John Gray - A Leader God Can Trust (12/02/2025)
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Pastor John Gray delivers a timely sermon titled «A Leader God Can Trust,» shifting from his planned message due to the events of the previous day (the July 13, 2024, attempted assassination of Donald Trump), preaching from Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Samuel 24 on submitting to God-ordained authorities, honoring leaders regardless of personal feelings, avoiding political idolatry, and demonstrating character like David who spared Saul—calling the church to prioritize Jesus over politics, exercise grace, and trust God’s sovereignty.
Shift in Message and Context
Listen, I want you to go to Romans chapter 13. I want you to know what I was going to preach, but after the events of last night, last evening, yesterday afternoon, the Holy Spirit shifted me, and I need to be a pastor who listens to his Lord and shifts when the Holy Ghost shifts. I was going to preach «The Hookup Part Two, » because three weeks ago, I talked about «The Hookup One, » first hook, first fish, but then there was another scripture where Jesus said, «Let down your nets» with an ‘s’ for a catch. It’s one thing when God does it for everybody; it’s another when He does it for you. And I need you to hear me. For those who are getting ready to give, God is about to do something that is specific to you. Y’all don’t play with me, because God’s about to shock you. Not y’all, there’s a corporate blessing, but then there’s a personal blessing for you, Lamont, and you, Don, Travis, and you, Rebecca, and you, Suie, Julie, Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph, Johnny, Usher, Luda. That’s I don’t, okay? Everybody look at somebody and say, «There’s something for you.» There’s something that God wants to do specific to you; it’s going to mess you up, and it’s going to set you up. But the world changed yesterday, and if you are a pastor worth your salt, then you should be greatly troubled and grieved by what happened yesterday.
So I want you to go to Romans 13, because we need the Word of God, not my opinion. We need the Word of God; here is the Word of God. So I want to say that if you get mad, please get mad at Jesus; please don’t get mad at me. I didn’t write it, but I am an employee of the Most High God, and I’m going to say what He says.
Romans 13: Submission to Authorities
Here’s what it says in Romans 13, verse 1—Romans 13, verse 1. This is the New King James version: «Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God.» Yes, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. I am going to say it again; thank you, sir. I appreciate your exuberance, sir; I appreciate that. «Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.» Watch this, therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Just in case you think you can hate somebody from a different political party, God just said you can’t. Oh, you can, but judgment’s coming to you. Once again, don’t get mad at me. If you leave, please know you’re leaving because you’re mad at Jesus, not me.
The Bible says to submit to the authorities, because why? All authority is set up by who? So it’s not an election, so who you vote for has nothing to do with who God decides gets the office. Oh, I’mma preach it like I feel it. Let’s try this again.
So, when we were cheering when Obama got in—first Black man, yay! Eight years, and then went to a totally different direction for the next four years. Oh, God, what are we going to do? Then comes President Biden; finally, now we got somebody. Okay, so what happens if your preferred candidate doesn’t win in November, right? Where are your emotions going to be? You going to have an aneurism because you’re worrying about what’s going to happen with the economy? You’re worrying about what’s going to happen in Congress and on the Supreme Court when none of that has anything to do with the state of your soul. We’re not talking about heaven or hell; we’re talking about who’s in office—that has nothing to do with who’s going to heaven or hell. Heaven or hell is far more eternally important than who gets into an office. If I’m going to lay down my life, I’m going to lay down my life preaching Jesus. I ain’t laying down my life for no political party.
Pastor, are you so obtuse as to say that politics has no place and that the church should be quiet? I would never say that. That’s dishonoring to the traditions of the church, particularly the African-American church, which needed to be the fulcrum or the focal point for the Black community in underserved times, particularly post-Reconstruction, after the Emancipation Proclamation, after having worked 230-plus years for free and not having an economic base on which to walk into freedom. Even though you said, «I’m free, » I’m still in bondage because I have no land, I have no voting rights; grandfather clauses don’t allow me to vote if my grandfather didn’t vote. And even if I could vote, they’ll kill me. To dishonor the history of the church is not what I’m going to do in a nation that has a history of lynching people who object to the authorities that are set in. I’m not here to offend anybody, but I’m also not here to bow down to anybody. I understand the history of the church and its role in the political expression, the franchise, the right to vote. I understand all of that, but I’m not here to worship at that altar. I am a pastor in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He must be preeminent. Is there anyone here who will lift up Jesus with me? Will somebody lift Jesus up? If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.
