Grace Baptist Church Decatur, IL

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See follow up message:  Would God Vote for You?

 

Illinois Voter Guide [pdf]


Decision 2006

Joel 3:14; Psalm 11

 

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

 

[See also regarding the Day of the Lord:  Acts 2:20, I Cor. 5:5, II Cor. 1:14, I Thess. 5:2-4, II Pet. 3:10]

 

America is at the crossroads this Tuesday of a very important decision, perhaps bigger than our most recent Presidential elections.  If we go the wrong way, it could propel our nation down a slippery slope toward destruction and our world into Armageddon.  Though we know these things are inevitable, we want to do our best to do our part in preventing such from happening on our watch.

 

Others to quote:

        * Moses - “I set before you a blessing and a curse.”

        * Elijah - “How long halt you between two opinions.”

 

Let me tell you who to vote for:  [can you believe I’m saying that?]

Don’t vote for the Republicans.

Don’t vote for the Democrats.

 

Rather, vote for “principles.”  I don’t mean the head of your school [principal].  Joke—kid said, “I don’t mind being sent to the office, it’s the principal of the thing!”

 

So what principles should we vote for?  Several actually, but as much as possible, look for these top 2 qualities in a person:

 

Christian & American  [the latter must be mentioned because sadly, many politicians of both parties are very un-American, anti-military, and do not support our leaders.  They are against the very people who are desperately trying to preserve their freedom to protest, and live!]

 

Now about voting Christian:

Proverbs 29:2 – “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.


We are Christians first....Americans second!

Christians live under a Theocracy ~ in other words we are subject to divine authority! *We answer to God first & foremost! It’s about His agenda!  Therefore, we should seek to elect those whose beliefs ...morals...& values best line up w/ the word of God!

-It’s not about party...personality...or promises! -It’s about character ... integrity...truthfulness & uprightness!  It about morality and Biblical principles that guarantee success for any nation!

The reason we vote is to bring about an atmosphere & environment in this nation that honors God & draws us closer to Him!
However, the mindset seems to be....I’ll vote for the one who honors me & draws me closer to the things I want in life!

 

We should vote for principle…Christian and American.


Now, let me tell you who to vote for, ready?...yeah, right!
I won’t tell you who to vote for, but I will tell you How to vote…

• Vote Righteously
Proverbs 14:34 says “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people”.
*Righteous= “what is right”
Do they follow the 10 Commandments?
Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill.”
40 million babies have been killed.
That is more than all the wars of human history.
The Bible says that abortion is murder!
Any candidate who promises to continue the slaughter ought to be rejected.

*Allow God to lead you in your voting selection.
Psalm 23:3
…he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

• Vote Morally
Abortion/Stem Cells/Cloning/Federal Marriage Amendment…
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Homosexuality is a moral issue. …anyone running for a political office who says they disagree w/ God and feel homosexuals were born that way, anyone who supports giving homosexuals equal rights and says that it is ok and should be accepted must be not be voted for by Christians.

• Vote Family [see our voter guides!]
Don’t vote for anything that undermines the family.
The family is the building block of society.

• Vote Principally
Vote on principle…
Here’s six directives for letting principles guide your vote:

- Vote for principle over party.


Some of you here are probably straight-ticket Republicans, and would die at the thought of voting for a Democrat, even if the Republican was a sleaze-bag.

But let me tell you, I would vote for a moral Democrat over an immoral Republican any day of the week, and vice versa.  And the same goes for those who would vote for the devil if only he was a Democrat!

Folks, If you are a slave to your party affiliation, you are setting aside Biblical principles for political expediency and let me be so bold to say that that is a sin.

- Vote for principle over pocketbook.

President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address, spoke those famous words, “ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.”

But we seem to forget those words when it comes to election time. Don’t ask primarily, what will this person do for me, or my job, or Decatur, or that highway project, nearly as much as what is this person’s principles.
You will be held accountable for using your voting power to advance Biblical principles, even if your candidate doesn’t win, God sees YOUR vote!

Is it wrong to want to be prosperous, and to strive to expand and upgrade business? No, but the Scriptures are very clear that it is God who brings the increase, not politicians.

- Vote for principle over popularity.
(of the candidate, or of yourself among your peers)
Galatians 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

 

Some simply want to vote for the winner, and if they feel it’s hopeless for their candidate to win, they’ll go the other way.  What a disappointment to our God looking down on us in that booth!

