Today, on Real Life Radio.
If you can’t mix religion and politics, then listen, what does politics mix with? I come from a worldview background, because I’ve read my Bible a whole lot, that everything is to be mixed with my biblical religion, that is my faith in Christ. Everything, there’s nothing segregated from my biblical worldview.
This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I’m David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God’s Word, the Bible.
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On today’s edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack now begins a series called Politics And Your Faith with a message titled Why Should The Christian Care? Now, when we look at our Christianity, there’s no place in life where a Christian should not be a Christian, including politics. Now, this is why this series is vitally important, especially when it comes down to how we vote in the upcoming election.
So we urge you to tune in and tell your friends and family about it too. You see, as Christians, we are not only living by a spiritual mandate, but a cultural one as well. Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5 that we are the light of the world, and we have a responsibility to be a public witness of our faith to the world.
Today, Pastor Jack teaches that we are to be public Christians, not just private believers. According to the Bible, you and I come from a long line of cultural crusaders, including the Apostle Paul, who used his political standing in Rome to appeal to Caesar. But before we get into today’s message, I had a chance to sit down with Pastor Jack for a few minutes just to talk about it.
And so here’s me with Pastor Jack. So Pastor Jack, being in the Politics And Your Faith series, a short series.
Yeah, yeah.
Why should a Christian care about politics?
The Christian should care because the Christian does politics every day.
What do you mean?
You can’t avoid it. Well, did you put gas in your car? Did you eat?
Did you eat this morning? Did you drive through some place? Did you stop at a stoplight?
Did you look at the cleanliness or not regarding your city? Politics, friends! The price of gas is a political price.
It’s made. It’s made that way. So the answer is this.
In our nation, we’ve been granted the privilege to send to the halls of power those that should represent our view. That’s called a republic, okay? And so the reason why the Christian should vote and get involved in politics is because we decide who’s going to make decisions for us.
We’re going to decide how we’re going to live. What will be the standard of living? What will be the quality of life?
Will we have the freedom to go on vacation and the resources to do so, or will we become those that are subject to a tyrant and really pay the taxes and pay the tyranny for their own interest? And sadly, it’s very much how America is today because, quite frankly, the Christian sits it out. The Christian has been a horrible, horrible steward of this remarkable opportunity called voting.
It’s part of the politics, but no one’s going to avoid politics. When you go buy today a burger, the cost of that burger is based on politics.
I never thought of it that way. It’s interesting. Now with his message called, Why Should The Christian Care?
Here’s pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.
Father, we ask you, Lord, in Jesus’ name, that you by the power of your Holy Spirit would speak to us from your word, give us ears to hear. And Lord, may we just grow up real quick right now that our theology is not emotionally based theology. Our theology is biblically based theology.
We name the name of Jesus. And tonight, as we look for this next several weeks in this dynamic topic that is going to lead us into incredible areas of reason, of debate, of logic, of conclusion, we pray that you would give us, Lord, wisdom. Your Bible tells us that wisdom is available for us.
And so we ask it now, Lord, in Jesus’ name, and all God’s people said amen. Well, church, grab your Bibles tonight, and I’m excited because we have a series within a series. Number one, obviously on Wednesday nights, we are looking at the Worldview series, and we’re looking at topics that are topics where most of our young people today, if not all of them, if you are in high school or college university campuses, you are dealing with the issues that we’ve been covering, and we’ll cover more of them.
But this isn’t a very amazing time right now, because we are going into a topic regarding politics and how it relates to Christianity. Why? Because it is the big issue on college campuses.
It’s the issue at water coolers and companies across America. It’s what’s being talked about with friends and families. It’s what is being talked about with neighbors about politics.
You would say tonight, I can’t believe I’m hearing the word politics in a church. I was brought up not to mix religion and politics. Then you grew up in a very boring home.
If you can’t mix religion and politics, then listen, what does politics mix with? What does religion mix with? Are you saying that you can’t mix things?
Listen, I come from a worldview background because I’ve read my Bible a whole lot, that everything is to be mixed with my biblical religion. That is my faith in Christ. Everything.
