Greg Laurie - Faith and Politics
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Now we shift gears. I said we’ll talk about politics. Let’s do that together. Now, I know the knee jerk reaction is, «No, we shouldn’t talk about politics in church, and you, as a pastor, should not talk about this subject». Well, why not? My job, as a pastor, is to give you the whole council of God, and certainly, the Bible has a lot to say about a lot of the issues we’re gonna be voting on. Now, I’m not gonna tell you who to vote for. I’m just gonna tell you what I’ll be thinking about when I get ready to vote. Now, someone might say, «Well, what about the separation of church and state»?
Did you know that that particular phrase is not in any of our founding documents? It’s not in the Declaration of Independence. It’s not in the Bill of Rights. It’s not in our Constitution. But often people invoke, «Separation of church and state»! Where did that phrase even come from? It was pinned by Thomas Jefferson. He was a prolific writer. Jefferson wrote up to 19,000 letters. He was a letter-writing machine, a brilliant intellect, and of course, one of our founding fathers and signers of the Declaration of Independence, and our third precedent as well. So, in response to an inquiry, Jefferson coined this phrase. It was a letter he wrote to a group asking about the role of religion in our culture, and so he wrote it in a personal letter. It was not in executive order. And in this letter, he wrote of a wall of separation between church and state.
The idea was not that the church should have no influence on the state. It was that the state should not have the influence over the church. Okay, so, the church must have influence on the state. The church must have influence on its culture. This is part of what we’re called to do as Christians, to shine our light and be salt in the earth. So we have an absolute commend to do that. And by the way, our country, don’t let some revisionist historian tell you otherwise. Our country was built on Judeo-Christian principles, it was. Going back to Thomas Jefferson, he said, quote, «It was God who gave us liberty. And 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 from God»? And then he concluded, again, to quote him, «I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and his justice cannot sleep forever».
Our first president, George Washington, in his Farewell Address, given in 1776, said, quote, «Reason and experience both forbid us that national morality can prevail in the exclusion of religious principle». In other words, this morality, we should have, our sense of right and wrong comes from religious principle, again, back to our foundation. Patrick Henry, a ratifier of the US Constitution said this, and I quote, «It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians,» very clear. Harvard University and Yale University, which are quite liberal today, were founded on Christian principles. Harvard College’s first presidents and tutors insisted that there could be, quote, «No true knowledge or wisdom without Jesus Christ,» end quote.
In Harvard’s rules and precepts, it was written, quote, «Everyone shall consider that the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life». So, it’s so important for us to speak up about these things and pray that we could get back to those spiritual roots that we have strayed from. And the Bible has a lot to say about issues that we’re facing right now, including marriage, family, biological sex, parental authority, our relationship with the nation, Israel, and even national borders, and I think we should talk about these things. The Bible says that «we should submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God».
So with this election coming up, we should all vote, and having said that, I will publicly pray for whoever is elected to be the next president of the United States if I voted for them or not, 'cause that’s my responsibility. Pray for those who are in authority. So I’ve had the privilege to meet a few US presidents over the years. I met Jimmy Carter on three separate occasions, one was in Georgia when Billy Graham was doing a crusade and he introduced me to President Carter, who was with him on that occasion. And then I met President Carter on a plane once. I don’t remember where I was flying to, but he was on the plane, and he walked down the aisle and shook the hand of every passenger on the plane. I thought that was amazing and very impressive. So people could say I shook the hand of a president.
And then the third time was when we were at the Billy Graham library, and we were dedicating it, and President George H. W. Bush was there, and his wife Barbara and President Carter. Here’s a photo of that occasion. So, left to right, that’s Jane Graham, Franklin Graham, me, President Bush, First Lady Barbara Bush, Cathy and Jimmy Carter. Now I want to go for a tighter shot on Jimmy Carter and my wife. Look at President Carter’s hand. It’s around my wife’s waist! I didn’t put my hand around Barbara Bush’s waist. And afterwards, he said to Cathy, «I enjoyed that very much». That’s a true story. But those were just brief encounters. I said hello, shook their hand, took the picture. But I’ve been invited on multiple occasions by President Trump to come to the White House. And let me say this.
Some would say, «That’s partisan»! I would go to the White House if any President invited me. If President Biden contacted me and said, «Would you come to the White House? I want to talk to you. I’d like to receive prayer,» I would go. No invitation has come so far, but I would gladly go. I’d do it in a heartbeat, no question about it, and I mean that with all sincerity. But I have been invited by President Trump there, along with other pastors, and it’s been our honor to go into the Oval Office a couple of times, and that is a very impressive place to walk into. First of all, it is oval. That’s a very unusual shape for a room, an oval room. And the president sits behind the old Resolute desk, and you stand there and realize all the history that’s happened in that room.