- Vote for principle over political speech.

What I mean by this is to see if their personal life and voting record match their talk.
For instance, if by some chance you ever hear of a candidate that says they are personally against abortion, yet consistently vote for it, they cannot be trusted, and therefore have no right to serve in a position of trust.

If they constantly try to bring their faith into the picture, quoting scripture, using the tag “Christian”, even speaking in churches, yet support ungodly and immoral legislation, then they cannot be trusted, and therefore have no right to serve in a position of trust.
If they claim to support the family, yet do not stand up for legislation to protect it, then they cannot be trusted.

Who should we vote for?
Exodus 18:21
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them…

Vote righteously. Vote morally. Vote family. Vote principally…for what you know is scripturally correct.
Pray before you vote. Pray as you vote. Pray after you vote.

 

Now to our very brief text:

Ps. 11:3

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" 

 

What can we do if this election goes as badly as the media is predicting? 

 

1.     Remember to Trust the Lord

(Psa 11:1)  "In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?"

 

It does not say to put our trust in man, nor in a government. Our system, that is based upon man, has failed us, and will only continue to fail more and more. Thus the importance of putting our trust in the Lord.

(Prov 3:5)  "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

(Psa 4:5)  "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."

(Psa 146:3)  "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help."

 

Don’t expect any good to come from politics, because too many of the princes whether Democrat or Republican are corrupt in some manner. That character that used to be found in the elected officials just isn’t there anymore.

 

2.     Remember Where God Is

(Psa 11:4)  "The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men."

 

His ways are higher than our ways – His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. The king’s heart is in His hand!

 

He is God, and He always will be God. He hasn’t given up His position, and He won’t give up His position.

 

3.     Remember to Pass the Test

v. 5          If God passes us thru a fire it is only to purify and cleanse us.  If we as a nation truly choose to bring about the end of our way of life and the end of the world by bowing down to political correctness and forgetting all we’ve learned thru generations, that is regrettable, but each Christian as an individual still must do what is right and seek to please God, and allow Him to use any and all means to conform us to His image.

 

What if our political system fails? What if we lose everything that is dear and precious to us? What if we lose our rights of religious freedom. What if we are the final generation before the Lord’s return? We may likely be: If so, let’s make our exit out of this life, out of this system, pointing in the right direction. I want to be walking toward the Lord. Let’s make sure we are on the Lord’s side. (Exo 32:26)  "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me.

 

Ill.--The Confederate Army during the Civil War needed new recruits. The Recruiting Officer asked for all who would fight for the cause of the Confederate Army to get their rifle and line up in the street. As he was walking by each volunteer, he came to a woman at the very end. She had a broom on her shoulder. He asked her why she was in line. She replied, I want everyone to know whose side I am on."

 

v. 5  “Trieth” = to examine, evaluate, purify. It will take effort to remain pure. You will have to work at it. You must do so on purpose. If you will be attentive to the Word of God as it is preached, and as you read it, you will become more pure.

(Psa 119:9)  "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."

(Psa 139:23-24)  "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

 

How does God search us today? Through the Word of God.  (Psa 119:11)  "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

 

Some insist they have the right to live any way they choose – Let me make the point like this:

Suppose all of us were on a cruise ship, and it is loaded to capacity. We are out in the middle of the ocean somewhere and one of the passengers decides he/she wants to drill a hole in the side of the bottom of the ship. So he takes a ¼ inch drill and drills a hole. That hole by itself will not really create much of a problem. The crew could account for that and still go on. But suppose one thousand passengers say, “If he did It, so can I”, and each commences to drill a ¼ inch hole in the ship. Now we are dealing with 250 inches of holes and not just ¼ of an inch. That would be the equivalent of a hole of 21 feet. I have never been on a ship, but I would guess that a 21 foot hole in the ship causes much concern.

 

What I am saying is: One person choosing to live their life their own way may not present a real problem to the church, but if several decide to follow their own will, what will we have? We will have a real crisis. Our ship will be in great trouble.

 

We must have members that are living pure lives.

 

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

We can keep on living and proclaiming the truth, supporting one another, winning souls, praying and naming sin for what it is.

 

Ill.—someone asked Billy Sunday when he was ever going to stop naming people’s sins.  He replied, “when people stop sinning!”

 

Until then, no matter what decision our nation makes, and what path we go down, there’s plenty for the righteous to be doing.

 


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