A Spiritual Voting Booth — Rick Leibee

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Amen. Praise ye the Lord. How many here this morning were here last week? Okay, most of you were here. So, how'd it go this week? Did you have a hot heart? Did anybody reach the boiling point with fervor?

Remember the definition of fervor? Amen. I trust you did. I had a good week in the Lord. I'm thankful for His mercies. God has blessed us already this morning, hasn't He? Beautiful worship and very simple but profound opening that we need to hear that again, don't we?

And we need to say those things again and again. We need to confess those things with our mouth and with our hearts, don't we? And I'm thankful for those that shared and I do trust that there were many more of you that had time allowed.

You would have shared as well. Amen. Well, this morning I have a message that I'd like to share. Let me maybe begin with laying it out a little bit with a few questions and a few thoughts. We are, it seems, in our land here that we are temporarily in, America, we're in a very dramatic and aggressive battle.

Political Division and the Christian’s Relationship to Government

It is a battle, a campaign that is dividing our country. And in some cases it divides states, families, sometimes even church members from one another. Sometimes with great emotion and zeal and a very aggressive attitude as well.

It is a battle. I did a little research and found out that in the past 12 to 14 months that this battle has been raging. That both sides will have spent, not individually but together, collectively, both sides will have spent well over $1 billion to wage this war, to wage this battle.

Over $1 billion. I don't even know how much money that is. I say that but I don't know what that means. But I do know that's a lot of money, isn't it? What is that, a thousand millions or a million millions?

It says a thousand millions. Okay, I do a little better with millions although that's too much too. But it's a thousand million dollars. That's amazing, isn't it? And in this contest, two opposing groups or parties will seek to do something.

Let me read you what they are going to seek to do. This is an encyclopedia. It's very interesting that it's called, see what the name of this book is? It's an encyclopedia. They know who they are, don't they?

You ever notice that? You all ever amused by things like that? Political party, these are the two people that are fighting as political parties, is an organized group of people who control or seek to control a government to set forth their own agenda.

That's their definition. I mean, that's pretty straightforward, isn't it? What am I describing? What am I describing? What battle has been raging for the last 12 to 14 months? What is it? Presidential race or election or campaign.

I had planned to share on this topic on a Wednesday night, but the fact that our brother is meeting, I think I said it would be this Wednesday night, but I made a mistake. I didn't pull out my schedule and I'm going to be away this Wednesday.

I'm going to be in Tennessee going down there to the church once again. So, I felt like the Lord had laid the burden on my heart. I actually didn't decide until yesterday afternoon to share on it. I had another message I had almost finished preparing and then I just couldn't come to peace about it.

And this thing came back up and I just felt like this is what the Lord would have me to do. So, I did share a very similar message about four years ago, but I do feel like it's so important that we need to look at it again.

I have received in the last two or three months a number of phone calls and been asked even here at our church by people that are here, some visitors, some not, do I vote? First of all, the answer to that, no, I do not vote.

I do not vote. But, the other thing that I was asked is why. And sometimes I was able to share a few thoughts, but never given enough time to really explain it. So, I'm going to take enough time this morning to explain why a Christian, not just me, but why a Christian should not be involved in civil government.

Because the question isn't, should a Christian vote? The question is far, far bigger than that. It's far bigger. The question is far, far bigger than voting. The question is, what is the involvement, or what should be the involvement, or what should be the relationship of a true child of God to the government of the land that He lives in?

And it doesn't have to be America. You know, there's Christians living in hundreds of different nations all over this earth, this globe at this moment, and they all have to answer this question. Some are in a dictatorship.

Some are still in communism. Some are in other governments that are similar to ours. Some of them have a king, an earthly king. But they still have to decide how are they going to relate to the government of the land that they live in.

It's a critical message. And it's tempting, I know. I've heard some of the conversations. It's tempting at a time like this to, without meaning to, to be drawn into it, isn't it? To take sides a little bit.

To kind of lean one way or the other. To assess the rights and wrongs of the two different sides of the political debate. And after all, many of the things they talk about and do are going to affect us one way or the other, right?

