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Note: this message takes many points and notes from a message by John MacArthur to which I’ve added my own thoughts and teaching. Here is MacArthur’s original message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5vAA_QpNh8

This my message Sunday morning Oct 11 on this topic.

John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

  • Nations are obligated to follow the true God or suffer dire consequences
  • Not just Christians, or “Christian nations”, all nations

No Other Gods
Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.

There’s only one God, only one true God.

  • All humanity is commanded to worship that one true God, and the fundamental reason, the fundamental plan of God, as far as nations are concerned, is to bless the nations that acknowledge Him as the true God.

Judgment becomes inevitable because when you turn from the one true God you therefore turn from His law; and when you turn from His law:

  • reverence is gone,
  • morality is gone,
  • fear is gone,
  • virtue is gone,
  • and God is gone.

Acts 14: “God has allowed all the nations to go their own way.” It’s the way of destruction.

That’s the cycle of the history of nations.

  • From bondage to spiritual faith.
  • From spiritual faith to great courage.
  • From courage to liberty.
  • From liberty to abundance.
  • From abundance to selfishness.
  • From selfishness to complacency.
  • From complacency to apathy.
  • From apathy to dependency.
  • From dependency back again into bondage

That’s what Paul’s talking about in

  • Romans 1:21 “They knew God, they glorify Him not as God, and the wrath of God was unleashed on them. God gave them over to lusts and impurity; gave them over to unlawful degrading passions, women with women, and men with men; gave them over to a depraved mind, and they heartily approved behaviors that they knew led them to judgment.”

God gave us the 10 Commandment and Government for a Reason

Three uses for the law of God:

  1. To show the sinner what holiness was like so the sinner could see how far short he falls, be convicted and repent personally, and receive the salvation that God offers through Christ.
  2. Too become the standard for believers’ behavior as they walk in sanctification and holiness.
  3. To restrain sin in society.

JC Ryle said about England: “In what manner God would punish England if English government casts off all connections with Him. I cannot tell whether He would punish us by some sudden blow such as defeat in war and the occupation of our territory by a foreign power, whether He would waste us away gradually and slowly by loss of commercial prosperity, whether He would break us to pieces by letting fools rule over us and allowing parliament to obey them, whether He would ruin us by sending a dearth of wise statesmen. But one thing I am sure: the state that sows the seed of national neglect of God will sooner or later reap a harvest of national disaster and national ruin.”

There is no god except the God of the Bible.

  • There is no true morality but the morality of the Bible.
  • There’s no true worship but the worship of the true and living God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • There is no personal blessing apart from Him
  • There is no national blessing apart from honoring Him
  • There is no way to Him except through Jesus Christ.

Removing the worship of the true God is a disaster to a nation.

  • First things we must do is Timothy 2:12, Paul said, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings” – rulers – “all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

For that to happen we have to pray for the leaders who are in authority,

  • Pray that they will submit to God:
  • Pray they would be saved

When God and Christ in Scripture are dishonored in a nation there will be violence, there will be a sea of lies, wickedness abounding, and shame.

  • There will not be a tranquil, peaceful life in all of godliness and dignity. Joshua 24:20, “If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.”
  • There’s no question that God has done good to our nation; but He will consume this nation if it stays on the path it’s on.

Removing the worship of the true God, removing the authority of His Word, the voice of the church, the moral education of children and youth, removing the gospel because it’s too offensive is the path to national destruction.

Listen to how broad the Bible says worship of the true God is:

  • Psalm 33:8, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the nations of the world revere Him.”
  • Psalm 117:1, “Praise the Lord, all you nations; and extol Him, all you peoples!” Now that has to come from leadership.
  • Psalm 72:11 says, “Let all kings bow down before Him, and all nations serve Him.”

All kings, all nations.

Jonah 3: The People of Nineveh Repent

God declared DOOM on a pagan nation who rejected Him

  • This is not about personal salvation; this is God’s principle that He blesses nations who recognize Him, and judges nation who reject Him

Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar & Belshazzar

Daniel 4–5:  Nebuchadnezzar who thought himself to be God, and he was turned into a beast. Belshazzar elevated himself and God judged him.

God is the same God today.

Immutable: unchanging over time or unable to be changed.

  • This puts a huge burden on leadership of a country.
  • A lot of people are pursuing political power.
  • You should be cautious of that because God holds you to account

Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice; when a wicked man rules, people groan.”

  • Have you been groaning? “When a wicked man rules, people groan.”

A “Country Changing” Election is Near

  • Two distinct and opposite ideologies are wanting your vote
  • Both sides have the common problems of fiscal insanity and degrading morality
  • One side wants to take us there immediately and openly rejects God
  • The other side still believes in law and order

As election day nears, we must consider what the Bible — which equips for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17) — says about civil ruler qualifications.

Rulers must be fear God to be Just

2 Samuel 23:3–4 (ESV) 3 The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, 4 he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

  • Rulers must Rule by God’s Law  Luke 6:46
  • A ruler is to “Serve the Lord with fear” Psalm 2:11
  • A ruler is God’s servant Romans 13:4
  • Rulers must not be Covetous Exodus 18:21
  • Rulers must be Competent to Perform Civil Matters Exodus 18:21
  • Rulers must be truthful (Ex 18:21; Pr 16:10; 17:7; 20:28; 29:12, 14; Is 16:5; Zc 8:16).
    • We live in a sea of lies… because of that even good leaders like Pence are assumed to be liars
  • Wisdom (Dt 1:13; 2 Ch 9:7; Pr 8:12–16; 20:8, 26; contrast Pr 28:16)
  • Just (Dt 16:18, 20; 33:21; 2 Sm 8:15; 23:3; 1 Ki 10:9; 2 Ch 9:8; Ps 45:7; Pr 8:15; 16:12; 17:15; 25:5; 29:2, 4, 27; Is 11:4f; 16:5; 32:1; 51:4; 56:1; Jer 21:12; 22:2–5; Ezk 18:11–13, 15–17).
  • Opposed To Bribes Exodus 23:8

Proverbs 17:7, “Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less lying lips to a ruler.”

  • Are you not weary of lying people in power?
  • Proverbs 20:28 says, “Loyalty and truth preserve the king.”

To be a virtuous ruler, to lead a nation that God will bless, a leader must:

  • worship the true God,
  • must conduct his life and his affairs on behalf of the country with righteousness, justice, wisdom, honesty, morality.
  • He must be humble.
  • He must be a protector of those who need protection.
  • He must have courage.

A person who has character, conviction, virtue, righteousness, wisdom, honesty  and courage will be very careful with power;

  • As opposed to most of our political leaders today want power at all costs, and will do anything to keep it, and enrich themselves through it

There is no other way to distinguish a good ruler from a bad ruler. It’s not personality.

  • God’s standards are the only way to distinguish a good ruler from a bad one.

Short of national revival of the Gospel and a nation wide repentance, it is unlikely we will ever have Godly leaders again.

Despite the patriotic, fiscal and civil good the current President has done, which is a good thing… we’ve seen no repentance, humility, increasing morality or a declaration of national recognition of God (not government forced recognition, voluntary recognition)

Is there an ideal king?

A King will come who will reign righteously, and He will establish His kingdom – none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 67:1–7 (ESV)  1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah   2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.   3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!   4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah   5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!   6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.   7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!