The God of All Government

[Music] [Music] Listen, church. Uh, before we go any further today, it is that time of the year again where I explain the American flag on the stage. I explain this black robe. This black robe is, uh, representative. It's symbolic of today being Pulpit Freedom Sunday across America. And we'll explain what that means today. Uh, Pulpit Freedom Sunday was born out of, by the way, just seven years ago. Today marks the seventh anniversary of Pulpit Freedom Sunday, uh, which was a decision made by a handful of churches agreeing with the Alliance Defending Freedom to go back to the faithfulness of preaching and teaching God's Word without apology and without fear, in light of the direction that this nation has been taking against the pulpit in America since 1954. I'll explain more of that as we get into today's message slash history lesson slash challenge slash lecture. How's that?

But, um, I am so happy to, to say again that seven years ago, we were one of 20 churches that on this Sunday, seven years ago, began to speak out in defense of Pulpit Freedom Sunday, which experienced its birth on that day. And this morning, it's a great report to say that today, across America, uh, and in the islands of Hawaii and a couple of, uh, churches in Guam, I believe it is, uh, they are, we are 3,600 churches strong now in Pulpit Freedom Sunday. It is radically growing. It's tremendous how congregants are demanding from their pastors that they engage in issues that the culture has stolen from us and declared to be political issues, when in fact, they are biblical issues. And so, this morning, I'm going to ask you to grab your Bibles and turn, if you would, to Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7. Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7. And I want to officially welcome you to today's Pulpit Freedom Sunday and a message entitled, "The God of All Government."

We need to remember that our God, the God of the Bible, is the God of all governments. Socialists will answer to God in the end. Democrats and Republicans, the liberal party, the Green Party, parliaments, congresses, will answer to God in the end. Kings, the Bible says, will answer to God. And then presidents will bow their knee before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords in the end. The Bible tells us that God is the creator, the origin, the genesis of government. A lot of, a lot of you don't realize that. A lot of people have been taught that there's religious stuff and then there's the real stuff. There's the stuff you do on Sunday for a few hours, and then there's the rest of your life that matters. One for a few hours may be governed by your church, but the real issues of life will be governed by the government. Well, let me remind you that the Bible and the God of the Bible makes it very clear that those governments have been ordained by God. Romans 13 declares that God is the originator, the genesis of global governments and world governments.

And in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, the Bible there says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." I know you view it as a Christmas verse, but hang on. "And the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." And of the increase of his, what? Government and peace. There will be no end. Jesus Christ is not only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but He is coming back, and He's going to establish His literal geopolitical rule in the second coming of Christ. Did you ever think about that? That Jesus Christ will establish, oh, this is going to drive people crazy. Jesus is going to come back, and for 1,000 years, the Bible says, He will establish a theocracy on earth. A theocracy. We've been conditioned to think out of that box or to stay away from that box. But lo and behold, even the governments of the world today will someday answer to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The idea of human government is a false one in the sense of human government being originated by humans. From the very beginning, God is the one who instigated, or should say, instituted government among mankind. We find this in the Bible. And one of the great verses of the Bible, which, by the way, our Founding Fathers, we'll talk more about this today, our Founding Fathers, I literally use this as a foundation for the, uh, structure of our government, is found in Isaiah chapter 33, verse 22. Isaiah 33:22. Our Founding Fathers went to the Bible based upon the writings of John Locke. That's your homework today. Read the two volumes of John Locke on Human Governments. By the way, 1,500 quotations from the Bible did John Locke insert into his two-volume treaty. You say, "Who cares?" You care because our Founding Fathers used John Locke's treaty to, for the establishment of this government that you reside in. They looked to him.

And in Isaiah 33, verse 22, the Bible says, "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, and the Lord is our king. He will save us." And they took those three governing aspects of God's authority. Notice this. You guys, look at your Bible, look at the screen. For the Yahweh Lord, the Savior God is our judge. The Savior God is our lawgiver. The Savior God is our king. He will save us. Listen, a Republican Congress will not save us. Barack Obama will not save us. Parliament cannot save us. The governments of the world cannot save us. Stop looking to the government as your Messiah, savior. Stop looking to government as your handout. The Lord God of Heaven and Earth is your handout. He has promised to provide you all that you need in this life, not the government. The government is God's ordained tool to exercise His will in all the earth. What a tremendous thought that is, and yet it's biblical. Keep that in mind.

Proverbs 29, verse 2 tells us, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, people groan." America is groaning. And look, it's just not just America. Europe is groaning. The world is groaning. I find it amazingly end-times significant that the world has no profound leadership today. There is no Margaret Thatcher in the world today. There is no Ronald Reagan in the world today. Think of it regarding freedom and liberty. I know I'm speaking about humans. They're all flawed, just like you and I. We've only voted. Listen. We vote once for the Savior. That's God. That's the Lord. But does that mean that we divorce ourselves from those who will be in power over us? No. The Bible demands that we get involved and select out from our communities the very best to represent us.

I've said it before, I want to say it again. That I come here today with no particular axe to grind against the party. I'm not here to demonize any political party because I'm a monarchist. I believe in a ruling, reigning King. Jesus is my King. I'm waiting for Him to come back. And so I'm not here to bash anybody. If I'm faithful, I'll bash everybody in politics. But still again, it doesn't mean that you and I bow out of it. I'm curious today. Be bold. Don't lie. You're in church. How many of you Christians? Raise your hands. Did you know that our Founding Fathers, beginning with the Pilgrims, our Founding Fathers that gave us the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Did you know that our founding pulpits in America? Did you know that they took it upon themselves as believers to get involved in, uh, those who lead us and the decisions made for our nation? Did you know they took that very seriously?

I want you guys to know today that I'm highly offended at those who are spectator Christians. I don't get it. I don't understand what Bible they're reading. But a lot of Christians today are good, moral people, but they'll never let their light shine because they sit out the elections. All the bad people go and vote, while the good people stay home and say, "I don't agree with any of those people." Listen, this comment about, "Well, we, I am not about to reduce myself down to voting for the lesser of two evils." You better vote for the lesser of two evils because all the evil nuts will go out and vote for the big evil guy, and he's going to get in power, and he's going to run the world. Think of it. Somewhere along the lines, somebody running for dog catcher or president is going to hold something that is equal to a biblical worldview. Even if it's just one topic, vote for them. Support them. And I'm not alone in that sentiment.

Our Founding Fathers, the Pilgrims, were big on liberty and the exercising of liberty. I love saying this. I look for excuses to read you this. It's two paragraphs that I believe is one of the most powerful declarations made to mankind. Are you ready? You can read it. In fact, put on the screen, guys. You can follow along with me. "In the name of God, amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, King and Defender of the Faith, having undertaken for the glory of God, the advancement of the Christian faith, and the honor of our King and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preserving and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; that by virtue hereof to enact and constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and right and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the reign of our sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the 18th, and of Scotland, the 54th, in the year 1620."

This is, of course, the famed Mayflower Compact. This was the very foundational document in giving birth to America. This is a fact. I'm wondering today, because it's so important, I'm wondering if today kids are being taught the Mayflower Compact in schools. Personally, if I was the dictator of education in America, I would make sure that this happened. This would be required. If any school is going to receive federal funding, they would have to teach the founding elements of our nation, and that would be number one, the Mayflower Compact. You don't teach that, you don't get any federal money. Why? Because this is what America is.

The next thing is this. Go ahead and put it on the screen. Benjamin Franklin's request for prayers at the Constitutional Convention, July 28, 1787. "In this situation of this assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when it presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending Providence in our favor. I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?" said Benjamin Franklin. What an awesome statement and what a prophetic statement that is.

When was the last time? When was the last time we embraced the very documents of our founding? We need to get back to truth. The Bible warns us that when the ancient boundaries are removed, the people will be adrift. America is adrift today because we've lost our heritage. We have forgotten, or have we never been taught, that Jesus Christ and His Bible were the founding motivation to the birth of this nation? Back to the Pilgrim Fathers, back when Franklin, among others, consulted God in prayer. Yes, today is Pulpit Freedom across America. As I mentioned, over 3,600 churches are involved in this this morning. Why do we need a Pulpit Freedom Sunday? Well, number one, because history in America is a history that screams from the pulpit. You can't get away from the history of the United States in its birth without consulting or finding out about the pulpit. It's amazing to find out, unlike any other nation in the history of mankind, literally, history tells us that America's freedom and the cry and the understanding of liberty, according to our founders, they all pointed to the pulpit as the place where liberty was born in the hearts of Americans.