We weren’t allowed to take our phones in, so I was just sort of taking mental photographs of everything I was looking at. And we were able to speak with the president, and at the end, someone said, «Can we pray for you, Mr. President»? He welcomed that prayer. We prayed for him. I went on another occasion with a smaller group, and we were able to share things with the president, which I appreciated and to pray for him again. And in person, he’s not the way you usually see him on TV. He’s more relaxed. He’s very personable. He’s actually quite witty, and he’s a good listener. And I’ve enjoyed all those times we’ve had. But as I said already, I just think it’s so important right now that we vote. Did you know there is 90 million evangelicals who are eligible to vote in this country?
An evangelical would be a Christian, 90 million of us. Forty million of us do not vote, and fifteen million of them are not even registered. This is not good. It’s a privilege to vote. It’s a responsibility to vote, and every Christian should vote, okay? Some would say, «Vote your conscience». Eh, I don’t know, depends on your conscience. I’d say, as closely as possible, try to vote on the basis of the biblical worldview. That’s what it comes down to. Now, we have two candidates running for the presidency, needless to say, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Let me say something I hope you won’t find shocking. These people are both sinners, just like you, just like me. They’re both gonna say things we don’t agree with, therefore, I don’t vote for personality. I vote for policy, see, policy. I’m not trying to elect the messiah. I already have one. So it’s about issues. This is gonna be a very close election. There is no perfect candidate. Jesus is not on the ballot. Some would say, «Well, they’re both flawed, so I won’t vote at all. I’ll write somebody in». I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think you should pick one of these two.
And historically, let me just say, God has used flawed people to accomplish his purposes, okay? King David comes to mind. He was a great king, a powerful leader. Many regard him as the greatest king in the history of Israel. He was uniquely described as a man after God’s own heart, but at the same time, David was guilty of the sin of adultery and murder, but God did use him. We even look at leaders like King Nebuchadnezzar or King Cyrus of Persia, who were moved by God to accomplish his purposes. In fact, the Persian King Artaxerxes underwrote the efforts of Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, so God used a secular man to help the Jewish people rebuild their city again. And speaking of walls, that brings us to the topic of border security.
The Bible supports the right and necessity of a nation to be secure. Nehemiah went back to Jerusalem to do what? Rebuild the walls of the city. So there’s a place for walls to keep enemies out. There is a right and a legal way to come into our nation. The Old Testament does talk about welcoming the stranger, but that’s only half of it. The expectation is the stranger will abide by the law of the land and assimilate. And there are people that have come to our country from other nations legally, and some of them are among our greatest patriots, because they believed in the American dream, and they believed in the values. And many times, we, born in this country, take these values for granted. We don’t appreciate the liberty that we have. And sometimes someone coming from a Communist country will come and say, «Man, we love the freedom we have in America».
And so, we should all have that same value. Now, I’m going to give you my opinion, you may disagree with it, but I am for less not more government. That’s my view. Today I’m announcing my candidacy for… the mayor of Irvine, no, not really. I love the words of Ronald Reagan, who once said, quote, «Well, I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help,» end quote. That’s true. So, God’s in favor of borders. Acts 17:26 says, «God made every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth and determine their boundaries».
So there is a place for national security and for borders. Number two, the Bible supports the unborn and the right to live. This is not a debatable subject. This is not one that the Bible is not clear on. Life begins at conception. And David even said that he was fearfully and wonderfully made and knit together in his mother’s womb. Think about this for a moment. The first person to recognize the Messiah was an unborn child. Does that make sense? So Elizabeth is pregnant with John the Baptist. Her cousin Mary is pregnant with Jesus. Jesus goes to see Elizabeth and what happens? John the Baptist leaps in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary walks in the room. The first person to recognize the Messiah was an unborn child, see.
So unfortunately, both the Democratic and some in the Republican Party support abortion today. The Republican position basically now is abortion is allowed up to 15 weeks. Unfortunately, 95% of all abortions happen in the first 15 weeks, so this is not something I support. This is something I disagree with. But the Democratic position is far more extreme in the name of reproductive rights. They allow abortions up to nine months. So, in a nutshell, and I think I’m fairly stating the positions, Republicans believe in limited abortion, Democrats believe in limitless abortion. They had a mobile abortion clinic, if you will, from Planned Parenthood at the DNC, at the Democratic National Convention. And so, this is something that you should factor in when you go and you vote. Religious liberty is another huge issue.
Now, sometimes people accuse us, as Christians, as being what they call Christian nationalists. What does that even mean? Christian nationalism is not a theological or a sociological term. It’s a political term used to stigmatize evangelical engagement in the public square. It’s what I would call a straw man argument. And they set it up and say, «You Christians, you Christian nationalists, believe in a theocracy. In other words, you want to take control of the government and force your views on the rest of the nation». That is false. I don’t hold with that view. I don’t want to force my views on anyone. Do I want to present my views? One hundred percent. That’s really the issue.