1 Samuel 24: David Spares Saul
Now I’m going to give you one more scripture, and I’ll let you sit down. It’s 1 Samuel 24. 1 Samuel 24, verses 1-11.
Now it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines that it was told him, saying, «Take note, David is in the wilderness of En-Gedi.» Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David. David must be a bad man when you take your 3,000 best soldiers to try to kill one dude. This dude—somebody just say «balling.» You really got to be scared of a gangster named David when you take 3,000 people to kill one man. Man, the problem is all 3,000 people trying to kill one man forgot that that one man had one God. There are some people that have tried to come after you, and they have messed up because they are not plotting against you; they are plotting against the God that’s standing behind you. Ooh, they got no time left on the clock; they’re messing with the wrong one. Put it in the chat feed; you’re messing with the wrong one. Touch somebody in here; tell them they’re messing with the wrong one, because if God is for you—
They went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats. So, he came to the sheepfold by the road where there was a cave, and Saul went in to attend to his needs—he went to use the restroom. David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave. Then the men of David said to him, «This is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hands that you may do to him as it seems good to you.'» I need you to know this is a trick question from God: I’m going to put your enemy in your hands; do what you think is good. What would you do if the person that gave you the most pain, caused you to shed the most tears? If you were ever abused, what would you do if you had your abuser in a room with no cameras, and they were shackled up and you weren’t? What would you do if the person that beat your face to a bloody mess was helpless in a room and you were there? And God says, «Do what seems good to you.» And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe, and he said to his men, «The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.» So, David restrained his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against Saul and kill him. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, «My Lord, the king.» And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed down. Even though you tried to kill me twice, I’m still going to honor that God anointed you the king, and I am going to show proper reverence to someone who has proven not only are you trying to kill me, you’ll kill anybody connected to me. But I can’t let what you are and what you do change who I am and what I do. I’m going to bow my face to the ground, and I’m still going to honor that. It’s in God’s hands whatever happens to you, but I’m not going to be the one.
Pastor Mike, I’m trying to help our church. And David said to Saul, «Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Indeed, David seeks you harm'? Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you, and I could have, but my eye spared you, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.' Moreover, my father, see, yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt my life to take it.»
A Leader God Can Trust
The title of my message for the next 20 minutes is «A Leader God Can Trust.» A leader God can trust. You can be seated.
We are in a dangerous time, church family, and I’ve just made it clear to you where I stand. I stand on the side of the Word. We’re not going to take sides; we’re going to pray for our nation. You should vote your conscience; vote who you believe should be in office. Be wise, because you and I both know when you start talking politics, you can lose friendships, you can lose family, you can lose coworkers. So, I’m not telling you not to have a political affiliation, but I am saying be wise who you share with and what you share, because some people won’t be able to get past your choice based on their life perspective.
It’s real quiet in here; I knew that it would be an uncomfortable time, but I was tasked by God to tell the truth. Be wise how you express your political views in a hyper-volatile environment. If you don’t agree with them, that’s crazy. I don’t have to agree with you to respect your right to your opinion.
The problem is we vote politicians, but what we need are leaders. Politicians will tell you what you want to hear and won’t do it, but a leader will tell you what you don’t want to hear because you need it. I had to make a choice today: will I be a political pastor or will I be a leader? And today I chose to go with God. See, when I die, I’m going to have to face God for myself, and you’re going to have to do the same, and He’s not going to ask you before I let you in, «Who did you vote for?» Because He doesn’t care—not the way you do.
A leader that God can trust. David was anointed to be king; it was going to happen. Tell somebody, «It was going to happen.» Moses was always going to lead God’s people; he was going to lead God’s people out of bondage. Tell somebody, «It was always going to happen.» But they both went in different directions based on choice. Tell somebody, «You going to have to choose to choose.» Choose what? Pastor, you’re going to have to choose your heart posture, because depending on how you posture yourself, you’ll walk in offense and you will be ready to cuss people out over the next four months because of politics. Or you will say that politics is a necessary part of our society.
I am going to exercise my right to vote for my chosen political candidate, but I will not allow that to override my commitment to the Kingdom of God and to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The problem is you haven’t heard that from a pulpit, because pulpits have been paid for.
