Does it bug you when preachers tell you how to vote? Or do you think the church should actively and openly support certain political views and certain political candidates?
What's the Bible say is the role of the church and the role of individual Christians? That's today. Stay with me. Well, today we're picking up in our ongoing series, Caring Enough to Confront, with the second half of Chip's talk, The Church and Politics. Now, last time he highlighted four principles from scripture that provide healthy boundaries for believers as they engage the political world. Chip will run through those again in a minute, but today he'll go a step further and help us apply these truths to our expectations of the church and the government. Well, Chip still has a lot to share, so let's get going as he dives right back into this timely topic. Four absolutes.
Quick review. We live in two kingdoms that are in conflict. Every one of us that are followers of Jesus, what do we have?
We have dual citizenship. So what's the role of the government? The role of the government is to restrain evil. What's the role of the church? It's to make disciples, internal transformation.
The government is external control. With that said, I'd like you to say, see you next week. Hope that's real helpful. But I don't think that's going to work because you still have to ask the questions. November is coming. Well, who do you vote for? What's the role of the church? Should there be things done in the church, outside the church? So what's the role of the government? What's the role of, you know, what should be said or not said from this pulpit and in pulpits and churches all over America and all around the world?
How do you figure that out? That's the next question, so let's dig in. Next question, simply put, is this. How do you move from a theological framework to the specific application of these principles in real life? And I'm going to suggest there's three principles that flow out of these four absolutes.
And here's the key. If you understand the role and the responsibility of the church, when I say the church gathered. The role and the responsibility of government and the role and the responsibility of us as individual Christians, when you clarify that from those four absolutes, all of a sudden you will be able to make the kind of decisions in all the specific areas about anything from voting personally to what the church should do, what the government can do and what we should do. So with that, let's talk about first the role of the church. Principle number one, let the church be the church. The church's highest calling, the church's purpose for living is to fulfill the spiritual, eternal, invisible kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The church's goal is to exalt Christ and to preach, teach and model the message of redemption over and above and more important than anything else. That's the goal of the church. So let's the church be the church.
Well, what's that look like? How does the church be the church when it comes to the area of politics? Three specific ways scripture says.
First way, are you ready for this, is to pray. The church, when we're gathered together, is to pray. 1 Timothy 2, 1 says, I urge you first of all that requests, prayers, intercession, thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and those in authority, that we may live, notice the purpose for the prayers for political powers and people that be. That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases our God and Savior who wants all men to come to a knowledge of the truth. See, the church's first priority is we pray for the government, not so the economy gets better. We pray for the government and for candidates, not so our lives are happier or easier.
We pray first and foremost for those in authority so that there would be peace in the land so the gospel could go forth by what we not just say, but the freedom to live in a way that people could see the reality of Christ. Now I'm going to have a little experiment here. You ready? Put your pencil down just for a second. I want you to think of the candidate that if you were pressed for this next presidential campaign that you're most excited about and let that name pop into your mind.
Okay? Now I want you to think of the candidate in this next presidential election that you have the most distaste for. I'd like you to have that person come to your mind.
Have you got it? Now what I can tell you in Christians all across America, those will be two different faces. With that said, are you ready for this? For every time, let's go to the person that you distaste that you think is the wrong person that you're very, very concerned about could become the next president. For every time that you have spoken, criticized, written, or said something negative about this person to another believer or someone else at work or in your community, how often have you prayed for that person?
It's flat out convicting, isn't it? What the Bible says is that person, whoever they're going to be, will be established by God and that the requirement of the church gathered and for individual believers is to pray for them and to pray for them from the heart. God, will you bless them? God, will you give them wisdom? God, will you draw them closer to you? God, will you enrich their family relationships?
God, will you cause there to be? Help these justices. Help these people in Congress. Help our mayor. Help our city council. Help the board of education.
Help. You see, my observation among Christians, Christians tend to be often the most negative, critical people who blog and email and send little things to one another that you open with these little ads toward one another on both directions. And I just wonder what would happen if we prayed and cared about the souls of those people and ask ourselves, first and foremost, if we're kingdoms, there's a kingdom of heaven that's spiritual and eternal and my allegiance is first to Christ, maybe that ought to be my priority first and foremost, especially as we're gathered together.