I want the same freedom that everybody else has to state my views as a follower of Jesus Christ. That’s it. If I fly a flag in front of my house, which I do, does that make me a Christian nationalist? If I believe that our country needs to turn to God, does that make me a Christian nationalist? I think of myself as a patriot and as a Christian, but I don’t want to impose my view on anyone. I wanna just have the same First Amendment rights that every American should have, right? And what are those rights? In the First Amendment, «Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press,» so we want that freedom. We want to retain that freedom.
Also, the Bible supports marriage and the family. The family is the foundation of our nation. The family is the foundation of any nation, as I’ve said before. Almost every social ill in America today is a result of the broken family and, specifically, of the lack of fathers. I’ve cited endless stats to prove this point, that you can take anything going on, incarceration, young women getting pregnant outside of wedlock, criminal behavior, addiction to drugs and alcohol, homelessness, you name it, it can be traced back to a broken home and to the lack of a father. So, it’s been said a family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without the family, and I believe that, and when I say a family, I’m going with what God defines as a family.
Genesis 1:27: «He made men in his image, and the image of God he created him, male and female he created them». And so, any attempt to redefine the family is something that obviously I don’t support. I also oppose the state overruling the rights of a parent in a child’s life, bad idea. So let’s pull this all together. We’re children of God because we put our faith in Christ. We’re citizens of another kingdom, the kingdom of God, so I have dual citizenship, right? I’m a Christian citizen of heaven, and I’m an American citizen as well. But because of my faith in Christ, that affects everything that I say and do. It affects my moral decisions, my financial thinking, my voting, and everything. But for our nation, I believe our only hope is not gonna be found in who we elect as president, though that’s important. But our primary hope should be in a spiritual awakening happening in America again. We need to pray to that end.
C.H. Spurgeon, a great British preacher defined revival as follows, quote, «It’s to live again, to receive again a life which has almost expired, to rekindle into a flame the vital spark that was nearly extinguished,» end quote. Another defined revival as «a time when heaven draws closer to earth». Oh, I love that. We need heaven to draw closer to earth. Revival starts with the church, and then it spreads to the culture. So one way you could sum it up is the church needs a revival, and the culture needs a spiritual awakening.
Now, we’ve had four great spiritual awakenings in the United States, and we’re due for another. The last great spiritual awakening was what we called «the Jesus movement». So we need to pray, «Lord, do that again». Habakkuk 3:2 says, «I’ve heard all about you, Lord. I’m filled with awe by the amazing things that you’ve done. And in this time of deep need, revive your work as you did in years gone by. Show us your power to save us. And in your anger, remember your mercy». I love that, just, «Lord, do it again. You know, we’ve heard about it, do it again». So, we say we want a revival. What is a revival? It’s a return to original condition, and God has given this promise to send revival if we will do the following: 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, «If My people which are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then,» God promises, «I will hear from heaven, I’ll forgive their sin and heal their land». That’s it.
Now, we look at our nation, we look at the crime, we look at the addiction, we look at the homelessness, we look at the turmoil, and we say, «God, our land needs to be healed. We need more of this. Throw more money over here». Those things may or may not help depending on where that is directed. But ultimately, we need God to move, and we need our land healed. But listen, when God sees a problem in a nation, notice where he points his finger, «If my people». God doesn’t point his finger at the White House, he points a finger at his house, «If my people». We can stand all day and say, «Hollywood does this, Washington does that». God says, «Yeah, interesting, my people».
Now let’s personalize it: if you, if you, if I will turn from my sins, and pray, and seek his face, God will hear from heaven, «Forgive me my sin and heal the land». Let it start with you. If you want to see a revival, do revival-like things. We overly mystify this. Just go back and do those things you used to do. As Saint Paul says, «Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged». All the old people laughed. I quoted a Beatles lyric, «Get back». Okay, you thought Saint Paul the apostle? No, Paul McCartney said that, but it’s true. Get back to those things you used to do. In Revelation chapter 2, Jesus speaks to the church of Ephesus. He commends them for certain things, and then he says, «But I have this against you. You have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen and repent and do the first works quickly».
So there’s three things we need to do to get right with God and have revival, the three Rs of revival, if you will: remember, repent, repeat. So first, remember, it’s a point of reference. Was there a time when your Christian life was filled with more passion and zeal than right now? If so, remember that, mark it. Now, repent, change your direction, stop living that way. And repeat, do the first works quickly.
Did you used to read the Bible more than you read it now? Just open it up and read it. You need to do that all the time. Number two: When’s the last time you prayed? You talk about your problems, you complain about your problems, you’re concerned about your problems. Have you prayed about your problems? Thirdly, we used to go out and share the gospel, telling people about Jesus. It wasn’t unusual to see Christians out in public places, walking around with their Bibles, engaging people in conversations about Christ. When’s the last time you did something like that? Listen, you go back and do those things you used to do and you’ll see revival returning to your life. You’ll see spiritual life coming back again. Just do it.