There’s nothing segregated from my biblical worldview. And I’m going to challenge you that right now as we get into this. And I’m going to want you to be thinking, because we are looking at the worldview series topic of politics, but specifically tonight, why should a Christian care?
We are in the midst of a political season, and it is going to get very hot and very heavy as things get underway or as they approach the big day. Acts chapter 17. Grab your Bibles and turn there if you would.
And we’ll use this Paul’s visit to Athens, as we have been in our series, to launch us into this topic. As you’re turning there, Acts 17, we’ll be talking tonight about leadership, about politics, obviously, government. A lot of people don’t realize government is created by God.
God invented government. We’ll be looking at and challenging our worldview. This has to do with apologetics.
And ultimately in our lives as Christians, righteousness. How do we live? It really matters.
In Acts chapter 17, look at verse 28. Paul says to the Athenians regarding this God who is unknown to the Greeks, that he is in fact the one for in him we live and move and have our being. That this God of the Bible is the all-powerful God.
He is the all-knowing God. He is the God that is very intimately involved in our lives. He’s aware of everything.
Our thoughts, our motives. He is God and there is no other God according to the Bible. That he is the one true and soul living God.
And as we live and move and have our very existence in him, Paul makes that argument. It’s interesting to note that the apostle Paul’s argument was simply this to them, that there’s no place on earth that they could go, that is the Greeks, where God was not at. And I want to, I want to grab that and take it into your thinking tonight.
Is there, church, listen, is there anywhere that you can go where God is not at? Do you really believe that? If God is God and he is, and if he’s everywhere, as Paul was telling the Athenians there, and if you’re a Christian tonight, then listen, if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, that means wherever you go, he is, and oh, by the way, read the fine print, wherever you show up, he’s already been, that if we go where we go, is not God interested in that place where we go?
Absolutely yes. So then where as Christians are we not to take our Christianity? Where are we as Christians not to speak in the name of Jesus?
Where are we as Christians not to be a witness? Everywhere, there is no place where we are exempt from being Christians. Can someone say amen to that?
We are Christians 24-7-365. And for us to think for a moment that I’m a Christian, but when it comes to my job, I’m not a Christian. That would make you a profound hypocrite.
I’m a Christian, but when I go and do this, then I’m not a Christian. You’re living a lie according to 1 John. I’m a Christian, but when I vote, I don’t vote the things that concern God.
Then you are missing the very purpose of your Biblical worldview, of having the Bible dictate in our lives all these things. Proverbs 29, verse 2, Church, jot it down. Proverbs 29, verse 2 says, When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
And you need to underline the word authority. Empower over the people. When good people are in power, the people are happy about that.
But when wicked men rule, people groan. Jesus Christ gave you and I, the Christian, a cultural mandate as believers. Because tonight, our culture would have us, listen, right now, our culture would speak into this sanctuary tonight and say, Christians, you can do anything you want in that room that you’re in right now.
You can do anything you want. Just don’t take it outside the walls of this building. Do not take your Christian belief into the culture.
The Bible says the exact opposite. You’re going to need to make a decision tonight about where Jesus Christ is to be Lord in your life. If you’re really smart, you will understand very quickly, Jesus Christ is Lord all the time everywhere in my life.
In my opinion, there’s no other type of Christianity. But Jesus Christ, I believe, as we’ll see tonight, gave us a mandate to reach our culture with the gospel number one. Will you jot that down?
The number one thing that you and I are to be doing, every believer, is to let the world know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and their sins, for the sins of the world. And the Bible says that he rose again from the grave for our justification. Jesus died, but thank God he didn’t stay dead.
He rose again from the grave and empowered what he did at the cross so that you and I in the 21st century tonight can experience salvation by putting our faith into his finished work. Jesus did it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left its crimson stain, but what?
He washed it as white as snow. Our Jesus. In Matthew 5.13, look in your Bibles, look on the screen, mark it down as a mandate regarding our involvement in our culture, that we are public Christians, not private believers.
Matthew 5.13, Jesus said to us, You are the salt of the earth. Salt used for purification, salt used for preservation, salt used for healing. But if the salt loses its flavor or its sting or its taste, how shall it be seasoned or re-seasoned?