The second priority when the church is gathered, let the church be the church, is to preach and teach the truth of God's word so that God's people would be informed and have a biblical worldview about his values. I have news for you, God is not looking for a Democratic vote or a Republican vote. In fact, I have news for you, God is neither a Democrat or a Republican.
Shocking. And when he wants you to vote a little bit later on and we talk about your individual responsibility, he's not looking for you to say, well, this is my Republican or my Democratic. He's looking for a kingdom vote. He's looking for the children of God who understand these worlds will always be in conflict and you have dual citizenship and the government doesn't have the power to change the world, but only restrain evil.
But you have the power and the power of the Holy Spirit to make a difference. Oh God, I am your child. I'm your son or your daughter before I'm a Republican or a Democrat or an independent. What do you want me to do?
What do you want me to say? And how do you want me to vote on these issues and these people that would honor you? So how can Christians know what those issues are unless we teach? That's the role of the church gathered. Did you notice when Jesus was talking to Pilate, he said, what? Everyone who listens to the truth listens to me.
You notice when they came to catch Jesus and what he says, we know you're a man of integrity because you live according to the truth. So the question is, is there absolute or relative truth? What's the truth about human sexuality? What's the truth about homosexuality? What's the truth about abortion?
What's the truth about the environment? That's the job of the church gathered after we pray. This is our best understanding of the truth.
Now, we're going to learn in just a minute. You have a moral responsibility to participate, to know the facts, to examine and say, I want to be a kingdom voter. And my first allegiance is first and foremost, not to what I think will make life more comfortable.
Not even do I think it's going to have more or less impact depending on what I do, but it's to be faithful to God. And so, prayers number one, preaching and teaching, and the third is modeling. The church is to model truth and justice and righteousness. The world changed because of the Acts 2 verses 40 through 47. That picture of those people, how did they live? They lived in a corrupt culture with a corrupt government where there was tremendous injustice, amazing immorality and all kind of gods.
And they came together and they loved each other and they followed Jesus and they made sacrifices and they met the deepest needs in the community. So that's what we do. You help runaway teens and you figure ministries to help sex trafficking and help people that are HIV positive regardless of how they got it. You don't judge. You care. You feed the poor.
You live in community. You don't talk negatively. You don't gossip. When Christians live like Christians, you're the most winsome, powerful group on the face of the earth. But what's happened? Jesus' church has been hijacked by the right and by the left. And what's come out of pulpits across America for the last 20 years is this group or that group. And so the props of the state and the agendas that people think, you know, at the end of the day, who wins? Who wins presidential elections? I'll tell you who wins. Whoever the populace believes can make the economy better.
You just do all the history. We have all these, you know, these are my views and these are my values or these are my views and these are my values and I'm an independent and I'm a swing person. It's about the economy, stupid. It's about the economy, stupid, which means what?
At the core, people far more than kingdom voters were materialist. And what we're asking not is, God, what do you want in this country and what do you want me to do? What we're asking is, how do we get this thing moving in a way that makes my life better and my future better and my personal economy better and my prosperity better? That's not a very biblical or godly role, but it's how most people vote. And so let's let the church be the church. Let's radically live out and model, not subservient agendas around smaller issues, but the big agenda of Christ and him crucified. That's the role of the church.
Well, what's the role of the government? And by the way, as I say that, there's a role for activism, but what you're going to find is it's not when the church is gathered. The role of real activism is going to be placed squarely, specifically on each individual, because you're not just a citizen of heaven.
You are a citizen of this country, and God has a calling and specific responsibility, but that's on you, not the church gathered. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and we'll continue our series, Caring Enough to Confront, in just a minute. But quickly, are you a little intimidated to talk to your friends, coworkers, or family about Jesus? Do you wish there was an easy, stress-free way to share the gospel? Well, there is. Stick around after the teaching as Chip highlights our newest resource that'll help you and your small group talk about the message of the cross in a winsome, loving way.
You won't want to miss it. For now, let's rejoin Chip for the remainder of his talk. Second principle, don't expect the government to achieve what only the church can accomplish. See, that's so often, it's subtle. If we could just get the right guy in the office, whoever we is. By the way, the we, when we say Christian, can be very, very different politically, very, very broad.