I've said it before, I say it again, that upon King George's request, any British soldier, soldier finding by name, mind you, the key five black robe regiment pastors preaching liberty and freedom at the outset of the revolution. Did you know the Crown of England said, "Find those five pastors and without trial, without attorney, hang them on the spot. Hang them because they spoke about a liberty that God had given, not one that was defined by the King of England." Doesn't that sound radical? It's normal. It's normal thinking. But I'm afraid that we, as a culture, have we've swallowed blindly and very, very quietly, we've swallowed that same type of intimidation. We have allowed the government rather to be our servants. We've allowed them to dictate into us in our lives what they want us to do for them. And that's completely opposite of the founding of this nation.

An amazing thing to realize is why do we need a Pulpit Freedom Sunday today? Is because when government forgets God, the freedoms provided by God are quickly removed. And we're seeing that today at breakneck speed. And so, in 1954, the ruling of the Johnson Amendment, created by Lyndon Johnson, former President of the United States, then Senator of Texas, threatened pastors. I quote: "Should a pastor, a priest, or a member of the clergy speak out regarding issues that were deemed, or that are deemed political, and they that their, uh, preaching, teaching, or influencing should in any way sway an election, the IRS would then be empowered to sue for the removal of that church's tax-exempt status." Well, number one, and by the way, that was, that is the power of the Johnson Amendment. Number one, no one ever had the audacity in American history as a politician to say, "The pulpits need to shut up and step out of the public arena," until Lyndon Johnson. Remember him? LBJ. Lyndon Johnson. You ought to go find out why he was so adamant about shutting up the churches. You got to go find out why. There were two Christians that were driving him nuts during his election period. They were exposing all of his shortcomings regarding morality and his positions on social things. And Johnson vowed that if he got elected, he would shut up the voice of the pulpit. It's the Johnson Amendment. It's been in effect since 1954. And sadly, this is not for you to hear. It's for every pastor in America who's not involved in Pulpit Freedom Sunday today. Pastors in America have swallowed that intimidation and fear, the Johnson Amendment, more than God's Word. And that's a tragedy that ought not to be happening. Very, very important. We need to stand up and push back against a system that is infiltrated into the pulpits of America and silencing pastors.

I want to show you this clip from news, from Fox News, just a couple weeks ago. "Well, first they targeted the protesters. Next up, the pastors. The IRS could be coming to a church near you, and you can thank the atheists for that. They struck a deal with the troubled agency, giving it the power to keep a closer eye on non-profit religious groups. Jack Hibbs is senior pastor of Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills, California. He says the worst part, churches like his are being completely left in the dark about this. Good morning, Pastor. Thanks for being with us. So the atheists, in essence, are forcing the hand of the IRS to go in and take a look at sermons and see if there's any political fire in there. Is that correct?" "That is, that is exactly right. And here's the ironic thing about it is, you're looking at a 501(c)(3) group, atheist group, that is petitioning the federal government to threaten the churches in America of losing their 501(c)(3) status if we, in some way, influence or speak out against cultural issues. And we believe that's fundamentally wrong. If it's going to be an issue of that, then where do they stop regarding our free speech? The pastor's ability and freedom to say whatever is involved in their culture. And we are, number one, highly offended at that. And secondly, we should be able to say whatever, frankly, God puts on our heart to say." "Well, and if you do feel that way, indeed, one would say, 'Fine, let's go back and reverse that amendment and fight to have that undone.' But as history has proven in recent weeks and months, in the past two years, the IRS has had some specific targeting, particularly when it comes to a conservative message. So how afraid are you that they're not going to be looking at churches that belong to Jesse Jackson, Josephine Lowry, this Vivian, Reverend Samson? I mean, these are churches with a liberal perspective, those that have gotten behind the last election on the side of President Obama. Do you believe they will be looked at?" "I honestly, I do not believe that they will be looked at. If we look at the track record of the IRS of late, it has not been stellar. It has certainly not been fair. And this is something where the American people need to stand up. Because if they don't stop at the church issue and keep moving forward, we're talking about not only our First Amendment rights for all American citizens to speak, but churches should be able to speak into the culture. At what point, Elizabeth, do they say, for example, the fact that Jesus Christ came, died on the cross for our sins, rose again from the grave? Now, that is a political statement, or it causes people to feel uncomfortable. We need to stop that as well. And so that's why we are standing behind the Pulpit Freedom Sunday initiative to speak out on these issues and to, uh, exercise our freedoms, frankly." "Well, you, well said, and you raised a lot of interesting questions there, Patrick. Hibbs, we want to actually thank you for being with us this morning, Pastor. Our best to your congregation there. Thank you."