I mean, they do affect us. And it's a real temptation for the child of God at some level to get involved. We do have opinions, don't we? We have opinions. We have thoughts. We have goals. We have things that we're interested in.

And we realize, possibly, that one candidate may actually represent some of the things we believe in a bit better than the other one. And so the temptation is tugging a little bit at some of our hearts, I fear.

But may God in heaven help us to see the eternal purposes of our king. And how vastly they are different than any government on any continent in this world. And so the struggle, how to relate to government, is what is our place, what is our participation in the governing of the land we find ourselves living in.

I'll begin this morning with looking at three very basic biblical principles that I trust will clearly show why a child of God cannot participate in the government of any land in which they live in. We are, I believe the Bible shows very clearly, the Spirit of Christ is going to make it clear to be non-participators in the governing of earthly kingdoms or earthly nations.

We are to be non-participators in those type of relationships. And how many fathers do I have here this morning? Raise your hand, fathers. Wow. Can't count that many. Maybe 50 or more. Fathers, would you sit up and listen extra hard this morning?

Because in the hour that I have, I cannot do the job that I need to do. And if you are not teaching this, these truths, these doctrines in your home from time to time, in a way that is real, in a way that has application, you will grow up, you will have young people growing up in your home that will be confused and be drawn to things that, may I say, will be a complete waste of their time and a drain upon the kingdom of God.

So we look at it here maybe every three or four or five years in a bit of an in-depth way, but an hour really isn't very in-depth, is it? And that isn't going to do it. So I need you to get involved because you may not know it, but I hope you do, but much of the homeschool material that is out there today, that's even in some of your homes probably, if you have a Becca or Bob Jones or ATIA or School of Tomorrow, if you have that in your home, they're teaching an agenda to participate in the government.

It's hidden under things called patriotism and I don't know what all they call it, but it's in there, isn't it? Have you seen some of it? So if that's in your home and you are not correcting it with right doctrine, you are making a mistake.

So I beg you fathers that just raised your hand, you listen extra hard this morning because you do know, fathers, don't you, that I am not the teacher of your children. That is not my job. You are the primary teacher of your children in these things.

Don't think they're going to get it because Brother Rick preaches on it once every three or four or five years. That will not do. That will not do. Well anyway, the first principle that we must understand.

The Two-Kingdom Principle

Turn to Matthew chapter 4. Matthew chapter 4 and we'll begin here in verse 8. Now before I read that, the first principle is this. The principle that there are two kingdoms. The two kingdom principle is very critical.

The principle of two kingdoms is vital to our way of seeing and living out Bible truth. Every Christian and every child in a godly home must see clearly. I remember when I was born again, I did not see this clearly the first three or four or five years I was born again.

I didn't really even have any teaching. But as I began to read the Bible and as I began to get some other information, it began to dawn on me, something is not lining up here. Something is not working out here.

What is wrong? And one of the things that I discovered, I actually read a book by a man who was not an Anabaptist and the name of the book was called, If the World Fits, You're the Wrong Size. And that sounds like a funny title, but I've never forgotten it.

I read that book. I think we'd only been a Christian maybe three or four years. We hadn't really run into any, even Anabaptist people, I don't think at that time. And we began to question and think, something is wrong with the way Christianity is trying to be part of this.

And we didn't have all the definitions. We didn't know what we were seeing at first, but we began to learn. And as we learned it and understood it and saw it from God's heart, it helped change our Christian life.

So it's vital that you get this. Let's look here. Why don't you stand with me here and let's look at Matthew 4. We'll begin here in verse 8. Matthew 4. And I think let's read through verse 10. Why don't you read this with me?

Matthew 4, verse 8. We'll begin through 10. Read with me. Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Amen. You may be seated. A very simple three verses on this encounter between Jesus and Satan.

Let me ask you a question. Could not have Jesus taken over the kingdoms of this world if He wanted to? Was that within His power? Did He need Satan even to give Him that power? Did He have the power? Could He have done it?

