Pray For Those
in Public Office
A sermon by
1 Timothy 2:1-7
If you have problems
printing this sermon, click here
SERMON: Pray For Those in Public Office
Let me ask you a personal question: Have you prayed for President Obama lately … for Vice-President Biden … for Senators Pryor and Lincoln … for Congressman Ross … for Governor Beebe? Over the course of the previous administration, did you pray for President Bush, Vice-President Cheney and then-Governor Mike Huckabee?
As Paul told Timothy, so he says to us today: Pray for those in public office. He writes,
"I exhort therefore, first of all,
that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks,
be made for all men:
for kings and all who are in high places;
that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life
in all godliness and reverence." (1Timothy 2:1-2)
What I'd like for us to think about in the sermon today is the relationship between politics and religion and how that plays out for those of us who seek to be faithful Christians and responsible citizens. And what I hope you'll get out of this is that praying for those in public office is one of the most poignant expressions of faith, for to do so is to step outside the political arena and trust God to guide the future according to his will.
Let's begin with Paul's admonition: Pray for those in public office. And let's go on to say, whether you helped put them there or not.
That's the first sticking point: It's a lot easier to pray for someone you admire – someone whose positions and values and actions you approve of, than someone you don't – someone whose views are diametrically opposed to yours. How can you pray for someone you think is a crook, or a fool; or, worse, a demagogue?
Of course, you could always pray for their downfall. That's the gist of a country-western song on the charts today. It's called, "I Pray for You," and it goes like this:
I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill.
I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill
And knocks you in the head like I'd like to.
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls.
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls.
I pray all your dreams never come true.
Just know wherever you are, honey, I pray for you
That's not what Paul had in mind. Paul would have us pray for the health and well-being of those in positions of authority, that God would bless them with wisdom and courage to carry out their responsibilities, and that God would use them to further his kingdom on earth, according to his will.
THIS SERMON is brought to you courtesy of SermonWriter.
A SUBSCRIBER SAYS: "I find your service very helpful as I prepare my sermons. It has helped me do some of the best preaching of my ministry. I thank you for it."
TRY SERMONWRITER! Resources to inspire you and your congregation.
GET FOUR FREE SAMPLES! Click here for more information
|
I've had the privilege of knowing a handful of elected officials in my lifetime. One thing I noticed they had in common was that they were all human. I would imagine if you knew them well, you'd find that they suffered the same aches and pains as we do, and that they have the same needs as anyone else of wanting to be understood and accepted, valued and affirmed.
Several years ago I was invited to offer a prayer in the Texas State Senate chambers. Then-Governor, George W. Bush, was seated to my left. It was a just a few days before he announced his candidacy for President, and we all knew it was a foregone conclusion. When the meeting adjourned we shook hands, and so I told him I would be praying for him in the weeks and months ahead. He looked me square in the eye and said, "Thank you. I appreciate that." I think he meant it. I didn't say whether or not I'd vote for him … and he didn't ask.
No matter who it is, it's easy to pray for someone's success when you're on their side and not so easy when you're against them. Paul made no distinction: Pray for all those in positions of leadership.
This brings up the second sticking point: Those who are in positions of leadership, who are elected to public office at any level, are elected by God's design. In other words, they didn't just get elected, they were put in office with God's approval. This is how Paul put it in the 13th chapter of his Letter to the Romans:
"Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities,
for there is no authority except from God,
and those who exist are ordained by God" (Romans 13:1)
Where did Paul get such a crazy idea? Well, for one thing, he was a theologian and, being a theologian, he believed that God was the source of all things. If there's matter, God created it. If there's meaning and purpose to life, God determines it. If there's power, God yields it.
It would have been unthinkable for Paul to consider that someone could hold a position of authority apart from God's allowing it. As far as he was concerned, whatever power we have, elected or otherwise, comes from God. That's precisely what Jesus told Pilate. He said,
"You would have no power at all against me,
unless it were given to you from above." (John 19:11)
When rulers and elected officials manage the affairs of state in such a way as to serve the best interests of the people, it's easy to make this connection and believe they've been placed there by God. But when they don't – when they turn out to be tyrants, despots or dictators, you have to wonder if God has anything to do with it at all. For example,
• Adolph Hitler ordered the extermination of over six million Jews in Germany and the surrounding countries of the Third Reich.
• Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge massacred roughly one-third of the population of Cambodia.
• Slobodan Milosovek slaughtered countless Serbs in Bosnia under the ruse of "ethnic cleansing."
• Saddam Hussein used poison gas, not only on the Iranian army, but on Iraqis, as well.
Over the years the world has known some incredibly horrific rulers. In Paul's day, it was Nero. The very mention of the name was enough to strike fear in the hearts of Jews and Romans alike.
So, you'd think living under the reign of the dreaded Nero would have influenced Paul's thinking. It didn't sway him in the least. Paul believed that power comes from God, and God is able to use both the righteous and the wicked to serve his purposes. In the end, God will have the last word.
I made a list of all the Presidents who've served in the Oval Office over the course of my lifetime. There are twelve in all, six Democrat, six Republican: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now, Barack Obama.
Depending on your perspective, some proved to be great leaders, others didn't. What Paul would have us see is the bigger picture: Leaders come and go – as do entire nations and whole civilizations – only God is from everlasting to everlasting. No one knew this better than Isaac Watts, who wrote,
"Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home."
Paul was a theologian. He believed God was the source of all things. He was also a pragmatist. He saw things as they were, not as he would like for them to be.
This is why he could say things like, "Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters…" (Ephesians 6:5), and "let your wives keep silent in the assemblies" (1Corinthians 14:34). It's not that he approved of the institution of slavery or the subjugation of women. He accepted the reality of the world for what it was.
If you read his letters closely, you'll find that Paul never once mentioned Nero by name; he never advocated overthrowing the Roman Empire. His concern was not to challenge the status quo, but to proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and invite others into a saving relationship with him. Here's what he told the Romans:
"Don't be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what is the good,
well-pleasing, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)
In matters of civil obedience, he was practical: He told the Romans: Don't call attention to yourself. Don't cause trouble. Pay your taxes. Obey the law. Keep your nose clean. He said, "For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil." (Romans 13:3) Peter gave the same advice. He wrote,
"Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man
for the Lord's sake:
whether to the king, as supreme;
or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers
and for praise to those who do well…
you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness,
but as bondservants of God.
Honor all men.
Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.
Honor the king." (1Peter 2:13-17)
The bad news is that there are no perfect rulers; there is no perfect system of government. The good news is that needn't hinder us from keeping the faith.
The people of Israel kept faith for over four hundred years while living as slaves in Egypt. They did so, not because the Pharaoh was kind and just, but because they didn't regard the Pharaoh as God. The same was true for the Babylonian exile. For seventy years the Hebrews sang the songs of Zion in a distant land and told the stories of God's mighty acts, as they waited for God to bring them back to the Promised Land.
What's amazing is that faith often grows stronger in times of adversity.
• In the 2nd Century the Romans sought to destroy the Christian faith. Instead, they only caused it to scatter and grow.
• In the 20th Century the Communist Party did everything it could to abolish the Russian Orthodox Church. It only made it stronger.
• In the Middle Ages, Martin Luther was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church, John Wesley was banned from the Anglican Church, and John Calvin was exiled from his native France; yet, each, in his own right, gained greater confidence and stronger faith, under fire.
So, how does this all play out for us today? Here's what I think: I think Paul would urge us to keep our sights on the kingdom of God, not the petty politics of the day. I think he'd have us spend at least as much time studying scripture, sharing our faith, and helping others know Jesus Christ as Lord, as being consumed by the news of who said what to whom.
As for those in public office, Paul made no bones about it: Pray for them.
• Pray that God would watch over them and protect them;
• Pray that God would give them wisdom and discernment and the desire to seek his will over all else;
• Pray that God would use them to serve the common good in such a way as to reflect the kingdom of God on earth.
Now, do you remember what I said up front – what I hoped you'd get out of the sermon today? Take this home with you: Praying for those in public office is one of the most poignant expressions of faith there is, because to do so is to step outside the political arena and trust God to guide the future, according to his will.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Copyright 2010, Philip McLarty. Used by permission.
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible.