Sunday, May 21, 2006
May 7, 2006--Christianity as Political Campaign?
Note: This post is not a transcript of the sermon. It is based on the loose outline notes used by the pastor in delivering the sermon. Actual sermon may have differed. No recording available. Sorry.
Text: James 1:5-6; Proverbs 3:5; Ecclesiastes 3:17
Well, it is good to be back here at home with you all. This has been an interesting and humbling week in some cases. We had a primary this past Tuesday, and I was working closely with two campaigns. Neither was a winner once the votes were tallied. Both campaigns lost. What a humbling experience! However, it was also a learning experience. As I reflected on what might have been, I also had some other thoughts.
In some ways, we are both candidate and campaign worker in an election, in terms of being Christians, or those who follow Christ. More about being a candidate later, for now, I want to talk about us as workers in the great Campaign of Christ. The good news is, He's already won, really. The bad news is, there is a lot of work when working on a campaign. Let's think about what it takes to be a good campaign worker and apply it to our Christian walk.
First, we must be sure of our candidate. We have to be sure this is the person we want to sweat, bleed, and work for. We have to believe in the candidate. We have to value what is being fought for. Can we think of a better candidate to believe in than Christ? Ok.
Now, we also have to know the candidate's position. Yep, time to hit the books, or in this case, the Good Book. When you work on a campaign, your own positions become nil and you take on the positions of the candidate. You live the candidate's positions, you talk them, you walk them, you live them. Likewise, we need to do the same in this campaign. Here is the great thing though. In real campaigning, you can disagree with the candidate, you can have divergence on what is right. Here, we are guaranteed of being right if we follow this Candidate's position. However, to find what it is, we have to discern it through study in the Bible. We have to read the teachings, ask for discernment, meditate on them, and pray for guidance and insight. Then, having done that and getting what we seek, we will be better workers for God's campaign.
Next, we have to be willing to work...hard...for a candidate, as well as take a stand. You have to be willing to put out yard signs, bang the pavement, knock on doors, open minds. Likewise, as a Christian, we are called upon to spread God's word. We are called upon to spread the Gospel through interactions with others. Sometimes this takes a lot of guts as well as a lot of work. Taking a stand is also key to both campaigning as well as living a Christian life. We have to be firm in our conviction for our candidate.
WE have to not listen to the deceptions and misinformation about our candidate, and there is a lot out there. We have to listen to the candidate, and follow His lead. We have to believe in Him, not in the disinformation. When we have doubts, we need to bring them before the Candidate, to find out the straight scoop. Here is the good news. There is no skeleton in this candidate's closet. However, there are tempting offers to jump ship by the other guys. There are whispers meant to make us doubt and leave this campaign. However, our candidate is the only true winner. He has already won. We need to realize we would be fools to jump ship. We need to realize our rewards will be so much greater than what the opposition can give us. However, that will not stop the opposition from engaging in dirty tricks, intimidation, bribing, cheating. However, if we stay with our candidate, stay above the fray, we will win with our Candidate.
Another important thing for campaign workers is having a great campaign manager. Ours is a great one--the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is that still small voice urging us on, being a cheerleader at times and a boss at others, just as a campaign manager does. And the best news is, this one never gets tired or needs time off. With culling the best of the best from the populace under the Holy Spirit, and with the power of the Candidate, we will not lose. Christ Himself, ala Joe Namath, guarantees it. However, this truly is a sure thing, unlike earthly guarantees.
So, in some ways we could be compared to campaign workers, getting the word out about our candidate, Christ. However, we are not voting to elect Christ. He is, was, and always will be the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. In many ways, we are running for office. We will be voted upon by an electorate of one, Christ. We are striving to be elected to the Heavenly eternity, the body of the Chosen. We have to beleive the texts, so to speak of our Party, the Body of Christ. We have to stand on the promises that Christ says we must follow, we have to pledge our allegiance to God's principles. We have to follow the advice of that campaign manager, the Holy Spirit. We have to resist the temptations outside the campaign, the vices, etc. that would distract us. And, most importantly, like all candidates, we will have a record of what we have done that we cannot hide from. We cannot hide our mistakes from this electorate. We cannot keep things hush hush. However, we can be up front with this Electorate and ask forgiveness, for the remission of the sins. If we do that before Election Day, we might yet win. However, if we do not, or even if we do, the truth is for all, we will be judged according to our record. It is up to us to decide to run on truth or on something else. I, for one, pray, that that we will all meet up again together at the victory rally when Christ comes again to cast the votes!