Kind of caught her off guard, I think. But, um, I figured Fox, just before, by the way, that was at 5:15 in the morning LA time in Los Angeles, where I was linked up with New York. And the, the producer had said, "Pastor, be ready because we don't know how long this is going to go. This is live TV, so you need to say what you need to say in 60 seconds, but, but be able to talk for four minutes." So you have to figure that out. They tell you that one minute before you go on. So it's, I'm figuring this. I don't know if I have four minutes or one minute. So I, no matter what I say, I'm going to get the gospel in there and see what happens. So, uh, we have to do that. But the IRS wants to stop us from being able to speak out against issues that are deemed now political. The definition of marriage, abortion, whatever it may be. What now? The sovereignty goes to the government to dictate to us? No, Christian, you can't talk about that. Why should? Listen, I mean, this affectionately. Why should you on this side of this pulpit, you have all the freedoms to say anything you want, but because I stand behind this pulpit, the U.S. government hinders my ability to say what you can freely say? Why? Because they're afraid of the pulpits of America. They're afraid. Satan is afraid that if they act according to God's dictates, it's going to change the culture. And who's to say that someday, as I mentioned a moment ago, that the government's going to say, "You can't mention Jesus dying on the cross for your sins because it might cause somebody to be uncomfortable"? You laugh, but those days are coming. If you surrender a little bit of freedom, the rest is soon to come.

So regarding the Black Robe Regiment and Pulpit Freedom Sunday, I read this to you. The Black Robe Regiment was a moniker that was given to the Patriot Pastors of Colonial America. They were called the Black Robe Regiment owing to the fact that so many of them had a propensity to wear a long black robe in their pulpits. It was British loyalist Peter Oliver who first used the name Black Robe Regiment. He complained that such pastors were at the heart of the American Revolution disturbance. Oliver tied their influence to shaping colonial leaders such as Samuel Adams. By the way, read Samuel Adams. He said the very thing about himself that his understanding of freedom came from the church that he attended. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others of prominence in the cause of liberty. He lamented that fact that the colonial leadership, in its quest to gain the voice of the clergy, said Oliver, "It's from the American pulpits where freedom rings." That's a man who lived during the era.

In 1833, the American Quarterly Register, it's a magazine of that day, said, and I quote, "As a body of men, the clergy were preeminent in their attachment to liberty. The pulpits of the land rang with the notes of freedom." Here in America, French historian and political observer Alexis de Tocqueville said, "Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness that I understand the secret of her, that is America's genius and power." He went on to say, "America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great," said de Tocqueville.

Consider this. God, the God of all government, requires us to understand our place in government. Our citizens of this country, you and I, we've been brought to this nation, or we were born in this nation, by the observing and overruling act of God. Did you know that you were not born here, or you did not immigrate here by what you might think as a whim or a desire? God was in all that. The Bible says that God establishes nations, He builds them up, and He tears them down, and He sets their borders. We need to hear that today. God establishes the borders. Man has a tendency to destroy borders. John Adams and John Hancock, on April 18, 1775, said, "We recognize no sovereign but God, and no king but Jesus." What an awesome statement. What? Here are two great Founding Fathers of our nation, and they understood their place, both among men and before God. These are the ones who birthed the laws that you and I enjoy. And what did they say? Above all, we have one King, and that's Jesus.

Did you know? Are you aware that our first President of the United States of America attempted to make him king? Did you know that the United States attempted to make George Washington the king of America? And he refused. Why? He understood that we have one King, and that's King Jesus. God has placed you and I under this governmental rule in America with a grand assumption that this nation, among all nations of all the earth, which is the definition of American exceptionalism, doesn't mean we're better than anybody else. It means that we had a founding like no other nation, that God has favored this nation. I was on the road all this week. It's been a crazy week, but since I've seen you last Sunday, I've been in Denver. We've been arguing and defending, uh, what's happening in the Jefferson County School Board. What's happening there? And as they have stood up, they're fighting back against the, uh, changing of history. Did you know that in Colorado, and, uh, they began to implement false history in Colorado? And the, and the Christians of the community of Jefferson County got a little upset at that, and they ran for school board, and they all got elected. And they, you know what they decided to do? They're making national news today. And so we were there. I was there as a, uh, with FRC, Family Research Council, and strengthening the school board there. And they are fighting and experiencing tremendous resistance. You know what? You want to know why? Because they took a paragraph about George Washington and the Founding Fathers, they took a paragraph out and they replaced it with eight pages of American history from actual American history. And the, the, the liberal progressives in Colorado are going crazy because they can't handle that much truth. John Adams said, John Adams said, uh, "Facts are stubborn things." And pray for Colorado. There's a great shift that's happening right now in the grassroots effort in Colorado, getting back to American history. I thank God for our school board and what's going on there and what has continued to go on there. Listen, you vote for our school board members who stand up for your biblical worldview. It's incumbent upon you in the, in the city or in the county you live in to find out about your school board, and you make your vote. Run for PTA. Vitally important. Make a difference. It's amazing.

