The Proclamation Booth
Notes
Transcript
As you can see - today we will be stepping outside of our trek through 2 Kings...
And addressing what likes to consume our minds every 4 years.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently - you know that our Presidential election is coming soon...
And every 4 years - at least FOR NOW...
We have the opportunity - the privilege - to be able to SPEAK INTO IT…by casting a vote.
What i’d like to do today - is provide a biblical framework to WORK FROM - as we think through things like elections.
My GOAL today - is NOT to promote a candidate...
I don’t feel like I NEED TO -
My goal today - is to LAY OUT a framework that HOPEFULLY will GUIDE us through this SEASON...
So that when we get to the OTHER SIDE of this season - we can look back and believe that God is honored in what we chose to do.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Some might say - Well - why does it even matter?
Aren’t “politics” outside of faith?
“Separation of church and state right” - - RIGHT?
Actually - NO
That phrase - “the separation of church and state” is found nowhere in our countries founding documents...
So where did it come from?
It first appeared in a LETTER - written by Thomas Jefferson - to the Baptists in Connecticut - On January 1, 1802...
WHY?
because the Baptists were concerned about a - STATE-RUN denomination...
AND - they were concerned about NOT BEING ABLE to influence the state - AS the church...
And so Jefferson wrote back to them - SAYING - don’t worry - because there is a separation between Church and State!
BUT - he meant that in a certain way.
Jefferson was promoting the biblical stance on this separation...
The Bible speaks to the distinction between the Church and the State...
Each with distinct functions...
The State’s function was to execute justice, punish evil, and protect and reward the righteous
While the Church functions in the realm of evangelism, worship, the proclamation of God’s truth - and to care for the broken...
BUT - AS WE KNOW today - there are those in this country - who have DISTORTED that phrase - HIJACKED that phrase...
TO MEAN - the separation of GOD and State.
Or - MORALITY and State...
And that was NEVER it’s intention.
When we think of these 2 REALMS -
Church and State...
EACH was and IS - to be ruled under - God’s Authority!
I mentioned that the phrase - Separation between church and state isn’t in our constitution - But this is what IS there...
SLIDE:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
And IN historical CONTEXT - means what the Christians who influenced it - SAID it meant.
That the church and state are 2 distinct realms - EACH with it’s own FUNCTION...
AND - (see the end of what this says - FREEDOM on the side of the church?)
2 Distinct realms - AND the church wouldn’t need to BOW to the state.
In a sense - this was MEANT to be a ONE-WAY street.
The STATE can’t dictate on the church.
See - in England at this time - the church and state BLENDED together - and you end up with State-run religion.
We didn’t WANT that.
HENCE - separation between church and state.
BUT separation between GOD and STATE?
THAT’s how this phrase has been weaponized today.
AND even MANY Christians have fallen into this trance.
To the degree - that many Christians believe that the church is NOT to be a godly voice to the state!
And that RULERS and KINGS and those in authority today - are under no obligation to obey God.
BUT AGAIN - the original intent, by Thomas Jefferson - writing to the Baptists in Connecticut - was to say...
The Separation of Church and State is there to keep the Government OUT of the affairs of the church - NOT to keep the church OUT OF the affairs of the Government.
But as we know - this phrase has BECOME the GO-TO for the secular world - to REMOVE GOD - from the public square.
AND - to INTIMIDATE pastors from speaking on ANYTHING related to Politics.
This distortion has even gone so far as to convince the government to pass the Johnson Amendment of 1954...
Which attempts to KEEP Churches from entering the political realm - risking their TAX EXEMPTION status to do so.
What I can say to that is -
- Having a tax exemption is nice...
BUT - what is preached here will NEVER be DETERMINED and/or ADJUSTED in order to - PROTECT our non-profit tax exemption.
To DO so - would be us - bowing to MAN and not to God.
We will preach the whole counsel of God - as we’re called to - and if one day that means we LOSE our tax exemption - then so be it.
Well - OK - so let’s NOW - shift - and get into what’s coming for us…
And to start - let’s build a foundation - looking at the “SHOULD” question...
SLIDE:
Do we have a responsibility to speak into the election process?
1 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman,
3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.
7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
We read here - from Ezekiel - EZEKIEL being a prophet and a priest...
EXILED to Babylon in 597 B.C.
And IN THIS TEXT - we can clearly hear - the WARNING that goes out to - WHO?
Those who SEE the Sword coming to the Land...
Those who KNOW of the danger...
It’s a call to those who are WATCHMAN - in charge of PEERING OUT on the landscape -
ALWAYS looking to the HORIZON to see the movements of evil… coming.
There’s a CALL here - to WARN the people.
And so - I DO feel that PART of today - is a WARNING -
A WARNING - that we understand that when we enter the voting booth..
