I have been asked to join in with some fellow blogging church planters from around the country to blog on specific topics over the next few weeks leading up to this years National New Churches Conference. These topics will be posted by all of us over at this blog each Wednesday.
This week’s topic is on the presidential election – the question has been asked – Does the Presidential Election matter? This question is in regards to the church – meaning does the presidential election matter to the church?
Below is my response:
I believe my job, as the pastor of Pine Ridge Church, is to teach people what the Bible says about TRUTH, not Tadd Grandstaff’s personal moral view of truth, but the Bible’s view of truth – God’s view of truth – truth in regards to moral conversations – conversations about same sex marriages, abortion, race, religion, poverty, the war, and so on. I DO NOT believe for a second that it is the churches job or responsibility to teach people how to be ‘politically correct’, teach them how they should vote, use it’s time to push a specific candidate, or a certain political party. I think it is my duty to introduce people to Jesus Christ – help educate them on what the Bible says about specific issues that pertain to their lives and to our country – then I believe I need to pull away and allow the Holy Spirit to work in peoples lives.
That’s something that I believe the church has forgotten about – too many pastors are trying to play the role of the Holy Spirit. It is NOT my job to be the holy spirit in peoples lives and to spend my 40 minutes on Sunday mornings pushing my own political agenda or my own personal moral issues down peoples throat. I DO push the agenda of God’s word each and every week and I do my best to keep myself out of the equation!! I don’t think God gives a flying rip what I think about anything – all that mattes us what He thinks – right??
I DO NOT believe the presidential election matters to God – I don’t think God is sitting up in heaven biting his finger nails off as He worries who the next president of the United States is going to be. He has been unleashing His will on this country for hundreds of years and I doubt for a second that someone in a political position is going to stand in His way or slow Him down. We are so hyper focused on the United States – God has an entire world to worry about. In other parts of our world we see countries that are governed and managed much worse than we are – yet God is there – He is present – and peoples lives are still being forever changed.
I think if the church worried more about the lost people in it’s towns, cities, and counties and less about who is in a political office, then we would have an opportunity to see a revival sweep across this nation like the world has never seen. Instead of making a certain political party famous or a certain politician famous – how about we, as in the church, focus on making the God of the Universe famous! Last time I checked – He [aka. God] won’t be punching a ticket for the republicans or the democrats at this years election.
See I can pray about the things – like politics and other issues – in which I have no control over and I will continue to do that. But until politicians start using their platform time to introduce people to Jesus Christ – then honestly I have no time for them!!
So – to answer the question – does the presidential election matter? Of course I believe it matters – the majority of social issues we deal with in the church stem from politics. But here is the deal – instead of choosing my personal conviction and pushing my personal political agenda – I would much rather stick to God’s agenda. I think God himself gets pretty fired up when he sees so many churches wasting so much of their time pushing their personal political agenda. My stage time will continue to be focused on what God wants for this church and for this county – rather than what Tadd Grandstaff wants to see happen in politics.