And so we understand this, that God, the God of all government, expects you and I to defend our God-given freedoms. On the screen, you'll see this by John Adams quote: "The general principles on which the fathers" – he's referring to the Founding Fathers, the Pilgrims, his Founding Fathers – "achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity." By the way, he's a Harvard graduate. Can you believe a Harvard graduate is saying this? By the way, John Harvard, a pastor, started Harvard University. Did you know that? "I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable" – that's unchanging – "as the existence and attributes of God," said John Adams, the creator. These are the creators of our nation.

Listen, consider this. The God of all government commands us to pass on what He has done. The Bible tells us in the book of Deuteronomy that we are commanded to tell our children what great works God has done. Listen, I love this. It's cute. It sounds kind of silly. It's 100% true. History, history is His story. And God told Moses to tell the people of Israel, and thus we adopt this fact, then truth: "When your children are growing up, you tell them all about Me. You tell them when they wake up about Me. You tell them as they live their day about Me. You tell them as you sit down to eat about Me." And God said, "When you tuck them into bed, you tell them about Me." You cannot get away from the great exploits of God. And let me remind you again that no nation on the history, in the history of mankind, can boast what we can boast. And in some ways, in some ways, we can boast things that Israel has not yet been able to boast. Two nations in all the history of the world, God was in the exact making of it: Israel and the United States. Look, I, I respect you if you're from Holland. I respect you if you're from Germany or from South America. That's awesome. But no nation can boast what we can boast. We've got a system of thinking today that's against that. We've got an administration that's against that. This was the founding intent of the Pilgrim Fathers and our foundational Fathers in their revolutionary period.

Again, John Adams says in June of 1776, his Thoughts on Government. He says, and I quote: "It is the duty of all men in society, publicly and at stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being." Imagine Barack Obama making that announcement today. Oh, have the mighty have fallen. "The great Creator and Preserver of the universe, and no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained in his person, liberty, or estate for worshiping God in the manner most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience." And that's liberty, is it not? "Or for this religious profession or sentiments, provided he does not disturb the public peace or obstruct others in their religious worship." That's America, ladies and gentlemen. Did you know if you're a Muslim, listen, if you're a Muslim, you're free to worship your God. You know, if you're an atheist in this nation, you're free to not believe. Did you know that? We're not going to harm you. We're not going to cut your head off because you don't believe like us. And we're not going to somehow abuse you because you believe in God and we don't, or vice versa. Listen, when you have the truth on your side, you're fearless. You know the truth, it sets you free. And the, oh, listen, oh, think of it. Think of it right now. Go to any other nation in the world that is either atheistic, slash, of course, communistic. Are you free to worship? Go to a country where they are Islamic. Are you free as a Christian to worship? Go, go to India. Are you free as a Christian to worship? No. But America invites all peoples of the world to come and worship, or not. Who affords that? A Judeo-Christian Bill of Rights, Constitution, and form of government. We're not afraid, nor are we threatened by you worshiping some false god. We just know that nobody's listening when you worship your false god. Our heart goes out to you. Our God, as John Adams says, and I agree, is the God of the universe. We embrace Him as such.

