The Kingdom of God and Politics

Good morning. It's good to be here with you all. It's a blessing. Brother Adly, I really appreciated that opening and I think I share your thought at the very beginning when you said it was just good to soak in a whole epistle.

I really like that. I wonder if we could all stand and stretch for a moment while we pray. Father in heaven, thank you for this morning to meet together and worship and thank you for that freedom, Lord.

Thank you, God, for the brothers and sisters. Help us to all edify each other and build each other up in the faith. Equip us, God, to go out into this world and try to make disciples of men and help us to have a kingdom perspective on every aspect of life that we touch.

And I just pray, Father, that you'd be with me this morning and give me courage and strength and help me to speak clearly and in a way that is easy to understand. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. I wanted to share on something this morning that's been on my heart for several months.

I don't feel like I'm the best equipped person to talk about it, so I just pray that you'd give me some grace and please, and by all means, when we're done here today, just feel free to correct or add to or challenge.

With that in mind, I guess I'll move forward. I feel like today's message is timed about right. It has to be kind of now or, oh, years ago Buddy gave an opening when he talked about striking when the iron is hot.

So I think the steel is hot, it's ready, and this is my opportunity. You know, it goes without saying that we're living in pretty tumultuous times and we're on the threshold of a very contentious election here in the U .S.

Political Polarization and the Pressure to Vote

There are two very different narratives surrounding a host of issues in this country. That's reflected by media promoting one narrative or the other, largely based on their bias. Everybody knows that that newspapers exist not to report facts but to promote an idea.

They all do. It usually becomes apparent what kind of media somebody is following through conversation, what ideas they tend to gravitate towards. I'm no exception. Everybody is that way. All of this is compounded by a pandemic that has forced large portions of our world population into isolation, coupled with idleness and an age of immediate electronic information.

It's kind of a toxic cocktail of converging events that lead to a lot of very polarized ideas. Personally, I feel like I've never seen anything like this before in my life. I'm of an age when I suppose when people kind of wake up to world events and political ideas, so it doesn't mean very much coming from somebody like me.

However, I've heard many old men say the same thing, that we're living in times that they cannot remember being like today. Which leads me to conclude that I think it's pretty fair to say that today's divided political atmosphere is unique to a generation, a once-in-a-generation period of time.

The issues at stake are enormous. They're huge. And understandably, because of that, there are incredibly strong opinions formed on both sides of the political divide. And I acknowledge that. This election seems particularly big.

It seems like we're on the threshold of something large. I don't know what that is. So I ask a question this morning, and with that, with those incredibly strong opinions, there's pressure now, like I have never seen before, to participate.

And that's one of those things that comes from both sides. And I'll get into more of those thoughts and those reasons later, but it is something that people feel so passionately about that they want to encourage everybody they can to participate.

In other words, to vote. So we have to ask ourselves if we really truly have a perspective that puts kingdom Christianity in front of us as our lens that we view the world, and not the other way around, not having our lens be the world.

And then we view Christianity through the lens of our society and culture. What is expected of us as Christians? Do we participate in the process and exercise our right to vote, ensuring that we pick a candidate who best represents Christian values?

Like all of us, I've spent a lot of time reflecting on these issues, and this is as much a message for myself as for anybody. And before moving ahead with it, I feel like it's important to just lay some groundwork.

The Two Kingdoms and the Role of Government

Some scriptural groundwork that I'm not going to turn to, but I'm just going to state just as kind of a foundation for where I'm going with this message. So first of all, I believe based on scripture that governments the world over are created by God or ordained by God to keep order, to punish evildoers, and generally to praise upright citizens.

I believe that though these earthly governments are ordained by God, and they act as ministers for him to punish evil, they are not the kingdom of God. They're not. Really what today is about for me is a repackaging of the two kingdom idea and how that applies to political participation.

So the two kingdoms, the kingdom of God being the kingdom that was established by Christ, that men through him might be reconciled to God and walk in righteousness. That's the kingdom of God. And the kingdoms of the earth or governments are established by God to keep order, to punish evil, and generally praise upright citizenship.

