Sermon Tone Analysis

*Topical: The Political Sermon*

*Romans 13:1-7*

*/November 2, 2008/*

 

*Prep: *

·         Blinded by Might, chapter 4, p 179ff

·         Blog answers~/Erin’s video (“vote is power”)

·         Piper

 

 

*You might be a democrat~/REPUBLICAN if...*

 

I have really been looking forward to this sermon, “The Political Sermon” because I am a trouble maker, talking about religion AND politics.

D: You believe personal *injury lawyers* when they say they are just trying to defend the little guy.

R: You argue that you need *300 handguns*, in case a bear ever attacks your home.

D: You know that those profit mongering *drug companies* could find a cure for *AIDS* if they really wanted to.

R: You’ve ever tried to prove *Jesus* was a *capitalist* and opposed to *welfare*.

D: You actually expect to collect *Social Security*.

R: You have ever told your child that *Oscar* the *Grouch* “lives in a *trash* *can* because he is *lazy* and doesn’t want to *contribute* to society.”

There will be a time for Q & A, text them in.

*Prayer*

 

·         Guide the political process; people that accomplish your will.

·         Help us figure out how best to engage our culture.

*USA Rules!*

 

Growing up I had this idea that America was the *very best* and had the very *best* of *everything* and *never* *lost* a war.

So I was surprised the Asia had a taller mountain, Africa a longer river, and that we lost Vietnam.

·         It seems that we are predisposed towards ethnocentricity.

I still believe America is a *great* *country*, that democracy is *best* form of *government* we can hope of this side of heaven.

Yet we are not perfect.

America is a *paradox* of *good* and *evil*: We have *exported* *democracy* and *immorality* all over the world.

We are examples of both *justice* and *injustice*.

I don’t say this to be anti-American, but to remind us that *America* is not *heaven*, and it will always *fall* *short* of God’s righteousness.

Our *true* *citizenship* is not here, it is heaven:

 

*Philippians 3:18-21 *  18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

I think that a *fundamental* *truth* that every Christian must hold very tightly is that our citizenship is in heaven, not here.

We are “*resident* *aliens*” here, “*green* *card*” holders.

It’s a tricky situation: We are citizen of Heaven, living in America.

It’s made even *more* *complicated* because our form of government allows *input*.

·         In *Paul’s day* there was no voting, no means of *politically influencing* the government.

Q   How do we effectively *engage* our culture *politically*?

The rest of the sermon will look at our *four* *tools* for *changing* our *nation*.

All of them are important, but *two* are *more* *effecting* and *two* are *less*.

Ä  I believe that the *first* thing we should is to *vote*.

*Our Christian responsibility *

 

Q   Should Christians vote?

How do you justify your answers Biblically?

*Romans 13:1, 5-7 * 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... 

5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for 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 Pay 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.

It is that last point: “Pay to all *what is owed* them.”

In our system, we have both the *privilege* and *responsibility* of *influencing* our nation and government.

·         Voting is our Christian *responsibility* as a *thing owed*

·         I *charge* each of you to vote and make vote that is *politically* and *Biblical-informed*.

 

 

*Honor and taxes*

 

But *before* we got to the *second tool*, notice that Paul says some rather *unpopular* *things* here that *guide* our *civic* *duties*:

 

·         We are required to *submit* to our government – even the *seat belt law*.

·         We are required to *respect* and *honor* our government – even if we *didn’t vote* for them (she is your governor).

·         We are required pay our *taxes – *even though the money is used in ways you don’t approve of.

Q   But what about when the *government* is *wicked*?

*Nero* was Caesar when Paul wrote this, one of the *wickedest* *men* to ever rule, and *taxes* were used to support all sort of *idolatry* and *wickedness*.

*Political involvement *

 

The second tool is *political* *involvement*: Writing *letters*, *contributing*, *advertizing*, signing *petitions*, and even *running* for *office*.

·         I *want* my church to be politically involved as their *conscious dictates*, and I would love to see someone run for office.

Ä  Voting and political activism are the *first two* tools for bringing *change* to our nation, and they are the *weaker two*.

·         We have two *stronger* weapons: *prayer* and the *Gospel*.

*Pray for the king*

 

*1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV* I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--  2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

I believe that our prayers are far *more* *effective* than our *votes* or letter writing.

Letters and votes may or may not influence politics, but *prayers* are *always* *heard* by God.

 

·         My favorite quote from the blog: “Your vote most definitely counts, but your prayers count more.”

*The Power of the Gospel*

 

The *last weapon* is the power of the Gospel.

The *problem* in this country is not *political*.

The politicians *mirror* the *will* of the majority.

The problem is *sin*, and the *Gospel* is the *only* remedy.

·         There is only *one institution* in America that has the power to change the nation, and you are sitting in it.

·         If you want to change this nation, *change hearts*, not votes.

Go ahead and *vote*, even *campaign*, but don’t expect it to make a *major difference* in *eternal matters*.

Politics is *too* *weak* to make lasting change.

·         This is a failure that Ed Dobson and Cal Thomas talk about in “*Blinded by Might*.”

For that reason, the church (*as the church*) must never allow politics to *hinder* its primary *purpose* of *preaching* the *Gospel* and expanding the kingdom of God.

*Paul and slavery*

 

In this I am following the *example of Paul*.

Q   Have you ever wondered why Paul never spoke against *slavery*?

*1 Timothy 6:1 * Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.

He didn’t support slavery (he told slaves to try to buy their freedom), but because speaking against it would have gotten him branded as *seditious* and prevented him from preaching.

·         It would have *reviled* the name of God.

For that reason, as long as I have say, you will not see this church *promoting* any political *cause* or *candidate*.

I will preach God’s *truth*, I will teach what the *Bible* *says*, but I do not want us to get *distracted* by *political* *causes*.

·         I will not do anything that *hinders* the *Gospel*, because that is our *most powerful tool* for changing our world.

I am *horrified* by the thought of a *church’s* *politics* keeping a person out of the *kingdom*.

If they reject Jesus, that’s “fine,” but I don’t want them rejecting a *politicized* *Jesus*.

*Dividing the church *

 

*Worse* than that is seeing the body of Christ *divided* over *politics*.

Christ came to *break* down *barriers* in himself and make us one, not to see the church divided.

*Ephesians 4:1-3 * I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,  2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Q   Does this exemplify the average *political conversation*?

Politics by its *very* *nature* *divides* people rather than bringing them together.

It thrives on *polarizing* people on subjects they *should* *not* be polarized on.