It’s ACTUALLY a Proclamation Booth.
And this CALL to WARN people - is not just a call to pastors...
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
We are ALL responsible to - WATCH - to PAY ATTENTION...
And to SPEAK Christ - INTO the public square.
And we actually find in scripture - OVER and OVER AGAIN - people being JUDGED by God - for the choices THEY MADE - in THEIR voting booths - in THEIR proclamation booths.
And we recently walked through this first instance we’ll look at...
The appointment of King Saul over Israel...
5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 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.
8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.
9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him.
11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
The people of Israel - CAST their VOTES…and chose a KING over God.
NOW - the people - in that moment - they were choosing between a KING - over and above the Sons of Samuel - who they were NOT pleased with...
BUT - God being merciful - comes to them AGAIN thru Samuel and says - UNDERSTAND what this means*...
And they DOUBLED DOWN - NOPE - we want a KING!
We VOTE for a KING!
And IN THEM MAKING this choice - they were JUDGED by God!
Another instance??
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.
16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”
20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”
22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”
The people entered the VOTING BOOTH that day - and they voted for Barabbas.
They voted for...
darkness over light...
Self-righteousness over Righteousness.
Evil over good...
And by doing so - they were - JUDGED!
AND YET - on the FLIP SIDE...
We’ve WALKED thru it...
Moses - Samuel - David - Elijah - Elisha - Isaiah - Jeremiah
ALL men - who spoke TRUTH to authority / power
They all CONFRONTED kings...
And influenced SOCIAL conscience
We’ve READ of these things...
MEN trying to persuade people - to SEEK God - and Forsake Evil.
Men trying to PERSUADE KINGS - to turn to the Lord
We’ve READ of these things...
And what we’ve come to find out - all throughout -
Is that WHILE Israel had many kings...
they were NOT the ultimate authority in Israel.
God’s COVENANT WORD - was the ultimate authority..
WHICH IS WHY God raised up the Prophetic OFFICE…to COUNTERBALANCE the office if kingship in Israel.
For every King - there was a PROPHET - or group of prophets - READY to confront that king and CALL HIM to - - ACCOUNTABILITY under the LORD - if needed!
In 1 Kings 12 - we see king Rehoboam (ruled over Judah) ready to attack Israel with an army of 180,000 men to regain control...
But what happens?
A prophet - a man of God - Shemaiah - comes to CONFRONT the king...
24 ‘Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’ ” So they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord.
WHO had authority? the King?
NO - God did…
Shemaiah here - gets POLITICAL…and confronts the king - with??
With God’s truth!
GOD HERE - confronting the PLANS of a king…a ruler on the earth… with the WILL of God...
And that king - heeded the warning!
How about 1 Kings chapter 13?
if you remember - Jeroboam ruled in the North - and YET - the people of the north continued their WORSHIP in the South - in Jerusalem...
And so - what does Jeroboam do?
He constructed 2 IDOLS (golden calves) for the people to WORSHIP in the North!
He didn’t want the people to CONTINUE to go to Jerusalem because he felt he would LOSE the people to the South...
That they would end up STAYING in the south - under the rule of Rehoboam...
What happens?
Jeroboam (AS KING) is confronted by a MAN of God…in chapter 13...
And then ALSO confronted in chapter 14 by Ahijah the prophet!
AGAIN - these prophets - speaking into the PUBLIC SQUARE...
Confronting a government about the Practice of Worship.
If we kept going…we’d find
(1 Kings 17 & 18) - Elijah confront King Ahab
Elisha confronted King Jehu
We’ll end up seeing Isaiah confront king Hezekiah...
And on and on and on...
Men of God - confronting KINGS - even about political moves...
Entering into the Public square...
To proclaim God’s TRUTH to a people (a world) that is under God’s authority!
NOW - regarding this coming election...
AGAIN - I’m not here to PROMOTE a candidate...
to CAMPAIGN for a candidate...
BUT - What IS called for is that WE ALL view the VOTING BOOTH as a proclamation booth...
BECAUSE that’s what it is!
NOW SOME PEOPLE say - Right Mike, got it! BUT - there’s no one on the ballot that is a Christian - OR - Christian ENOUGH that I can support.
Understood - But let’s just say this...
ANYONE - on ANY BALLOT - whether they profess Christianity or not - IS a FALLEN SINNER...
Anyone that you vote for - IS A SINNER
The ONLY OPTION we’ll ever HAVE = in ANY ELECTION - is to vote for a SINNER.
And so we’ve all probably HEARD that before - but think thru it!!
if ROMANS 3:1 is true...
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
if this is true - And God has set up the United States in a way that right now - we can SPEAK INTO
...who runs our government
What policies will affect our neighbors, our kids, the poor
AND - our government encourages us to VOTE - then it seems we should DO THIS VERY THING - Unto the Glory of God...