I'm thankful for the government and the order and stability that it brings, and I don't scorn or disown basic government services like roadways, commerce, fire departments, departments of transportation, legislating bodies.

They're just part of that government. With that, I want to move into my main text this morning, and I wanted to read Jesus's exchange with Pilate in John chapter 18. John chapter 18, we'll start in verse 28, and I'm going to go into chapter 19 to verse 16.

Just read through the account here. Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment, and it was early. And they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

Pilate then, when he went unto them, Pilate then went out unto them and said, what accusation bring ye against this man? And I think it all, it goes without saying, but Pilate was the Roman governor over that region.

That's who Jesus is dealing with. They answered and said unto him, I'm sorry. Yeah, he went out unto them and said, what accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, if he were not a male factor or an evildoer, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

Then said Pilate unto them, take ye him and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, it is not lawful for us to put any man to death, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying what death he should die.

Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again and called Jesus and said unto him, art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

Pilate answered, am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done? Jesus answered, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Pilate therefore said unto him, art thou a King then? Jesus answered, thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.

Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, what is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover.

Will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him, and the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews!

And they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe, and Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him, for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

Then Pilate therefore, when Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me?

Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. Whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat, in a place that is called the pavement, but in the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour.

And he saith unto the Jews, Behold your king. But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Then delivered he him therefore, unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. You know from the beginning of this account, and Jesus' exchange with Pilate, we need to take note that Pilate is hesitant or unwilling to judge this matter.

In verse 31, he encourages the Jews to handle it themselves. He doesn't want to be involved. He's consistent with this position and this hesitancy all throughout the account. I think, and this is just my thought here, I think that the scourging was one of Pilate's last attempts to change the crowd's mind that they ought not to crucify this man.

He had Jesus beaten, humiliated, and then brought forth to the people, like don't you think this is enough? Here he is. And they said crucify him. It wasn't enough. Then Pilate invites him into a private interview because he hears that Jesus has made himself the Son of God.

This man that we don't know very much about, there's not much extra biblically about him, but like he was, it's almost like he was asking this self-reflective question when he says like, what is truth?

And then he hears that Jesus is the Son of God and he hesitates to, really doesn't want to this matter, does not want to be involved. And as a key verse in this passage, verse 36, I'll just read that again.

Jesus answered, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from hence. What is that kingdom?

It is the kingdom of God. It's the thing that Jesus wouldn't stop talking about, that he taught multiple parables about, the kingdom of God is like unto. He preached a sermon about it, that the people that would follow after him and choose to walk in his ways would behave themselves in this manner, following these that are close to and important to the heart of God, commanded his followers to do those things.

All the governing principles and prescriptions for righteous living are peppered throughout his time on earth and all of his teachings. And we have to note, I've talked about this before, but there was some confusion throughout Jesus' time on earth about what his ministry was and what that kingdom was going to look like.

And I would posit to you that there's confusion today. Throughout history, lines between the church and state have grayed. They've even become one where the legislative body is the church. The thing that we have to be subject to is the church.

I wouldn't say that that's the case today, but there is still a sense where the church wants to influence law and legislation. Apparently the Pope of the Catholic Church just recently was interviewed and made statements about what he would like to see be legislated outside of official church position regarding civil unions.

There's this idea that the church ought to be influencing the legislative bodies that govern them or that govern society. So in Jesus' day, he resisted attempts to make him an earthly king by his followers and admirers.

An example of that that I can read real quick is John 6 verse 15. This is right after I think he had fed the 5 ,000. It says, when Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force and make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Why? Because that was not the kind of kingdom that Jesus was ushering in. It was not an earthly kingdom. His adversaries, the people who were his enemies while he was here, they believed that he would steal away enough Jews to threaten their status as a nation under Roman rule.

And they talked about it. They discussed it. In John 11, 48, it says, and this is like one of those councils that the Pharisees held together about how they might bring Jesus' destruction about. And they say, if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

And then in chapter 12 verse 19, the Pharisees talking among themselves about watching him come in, triumphal entry, people who had been with him, who had been seeing some of his ministry, laying palm branches down.