Absolutely! He's Jesus. He could have taken over. But it's interesting that Satan thought the kingdoms of this world were basically under His power. But what's really more interesting is Jesus didn't rebuke him and say, You're lying, devil.

They're yours to give away. I mean, what's not there is as shocking as what is there, isn't it? Jesus didn't say, They're not yours to give, Satan. Did He? I don't know what to do with all that theology.

I don't like to think that Satan is in control of all the nations of the world. And I'm not saying that, but it's a point we need to consider a little bit this morning. What is happening here? But Jesus did do this.

He refused it, didn't He? He refused it. And He actually rebuked the idea. He rebuked the idea. Get thee hence. What He's saying is, No, no, no. That is not what we're trying to do. Back in Israel's day, David, he went out conquering and taking on nations and captured them and made them part of the kingdom of Israel, right?

And it was okay under that dispensation. But here, when Satan says, Let's get some kingdoms and make them part of you, Jesus says, Get thee hence, Satan. So, He is not doing that. We don't turn there, but in John 6 .15, right after He feed the 5 ,000, it says, When Jesus therefore perceived that they, the people that He had fed, would come and take Him by force to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone.

So, Jesus could have had the kingdoms of this world by power or force, or He could have done it by popular opinion. I mean, the people wanted Him to be the king. I mean, they would have voted for Him right now.

Talk about election Tuesday. I mean, they wanted Him. They were going to just make it happen. I mean, He could have been very popular. When He came into Israel, or Jerusalem, on Palm Sunday, it seems like the whole city was there to crown Him king, right?

I mean, He could have just said, Right, put me on that throne. I'm going to be a king of a nation of this world. And we're going to get other nations to be in our kingdom. Did He do that? No. He didn't do that.

He didn't do that. And again, the reason I'm bringing up Jesus here is, well, turn over to Philippians chapter 2. Jesus is our pattern. He is our way of living. He is our life. He is our way of thinking.

And we need to see that when Jesus was faced with this whole idea of either participating in the government or not participating in the government, He ran into it in His life, right? And we are to walk like Jesus, right?

So how did Jesus... What did He do when He ran into opportunities to participate in the government of this world? I mean, these are just two verses. We could go to verse after verse after verse. But Jesus is our model, and so look at Philippians.

We'll just see this here in Philippians 2. The reason I'm bringing this up, Philippians 2 verse... Where am I at here? Verse 5. Yes. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. What was His mind about governments of this world?

Get the hints. So let the mind of Christ on this subject be in you this morning. Now for the church, I would say to you, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation.

You know, to be a politician, you know what you have to do? You have to build a big reputation. You've got to be popular, right? And took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and humbled Himself, and on and on, in obedience unto the death.

That's not good politics, Jesus. Bad politics. Bad politics. But right Christianity. But right Christlikeness. So what mind is in you? What mind is in the world when it comes to participating in government?

It doesn't line up, does it? And Jesus saw that clearly. Jesus saw that clearly. Have you ever thought, why did Jesus not give in and just take over the political kingdoms or governments of His day? Have you ever just thought, wouldn't that make life easier if everything were just Christian?

I mean, He just took over all the governments. You ever wonder why He didn't do that? He could have. He could have. Look over at Matthew 26. He could have, but on the other hand, no, He couldn't. No, He couldn't.

Because there was a greater power at work. Turn over to John. John, John, John, chapter 18. Yes, that's where I want to go. John 18. Excuse me. Turn to John 18. John 18. 33. John 18. 33. Look at this.

Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again and called Jesus and said unto Him, Art Thou the King of the Jews? Now notice what he's asking here. Just meditate on this for just a second. He's asking Him, Are You in charge of the government?

Are You the one that the power of the government rests in You? Of what? When He says of the Jews, what does He mean? He means Israel, right? He means the Jewish, what we call Israel today. I guess they were in Judea really here because they were in Jerusalem.

But He means the Israelite nation, what we call the Jews, okay? Jesus answered Him saying, Sayest thou this thing of thyself or did others tell it of thee? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me.