The God of all governments has imparted to us His values, and that we are to impart these values of His to the next generation. God help us. God help all of us as parents, as teachers, as administrators, God help us, grandparents, all of us, to grab a little heart and a little faith and a little mind and speak into them truth. It's so exciting. It's so powerful. And yet again, God demands that we do this. Again, John Adams. I didn't realize I got so much of John Adams here. Out of all the quotes I could have grabbed, John Adams. I didn't realize till just now I've got so much of him. John Adams said, and I quote, "Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. What a utopia! What a paradise would this region be!" Silly, silly John Adams. What a dope. What a knucklehead. Really. I wish we could produce intellects like this today. I encourage you, it's not, it's not a Christian book, but go ahead and read John Adams by David McCullough. Find out more about the person of John Adams. He went to Harvard Divinity School to be a preacher, a pastor. Did you know that? And when he attempted to preach, his father said, "Listen, come here. It's best that you not try to do that again. You got to find some other form of employment because you're the worst preacher I've heard publicly. Love you, kid, but don't do that again." And, uh, I love it because, uh, you're going to hold me in contempt for saying this, but I think throughout history, a faithful pastor, preacher of the Word of God, is not that far off from what John Adams went to go do. John Adams immediately employed himself in the study of law. Law is given by God. And John Adams became one of the most profound voices for liberty and freedom in our culture. He was even acknowledged by the Crown of England because of his ability to argue cases, even in defense of the Crown against his own Americans. He loved the law so much. My point is this: I think every good attorney should be devoted to the law, not some paycheck or some law firm. And every good attorney, I tell you what, there shouldn't be much of a difference between what happens in the pulpit and what happens on the floor of some court, because that attorney better remember, and so might that judge remember, that they will answer to God for what they say, as a pastor will. It's a very serious thing. It's a very wonderful thing.

In Matthew 22:15, Matthew 22:15, the Bible says, "Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk." Good luck. "And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, 'Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.'" They're just buttering up for the kill. "'Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to the IRS, or not?'" Verse 18: "So Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, 'Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?'" Oh, I love that. I'd love to see that happen. I see Jesus kind of, by the way, just kind of cleaning His fingernails like this. "Why do you tempt Me, you hypocrites?" I think He looked up that. I think He looked at them right at the word "hypocrites." Boom. Right on him. "Why do you tempt Me? Show Me the tax money." And so they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is on this?" And they said, "Caesar's." IRS. And He said to them, "Awesome." I just threw that in. He didn't say awesome. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

In other words, you better pay your taxes. You're going to go to jail. Pay your taxes. I don't believe in paying my taxes because the government uses it for abortion. Look, pay your taxes, and God will deal with the IRS in the day of judgment for funding abortions. I don't agree with the way my government uses the money. We don't either. Pay your taxes. God says, Jesus says, pay your taxes. Jesus didn't agree with the Roman Empire, but listen, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. Give it to him. Just make sure you do this: Give the most important thing you to God." And by the way, here's what I do every year when I write my check to the IRS. This is what I do. I write it to them, and Lord, here you go. This is Your money. It's not my money. Lord, this is Your money going to this organization that's trying to stop Your Word. You deal with them according to You, how You see fit, and I'm released of it. I love that. The IRS can come and knock on my, my door. I'm legal. I'm good. This church is good. But they will not be good in the day of judgment. That's what Jesus is saying.

Be involved in the culture. Don't sit it out. Be the salt and light that Jesus has demanded us to be, and He will take care of those in the end. That's what He's promised to do. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Psalm 24:1: "The earth, remember, is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it, belong to God." Is that amazing? Think of it. How awesome is that? Psalm 50, verse 10, says, "For every animal of the forest and cattle on a thousand hills is Mine," says the Lord. Think of that. Everything. The God of all government. Act worthy, then, of this great idea. Yes, act worthy of this great idea. What are you talking about? Idea? Did you know that you sit in a government right now that was an idea given by God to man? It's the most radical thought governments have ever had. We are the only. Are you listening to everybody? We are the only government in the world. Number one, we may be among some of the youngest nations on earth. Did you know that? But did you know we have the oldest constitution on the planet in human history ever? Did you know that one of the youngest nations with the oldest governing document? I believe those 56 creators of our government were men. If they believed in God or not. By the way, most of them did. And by the way, most of them had seminary degrees or seminary educations, I should say. I believe that this nation, with those men, God instilled. In fact, many historians have admitted that based on their each individual's education, did you know each individual's education of those 56 men, that they have not been able to find since in human history, in recorded human history? Are you listening? Don't believe what I'm going to tell you right now. Go find out and see that out of the 56 signers in one room birthing your government, that history cannot find more brilliant, gifted, and educated men in one room at the same time with such an effect in human history.

