2021.05.02 Who Should I Vote For?
Notes
Transcript
Who Should I Vote For?
Who Should I Vote For?
Me
Tuesday is Election Day. Indiana Primaries are 1st Tuesday in May. Do you know who you’re going to vote for?
There are no statewide elections this year, so (thankfully) we haven’t heard a lot about voting for anything or anybody this year!
I remember when I was younger how excited I was to vote for the first time. I could still tell you every vote I’ve ever cast for President.
But I’d probably have trouble remembering most of the votes below that on the ballot.
It’s kind of funny … our system was setup intentionally so that the local officials have more impact on our daily lives … but most of us have a harder time remembering those votes.
I would suggest that’s because we know a lot less about the smaller races and the candidates in those races. Perhaps that’s because there is less money spent on advertising those campaigns. Perhaps it’s because we don’t see them as very important so we don’t spend time researching those candidates.
If you gave me a ballot from last November, I think I’d have trouble identifying half the people I voted for.
We
I don’t think I’m the only one, either. If this were an even-numbered year, we’d have a primary election on Tuesday. Next year, we will have one, but because it’s not a Presidential Election year, voter turnout will be expected to be much lower than last year.
2020’s hotly contested Presidential Race Turnout:
Statewide – General 65% • Primary 24%
Adams County – General 73% • Primary 33%
Adams County Averages since 2010: Presidential 71%/37% — Non-presidential 52%/24%
Our county is consistently above than the statewide averages.
Maybe our state, maybe our entire society is apathetic and really doesn’t care who leads us.
Being gracious in my presumptions … Perhaps there are at least some of us who don’t know how to make the choices, and rather than guessing, we’d rather not vote. That’s admirable in some sense.
Today’s pastoral question is asked in a couple of different ways, but it basically boils down to the sermon title: “Who Should I Vote For?”
I don’t think anyone is really asking me to tell them who they should vote for. I think they’re really asking how to make that decision, so that’s how I’m going to approach today. First, let’s re-look at what the Word has to say:
God
1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Who Should I Vote For?
Who Should I Vote For?
Many systems of government forbid commoners from voting. In fact, such a system was indeed proposed for the U.S., but was rejected in favor of a popular election where everyone over a certain age is encouraged to vote. There have been some changes to that system through the years to expand the number of people who can vote, but the system is largely still the same as our founders envisioned.
Christian advise for voting ranges wildly …
telling people exactly which candidates to vote for
advising about the most important issues to Christians
telling Christians not to vote at all
You
I can’t fathom being given an option to affect our system of government and choosing not to! Are we partners in the Kingdom of God or not? Are we not working toward bringing about God’s Kingdom here on earth? So, I find it ludicrous to think God would want the only voices that would speak for Kingdom principles silenced. Madness!
Who will bring Kingdom principles to bear on the political process if God’s people won’t?
Instead, I choose to be an informed voter. I try to find out information about the candidates and vote based on the research and those Kingdom principles.
So why do we have problems deciding?
We
One pastor in Washington [Ken Hutcherson, Antioch Baptist, Redmond, WA] says, “people should not see it as a choice between [one candidate] and [another], but a choice of who will best represent biblical values and what the Bible has to say.”
I would suggest there are two reasons we struggle with this concept. The first is a difficult one: How do we know where the candidates stand? Every election, various groups publish voting guides that can be very helpful. Newspapers print a candidate profile list before elections. Many guides are available FREE online. Just be careful that the source is a more balanced source of news and not propaganda.
The much harder issue, though, is matching the candidates’ positions to biblical principles. Why is that hard?
Who Should I Vote For?
Who Should I Vote For?
Because we don’t study the Scriptures! Many of the questions like this that I’m asked fairly regularly are similar to this. The request may be an issue-by-issue listing of how to vote, or even a candidate-by-candidate listing.
Given 20 minutes or so, I can’t outline all of the principles of God’s Word and wrap it neatly in a bow for the elections on Tuesday. In fact, after 20 some years of studying God’s Word, I still haven’t wrapped up every issue that comes into play in voting.
In our instant-society, we’d like to be able to just add water and have a ballot completed the way God would complete it … but that’s not how He operates. It’s just not that simple, because God is not that simplistic.
He doesn’t want to implant you with His mind … He wants to reveal himself to you, but you have to search him out.
Does God’s character have anything to say about the issues of the day?
Yes!
God’s character brings a lot to bear on subjects like abortion, the death penalty, helping the impoverished, corruption…
We may differ on our interpretation of that character, but I can’t tell you how to vote because your vote is not between you and me … it’s between you and your Heavenly Father!
How should you vote?
You should vote thoughtfully and solemnly.
Study the candidates
Study God
Then, decide how you think God would want you to vote and do it.
If you haven’t studied the candidates and you haven’t studied God, your vote is random … or coerced!
The time spent is worth it!
If you want God’s Kingdom to reign here in our lives, you have to start with God’s Kingdom reigning in you!
How should you vote?
Study the candidates.
Study God
Discern how God would want you to vote
Vote