What hast thou done? Jesus answered. So now Jesus gets back to answering the question. What does He say? My kingdom. Now He doesn't deny that He's a king because He says My kingdom. My kingdom. Does He have a kingdom?

Yes, because if you're a king, you have a kingdom. And if there's a kingdom, you have a king. We have a king. He says My kingdom. He has one. But what does He say about it? My kingdom is not of this world.

If My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight and I should not be delivered to the Jews to an earthly kingdom. But now is My kingdom not from hence. I mean, is that clear? Do you see what Jesus is saying?

There is a kingdom. And He is the king. But this is not My kingdom. And neither is America. Neither is America. It wasn't when it was founded in 1776. And it wasn't in 1876 or 1976 or 2004. Despite what propaganda the mainline churches of our day try to put forth.

It's not. It never has been. And it never will be. Look over to Colossians chapter 1. Now that's Jesus. And you might say, well, that's Jesus. But what about me? I live in this kingdom. I'm part of this kingdom.

And physically you are. But look at verse 13. Actually stand up. I'm going to make you read this too. Because this is about you. Stand up. Colossians chapter 1. Verse 13. Colossians chapter 1. Verse 13.

We'll start with the word who there. Read with me. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Okay, you may be seated. Okay. Where are you, Christian?

I'm not asking who you are. Where are you? Where are you? You're in the kingdom according to the Word of God. Is the Word of God true? That's talking about spiritual reality. Which is the greater reality in your life?

Physically that you live within the borders of the U .S. of A. Or that you've been translated here means to carry over, to be removed from one place, and actually it means to be deposited in another. Where are you deposited?

What are you banking on, in other words? I hope, according to your testimonies this morning, it's not America. Is it? I hope not. And so, just like Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. Put this mind in you that was in Him.

You have to say this morning, you must say, My kingdom is not of this world either. Because you're translated into it. We must see. See what I'm saying? How vital and important it is that you have this thing clearly understood in your mind and your heart that there are two kingdoms.

And which kingdom you are in. Which kingdom you are in. It's vital because without it, there will be much, much, much misapplication and error in the way you interpret the Word of God. Many, many mainline churches are in grave error in the way they view the Word of God because they do not see this clear, simple principle.

It's like they just miss it. Now we can point to the old days and see it clearly. Things like all of us here would look at the Crusades and go, Oh, they were deceived. But they were deceived because they didn't see this principle just like today many mainline Christians are deceived.

They wouldn't go on a crusade. Well, maybe they would with Osama Bin Laden. I guess we are kind of on a crusade, aren't we? Yeah, maybe we're just the same after all, aren't we? Maybe we're not so different than those that went on the Crusades.

My kingdom is not of this world. There are two kingdoms. Otherwise, you don't need to be saved out of the one to be translated to the other. This is very simple, isn't it? It's not that hard. And yet, many miss this.

Two kingdoms. Two citizenships. Right? Have you been born again and translated into the kingdom of Jesus? There are two constitutions. There's the Constitution of the United States of America. And then there's our Constitution, which is greater, which has greater sway and say in your life.

There are two registrations. I read this last week in the paper that there's people just running, flocking to register to vote. There's voter registration. There's also a registration in Jesus' kingdom.

It's called the Lamb's Book of Life. Is your name written there? I wish there was a rush to get their names written there. There's two voting booths. The world... have you ever been to a voting booth?

I have before I was born again. It's usually a little thing about five by five, about like this. There's a little table and there's a curtain around it. They draw the curtain. They make a big deal. This is private.

This is between you and your own conscience. You vote your conscience, they say. You go in that secret place. We have a voting booth too. But it's a tear-stained rug in a private place. But there's something different about our voting booth.

That one's only open once every four years. Ours is open 365 days, 24 hours a day, and on and on and on. Which one do you want to vote in? Come on. Come on. Two kingdoms. Two voting booths. Two constitutions.