How many of you have bifocals on your glasses? Raise your hand. Benjamin Franklin invented that. How many of you ever been swimming in the ocean with fins on your feet? Ben Franklin invented those. Gas lamp to illuminate the street? Ben Franklin. Electricity, the lightning understanding? Ben Franklin. And on and on it goes. Jefferson. Jefferson was a genius. I've been to his house numerous times. You should see his books. If you've been to the Library of Congress, there wouldn't have been one without Jefferson. And when you go to his house, by the way, and you pull out his books from the shelves and you look at them, well, what is this? Worthless to me. I mean, you can actually see them. This one's all in Latin. Oh, this one's all in Greek. This one's all in Hebrew. This one's all in French. This one's all, every time Jefferson got done reading a book, he would sign it and date it at the back. They're all signed and dated in the back. Geniuses. Brilliant. The man who gave birth to the, um, I'm losing the name of it. It's what us, the surgeons. They all belong to it. It's the medical association. They all belong to it. He taught more surgeons. He gave birth. He's the father of American surgery in America. Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Founding Father, brilliant doctor. And on and on it goes. I could spend all day.

I think you already know that we're under attack. We need to stand worthy of these great ideas. You've probably seen in the news, it's all over the news and it's increasing. That Temecula school. Let me, let me, let me, let me be very careful for us to act worthy of these ideas given to us. Our public schools and universities have not only demonized American history, they have attacked patriotism at every turn. Quote in the article: "Burning Bibles at public schools? Can a public school have Christian books in its literature? Are religious books coming under fire?" The latest story comes from Temecula, California. This is New York News. But religious activists have worried for generations that public schools have become aggressive book burners. And the current case, the Pacific Justice Institute, that's Brad Dacus, has accused Temecula's River Springs Charter School, apparently one of three schools in the Springs Charter School network, of anti-Christian bias. A parent complained to the Pacific Justice Institute that a school library has purged any book with a Christian bent. According to a report in the Christian News, published, uh, to the, the parent told Pacific Justice Institute that the librarian had been told to get rid of religious books. As conservative commentator Tom Starnes of Fox News tells the story, the school librarian was instructed to quote, "Remove all books with a Christian message authored by Christians or published by a Christian publishing company." And this was found out when someone, by the way, found the book, "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom, in the trash. One of the great Christian classics. We are to stand and fight for this God-given idea. We need to act worthy. Let's remember that. Acting worthy. Boy, are you guys with me? Are you still with me? Acting worthy. We have no excuse. When you think about the men who gave birth, and let me throw women in there too, because all these men had wives, and I don't know if you realize this or not, but when you visit our nation's capital, you find out that out of the Founding Fathers, there was a prominent woman. You know, you know her name. She's considered one of the Founding Fathers of America. I wonder if you know who one of the Founding Father girls were. Abigail Adams. Abigail Adams was amazing. We need more men like Abigail Adams in Congress.

July 4th, 1776: "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, what an amazing statement, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." And here it is: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." And do you remember, by the way, as such a moving document, do you remember how it ends? "With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Did you know these men who are the richest in America? Did you know that George Washington and John Hancock, because we could not get money from Congress, they couldn't agree on the war effort? Did you know that John Hancock and George Washington personally funded the Revolutionary War period for a year and a half themselves, out of their own pockets? Do you believe in something that much? Not you, but some people can't even put a nickel in the offering. They don't even believe in the cause of Christ that much. They not only believed in Christ, they believed that God was at work. I don't know about you, but while I still have breath, I don't believe God's done with America. Do we deserve to be abandoned by God? Yes, we do. But I believe He remembers the prayers of our founders. I won't give up on that hope. And we can add to those prayers every day as we intercede for this nation. And I think we need to do that. Listen, thank you. That's, that's great. May God move in our nation.

I quote Thomas Jefferson: "The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time. Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God, that they are not to be violated but with His wrath?" says Thomas Jefferson. Sir Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." I encourage you to get involved and find out who's running for office. I want to bring this to an end, but first, I want to show you this video to speak for itself.

"Congressman Miller, this is Tony Perkins, and I just want to commend you on a job well done as a congressman that has represented, not, not always an easy state, California. Sometimes, as we like to say in Washington, out on the Left Coast. You've done a great job of reflecting not only the values of millions of those in California, but in particular, I want to thank you for representing the families of our nation. As a recipient of FRC Action's True Blue Award, you have been 100% on the issues of faith, family, and freedom, and you've done it well. And I, of course, wouldn't expect anything else out of someone who was a member of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, because you said under the teaching of the Word of God, and I know you're a faithful member. And I just want to thank you for the difference that you have made through your witness in Washington D.C. God bless you and all that you undertake in the years ahead."