Grace, Judgment, and Political Idolatry
I can’t believe you pray for them. Have you listened to their songs? Can I check under your cabinet? It’s real funny how church people want to judge who shouldn’t or shouldn’t get prayer, like everything in your life is perfect, like you’ve never cussed in the car, like you haven’t drank a little too much, maybe you smoked a little too much, maybe you slept with somebody that wasn’t your spouse, but you’re ready to throw everybody away and put them in hell and say they’re not worthy.
Maybe you need to have a little grace, and you should have more grace when you know what you used to do. Excuse me, what you still occasionally do. Excuse me, what you did last week. Sorry, last night.
We don’t have the right to judge who gets to come into the presence of God and who doesn’t. We don’t get to determine, because they have a different political affiliation, whether or not God wants to save them.
Before you go sending people to hell, you might want to be quiet and get to learn somebody’s story before you want to send them off to hell. I know what the Word says, but here’s what the Bible says: you got to work out your own soul salvation with fear and trembling. So, before you tell somebody what they’re doing wrong, make sure everything in your life has lined up with the Word. It’s funny which sins we choose to highlight; oh, they’re drinking, they’re smoking, they slept with somebody, but you lied on your taxes. You know good and darn well you didn’t pay no money trying to claim them kids.
If you’ll steal from the government, you’ll certainly steal from God.
Character in Leadership and Trusting God
A leader that God can trust. David was in a cave with the man that had tried to kill him. Moses killed somebody. Anybody know how long his sentence was? Forty years! One act of disobedience cost him 40 years.
The Bible says vengeance is mine, says the Lord; I will repay. So, you can feel it, but you got to let God do it.
A leader that God can trust. David had the man who tried to murder him in the cave, taking a dump. And his homeboys say, «We got that fool! Hey, slide his throat, and the kingdom is yours!» But they said, «Hey, this is the day the Lord said, „I’m going to put him in your hands so you can do what seems good to you.“ This means God gave him choice and free will to make a decision, and God was observing: does he understand the moment he’s in? Will he take matters into his own hands, or will he take his hands off of it and let me do it? Because you reap what you sow.
And if you got to kill to get in power, you’re going to have to kill to stay in power, and somebody’s going to kill you to get the power.
David cut the corner of the robe, and immediately his heart said, „I’m convicted.“
„Do what seems good to you.“ What seems good is to take the life of the person that would kill me if they were in the same position, but God says, „I need to check your character. Are you a politician, or are you a son? If you’re a son, then you trust that I put you in a position of leadership that no one can take you out from.“
Jesus said, „You would have no power over me at all unless my father gave it to you.“
There are some people that God anointed that you don’t like. If all authority is set up by God, and you don’t like President Trump, I can respect that—you don’t like him or his policies. God called him to be president four years ago. You don’t have to like Obama; God called him to be president for eight years.
Presidents answer to God, not people.
God is not up in heaven like, „I hope they vote for what I want!“
David said, „You’re still the Lord’s anointed, and I’m not putting my hands on you.“
Closing Call and Altar
Lay your politics down, pick up Jesus. Stop worshiping at the altar of political affiliation and worship at the altar of Jesus Christ! By all means, vote; enjoy and support your political affiliation, but do not worship it!
Whether President Biden continues or we have another choice, your hope is in Jesus Christ.
Moses had to sit in the wilderness for 40 years because he took matters into his own hands. David ascended to the throne because he didn’t take matters into his own hands.
Make us leaders that you can trust, and whatever our political affiliation is, we will be committed to that, but we will not worship that.
We will vote. We will participate. We will be loud about what we believe is right, but we will not worship it. We will worship you.
Give the Lord a great praise!
If you didn’t like what you said, but I know that’s the truth, and I feel like this is the church I need to come to because I know you’re going to tell me what I need, not what I want to hear—if that’s you—you are already saved, but you want to be a part of this church—meet me at the front of this altar. If you are not saved but you want to give your life to Jesus, meet me at the front of this altar.
We are not a Black church; we’re the Lord’s church!
Lord Jesus, it’s me. I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord. Thank you for the blood that was shed for me. I receive the free gift of salvation not through my works, but the finished work of the cross. The blood is enough to pay for all my sins. Now, Holy Spirit, come live inside and teach me how to be more like Jesus each and every day. You are my savior and my Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.