Which one do you choose today? It's that simple. You must choose. You cannot have both. That is a... May I say very carefully, that is a lie perpetrated by many mainline churches. I say that carefully.

I'm not against those. I have many friends there that I love. But they're wrong. You must choose. Where does your allegiance lie? Where are you going to spend your time, your money, your heart, your soul?

What are you going to be hot for? There are people so hot over this presidential race, it's mind-boggling to me. They shame us in their fervor sometimes. Shame on us. Turn to Hebrews chapter 11. You must choose.

In Hebrews chapter 11, we have this quote-unquote famous passage chapter. Here I think our family, at Family Verses and Song, when was that? About a month ago, quoted I think the whole chapter, didn't we?

And in the middle of that chapter, it's very interesting. These heroes of the faith we call them, men and women, Old and New Testament, or some are mentioned here actually a little bit. Most of them are Old Testament.

But it's interesting that even though they were under different dispensation, it's very interesting some of the wording that's used here starting in verse 13. Look at this with me very carefully and think about this with me.

Look at verse 13 of chapter 11 in Hebrews. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them, and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

And the word stranger means what you think it means. It doesn't mean they were strange looking. It means they didn't belong. They were aliens. The word is alien. They were aliens. Okay? Now watch verse 14.

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, notice the phrasing, they came out of a country. Have you come out of the country you were born in?

Have you been translated? They might have had opportunities to have returned. The sad case about too many American Christians is they keep returning to America. They need to get out of America. Or maybe they need to get America out of their heart.

And I'm not saying that because I'm against America. But do you know you can be a Christian in China? Do you know that? You can be a Christian in Japan. This is not a Christian nation. This is not a Christian nation.

There is no such thing. We seek a better country. But now they desire a better country. That is unheavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city. What are you looking for?

What are you living for? Do you seek a better country? Are you already a citizen of that country? One of the problems with modern churches is that they are not strangers. They are not strangers. They look like the world.

They act like the world. And they have fully brought the world into the church. They're not leaving it. They're not from hence. They're in it. And it is in them. And it's causing much confusion. Much confusion.

Don't turn here, but 2 Corinthians 5, remember the principle here is two kingdoms. It says, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ. You have been given a new title, a new job description. Ambassador. What is an ambassador?

What is an ambassador? Somebody that what? Represents what? Represents another country. Represents your country to another country, right? If I'm an ambassador from Greece to England, that means I moved to England.

Am I English? No. Do I vote in England? No. Is my citizenship in England? I live there. But no, I represent the country that I'm from there. I'm only there to represent the interests of my king. And of my nation.

That's all I'm there for. That's all I'm there for. I'm just an ambassador. I remember, think of it this way with me for a moment. In 1978 and 1979, I moved to England and lived there a little bit over a year with my wife.

We didn't have any children at that time. Our first child, Weston, wasn't born until 1980. And while I lived there, I had to get a special visa to live there. I had to get a passport. And while I was there, they were in the middle of a very hotly contested election for their prime minister.

They were also fighting a little war. I think it was down in the Falkland Islands or somewhere like that. And they were calling. They wanted people to sign up for the army. They wanted people to vote.

They wanted people to give money. You know, I didn't give any money while I was there. I didn't vote. I didn't sign up to fight in their army. Why? I was making money there. I was renting a house there.

You know, I even had an English accent when I lived there. I liked their food. I mean, I sort of looked outwardly. I dressed like them. I sort of looked English. But I wasn't. I had no business getting entangled in their affairs.

And you have no business getting entangled. You have been translated to another kingdom. And you have no business getting entangled in the participation and the running of the government of this. I had no business.

And it wasn't my business to get involved in England. And it's not your business to get involved in a presidential election. It was not my home. It was not my home. One of my children, Caleb, I think it was a few years ago, wrote a little song called, This is Not My Home.

Remember that, Caleb? This is not my home. You know, it's a simple truth. But we forget, don't we? Because we do live in this house of clay. And we do live in America. And you and I are born here. And I am a citizen of the United States.