And we DO THAT - when we realize the voting booth is a proclamation booth!
Of COURSE no candidate is perfect… and so HOW should Christians handle that?
{probably] the same way you would CHOOSE to work for a boss who MAY NOT BE CHRISTIAN...
OR - for a company that isn’t CHRISTIAN...
We will CHOOSE to work for a non-Christian company -- NOT TO PROMOTE - UNBELIEF - but to PROMOTE - taking care of your family...
We will CHOOSE (as a church) to use a Non-Christian company to print marketing material - NOT TO PROMOTE unbelief - but to be ABLE to promote God’s truth
We will choose to use FACEBOOK - clearly a non-Christian company - why? to PROMOTE facebook? Or evil? - NO - to promote Jesus and His truth!
So it’s always interesting to me - sometimes I hear people say - Well I can’t vote for so-n-so because of XYZ - but yeah of course I’m on facebook.
Here’s what we need to know -
As we said before - NO candidate is going to be PERFECT...
And SINCE that’s true - we’re called to vote in line with our consciences - UNDER God...
With the POLICIES that most closely align with the tenants of Christianity!
With that SAID -
Let’s close by looking at the bigger items RELEVANT to this election…AND already SPOKEN TO - by God.
See - before we jump in - Listen - God has already VOTED Himself on these issues...
He’s ALREADY spoken…
And so when we VOTE according to what God has ALREADY said - We.Proclaim.God (Christ).
So as we now get into ISSUES that are relevant to us in society - but that God has ALREADY spoken to...
Let’s start here...
7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
We’re called to pursue THE GOOD of the cities we live in...
To engage processes put in place and to be a positive influence of Righteousness - FOR our cities...
WHY?
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
SO - we’re called to enter the voting booth - and PROCLAIM righteousness in our voting.
AND SO - -
Regarding TOPICS relevant to us today - LET’S LOOK at the 2-sided coin of HOW we should think about these things....
We’ll walk thru some TOPICS...
AND THEN we’ll close with the other side of the coin.
SO - 1st topic relevant to our society...
1. ECONOMY:
SLIDE: Question
Should Christians care about the state of the economy, and if they can help to improve the economy, should Christians seek to do so?
The answer is yes...
Why?
BECAUSE - we believe these verses to be part of our call AS CHRISTIANS..
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
OK - as believers - WE SHOULD WANT to help the needy....GIVE to the poor.
When our ECONOMY is in the gutter -
It NOT ONLY prevents us from being MORE GENEROUS...
MORE GIVING...
It ALSO puts a HEAVIER BURDEN on those in NEED!
AND we need to know this...
SLIDE:
A poor economy creates a greater number of people in need.
If I go into the PROCLAMATION BOOTH - and vote for policies and people that have proven to not understand economics - I’m CONTRIBUTING in MAKING HEAVIER BURDENS on people.
I’m CREATING more POOR people!
God has ALREADY spoken on this matter!
That’s WHY It matters! - We’re called to HELP the poor - not create more poor people.
Next up -
2. Big Government
SLIDE: Question
Should the government control every aspect of our living and the economy, in order to equalize the status and equitable position of all people?
This style of government seeks CONTROL...
It seeks to control the cost of goods sold…dictating how much businesses can sell products for...
It seeks to control what the people can and CANNOT buy with their money
It seeks to control economic triggers
It seeks to TAKE from some - in order to GIVE to others.
It seeks to CREATE a culture of DEPENDENCE on government
AND THIS an oppression - OVER people..
This Culture - would COLLIDE and CONFRONT - Freedom.
Freedom of markets
To let the market dictate what things should cost
To let PEOPLE decide what they want to buy with their money
To PUSH back government - in order to let people give FREELY to the poor / charities
And so - Should Christians care about this?
Has God spoken to these things?
We’ve recently walked thru 1 & 2 Samuel - 1 & 2 Kings...
And what have we seen?
We’ve consistently seen - OPPRESSION.
We’ve seen people BEING TOLD where to worship… (Jeroboam forcing people to WORSHIP in the cities of Dan and Bethel) - instead of Jerusalem.
God WASN’T PLEASED with this.
God said - HE HEARD the cries of His people in Egypt - UNDER the OPPRESSION of Pharaoh!!
7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,
8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
God HERE - choosing to REMOVE people from the “Big Government” in Egypt...
Out from under the OPPRESSION of Pharaoh and his rule!
Do you remember what happened in 2 Kings 7...
When Ben-hadad took over Samaria...
And A FAMINE CAME - WHILE the Syrians surrounded the city!!??
The people of Samaria were OPPRESSED - Food was unattainable...
AND God would OFTEN use FAMINE - to judge the people...
And part of that judgment would come in the form of INFLATION...