U.S. Congressman Gary Miller. Are you here this morning, Congressman Miller? So, thank you. Congressman Gary Miller has served our community and our nation for some 70, 17 plus years, representing the 31st district in Washington D.C. for us, speaking for us, fighting for us. Who's vice chairman of the Financial Services Committee, which he oversees the United States, get this, banks, stock market, real estate market, and insurance industry. Our own Congressman Gary Miller is also a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Washington D.C., which oversees the nation's highways, railroads, airports, and water infrastructure. He's the chairman of the Building a Better America Congressional Organization, promoting quality growth.

In our country and in our state, our congressman Gary Miller was born in Arkansas, but he grew up here in Southern California. And in his early 20s, mind you, he founded the G. Miller Development Company with his wife, Kathy. They married in 1972. They've raised three sons and a daughter.

And he has served us faithfully. Tony Perkins, when I asked Tony to do this, Tony was elated to do this. Congressman Miller, he was excited to do this because in Washington D.C., the FRC keeps a close eye on the voting records of those representing our nation and our states. And there are very few members of Congress that have gotten the Family Research Council True Blue Award. Some score 95 percent, some score 96 percent. Very few. 96 percent.

Our congressman, over these all these years, representing your liberties and your family, scored 100 percent on his voting record. We acknowledge him not only for his fine service to our community and to our state and our nation, but, and I know life's got to go on, he's blessed beyond measure and he's got grandkids, and I get that part. I'm just bummed that he will not be seeking re-election. He's going to be retiring, and we lose a tremendous ally in Washington D.C.

But what he stands for, and I've got to tell you, maybe a little bit to his embarrassment, I don't mean this in a harsh way, I mean this in a good way. Outside, I believe you told me, outside of 2001 in the attacks at September 11th, when you could not make it home, he's never missed a Sunday coming to church, you guys. And coming back home to his family. He commutes. How'd you like to have that for a commute? An airplane back and forth across the continent. But every Sunday, I can tell you that he's sitting right here, all the time, coming to church. Some people can't make it to church, and we're right across the street from their house.

I love this man and his and Kathy, his wife, who God has blessed. He has been a servant. And I've got to tell you, make no mistake about it, I had an amazing opportunity this last October to stand in Congress and open up Congress in prayer. Had nothing to do with me, had nothing to do with you. It had to do with this precious man opening the door to get me in there to do that. And I was honored to do that.

Just goes to show you that God would have us run for office to shine our light for Jesus and the influence of Christ in every, every aspect of life. There is no place where Jesus Christ said for you not to shine the light. And I thank God for Congressman Miller. Others, I think of James Naw and others who are in here today. Kurt Hageman is here today. Kurt's running for office. There are others here running for office. And you need to find out, you need to find out in this upcoming election who cares about your biblical worldview.

We'll tell you. See, Pastor, the IRS is going to arrest you. They're going to scold you. We understand that. We'd rather obey God rather than man. Let's all stand, if you would. Let's stand. Father, we thank you for this nation. We've lost sight of the fact we've been beaten down as a culture. There seems to be a very depressing, almost cloud of defeat looming in our hearts. We've listened too much to the pulpit of CNN or Fox or NBC or somebody, whatever.

But Father God, we take it to heart right now as we end this time to offer up these great statements as a prayer to you. Father, I bring to your ears again, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, when John Jay said, "Whether our religion permits Christians to vote for infidel rulers is a question which merits more consideration than it seems yet to have generally received either from the clergy or from the laity." In my opinion, it is the right and duty of our pastors to press the observance of all moral and religious duties and to condemn every course of conduct which may be repugnant to them. Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, privilege, and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.

And in the words of Charles Finney, the great American evangelist, Father, we remind you again this morning and ourselves, "The church must take right ground in regard to politics. The time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics. Christians have been exceedingly guilty in this matter, but, but the time has come when they must act differently. God cannot sustain us, a free and blessed country which we love and pray for, unless the church will take right ground." It seems sometimes as if the foundations of the nation are becoming rotten, and Christians seem to act as if they think God does not see what they do in politics. But I tell you, He does see, and He will bless or curse this nation according to the course the Christians take in politics.

And finally, this Lord, remember President Ronald Reagan when he said, "And we also offer this up. Ultimately, our loyalty belongs not to any political party or candidate, but to Almighty God." Father, we commit our diligence to be a light in this world and to stand and proclaim the cross of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who died on the cross and rose again from the grave for our freedom and liberty forever. We commit America into your hands. In Jesus name, and all God's people said, Amen.

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