And that's okay. And so, in a way, I have a bit of a dual citizenship. But the question I'm asking you this morning, Where is your highest loyalty? Where is the thing that has the weight in your life that pulls you, that makes your decisions in how you live your life?

I know we do have to obey the law of the land. I'm not speaking against America. Please do not misunderstand me. I pay my taxes unto Caesar. I obey the speed limits. I pray for the leaders. I do not fight against the laws of this land.

But, I will obey God rather than man if there is a law. And I believe there are some already being passed and coming, which go directly against the Word of God. Those, I will not be able to obey. Even though I live here.

Even though I live here. Alright. Let's move on to the second principle. And all these are related quite a bit. But, there's enough of a distinction. I want you to make a distinction in your minds. Turn over to 1 Peter 2.

Separation from Political Systems

1 Peter 2. I want to read one verse here and then another verse in another place. And I'll give you the second principle. Here in chapter 2, verse 9. 1 Peter 2, verse 9. The Bible says, And who is the ye here?

Who is the ye? You. It's you. It's Christians. If you're here today, and you're born again by faith, and you could give a testimony during Brother Phillip's message, you're the ye. You're the ye. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation.

You are a nation. But, what nation are you and what are you for? A royal priesthood and holy nation. A peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of Him, who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

And then turn over to 2 Corinthians, chapter 6. 2 Corinthians, chapter 6. We'll start here in verse 14. 2 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 14 says, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?

And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord? Concord means that you've made an agreement. That you've made an agreement and you're going to move and work together. What concord hath Christ with Belal?

Now watch this. Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? How can you join a political party and say you're a child of God? I'm sorry, you can't. You cannot do it. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

What is the temple of God today? Is it this building we're in? What is it? You, your body. You are the temple of God. And what has the temple of God always been? Sanctified, holy, set apart only for the things of God.

That is your life. For ye are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them. And I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore, what? Come out from among them and be ye separate.

Sayeth the Lord. And touch not the unclean thing. And I will receive you and I will be a father unto you. The second principle is the doctrine of separation. Be separate. Come out from among them. You cannot participate, have concord with, align yourself with, join up with, connect with the political parties or the governments or any world systems that exist on the face of this earth, whether you're in America or England or Greece or Africa or China.

It doesn't matter. You cannot do it according to the Word of God because of the doctrine of separation. You are not your own. You were bought with a price. You cannot do it. You don't have the right to choose to do that.

And when you do, there is a misapplication and a misunderstanding of the very heart of God for what you're to be doing with your life. Now the reason, I'll just give you this. You know the reason that there is so much confusion about this between this whole thing of separation of, and I don't even like to say separation of church and state, but separation as it's given here of the people of God who are born again and having concord with government or whatever, but we're talking about government today, is there's such a confusion about what to do with the first two-thirds of this book, the Old Testament.

But it's really not that hard. Now think about it. When Abraham had his encounter with God and God called him to come out, what was the call to Abraham? I will make you a nation. And he did. See, the dispensation of the Old Testament was God spoke through prophets directly to the people and even to the leaders and told them what to do as a nation, didn't He?

And they as a nation were to be a light unto the Gentiles. So God didn't speak necessarily just to individual men, although He did that some, but most of the conversation in the Old Testament, really, once you get past the first 20 verses of Genesis, is God speaking to a group of people as a group, as a nation, to do these things.

And when they did wrong, how were they punished? As a nation. They all went into captivity in Babylon, right? He dealt with them as a nation. And if there was a nation of people, you can look at Deuteronomy 20, verse 16.

We won't turn there for the sake of time. He tells them to pick up the sword and to kill the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Jebusites because they as a nation were also the sword of God to bring justice upon sinful and heathen nations.

But God dealt with them as a nation and judgment in their life was also very interesting. I hope you don't want this. Immediate. You know, did you ever notice that? Judgment was not deferred until after their death.

But judgment often came within their lifetime. Very immediate. So, these are two different dispensations. In the Old Testament, God did that. But in the New Testament, didn't you notice it's different?