And among themselves, they remark, the Pharisees therefore said among themselves, perceive you how you prevail nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him. His answer back to our main passage in verse 36 is consistent with his desire to avoid establishing an earthly kingdom.

It is not of this world. Otherwise his servants would fight to right this wrong that was being done to the king of this kingdom. Which I think is an important point. By example, he did not fight a government that sought to destroy him.

Pilate and the Power of Political Pressure

So, so this idea about Pilate, like resisting these efforts to crucify Jesus. Pilate tells Jesus after he goes out, Jesus has been scourged. He's thoroughly beaten. He's thoroughly humiliated. He's been mocked.

He's bloody. And Pilate has another council with him after he hears that he's, he's been accused of making himself, is that how it went? Yeah. When, when he's been accused of making himself the son of God, he refuses to answer Pilate's question when Pilate says, where'd you come from?

And, and then Pilate tells Jesus like, why don't you answer me? Don't you realize that I have the authority, I have the influence, I have the power to save you or to destroy you. And Jesus tells him, you know, you don't have that power.

That power is only given from above. And what I find really interesting is that, is that Pilate then went out and sought to have Jesus freed, but the pressure of political influence was his undoing. It was politics.

Let's see. And from thenceforth, Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out saying, if thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. Why? Because whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

That was it. He, he gave up. He couldn't, he couldn't fight the political pressure that he was a part of. He was forced to do their will. Interestingly, and I, I didn't plan to necessarily bring this up.

Who else was undone by political pressure? Purpose to do one thing, and they were forced into another situation in the New Testament. Possibly, that's not who I had in mind. Herod. Herod liked John. He didn't like what John had to say, but he would go and take counsel with John.

But, but for the sake of the people that he was sitting at a table with and, and the pressure of those peers, the political influence that he could maybe lose, he, he chose to just, you know, grant the request of the young girl and, and have John beheaded.

The Moral Problem of Choosing Political Candidates

So with this passage that we just went through as a backdrop, let's look at some of the arguments that get made in favor of participation in politics, of voting. And I've heard it a lot, especially the last few months.

And I suppose you could say you hear it before every election. People will say things like, there is an obvious side. There is a side that is the obvious Christian choice. And, and both here in the US, both the right and the left make this claim.

They both say it like, man, if people would just open their eyes, they would see that there is an obvious choice that a Christian ought to choose in voting. They may also say, you know, we have a privilege to vote and therefore a moral obligation to support the party that represents Christian values.

We've got dual citizenship. We've got a citizenship in the kingdom of God, and we have citizenship here in the United States of America. And, and, and this is the kind of pressure that we feel from, from both proponents of the right and the left to not vote makes you part of the problem.

So, so let's just assume, let's assume that a brother had made up his mind to vote. Okay. A Christian, Christian brother. And he chooses the side that he believes would best represent the law of Christ.

And now, now, as I go through this, I'm being purposefully vague. One thing I wanted to do today is, is to avoid the main partisan talking points. Because I feel like that takes this a direction that, that isn't profitable.

It's not where I want to go. And we lose the point. So whoever you vote for, whatever candidate you say, that's the guy ought to be in command of our country. That person will support their party's own policies that decidedly violate the law of Christ.

We, both sides have policies that seem to support certain aspects of kingdom Christianity, or at least some, some vague principles there. And they have other aspects and other things that they would do that decidedly do not support the kingdom of God in any way and actually fight against it.

Whoever we vote for will be the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the world. And they will have power to wage war. Whoever you vote for will have the power to draft young people and possibly women as well as men, depending on, depending on how the selective service chooses to engage in gender equality.

Whoever we vote for will wield the power of their office to influence global trade in a way that will ensure American interests above those of our global trade partners. In other words, like whoever's in that office is going to try to negotiate world trade in a way that only benefits the U .S. and holds other people down.

Whoever we would vote for will run this country as a world superpower. And this kind of goes with my last point, exploiting weaker countries and people groups to our advantage. After all, that's how we became great.

