, for example, we need to do more than ask what’s right for my family and children.

We also need to consider what constitutes a loving response toward teachers, students, and taxpayers.

There may be a number of aspects, but that question has to be our starting point.

For example, in South Africa there is something that is called ‘apartheid’.

It is a philosophical position that separates races, nationalities, and ethnic groups.

If the theologians in South Africa had approached the issue from our principle #27.

they would have seen that God’s love is not exclusive to one people group, but to all people groups.

Because, after all, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

(John 3:16)

 

We could look at our 9 presidential nominees—as we vote for party or person . . .