A Most Difficult Sermon

One of the duties I have as a pastor is to challenge and to help us look at life with a biblical worldview. We filter life through the Word of God, and to the best of our ability submit to His authority and His Word.

In a few weeks, we’ll know who’s President. I'm not here to tell you who to vote for, but I am here to challenge. It is my conviction that we as Christians have a moral responsibility that if we vote, we vote according to God’s Word.

The challenge this morning is to step back from President Trump and Joe Biden. Step back from memes, from news - step back from the hate and anger, and view this election from a Biblical worldview.

I challenge you to step back from the idea that this is a personality contest. Personality does not necessarily qualify or disqualify anyone from a particular office. I thought we were supposed to vote on competence, social and economic policies, and issues etc. To elect a president based on personality is probably unwise. May I remind you that rude people can do good things. And nice people can do evil things. Jeffery Dahmer was a really nice guy. Jeffery Dahmer was a serial killer who was well liked by a lot of people.

Our personal likes and dislikes can blind us to bigger and more important issues. So, let’s step back from personalities and look at the two parties. Unfortunately, we live system a two-party system. I know there are other parties, but at the end of the race it comes down to Republican and Democrat.

We need to be objective the best we can. There are good people in both parties. There are bad people in both parties. Both parties bring some good things to the table, and not so good things. Both parties are flawed - both have issues. Not all Democrats are evil and not all Republicans are Saints and vice versa. We need to acknowledge that. However, when we look at the ideologies behind the parties, and filter those through Scripture, we should have a better idea of who to vote for, or at least who not to vote for, or for some to not even vote at all.

I only have time to tackle two issues - abortion and human sexuality.

If we go back in history, one of the harsh criticisms that the Roman Empire and the Pagan culture had against the Christian Church is that they were relentless in rescuing abandoned children - many of whom were tossed into refuse piles. The Roman Empire believed that fathers had the right to choose whether or not to keep a child. Christians said that is not a right given to you by God, for men and women have an obligation to protect children. Furthermore, all are precious in the sight of God. And the church has been fighting to protect children ever since - born and unborn.

The Church of the Nazarene believes in the sanctity of human life and strives to protect against abortion and other ideologies that destroy human life. Almighty God is the author of life, creating male and female to bear His image. To be human is to carry His image, therefore all humans have value and a place in this world. We know that in the womb we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Job 31:15 NIV

Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

Jeremiah 1:4–5 ESV

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God knew Jeremiah and had a plan for Jeremiah before he was born - before he was conceived. So simply answer this, what does this tell us about God and the unborn?

Exodus 20:13 ESV

“You shall not murder.

Why? Made in God’s image, and because life is precious and has value. So, when does a life begin? Ask God, and He will tell you. Ask a scientist or a doctor who is objective, who holds to the facts, of faith or no faith and they will tell you - at conception.

The standard for what constitutes being a living being cannot be determined or dictated by size, social status, location, independence, and so forth. Those things do not determine when life begins or the value of life.

The standard of when life begins is both Divine and scientific. At the moment of conception a new life is formed. When sperm and egg meet, at that moment there is a new person who has unique DNA - different from the mother, the father, and anyone else in the world.

The idea that abortion is about the woman's body is scientifically and spiritually null and void. Is nothing more than a retort - just something to say. It’s not a valid argument. There's a lot more we could say about this. But understand, this is a matter of life and death.

So, which party is the party that is pro-abortion - even celebrates and cheers for the death of the unborn? I'm not saying The Republican Party is without sin or that they’re all God-fearing people - that’s bogus. I know there are Republicans who are soft on abortion and Democrats who are pro-life. But when it comes to protecting life and protecting children, which party has a more biblical worldview?

Let’s talk about human sexuality. What I'm about to say has nothing to do with phobia or hate. It has nothing to do with value, for all humans have value and are loved by God. For God so loved the world ….

When it comes to human sexuality, keep in mind that all things are permissible. God has given us the freedom to do whatever we want. But not all things or beneficial - not all things are good and helpful. Not all things are best.

The Lord began the creation process in six days. At the end of each day, the Lord stood back and said, “Wow this is good.” On the 6th day, after creating male and female, God said, “This is very good.”

God designed male and female to carry His image - to represent Him and His goodness and glory. Male and female, two genders, biological fact - biological differences are God's design, and it is a good design - one that is to be celebrated and honored - not destroyed. To destroy the biological truth of male and female is to destroy what God has deemed very good.

God created sex and sex is a good thing, but it needs boundaries. We all know the damage and the pain that is caused through sexual immorality and deviance - whether heterosexual, homosexual, or whatever. There are millions of people who are deeply hurt and broken, because of “sexual freedom” - because of sexual immorality - because of breaking God’s design.

Again, God's design, which is good, is male and female. And for those who desire a lifelong union and to engage in sexual relationship, God designed marriage as one man and one woman united together. And Jesus himself said that what God has united, let no one separate. And we have a culture that is fighting to separate and destroy God's design for marriage and family - and look at what is happening to our society. As the family and proper sexuality disintegrate, so does society.

Now, I understand that the issue of sexual immorality, homosexuality and transgender and all that entails can be very painful and complex. We live in a very messy and broken world. And yes, God extends love and grace and forgiveness and restoration and hope, and so much more, but that is not our topic this morning. We're talking about an ideology, an agenda that is behind and at the forefront of a particular party - so much so, that this party wants to make it offensive and a crime worthy of punishment to even disagree ….

Proverbs 14:12 ESV

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

They think they're doing right, but what they're doing is an attempt to destroy what God created. E.g., rather than protecting a child's sexuality they encourage experimentation, they discourage using gender, but they also encourage choosing gender by how you feel, even encouraging children to have sex changes without parental permission, and in some places they're lowering the age in which adults can have sexual relations with children.

Again, I am not saying that the Republican Party has impeccable moral standards, however the other party is pushing for the destruction of male and female, man and woman, husband and wife, boy and girl. They want to destroy that which is good.

Now those are only two issues, but they are big issues. I wish I had time to talk about justice, religious freedom and freedom of speech and which party is taking away those rights. I wish I had time to talk about which party is fueled by Marxism, which is not friendly at all to Christianity, or any faith for that matter.

Again, I'm not saying all Republicans are Saints or all Democrats are evil, but I am saying that one of the two parties is largely incompatible with a Biblical worldview. Now, I'm not telling you who to vote for, but I am encouraging you to vote according to a biblical worldview. And if that means you can't vote for either or, then I would say that's better than voting for a party whose ideologies undermine Christian values.

There's one more thing we need to clarify before we're done. Above all else we are Christian, and regardless of who wins in November we are commanded in Scripture to pray for those in government and in high positions. Regardless who wins in November, remember our Lord and Savior and King and our hope is Jesus Christ. Our hope is not in this world, or in a political party. Our joy and our strength are in the resurrected Son of God, Jesus Christ. We are commanded to fight for the unity the body of Christ. We may disagree about a lot of things, but we must come together at the cross of Christ. It's not always easy, but it's doable.

This may be a very difficult transition for some of us. I'm certain there is a multitude of emotions and thoughts right now. I'm going to challenge us, even stretch us to put all of those emotions aside and let us humbly come together in the ancient tradition of Creed and communion.

Let us come together under the banner but Jesus Christ. I know this is tough for some of us, but we have to learn to come together in Christ.

Please read with me the Apostles Creed, and then Gary will come up lead us in communion.

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth

And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary

Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell

The third day he rose again from the dead

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead

I believe in the Holy Ghost

I believe a holy catholic church; the communion of saints

The forgiveness of sins

The resurrection of the body

And the life everlasting. Amen.

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