And just a few examples without even launching into it. The black eyes of our history, we have Native Americans that to this day live on the worst pieces of soil in the U .S. who were here before all the Europeans.

The African slave trade, land grabbing from Mexico, Middle East oil field dominance, exploiting the Native Hawaiian people and turning it into a tourist mecca, and worldwide military presence. In other words, we've got our thumb on people all over the world who at one time or another needed a little bit of assistance or a little bit of help, and we never left.

We're still there. What's my point? All of these presidential roles violate the law of Christ. So when you vote for somebody, you're not just choosing a direction that you'd like to see the company go.

When you're somebody, as well as saying that you want to see this set of Christian values represented in the government, you're also saying yes to all the policies and all the things that violate the law of Christ.

And for me personally, I don't see a way out of that. And for this reason alone, let's forget anything else I talk about today, and let's decide that I was that brother that was going to cast a vote. Who am I going to vote for?

Which evil do I want? And that's another argument that gets made in trying to pressure people into participating, is we have to choose the lesser of two evils. Let me read a couple of passages that pertain to evil in general.

1 Thessalonians. I wanted to read that from the ESV. Chapter 5, verses 19 to 22. Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything, holding fast that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Another passage in 2 Corinthians, chapter 6, verses 14 to chapter 7, verse 1. 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 hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore, come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. And I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. There is no communion with light and dark.

A Unified Christian Life

You know, in the Baptist world, and I think about this from time to time, there was something that I just, and especially when I was younger and I was still trying to figure out how all these things work together, like, there was this idea, at least in the Baptist church that we attended, and it was really articulated well, and it really troubled me.

And it's the idea that like, okay, you know, like, let's just say that there are all these different bubbles that represent aspects of our life, you know. And up here, like, is our Christian faith. Our Christian faith is important.

And over here is business dealings, and down here is our, is how we deal with people who are hard, and like, and over here, like, this is how we participate with the government. And so like, when we get drawn into these other bubbles, like, we have to put that hat on, and we have to live that way.

So if you, if you deal with a person who's unreasonable, you have to be unreasonable, and you got to draw a hard line, because otherwise, like, these people are going to get the best of you. That's not the picture I see.

We don't have a compartmentalized life where like, we wear a different hat, depending on the context that we're in. Like, if we're conducting business, or if we're being sued in court, or if we're, if we're participating in government.

No, no, the correct model is a huge bubble that has Jesus Christ and his teachings in the center, and every aspect of our life is inside of that bubble, because it touches everything that we do, and it has to, if we claim to be a new creature.

The Kingdom of God Is Not Advanced Through Political Action

Okay, another challenge that I, that I have been challenged with, that I, that I have received, is this. If you care about this issue, and this is along, like, those partisan issues that I said I'm going to avoid, like, these are arguments that get made around those that, that Christians tend to really latch onto and make a big deal about.

If you care about this issue, you'll vote for so-and-so because God, because God gave us this privilege to vote, to make sure we have a way to hang on to Christian values in this country, and then that's usually followed up with that, to not vote makes you part of the problem.

So is this true? Is it true that, like, if you don't vote, you're, you have blood on your hands, you're guilty somehow, if you choose not to participate? I think that's what I like to call a false dichotomy.

It's not true. We can't, we can't lay it out for people that way and, and, and say that they really don't have a choice but to participate. I would say, like, are we called to make a government or a legislating body the mechanism by which we, the church, serve society?

Is that, is that how we serve society, is through trying to influence the body that makes the laws and governs us? Notably absent from Jesus's teachings are any calls to political action or lobbying. It's not there.

He didn't talk about it or encourage people to do it. Jesus was asked about how his kingdom would come into being, and here's what he said. Forgot to write down the book that this is in, so I may need to look for a minute, but I think it's important, and so I want to, I think that might actually be in Luke.

Sorry, I'm hunting here. Maybe it's Matthew. I'm looking for where he says that the kingdom of God is in your midst. Does anybody know what that reference is, Robert? It is Luke 17? Okay. Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, look, here it is or there.