It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under the foot of men. You are the light of the world. Listen, keep the verse up on the screens.
Listen to that. You are the light of the what? World.
That means the world is to see your light. And listen, you don’t have to answer. Just let it provoke your thinking.
Well, we don’t talk about these things in the church I attend. Or we don’t talk about these things where I live. We leave God out of these things, not according to Jesus.
Let’s keep going. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand.
Why? Why would they do that? Because, look, it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your… Listen to this command. Let your light so shine before men.
The word implies all men, saved and unsaved, Christian, non-Christian, all mankind, that they may see your good works. You have to circle those two words. Good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven.
That is an amazing statement. There’s gonna come a day when the world, in that moment of standing before God, will somehow give glory to God. I don’t know how it’s gonna happen, but they’re gonna give glory to God somehow by your godly witness in that day.
They may not appreciate us now, but there’s gonna be a day because of the reality of your Christianity, that you really lived it out, that they will be giving honor to God.
You’re listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com.
And for now, let’s get back to our teaching. Once again, here’s Pastor Jack.
Point number one tonight in our arguments, and I say arguments lovingly, we are presenting these. Our biblical worldview on politics as Christians, as we approach this election season, the question is tonight, why should the Christian care? For this number one reason.
First, because we have a responsibility to God. Will you write that down? We have a responsibility to God.
You’ve all heard this saying, and I’ll read it. Don’t be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. You ever heard that before?
How many of you heard that before? Don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good. Listen, I personally do not think that that’s the church’s problem tonight.
Oh, you’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good. Translation, your head’s in the clouds all the time, and your faith really doesn’t make any difference. You’re so praising God and so in touch with heaven that you’re in some sort of a fog bank here on earth.
I don’t think that’s the situation. I think, listen, that’s far too many believers today, far too many churches, far too many pastors, far too many Christian leaders are so earthly minded that they’re no heavenly good. It’s all about how big the church can get.
It’s all about how much money can come in. It’s all about this, that, it’s how cool and how hip the church can be. It’s how, you know, we’ve got a movement going, but nothing over time seems to come out of it.
Cultures don’t change. And what kind of Christianity is that? It looks good.
A shooting star looks awesome. It looks fantastic. It looks spectacular.
But it doesn’t affect anything. And it’s for a moment. No, I think the challenge tonight is if we’re gonna be real Christians, that we should be so in touch with heaven, receiving from God the heartbeat of God, the things that concern God, and those things that concern God will be right here on earth in our culture.
We will be heavenly minded, and we will be earthly good. So as we consider this, we have a responsibility to God. Listen, the Christian is to be a public witness in this world everywhere at all times.
You might be sitting here tonight, or maybe you’re watching right now on Internet TV, and you’re saying, I’ve decided not to vote. You cannot, are you a Christian? You can’t decide that.
You’ve got to be involved. That is a horrific manifestation of a fancied up form of an apathy. Can’t go there, can’t do that.
Listen, number one thing, I’ll give you some motivation because it motivates me. There’s a day coming in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 9. It says, Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, that is, in this world to be well pleasing to God, to him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That’s where every Christian will stand for judgment, not the great white throne. You and I will stand before the Bema seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body.
What did we do in this body of ours in the time that we had? According to what he has done, whether good or bad, knowing, therefore, the tear of the Lord, here it is, we persuade men. That will be the passion of these weeks ahead of us as we get down to the election on these Wednesday nights, as we go through these hot button topics, is to persuade men.
That is a biblical thing. We are, as Christians, to persuade people. What’s a fancy word for persuading?
We are to offer up apologetic, apology, not sorry apology. Apology as in the defense of an argument. An attorney gives an argument for his case, and he does it in an apologetic manner, not, I’m sorry, Your Honor.
That’s not what the word means. It’s, Your Honor, here’s the reason why. I’m presenting my case.
Here’s the evidence. Here’s the fact. I make my apologetic presentation.
It is an argument. It is a presentation. We’re going to do that.