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.
These items COST SO MUCH - that the people couldn’t even afford THESE things.
a form of oppression!
It was PART of God’s judgment - in bringing a famine due to Israel’s sin.
BUT THEN God stepped in - miraculously - and brought down the prices - supplying the people again with food...
Because God KNEW the famine had brought HARDSHIP!
And SO - Elisha - or God - then said this...
1 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.”
The INCREASE of food here - came DUE to SIN.
it brought oppression.
Big Government’s GOAL - is to dictate cost of goods sold…WHICH IN TURN - will DICTATE what you MUST PAY for items / food / etc.
People won’t HAVE A CHOICE to find a cheaper solution.
Should Christians care? Of course!
Again - Big Government - has only proven to lead to MORE OPPRESSION.
The voting booth - the Proclamation Booth - should be used by Christians to PROCLAIM what God has already spoken!
2 MORE...
3. Immigration
SLIDE: Question
Should the United States keep open borders, allowing non-citizens to come illegally into the country?
This is has been a hot topic for many moons.
What makes Illegal Immigration - Illegal?
Illegal immigration is the act of living in a country without government permission. I
AND SO - Lack of documentation is what makes illegal immigration illegal
Remember what God has already said about - Obeying those in Authority?
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Let every person - Does that include the Illegal Immigrant living within our borders?
If we as PEOPLE - are called to obey the LAWS of the land - IF OF COURSE they do NOT contradict God’s truth...
THEN - yes - even illegal immigrants are called to obey the laws of the land they SEEK. (the U.S.)
So if we think thru it…
The LAWS of the U.S. do NOT PROHIBIT people from coming into our country!
The LAWS of the U.S. ALLOW others to come into our country… But IN A CERTAIN WAY.
And listen - WE ALL apply this same truth to our homes - and it’s not UNLOVING to do so!
I - and I ASSUME YOU TOO- have a DOOR on your house, apartment, dorm room! - YES?
WHY?
Because you HATE PEOPLE and want to Isolate yourself?
NO - because you possibly have a family - and you’re called to protect them!
What did the shepherds do in scripture at night - in relation to their flocks?
Once the sheep were back within the sheepfold for the night...
The shepherd himself would LAY HIS OWN BODY down and act as the DOOR...
So that if anyone was going to try to enter - they’d have to deal with the DOOR… the Shepherd!
And LISTEN - JESUS DEFINES HIMSELF this way!
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
LISTEN - HEAVEN ITSELF - DOES NOT HAVE OPEN BORDERS!
There is a CONDITION we must MEET in order to ENTER HEAVEN!
ONLY THROUGH JESUS - can we enter Heaven!
And that DOESN’T make God - UNLOVING!
And so back to immigration - Putting ORDER in place - IN ORDER to effectively help people come into our country - is NOT UNLOVING.
it’s actually quite the opposite.
HELP PEOPLE WHO NEED IT - of COURSE!
Love them!
And ALLOW them to come - but let’s not be PARTIAL to some people…as the Scriptures TELL US NOT TO DO!
God has spoken!
And so we enter the Proclamation Booth - and Proclaim Christ!
Last topic -
4. Abortion
SLIDE:
Should we as Christians care about abortion, and if so, should we take opportunities to proclaim what God has already said about this topic?
Even asking this question seems silly. But here we are.
At this point in our country - I believe the heap of dead children is about 60 million babies deep.
What has God said...
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
And last one...
22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
But if the baby dies - TOO EARLY in the womb - then you shall pay - LIFE - FOR...
Life
There’s LIFE inside the womb - and HERE - we see how serious God takes THAT life!
We can SAY WHATEVER we want today…about this topic...
But God - Has - Already - Spoken.
When we enter the voting booth - the proclamation booth - KNOW THIS...
SLIDE:
God reigns over the voting booth
And BECAUSE this is true - Our VOTE is what we PROCLAIM!
And we as Christians - Followers of Jesus - ARE CALLED to PROCLAIM JESUS to the world - in our voting.
NOW - the other side of the coin.
We enter the booth - We VOTE - we PROCLAIM Jesus...
AND THEN....
No matter WHAT HAPPENS - we TRUST God over the results!
We DO NOT PUT our HOPE in a MAN, a PRESIDENT...
To the degree that EVEN if the chips don’t fall where we would like -
We TRUST GOD...
And we DON’T respond to God = LIKE the Israelites responded the God in the Wilderness!
GOD- Do you SEE THIS?!!!!
You want me to EAT THAT??
What is it!???
Where’s MY MONEY God??!!
No - we TRUST GOD - and SHINE His LIGHT - ALL the more BRIGHTLY - HERE - AND in the public SQUARE...
For His glory - and Our Joy - AMEN!
NOW - bringing this FORWARD… to us today...