1 Samuel 8:1-22; Matthew 5:13-16; Rom. 13:1-7
How to Vote as a Christian
(Series: Current Events through a Biblical Lens)
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
NLT 1 Samuel 8:1-7 – As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 "Look," they told him, "you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have." 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. 7 "Do everything they say to you," the LORD replied, "for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer.
NLT 1 Samuel 8:19-22 – But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said. 20 "We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle." 21 So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said, 22 and the LORD replied, "Do as they say, and give them a king." Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
Main Point: Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so we must use the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s guidance when deciding how to vote.
I. Our decisions must not be swayed by six wrong criteria.
a. Don’t focus on political correctness.
b. Don’t focus on personal charisma.
c. Don’t focus on popular opinion.
d. Don’t focus on possessions and material benefits.
e. Don’t focus on party affiliation.
f. Don’t focus on physical attributes.
i.Gender is not appropriate criteria.
ii.Race is not appropriate criteria.
II. We must remember five principles to make the correct decisions.
a. God comes first.
b. Scripture is our guide.
c. We are salt and light.
d. Actions are more important than words.
Ask These Seven Simple Questions · Does he/she display genuine faith in God? · Does he/she have integrity and is honesty? · Does he/she value the sanctity of human life? · Does he/she support marriage and family values? · Has he/she remained faithful to his/her spouse? · Will he/she enforce all the law faithfully? · Is he/she skilled enough to lead a nation? III. Godly decisions require good research.
a. Understand the political process.
b. Understand the candidates.
c. Understand the issues.
d. Understand the Bible.
Conclusion: This is what you and I must do to vote God’s way.
e. Pray
f. Study
g. Seek wise counsel.
h. Listen to God’s Spirit
i. Share your insights
j. Then, vote for the person who comes closest to the biblical criteria.
Challenge: Are you going to follow or reject the Lord’s leadership? Are you going to be a godly or ungodly influence in this year’s upcoming election?