This is another aha. I think God, since he's not a Republican or a Democrat, is absolutely committed to having born-again, kingdom-minded servants of his in both parties. And that their commitment to the king would superimpose any shallower commitments to their political parties. And yet over time, we've thought somehow it's a subtle presupposition. If we could just get the right guy and then the Senate and then the Congress and then the Supreme Court justices and then the governors. And we unconsciously believe that the political process has the power to change the culture and to change people's hearts and make the world the way many Christians believe the world ought to be.
That's a deeply held view. The Bible says the government doesn't have that power. So it has the power to restrain evil.
Now, when you make certain laws that punish unrighteous things, God says, what's the foundation of God's throne? Justice and righteousness. What exalts a people? What exalts a nation? Righteousness.
Governments can't create righteousness. Only individual people can. Let me ask you this. Just relax a little bit.
Some of you are getting really nervous. In the last 40 years, isn't it true that both parties have had a season of time where their party had the president, the majority in the Senate, and the majority in Congress? Right? If you know your history, both parties have had seasons where... So, how's America looking to you? So everything's okay, right?
It's really working. See, unconsciously what happens is the church is falling into thinking there's some Messiah. And whether it's a governor or a president or a Supreme Court justice, that if we can just line those people up, the government has the power to bring about righteousness and justice and change. And they don't. They can restrain evil. And by contrast, there's a very important role for government that's amazing, and we live in a world where we the people get to help make those things and can be very active in bringing about change. I often hear people say silly things like, well, you can't legislate morality. And if they mean by that, you can't change people's hearts to have them do the right thing for the right reason?
I totally agree. But what you need to understand is what laws are is legislating morality. It's morally wrong to drive drunk, put you in jail. Morally wrong to kill someone, put you in jail.
Morally wrong to steal or not pay your taxes, we put you in jail. Those are moral issues. And then sometimes the laws change, and it used to be illegal to kill a child under this age or that age. The laws change.
It's now legal. Well, I mean, the laws, they draft morality. But the government just is, it just creates these boxes. But they can't bring about righteousness. They can't bring about change. Our hope can't be in candidates or the political system.
Well, then you should be asking, well, then where's our hope? The role of the church, pray, preach and teach the truth, model and live this out in radical ways. The role of government is limited political limitations.
I love what Chuck Colson has said. He says, the danger with Christian political movements per se is that they tend to make the gospel hostage to particular political agendas. You may wrap the cross and the flag and make God a prop for the state, and this is a grave danger. I would say that has happened on both sides of the aisle to the church. And for reasons I can't quite get, Christians seem to be among the most naive of all people and are used and abused by both political parties. And what we've lost is our greater and most important message. And we've been tagged because of how we've behaved, especially when gathered, that we're really the people that are just for this or against that. And that's happened on the right and it's happened on the left. This is not a liberal or conservative issue.
So what's the answer? Principle number three, don't expect the church to accomplish what only individual believers can achieve. See, what a lot of people want to do is say, if you would do this, if you preach on this, if we do that, if we interview candidates, if we do that, if we take a stand on Proposition 1, 4, 7, 9, 13, if we have flyers, if we have voting guides, if we do... Don't ask the church to accomplish what only individual believer can achieve. All those things are too low and too small a priority of the overarching message of exalting Christ and the message of redemption when we're gathered.
However, the Scripture is clear, believers have dual citizenship and will be held accountable before God for faithfulness in both arenas. Separation is not the answer. Activism in the church gathered is not the answer. The answer is one word.
You ready for this? At the end of the day, you know, we want the government to change things. We want the church gathered to change things. And here's what Jesus would say, you are the light, you are the salt and you are the leaven.
Changing in laws, changing in boards of education, changing in values, changing in the greatest needs. That's not the church gathered. That's you and me individually saying, you know what? I'm going to be informed. You know what? I'm going to vote.
You know what? I'm going to find a calling on my life to meet the deepest needs and I'm going to engage. I'm going to get off a talk radio and blogging about stuff and I'm going to get out and do stuff that brings about real concrete change and hurting people's lives and laws that need to be changed. I'm not going to ask the church to do that. I'm not going to just be a mouth that talks about we ought to do this and we ought to do that.
And can you believe how terrible things are? I love what my friend Tony Evans, he wrote a tiny little book called How Should Christians Vote? And he has one chapter, I loved it.
