by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Daniel 4:8-27<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. Accepting the idea that Christians should vote when their government gives them the\nopportunity to do so, the question then turns to whom should we vote?\n A. Far too often we are presented with choices where it appears we must choose\nbetween the lesser of two evils\n B. I might have opinions on the current candidates, but is my opinion worth anything?\nHow does choosing among the current candidates help future generations in their\nselection\n C. The Bible does tell us what characteristics make one ruler “good” and another\n“bad.”\n D. While in biblical times people were stuck with their ruler until God removed him,\ncan we not use those principles to help weigh our options?\n
II. A Ruler is God’s Servant<\/p>\n
A. Governments exist by God’s ordination – Romans 13:1-2<\/p>\n
1. God puts those in power that He desires – Daniel 4:17<\/p>\n
2. I Samuel 2:8<\/p>\n
B. Governmental leaders then are God’s servants – Romans 13:6<\/p>\n
1. Even those who might not acknowledge God – Jeremiah 27:4-11<\/p>\n
C. When God wanted a replacement for Saul – I Samuel 13:14<\/p>\n
1. David was a man who obeyed God – I Kings 11:34<\/p>\n
2. Israel fell because its rulers broke God’s laws – Jeremiah 2:8<\/p>\n
D. A wicked ruler is destructive – Proverbs 28:15<\/p>\n
E. Poor rulers desire power. Good leaders want to serve – Matthew 20:25-28<\/p>\n
III. A Ruler Leads<\/p>\n
A. A good ruler leads by example – Ecclesiastes 10:17<\/p>\n
B. A corrupt ruler will lead the people astray – Ezra 9:2<\/p>\n
IV. A Ruler Dispenses Justice – Micah 3:1<\/p>\n
A. A ruler must not act foolishly – Ecclesiastes 10:5-7<\/p>\n
B. A ruler needs wisdom – Proverbs 8:16<\/p>\n
1. When Solomon was made king – I Kings 3:7-12<\/p>\n
2. Pharaoh chose Joseph to rule over Egypt – Genesis 41:33-41<\/p>\n
3. Nebuchadnezzar chose Daniel to rule – Daniel 2:47-48<\/p>\n
C. Without wisdom, men turn to might to get their way – Proverbs 28:16<\/p>\n
1. They prey on their own people – Ezekiel 45:9, Zephaniah 3:3<\/p>\n
2. Plundering the poor – Isaiah 3:14<\/p>\n
D. Kings are placed on thrones to do justice – I Kings 10:9<\/p>\n
1. They act on behalf of God – II Chronicles 19:6<\/p>\n
2. Israel had rulers who abhorred justice – Micah 3:9-12<\/p>\n
E. This is why bribery is condemned, it interferes with justice<\/p>\n
1. Willing to destroy for money – Ezekiel 22:27<\/p>\n
F. Nor are rulers to use alcohol – Proverbs 31:4-5<\/p>\n
1. Drinking led to the downfall of Israel – Jeremiah 51:57<\/p>\n
V. A Ruler Punishes Evil – Romans 13:3-4<\/p>\n
A. To do this, a king must reign in righteousness – Isaiah 32:1<\/p>\n
B. If a ruler accepts lies, corruption spreads – Proverbs 29:12<\/p>\n
C. Destruction follows those who accept evil – Isaiah 1:23<\/p>\n
1. It was a cause of Israel’s fall – Hosea 4:18; 7:3-7<\/p>\n
VI. If you want to enjoy peace and prosperity, look for good rulers<\/p>\n
A. We might not always get one. God might have other plans.<\/p>\n B. But more importantly, we need to cultivate a society that desires and produces\ngood leaders – that means teaching God’s word, spreading the gospel, rebuking\nsin, and advocating morality.\n
C. It has to start somewhere, why not with you?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Daniel 4:8-27 I. Accepting the idea that Christians should vote when their government gives them the opportunity to do so, the question then turns to whom should we vote? A. Far too often we are presented with choices where it appears we must choose between the lesser of two evils B. I might…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32],"tags":[310,1122],"class_list":["post-63708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-government","tag-leadership"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26716,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/voting-and-the-lesser-of-two-evils\/","url_meta":{"origin":63708,"position":0},"title":"Voting and the Lesser of Two Evils","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Frank Walton In politics, one will never find the perfect candidate among flawed humanity. So then, one will often vote for the least objectional candidate with whom they agree the most. Hence, when people vote for the least objectionable candidate, they say, \"This choice is the lesser of two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/vote-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":28845,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-should-we-pray-for-a-corrupt-ruler\/","url_meta":{"origin":63708,"position":1},"title":"Why should we pray for a corrupt ruler?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 5, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Christians say that God's word says to pray for those in authority.\u00a0 What is the truth about praying for a leader who is against God's word?\u00a0 A leader who is a liar. Who makes fun of the Bible? Who is haughty and greedy. A killer and a homosexual who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25643,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-christian-vote\/","url_meta":{"origin":63708,"position":2},"title":"Should a Christian Vote?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 5:13-16 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0David Lipscomb was a famous preacher from the late 1800's and early 1900's \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He wasn\u2019t an apostle. He wasn\u2019t inspired. But he was a knowledgeable man, and his words carried a lot of weight. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He taught that it was a sin for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16347,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-decide-who-to-vote-for\/","url_meta":{"origin":63708,"position":3},"title":"How do I decide who to vote for?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My question has to do with voting. Since I am able to vote, are there any Bible verses for which I can turn to for deciding who to vote for?\u00a0 It is important for me to select the best candidate for running this country. Thanks! Answer: Christians ought to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52655,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/political-issues\/","url_meta":{"origin":63708,"position":4},"title":"Political Issues","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 2, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 2:13-17\u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Should Christians be involved in the issues surrounding elections and the operation of our government? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m not talking about a congregation endorsing a particular candidate or financing someone\u2019s campaign. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But should stands be made regarding issues which government officials debate? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0For example:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12737,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-daniel-was-the-third-ruler-in-babylon-who-were-the-first-two\/","url_meta":{"origin":63708,"position":5},"title":"If Daniel was the third ruler in Babylon, who were the first two?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 8, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question concerning Belshazzar and the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel was offered to be the third ruler of the kingdom if he could tell the interpretation of the writing on the wall. The question was asked, Were there two rulers in the kingdom at that time or was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63708\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}