The Political Elephant in the Room: Outside the Booth/Beyond the Booth [Part 3]

My job is not to get you to vote a certain way....my job is to make disciples, and help us view every part of our life through our faith in Jesus and the Gospel

Week 1 = Unity + Diversity

- If we are going to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer, we must walk out Jesus’ command

- We need to remember to LOVE ONE ANOTHER as Christ has loved us!

Week 2 = Conversation over Controversy

Taking time to sit down with people of other political persuasions and have a convo

“Where you stand depends on where you sit” Rufus Miles

It’s okay to have a conversation, stay unified, loving, but not affirm someone’s political stances.

This Week = Beyond the Booth

3 ENCOURAGEMENTS THAT COULD HELP YOU THIS WEEK

Be anxious for nothing: [Philippians 4:4-7 ]

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV)

Whatever is going on in your life right now....Do not be anxious about anything ! The LORD is at hand!

Take a moment and find peace in the midst of thankful prayer!

Take a moment and lay down those worries, those cares, and remind yourself of the goodness of God....this too shall pass.

- The truth is, we will all face this election with some sort of uneasiness…struggle....tension.

I want you to know, The Lord is at hand! and because He is coming, we do not have to be anxious about anything.

The Lord is returning....and when He returns, these temporary anxieties and struggles will disappear!

WE will NEVER have to vote again....

WE will NEVER be divided over governments, kings, policies, etc.

WE will NEVER have to worry, fret, or wonder about our fate of our nation.

Be encouraged…this stressful tension is temporary

PRAY with a heart filled with thanksgiving...

PRAYER seems to be the gateway for peace to surpass our understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ!

Let’s pray…with a spirit of thankfulness…and allow the peace of God to enter into our situation

[don’t pray that your candidate to win…pray that God’s will is done]

That brings us to the next encouragement

God is still in control: [Proverbs 21:1]

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1, ESV)

Regardless of what happens, remember that God is still on the throne and in control!

Like a farmer that will dig trenches to deliver water to the pieces of land and crops he desires....so does the Lord lead and direct the hearts of kings to execute His perfect will here on earth!

Example:

Israel was being governed by elders/judges/prophets - Samuel

But the judges [Samuel’s sons] began to act in evil ways

Israel called out to to Samuel to give them a king to judge them

Samuel talks to God…and Samuel is sorrowful, but God tells him that they haven’t reject him [Samuel] but God

Samuel warns them about what will happen if they are given a king [read 1Samuel 8:10-18 — no slide— . ]

“So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 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. 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. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 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. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 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.”” (1 Samuel 8:10–18 , ESV)

But the people refused to hear Samuel’s warning…they wanted a king like the other nations....so God told Samuel to give it to them.

And from that day until now, kings have ruled.....some good, some evil.

BUT GOD HAS NEVER STEPPED OUT OF THE GAME OR OFF HIS THRONE

If God can deliver His people from the hands of Pharoah then surely He can deliver us from any earthly king and kingdom!

Even kings like Herod, couldn’t stop the plans God had to redeem the world! [Jesus coming]

“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:30–31, ESV)

Be ENCOURAGE ELEMENT CHURCH....when the smoke clears…the Lord will still be standing VICTORIOUSLY!

The Lord’s plans will still come forth!!

In the middle of that temporary struggle you are in....GOD is in control!

In the middle of that financial struggle, relationship struggle, health struggle, etc....GOD sees you and is bringing you to victory!

Stay in the game! Don’t retreat!

{Side note: When Paul encouraged the believers in Rome to pray for their leaders and obey them…Nero was in power!]

Stay in the Battle outside the Booth: [Galatians 6:2]

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

The “law of Christ”, “law of liberty”, “law of love”, “law of faith” = John 13:34 - “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as i have love you ...”

Question: When you look at the world…what burdens your soul??

“When the burdens of others burden you, you should do something about that” - Andy Stanley

I need you to stay in the battle today…Wednesday!

Don’t allow the outcome of TUESDAY keep you from fulfilling the law of Christ on Wednesday!

What burdens have burdened your soul?

How will you engage with that in light of the Gospel??

Jesus has left us with opportunities to help bear the burdens of the rich and poor, the hungry, the veteran, the immigrate, the under privileged and the over privileged, the prisoner and the free, the lost and the found, the healthy and the sick....what are we waiting for?

We don’t need politicians to give us permission to be the church....we’ve been commissioned by Jesus to be His Church!

When Jesus says,

““You are the salt of the earth.... A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13–16, ESV)

[ HE WASN’T TALKING ABOUT A COUNTRY....HE WAS TALKING ABOUT A PEOPLE!]

What do you do?

Where do you start?

Pray [ask God for ways to share these burdens]

Go [Go — James tells us that FAITH without WORKS is DEAD!]

Schools, hospitals, pregnancy centers, women’s shelter, boys home, food shelf, child trafficking, immigrant care,.....

Like that FB page

Give financially

Support through apparel

Support through service

Support through being a Champion [share with others your passion for this burden]

You don’t need political permissions to do this....you’ve been commissioned by Jesus already! SEND IT!

Conclusion:

Politics Matter!

“politics inform policies, and policies effect people, and people matter to God “ - Eugene Cho

We need the body of Christ to infiltrate the ranks of American politics!

Why?

Because we live in a country where we CAN! SO WHY NOT!

If you have a desire and gift for the fray of politics....you should pursue that!

Start at a local level! LET’S BEGIN HERE!

The Church should be praying for our nation and politicians…because they are the one’s in that place of authority…we want God to turn their hearts like rivers!

We need the body of Christ to continue to get involved with the things that burden our souls!

We’re going to be okay Element Church…because God can’t be stopped and He loves His people.

---Let’s Pray for this Week--- [Call Gary up to play]

Let’s pray that God will continue to WIN

Let’s pray for the hearts of our brothers and sisters who are voting, that God would give them peace and be led by the Spirit

Let’s pray for our community, our leaders, our townships, our state, our nation.

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