Is God a Democrat or Republican? It's a classic. And what he says in this is probably different than you could ever imagine. It's very insightful. Tony writes, the scripture clearly states the role of the believer in the midst of society.
And then he quotes a very famous authority on what our role in society individually should be. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world.
You are a city set on a hill, a city that can't be hidden. Nor does anyone take a light or a lamp and put it under a basket. If they put it on a lamp stand, it gives light to all who are in the house. So let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who's in heaven. Does anyone recognize that authority? It's Jesus, he's quoting Matthew 5.
And then I love the paragraph. Our job as Christians is to infiltrate where the bacteria of unrighteousness and darkness have permeated and made themselves at home. It is our job to act as salt and light in both parties and offer the kingdom's point of view. One way you do that in a constitutional republic is through your vote. See, at the end of the day, I think what's happened is that many of us want someone else to accomplish what God says is your job, my job.
What's your calling? Now, for all of us informed, all of us registered to vote and vote, are you ready for this? The research I did on very specific propositions, on very specific judges, on very specific candidates, often the swing of who wins is by a few hundred or few thousand votes. Two-thirds of all the people say, I love Jesus with all my heart, and listen to talk radio and probably blog about how terrible things are.
Two-thirds of them don't participate. See, I think you'll be held personally accountable, and I'll be held personally accountable. Now, if I was in Communist China, I don't get to vote. I get to be a citizen, I get to live out my faith, and the moment they tell me I can't do something that God says I have to do, then I exercise civil disobedience.
So I might be a Daniel and say, you know, I'm sorry, you know, something, you can tell me I can't pray, I'm going to pray, you put me in jail, you put me in jail. But there's a role for participation, and then there's a calling. There's some people in this room that you ought to be on the Board of Education. There's people in this room that you ought to be leading the precinct in your party.
There's people in this room that are probably a little bit younger. You should be asking yourself, does God want me to be the governor of this state? For some of your kids, you ought to be training and saying, you know what, we're going to need a godly Christian president someday.
And maybe one of your sons or one of your daughters. We've retreated, and we've said the government solves the problems, or get the church to be a big political bully. Both of those are wrong. The government can restrain evil, and the church can make disciples, and we are the salt and the light and the leaven. And we've got to be careful about how we talk. And we've got to be careful that we don't get pictured as, oh, you're that hardcore Republican, or you're that Democrat, or you always look at these things, and you're the person who sends me these e-mails. People need to know you first and foremost as a man, a woman, or a student of God, humbled by your love for God, humbled by your winsome holiness, humbled by the tactfulness in which you share what you believe and why you believe it. And then they ought to watch a life that's making a difference, and who participates, and lovingly, tactfully, caringly shares.
These are my convictions about these issues that are going to frame our culture for the next 50 years, and this is why. That's what the early church did. You know what, I don't know who's going to win the next election, but I know whoever wins, I'm commanded to pray for them.
But I'll tell you what, it can change in your neighborhood, it can change around here, and as it changes with believers, that's how God's always worked. I have a word to the separatists. Do not ask others to do the work that God has called you to do. Okay?
You have dual citizenship. Don't you say, well, I don't want any involvement in politics in any way. Someone else take care of that. Sorry. That's not one of the options. And my word to the activists, please don't demand that your personal calling and your personal passion in your views politically become one that all of us have to share and be promoted from the church gathered.
Okay? I'm glad you know more than anyone else. You can help people learn. You can run for office.
You can make a difference. But we have different people and different calling. And more than anything else, you need to sit next to people and realize that your commitment as a citizen of heaven and a brother and sister in Christ must override any of your strong, passionate political views that will cause division in the body of Christ. They'll know us, according to Jesus, by our love, not our political activity. Should you have political activity? Absolutely. But that's your personal calling.
Do what God shows you to do. Don't demand that when we're gathered that that becomes the agenda. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and the message you just heard. The Church and Politics is from our series, Caring Enough to Confront. Chip will join us in studio to share some insights from today's talk in just a minute.
In the past, ships relied on lighthouses to help them navigate dangerous conditions and avoid wrecking on rocky shorelines. In this timely series, we'll understand why God's Word remains the most relevant and accurate guide Christians have in this morally dark world. Hear how the Bible confronts the most controversial topics of our day and calls believers to engage society with grace and love while standing firm on the truth.
