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Change Begins with Truth
Politics and the Pulpit
Politics and the Pulpit
Anytime someone says, “I don’t think preachers should preach on politics, the question to ask is who told you that? Where does that come from? Some say, “common sense”; it may be common, but common sense is not our authority. Some say, “pragmatism” because politics divide people, and division has no place in the pulpit. That's to be answered with another question; where in the Bible is the idea that people must all come together, apart from Jesus?
The fact is that doctrine divides people, truth divides people – the gospel divides people.
#1. – This question of whether or not preachers should preach on politics is a Biblical question, not a legal one. It is not a cultural or a constitutional question, it is a Biblical one. We do not look to cultural courtesy; constitutional interpretation, or legal experts to.
*Note – No Christian takes their cues from Culture, or even Constitution! – We take our Cues from the Scripture!
We always take our orders from the Bible, never from the law. The answer to this question begins with a correct understanding of our Standing!
The fact is that doctrine divides people, truth divides people – the gospel divides people.
#1. – This question of whether or not preachers should preach on politics is a Biblical question, not a legal one. It is not a cultural or a constitutional question, it is a Biblical one. We do not look to cultural courtesy; constitutional interpretation, or legal experts to.
*Note – No Christian takes their cues from Culture, or even Constitution! – We take our Cues from the Scripture!
We always take our orders from the Bible, never from the law. The answer to this question begins with a correct understanding of our Standing!
#1 - “The Government is Inferior to the Scriptures and the Scriptures are Superior to the Government!”
*Note – Never get the idea that “Church and State” are two equal entities, playing by the same set of rules in a game of mutual admiration. – They are Not.
- The Government is BELOW the Bible, and the Bible is ABOVE the Government.
- That’s why Paul said in Romans 13:1 – “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
*Note – The question is NOT how does the Bible and Bible preaching relate to the government, the question is how does the government relate to the Bible and Bible preaching!
- The Government of man is underneath God and His Word.
- Let me illustrate –
- We do not obey the government because of the government; we obey the government because the Bible tells us to.
- We do not pay taxes because the government tells us to, we pay taxes because the Bible tells us to.
*Note – Never get the idea that “Church and State” are two equal entities, playing by the same set of rules in a game of mutual admiration. – They are Not.
- The Government is BELOW the Bible, and the Bible is ABOVE the Government.
- That’s why Paul said in Romans 13:1 – “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
*Note – The question is NOT how does the Bible and Bible preaching relate to the government, the question is how does the government relate to the Bible and Bible preaching!
- The Government of man is underneath God and His Word.
- Let me illustrate –
- We do not obey the government because of the government; we obey the government because the Bible tells us to.
- We do not pay taxes because the government tells us to, we pay taxes because the Bible tells us to.
#2 – The Government has No Say in the Scriptures, but the Scriptures have Much to Say about the Government.
- The Bible is full of political sermons, election guidelines, and messages to the monarchs of our day.
- Genesis ends with the rise of God’s man Joseph into the third highest political office in the land.
- Exodus 18:21 – Jethro told Moses what kind of men to set up as rulers.
- 2nd Samuel 23 – The Lord told David the kind of Rulers that He expected to be set up.
- 1st and 2nd Chronicles, - The Bible speaks directly about the sins of Kings and their rule.
- We have two books in the Bible named, 1st and 2nd Kings”
- Esther – The entire event of Esther was a story of the marriage between faith and politics. Mordecai was not speaking “spiritually” when he said to her, “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14
- Psalm 2, Psalm 72, Psalm 82
- Proverbs repeats over and over again, instructions and truths for kings and rulers.
- Ecclesiastes 1:12, Solomon wrote, “I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”
- All the prophets – message after message to ruler after ruler.
- When you come to the New Testament, - John the Baptist preached about Herod, To Herod.
- Jesus called Herod a Fox
- Paul told us to pay our taxes, pray for our leaders, and support our government.
- Peter told us to submit to their laws.
- What is the scheme of the entire end times? – One giant Political Survey of Global politics, the rise and fall of kings and governments.
Oh, and there is one more. We still have the Biblical Political promise to hold on to that “The King is Coming!”
- The Bible is full of political sermons, election guidelines, and messages to the monarchs of our day.
- Genesis ends with the rise of God’s man Joseph into the third highest political office in the land.
- Exodus 18:21 – Jethro told Moses what kind of men to set up as rulers.
- 2nd Samuel 23 – The Lord told David the kind of Rulers that He expected to be set up.
- 1st and 2nd Chronicles, - The Bible speaks directly about the sins of Kings and their rule.
- We have two books in the Bible named, 1st and 2nd Kings”
- Esther – The entire event of Esther was a story of the marriage between faith and politics. Mordecai was not speaking “spiritually” when he said to her, “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14
- Psalm 2, Psalm 72, Psalm 82
- Proverbs repeats over and over again, instructions and truths for kings and rulers.
- Ecclesiastes 1:12, Solomon wrote, “I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”
- All the prophets – message after message to ruler after ruler.
- When you come to the New Testament, - John the Baptist preached about Herod, To Herod.
- Jesus called Herod a Fox
- Paul told us to pay our taxes, pray for our leaders, and support our government.
- Peter told us to submit to their laws.
- What is the scheme of the entire end times? – One giant Political Survey of Global politics, the rise and fall of kings and governments.
Oh, and there is one more. We still have the Biblical Political promise to hold on to that “The King is Coming!”
The real issue is not whether or not the Bible should stay out of political issues, but whether or not politics should stay out of Biblical issues.
- Homosexual marriage is not a political issue it is a Biblical one.
- Abortion, Gambling, Drugs, are not political issues, they are Biblical issues.
Now lets come back to our original question – Should a preacher preach on Politics?
- Do you want your preacher to preach the Bible?
The entire idea or concept that preachers should not preach on politics is a Cultural Idea, not a Biblical one!
Here is the settled truth. – No preacher, no pastor, should ever use the God-given pulpit to preach his own personal message. Every preacher, worth his weight in Bibles, will just preach what the Bible says, and the Bible has much to say.
Now all of that being said, in 2nd Chronicles 19:1-4 we are given a picture of a Sinning King, being confronted by a Preaching Prophet, about a Foreign Policy, and the story ends in the King’s Repentance.
- Homosexual marriage is not a political issue it is a Biblical one.
- Abortion, Gambling, Drugs, are not political issues, they are Biblical issues.
Now lets come back to our original question – Should a preacher preach on Politics?
- Do you want your preacher to preach the Bible?
The entire idea or concept that preachers should not preach on politics is a Cultural Idea, not a Biblical one!
Here is the settled truth. – No preacher, no pastor, should ever use the God-given pulpit to preach his own personal message. Every preacher, worth his weight in Bibles, will just preach what the Bible says, and the Bible has much to say.
Now all of that being said, in 2nd Chronicles 19:1-4 we are given a picture of a Sinning King, being confronted by a Preaching Prophet, about a Foreign Policy, and the story ends in the King’s Repentance.