For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. He's not talking about a political revolution or an insurrection. He's talking about a kingdom that comes by living what Jesus taught. We are the mechanism and the minister by which we reach a lost world, not something else, not another body, not another organization.

Us, the individuals, we're the ones that are tasked with the job of persuading the world that there's a better way. So that begs the question then, what is our role while we're here? What about the idea that we exercise both citizenships equally?

Paul’s Roman Citizenship and Heavenly Citizenship

After all, didn't Paul use his Roman citizenship to his advantage? So how did he do it? There are a few examples in the book of Acts about what Paul did with his Roman citizenship. Here are the things that he did.

He used his citizenship to be released from prison. He used his citizenship to avoid a beating from a centurion. He also used his citizenship to avoid a plot to ambush and kill him by appealing to Caesar.

In those instances, without turning to them, I see that it is never recorded that Paul used that citizenship to influence lawmakers in lawmaking or to engage in politics. He didn't do it. He used it to his advantage to escape things that could have hazarded his life or put him in danger.

Okay, some other verses to ponder on this train of thought. Philippians chapter 3, verses 17 to 20. Paul says to the Philippians, brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

For many of whom I have often told you and now tell you, even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their belly, and they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

I'm going to read a little bit that Brother Atley read already today. Second Timothy, verses 3 to 7. Second Timothy 2, verses 3 to 7. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

You know, we need to stay focused in the kingdom of God. We need to use the rules of the kingdom of God to engage in warfare and not violate those rules. And we don't want to be distracted. He gives these different examples here.

He gives the example of the soldier not getting into civilian affairs in order to stay focused. He gives the example of an athlete who competes according to the rules. Somebody who's staying focused. And the hard working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.

Someone who has to stay focused on their task in order to reap the fruit. One last thought on our role here. The argument has been made that if we value the good life that we have here, we must vote to ensure we get what we want and maintain our standard of living.

Earthly Comfort, Christian Persecution, and the Better Country

That actually came from Brother Dwayne. I guess when he was out in Ohio, something to that effect was stated. Is that right, Dwayne, at that rally? We value the same things. We value the good, like a good old-fashioned American life.

We want those things. We want to keep those things. Let me read John chapter 15, a little portion of it to you. Verses 18 to 25. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin.

But now have they both seen and hated both me and my father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause. This quality of life that we have here in the U .S. is pretty easy.

We can meet here freely. We can homeschool our children. We enjoy a lot of things that are freedoms that living under this government affords. It's true. And I wouldn't wish away those things for a minute.

And I don't. But we have to be honest and realize that historical treatment of Christians is not good. There have been pockets of time where Christians were tolerated. Their presence was maybe even celebrated a little bit.

And we're in one now. We're in a pocket of time when we're being tolerated. However, I have to believe that we're eventually going to return to the historically poor treatment of Christians. And I don't know when.

It's not a prophecy. It's just if we follow historic patterns, that's what's bound to happen. So let me conclude with one of my favorite passages in Hebrews chapter 11. It's about Abraham. Verses 8 to 16.

And then I'm going to go down to chapter 12 and just read a little bit. By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out, not knowing whether he went.

By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God.

Through faith also, Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there, even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.

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.

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from once they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country that is in heavenly.

Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.

From whence also he received him in a figure.". People who are hoping for something intangible, people who were looking for something that isn't here, isn't in this present place. You know, a friend of mine used to say of Abraham like, he walked into that country and he was like, yep, someday this will be all mine.

And he never lived to see it. His seed would inherit it. You know, he was there by faith. He was pursuing those things that weren't tangible. It wasn't something he could touch. He just knew it was something to come.

He was seeking a better country. And so our inspiration ought to be this. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.

Lest you be wearied and faint in your minds, you have not yet resisted striving against sin. You know, one of my concerns for myself and a big inspiration for this message today is that even if we choose not to participate, but just pay attention, it's easy to get sucked into these things and neglect the kingdom of God.