BEING GOOD CITIZENS
[10-17-10]
Let’s Pray For, and Work Toward, Our Nation Being A Great Nation:
Psalm 33:12) [GNB] Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD; happy are the people he has chosen for his own!
1 Samuel 2:30) [GNB] I, the LORD God of Israel, promised in the past that your family and your clan would serve me as priests for all time. But now I say that I won’t have it any longer! Instead, I will honor those who honor me, and I will treat with contempt those who despise me.
Proverbs 14:34) [GNB] Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.
QUESTION: Though primarily these Scriptures speak of Israel, do they relate to us?
ANSWER: Absolutely! Righteousness makes any nation great; sin disgraces any nation. God will still honor those who honor Him!
The Three Branches of Government:
Isaiah 33:22) [KJV] For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
QUESTION: In a theocracy God is judge, lawgiver, and king/ruler. Why wouldn’t one man being those three things work in a democracy?
ANSWER: Power corrupts! Absolute power corrupts absolutely!
QUESTION: What, then, is the answer for a democracy?
ANSWER: Three separate branches of government, each balancing the powers of the other two.
QUESTION: What should those three branches of government be?
ANSWER: God is judge; we need a judicial branch. God is lawgiver; we need a legislative branch. God is king; we need an executive branch.
Our Responsibility to Be Salt and Light:
Matthew 5:13-16) [GNB] “You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it.
14) [GNB] “You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.
15) [GNB] No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house.
16) [GNB] In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”
QUESTION: What two responsibilities do we have in this passage?
ANSWER: We are to be salt and light.
QUESTION: We understand these commands in reference to being Christians; how do we apply them regarding our being good citizens as Christians?
ANSWER: We must, as a nation, be that seasoning that God intended our nation to be. We must be a good nation doing good things for the rest of the world.
QUESTION: What must we, as citizens of the USA, and as Christians, do then?
ANSWER: We must vote in all elections. We must vote in accordance with our Christian convictions.
Render to Caesar and to God:
Matthew 22:21) [GNB] “The Emperor’s,” they answered. So Jesus said to them, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”
QUESTION: What do we owe God?
ANSWER: Everything! We owe Him our total allegiance!
QUESTION: What do we owe Caesar/our country?
ANSWER: We owe our country to be the best citizens we can be.
QUESTION: What does that involve?
ANSWER: We must be informed voters. We must vote for people that will make decisions that will honor God.
QUESTION: What are important issues in this coming election?
ANSWER: Abortion! Taxes! Size of government! Individual rights of citizens!
NOTE: You can’t give someone more control/power over your life without losing more control/power over your life. The more power we allow government to have, the less power/freedom we have.