Text: James 1:5-6; Proverbs 3:5; Ecclesiastes 3:17
Well, it is good to be back here at home with you all. This has been an interesting and humbling week in some cases. We had a primary this past Tuesday, and I was working closely with two campaigns. Neither was a winner once the votes were tallied. Both campaigns lost. What a humbling experience! However, it was also a learning experience. As I reflected on what might have been, I also had some other thoughts.
In some ways, we are both candidate and campaign worker in an election, in terms of being Christians, or those who follow Christ. More about being a candidate later, for now, I want to talk about us as workers in the great Campaign of Christ. The good news is, He's already won, really. The bad news is, there is a lot of work when working on a campaign. Let's think about what it takes to be a good campaign worker and apply it to our Christian walk.
First, we must be sure of our candidate. We have to be sure this is the person we want to sweat, bleed, and work for. We have to believe in the candidate. We have to value what is being fought for. Can we think of a better candidate to believe in than Christ? Ok.
Now, we also have to know the candidate's position. Yep, time to hit the books, or in this case, the Good Book. When you work on a campaign, your own positions become nil and you take on the positions of the candidate. You live the candidate's positions, you talk them, you walk them, you live them. Likewise, we need to do the same in this campaign. Here is the great thing though. In real campaigning, you can disagree with the candidate, you can have divergence on what is right. Here, we are guaranteed of being right if we follow this Candidate's position. However, to find what it is, we have to discern it through study in the Bible. We have to read the teachings, ask for discernment, meditate on them, and pray for guidance and insight. Then, having done that and getting what we seek, we will be better workers for God's campaign.
Next, we have to be willing to work...hard...for a candidate, as well as take a stand. You have to be willing to put out yard signs, bang the pavement, knock on doors, open minds. Likewise, as a Christian, we are called upon to spread God's word. We are called upon to spread the Gospel through interactions with others. Sometimes this takes a lot of guts as well as a lot of work. Taking a stand is also key to both campaigning as well as living a Christian life. We have to be firm in our conviction for our candidate.
WE have to not listen to the deceptions and misinformation about our candidate, and there is a lot out there. We have to listen to the candidate, and follow His lead. We have to believe in Him, not in the disinformation. When we have doubts, we need to bring them before the Candidate, to find out the straight scoop. Here is the good news. There is no skeleton in this candidate's closet. However, there are tempting offers to jump ship by the other guys. There are whispers meant to make us doubt and leave this campaign. However, our candidate is the only true winner. He has already won. We need to realize we would be fools to jump ship. We need to realize our rewards will be so much greater than what the opposition can give us. However, that will not stop the opposition from engaging in dirty tricks, intimidation, bribing, cheating. However, if we stay with our candidate, stay above the fray, we will win with our Candidate.
Another important thing for campaign workers is having a great campaign manager. Ours is a great one--the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is that still small voice urging us on, being a cheerleader at times and a boss at others, just as a campaign manager does. And the best news is, this one never gets tired or needs time off. With culling the best of the best from the populace under the Holy Spirit, and with the power of the Candidate, we will not lose. Christ Himself, ala Joe Namath, guarantees it. However, this truly is a sure thing, unlike earthly guarantees.
So, in some ways we could be compared to campaign workers, getting the word out about our candidate, Christ. However, we are not voting to elect Christ. He is, was, and always will be the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. In many ways, we are running for office. We will be voted upon by an electorate of one, Christ. We are striving to be elected to the Heavenly eternity, the body of the Chosen. We have to beleive the texts, so to speak of our Party, the Body of Christ. We have to stand on the promises that Christ says we must follow, we have to pledge our allegiance to God's principles. We have to follow the advice of that campaign manager, the Holy Spirit. We have to resist the temptations outside the campaign, the vices, etc. that would distract us. And, most importantly, like all candidates, we will have a record of what we have done that we cannot hide from. We cannot hide our mistakes from this electorate. We cannot keep things hush hush. However, we can be up front with this Electorate and ask forgiveness, for the remission of the sins. If we do that before Election Day, we might yet win. However, if we do not, or even if we do, the truth is for all, we will be judged according to our record. It is up to us to decide to run on truth or on something else. I, for one, pray, that that we will all meet up again together at the victory rally when Christ comes again to cast the votes!
# posted by Mark : 1:34 PM