We, as believers, come from a long line, if you’re wondering, of cultural impacting people. Let me name a few of them who have influenced their culture, listen, in the realm of politics slash governments. Because someone’s going to tell you, well, you know what, that church or that pastor or that, you know, you Christian, you’re too political.
And I’m against being political. I take up issues that are Biblical. And I, listen, over my dead body, will I allow politics to come and steal God-ordained topics and have them make it their own?
It’s not going to happen. No way. And hallelujah someday, government will answer to God.
God will never answer to government. And on top of it, he’s the inventor of government. It’s one of the three great sacred institutions that God has established.
Think of that. When someone wants to argue with you, you argue back and say, who invented government? The Bible tells us.
We’ll look more and more of that as the weeks progress. So here’s your examples. Men of God who encountered politically in a governmental way, their cultures.
Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of Daniel? Daniel saw no problem taking his faith into the public arena. What about Esther?
Wow. What about Jeremiah? You know, I left out Moses, but Moses, did Moses take his faith before the very ruler of the world, Pharaoh?
Absolutely. What about Isaiah? Boy, Isaiah did that.
What about this guy? He pulled no punches. This one.
He walked right into the den of government and said, You’re in trouble with God. John the Baptist. John the Baptist walked right into the governmental halls of power and said, You’re sinning against God by having your brother’s wife.
Even Paul the Apostle, I love this. Paul the Apostle used his political privilege to demand to the Roman Empire regarding his case of Christianity, I appeal to Caesar as a Roman citizen. And the law, listen, the law said any Roman who had a case could appeal to Caesar in Rome.
And the Roman government would pay for your trip to argue your case. And Paul the Apostle, being a Christian, said, I want to make my case, and I want to tell it to everybody. And so I’m in trouble right now for preaching the resurrection of the dead.
Okay, well here it is. I appeal to Caesar. I’m a Roman citizen.
I want to go to Rome. I want to tell Caesar my case. And he did.
He saw no difference of separation of church and state, which by the way does not exist. I challenge you, I invite you go find it, and I’ll read it. In 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 1, the Bible says, Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, and intercessions, and the giving of thanks be made for all men.
For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead, listen, here’s the reason why. Isn’t this amazing? That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Did you hear that? Everybody, you guys awake? You’re so quiet.
My goodness, you think we’re talking about something controversial tonight. Look at that. Pray for the authorities over your life.
What authorities? All authorities, governments, military, police, all of it.
Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio with his message called Why Should The Christian Care? You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s new series called Politics And Your Faith. It’s a series on obeying God in all things, politics, government, and our world view.
And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
So it’s about time to vote. And you happen to have in a particular office, two candidates that do not represent your biblical worldview. In fact, they might be two candidates that are of an opposing party or whatever the case might be.
Well, listen, my friend, you must vote. But here’s how you do it. You first of all, pray, and then you vote, and then you pray again.
But when you vote, realize this. You need to vote with some intelligence. And you need to look at a voter’s guide, or you need to find out about these candidates.
So for example, if you have two extreme progressive liberals that are running against each other, and you think you have no choice, I would like to offer you this opportunity. If you look at both of their previous voting records, or if they’ve never had a previous voting record, look at their position on the issues. And one of them will be closer to a biblical worldview than the other.
Now granted, both of them are far from a biblical worldview, but one of them might be, for example, pro-life, or they might have a less aggressive view of abortion. Or if that’s not the option, it might be taxes, or it might be the topic of Israel, or the border. Vote for the individual that represents your concerns biblically based, even if it’s only one issue.
By all means, exercise your freedom to vote. People died that you and I might have the freedom to vote. So let’s pray right now for the wisdom of God.
Father, we come to you in Jesus’ name, and we ask you, Lord God, that you would give us wisdom from coast to coast, border to border, in this election, that we would be people who would not sit it out, that we would not be idle servants, that we would not in any way miss an opportunity to do good. And so Father, give us wisdom to vote, even for those really, really difficult candidates that do not represent us at all. Show us the one that’s less evil than the other.
And God, we pray for your mercy upon this nation. We need it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com, that’s jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word.
We’ll see you next time, here on Real Life Radio.