You're not going to want to miss a single program. Also, throughout this series, Chip and our guest teachers mention many resources to educate you about what's happening in our world and prepare you to respond in a Christ-like manner. We've gathered all of these resources together for you, so check out the entire list right now at livingontheedge.org. Again, that's livingontheedge.org. Well, before we go any further, Chip's here in studio to talk about something really important with all of you.
Chip? Thanks so much, Dave. Before I come back and share some final thoughts from today's message, I would just remind you that as followers of Jesus, we're commanded to shine our light in the world around us. God wants us to reach our communities. He wants us to get outside our walls to do what Jesus did in building the bridge to care for other people. So, how's that really going to happen?
Well, let me suggest something, especially those of you that are in a small group. Can you imagine what it would look like if you started eating meals and maybe even doing some activities or hosting a party for those that don't believe what you believe? Can you imagine jumping right into the cancel culture and it might sound crazy, but just do what Jesus did?
And I don't mean in some wild, crazy speaking at people. I'm talking about building bridges and finding common ground and praying for them and caring for them and eating a meal and really listening. We believe with all of our heart that God is up to something in America, and it's going to be something great.
And He's mobilizing His church where we kind of get out of the salt shaker, if you will, and sprinkle that salt out into our communities. And we meet people where they're at. Well, what I want you to know is we have a resource to help you do that. Let me encourage you to get the Not Beyond Reach Small Group Series. We've partnered with Steiger Ministry that does this so well around the world, and in this series, you're going to learn how to build bridges. In this series, you're going to learn how to answer questions about politics and sexuality and all the things that cause division in a way that's winsome, in a way that doesn't put people off, and in a way that never compromises the truth. You can actually learn to connect with non-religious people.
God will use ordinary people like me and ordinary people like you. Dave, could you take a minute and share with our listeners how to get the Not Beyond Reach Small Group Series? Be glad to, Chip. For complete details, visit LivingOnTheEdge.org or call 888-333-6003. As you and your group or Sunday School class dive into this material, we hope you'll develop a renewed drive to reach this next generation with the love and hope Jesus offers. To learn more about our new small group study, Not Beyond Reach, go to LivingOnTheEdge.org or call 888-333-6003.
App listeners, tap Special Offers. Well, here again is Chip with a final word to share. As we close today's program, let me give you one or two very specific applications because America is going to make up its mind on very, very important issues at the state level, local level, and national level. So first and foremost, I think what's clear from God's word is you, as an individual Christian, need to know the issues. I mean, what are the propositions? What are the issues? Where do the candidates stand?
I know you're busy, but you do have the Internet. You need to find out. What do they believe about homosexuality, abortion? What do they believe about truth? In other words, we are kingdom voters. We have a higher calling than Democrat or Republican. We need to have a kingdom vote, and we need to vote for the people and the propositions, regardless of which party brings them forward, that are accurate and true to God and His word because the foundation of God's rule and throne are righteousness and justice. Second, there needs to be balance, and there needs to be a sense as a follower of Jesus Christ to attack issues and not people. Please do not lose your testimony at work, your neighborhood, or in the church by being so strong about what you personally believe is the politically right thing to do or the right candidate to do that you surrender your higher and more important citizenship as a follower of Jesus. God is sovereign. His purposes cannot be thwarted. I read this morning in Proverbs 21, there is no plan, there is no wisdom, there is no insight that can stop the plans of God.
We certainly have responsibility, but we need to carry that out with love, with balance, and in a way where people see Jesus in us and through us. Pray for your nation. Pray to make wise decisions.
Do the hard work and understand what you need to do, and then do it boldly. Great challenge, Chip, thanks. As we close, I want to thank each of you who makes this program possible through your generous giving. 100% of your gifts go directly to the ministry to help Christians live like Christians. Now, if you found this teaching helpful but aren't yet on the team, consider doing that today.
Sending a gift is easy. Go to livingontheedge.org or call 888-333-6003. That's 888-333-6003 or visit livingontheedge.org. App listeners, tap donate. And let me thank you in advance for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do. For Chip and the entire team here, this is Dave Druey, thanking you for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge, and I hope you'll join us next time. .
