Get Out And Vote - It is our Duty

Good Morning.

Thank you, Dan. This morning I want to look at the parable of the minas found in Luke 19.

Luke 19:12–26 (NASB95)

12 “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.

13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’

14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’

15 “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.

16 “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’

17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’

18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’

19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

20 “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;

21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’

22 “He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?

23 ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’

24 “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’

25 “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’

26 “I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

“Do business with this until I come back” The King James says “Occupy till I come.”

The Greek work for occupy is pragmateuomai. The English meaning of this word is “to busy oneself.” It carries the sense to be engaged in some type of business with resources entrusted to oneself.

In this parable it is concerning stewardship of that which the King gave them – in this case money – minas. A mina was worth about a fourth of the annual wage of an agriculture worker. It was of some value. But as we will see it was small in value compared to the reward.

Let us dig into this parable a little bit more:

- A king (nobleman) entrusted something of value to his servants

o They were to care for it – occupy – until he returned

- Two did and they were rewarded with something of greater value in relation to the amount the initial investment returned. - One did nothing with the initial gift.

o Slothful – wrapped it in a napkin and stowed it away

o Made a feeble excuse that actually backfired on him (for I was afraid of you for you are an exacting man.

o The King use these same words against him – “you knew that I am and exacting man and you dis nothing wih what I entrusted to you.” The King then took the gift away and gave it to the one who did the most with the same gift.

- To those that invested and got a return the King told them that since they were “faithful in a very little thing” they would be in charge of a larger thing in relation to their return on their initial gift.

While this parable is concerned with money – the implication of the parable extends to anything of value that given to one with the expectation that he or she will care for it and increase it. It deals with taking care of what God gives each and every one of us.

How does all this apply to us?

A long time ago God set this country aside for His purpose. He gave us a great country.

Do a short history of our country.

- Noah – shaping of the continents during the flood

- Paul – spread Christianity to the west

- Columbus – how God’s hand was upon his discovery

- Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock – how God’s hand was upon the settlement

- God’s hand in establishing our form of government

Time does not allow us this morning to go into much more detail, but it is very evident from history that God set this country aside for a purpose.

Our founding fathers recognized this. This is evidence by the many references to God in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. It is recognized by the many prayers that went up to God during the time of our fight for Independence. Right after George Washington was inaugurated as President, he went to St. John’s Church and held a prayer meeting in which he dedicated this nation to God.

It is also recognized by the many blessings God has bestowed on this county.

Ø Missionary works

Ø A country that has many freedoms not found elsewhere

Ø Beacon to other countries

Ø Liberated many countries from tyrannical leaders and governments

Ø World economy

Ø Medical advances

Ø And the list goes on and on

God gave us this country – it is up to us to care for it. Luke 19:13 tells us to occupy until I return. It is our duty to take care of what God gave us.

Samuel Adams said: “The man who is conscientiously dong his duty will ever be protected by the righteous and All-powerful Being (referring to God) and when he has finished his work, he will receive ample reward.”

John Jay (1st Supreme Court Chief Justice) said: “Do everything we can. God will take care, but we must do everything we can.”

John Weatherspoon stated: “The sum of the whole is that the blessing of God is only to be looked from by those who are not wanting in the discharge of their own duty.”

These great patriots, and others, who brought us our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution talk a lot about what our duty is.

Definition of duty: something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.

Duty – It is our duty, our moral obligation, to take care of what is given to us. Especially that which God gives us.

God gave us this country. He also gave us our form of Government. It is our moral obligation to care for it – to preserve it.

I feel that many Christians have shirked their duty to preserve our county as our forefathers, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, foresaw. At this juncture in history, Christians cannot be lazy or even reluctant to fulfill their duty. Our issue is not with Congress, the Executive Branch, or the Supreme Court. It is with the church and the many Christians not fulfilling their duty.

In John 21:19 Jesus tells Peter to “Follow Me.” This is after he asked Peter 3 times if Peter loved Him. Jesus told Peter 3 times to take care of His lambs. Jesus says to Peter “Follow Me.” The implication here is to “follow Jesus and we will change the world.” This is exactly what happened. Jesus built His church on Peter. Others followed Jesus and changed the world. Jesus gave them something of value (freedom, salvation, a way of life, an everlasting life). These followers executed their duty and preserved and expanded on what Jesus gave them.

Paul ran the race that was set before him. Paul said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Paul occupied. He did what he was commissioned to do.

James tells us that “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. He goes on to say show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

These are but 3 examples of the multitudes that that have followed Jesus, executed their duty and received their reward as described in the parable in Luke 19. They followed Jesus and changed the world. We are to do the same. We are to occupy until He returns.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christians are to shirk their duty to do business with that that God gives them.

1 Corinthians 3:12–15, (NASB95) tells us that “if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

We will be judged on how we “occupy’ before Jesus returns. God gave us a wonderful country and Biblical principles on which to govern it. We are to “occupy” until his return. We are to preserve and increase that which He gave us.

How do we “occupy”

First, we need to pray for our country and our leaders as well as pray for ourselves on how we are to serve.

We need to get involved with the affairs of our country – political as well as nonpolitical.

This is an election year – a very important election year. Christians need to get out and vote. It is said that about 25% of Christians do not vote in presidential elections. It is even lower in many of the local elections.

(Tell story of voting in a School Board election. Highest turnout – 97% of the registered voters did not bother to vote.)

Remember this – our elected officials, as a rule, do not represent the whole. They only represent those who put them in office.

In this national election we are not voting for a person. We are voting for an ideology or a world view. We are voting on issues such as”

Ø Abortion or right to life

Ø A republic or socialism

Ø Health care

Ø Environment

Ø Economy

Ø

Ø Education

Ø

In short, we are voting for a Biblical Worldview or a Secular World view. Which do you want? More importantly, which does God want?

I am going to ask Sam and the Worship Team to lead us in a closing hymn. Then I have a few more closing words to say and will then ask Pastor Dan to dismiss us.

(closing hymn)

Remember – God gave us this country. We are to occupy it (care for it). God is going to take care of it. But He expects us to do our duty and occupy until He comes.

Among the many things we can do to serve our country the most important thing we can do is to pray for our country and our leaders.

Today, next to prayer, the most important thing we can do is to get out and vote.

Remember – God will hold us accountable for the rulers we put into office. God will hold us accountable on how we “occupy” until Jesus returns.

In Exodus 18:20 God told Moses, through his father-in-law, Jethro, to select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

Incidentally, this is the model that our governance is based upon: city, county, state, federal levels.

I will grant you that sometimes it is difficult to know which are leaders that met this requirement. Study the person, the issues and the platforms and make the best judgement that you can asking the Holy Spirit to guide you.

God will hold us accountable for the rulers we select.

The Judeo-Christian foundations of our nation are being threatened by a neo-pagan worldview. We must not let it happen without a struggle. So, go out and do your duty. Take care of what God gave us.

Dan, will you dismiss us.