Read Part 4

(11/10) We have been looking at Jesus, the One who is the way, the truth, and the life, and we are going to continue one last time as we consider "The Way of the Lamb." This is perhaps the most important message in this series, delivered at a most important time, because this message is going to highlight the greatness of Jesus. He is the One who is the Word become flesh, dwelling among us, who showed us the way, over and above the way of the Republicans, Democrats, or any other political body.

Now, I’m not going to use this platform to endorse one candidate over another, but I am going to endorse the Lord Jesus Christ and the values for which he stands. And I am legally protected by the Constitution of the United States when it comes to teaching the church about each candidate’s platform, and addressing those issues of faith and morality. And so, I have every right under the First Amendment to speak up about immigration, gun control, abortion, same-sex marriage, gender identity, and any other perversion, because America’s founders saw religion as a necessary component to a healthy moral society.

You all know that I am not a political man, but I am a biblical man and so my voice and my influence will be biblical. And believe me, if I thought it wasn’t throwing away my vote, like voting for an independent candidate, I would write in "Jesus Christ" as my candidate for 2024, because Jesus Christ is still on the throne. He holds the world in his hands, he lives in my heart, I live for him, and nobody can stop his will from happening in my life, but he is not determined to return and establish his kingdom on earth yet.

When he does, the Bible tells us in Matthew chapter 25, verse 31,

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left" (Matthew 25:31-33).

Now, when the Lord Jesus said that, I don’t believe he was thinking about political parties. When he said the right and the left, he wasn’t talking about elephants or donkeys, he said he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. In other words, he was talking about those who believe in him, those who trust him, those who submit to his Lordship and obey him being on his right, and those who refuse to submit to him, refusing to obey, they will be on his left. To them he will say,

"Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

Jesus makes it clear that there is a right way and a wrong way to go through life, but it seems like these days no one wants to talk about the reality of heaven and hell. Or maybe I should say most people believe in heaven, talk about heaven, but no one wants to talk about the reality of hell.

In the same way, when it comes to politics and voting, some of us believe in it and others of us don’t, but no one wants to talk about it. In fact, it seems like politics have been getting more and more divisive, we are pulled further and further apart, and no matter which side you choose you’re going to have to defend your position. And so, today I want to offer you a different strategy, a new way of thinking, a strategy for keeping Jesus as our focus, a strategy to keep the main things, the main thing, while still participating in the democratic process. It is the Way of the Lamb.

You see, I believe the word of God, and that Jesus will come back one day and separate people one from another, one group on his right and the other on his left. I believe there is right in there is wrong and we don’t get to decide which is which, but the Lord Jesus does. And he invites us to be a part of his plan and purpose for us as a nation saying,

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth — he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do" (Psalms 33:12-15).

In other words, we can’t escape his presence, his watchful eye, even in our mother’s womb his eyes saw our unformed body. And in the same way, there is no escaping the judgment, a day of accountability, but people don’t want to talk about it. They think if they ignore it, it’s going to go away, but the Lord said very clearly,

"My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).

Today, in America, there is a lot of talk in the news about the wide-open border, crime on the street, schools indoctrinating our children with immorality, national security and the failing economy. And you’ve got candidates that don’t have real answers for the essential issues that all of us face. They don’t want to talk about the fact that your bank account is shrinking. They don’t want to talk about the fact that they are pouring millions of dollars into the school system and yet many children can’t read on their grade level. They don’t want to talk about the fact that the policies they have passed have not yielded the results they proposed. They don’t want to talk about the simple truth that they were wrong and we are right, but it’s just as the Scripture says,

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief. The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his. A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless" (Proverbs 14:12-16).

You see, there is a right and a wrong way to approach life and historically the traditional, conservative, Bible believing church has always been on the right when it comes to the issues of our day. Not only are we called the religious right, but we call ourselves right, because we have the playbook to address every issue from a biblical perspective. It’s called the Way of the Lamb. And when we say we need to protect our borders, protecting our children, our families, and our livelihood we are right. Jesus said very clearly,

"Understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into" (Matt 24:43).

When we say that our children should not be sexualized, or that transgender biological males should not be competing in sports with our girls, we are right, and the nation knows it. When we say that we worked for our money, we earned it, and the government should not be taking it, we are right. And yet the problem today is that too many of us are ashamed to be right, and even the churches are afraid to address the current issues because the radical left, the secular left, those opponents of religious liberty have twisted the law in such a way to make you believe that politics may never be addressed from the pulpit. But that is a flat out lie and I don’t care what any socialist or communist propaganda says, because God made this nation what it is because it was founded in the Way of the Lamb.

God has blessed this nation, and he is the one who made our liberty possible, giving us these unalienable rights. And today, we are surrounded by the testimony of that truth, living in a community so full of history, neighbors to the city of Gettysburg, a place where Union soldiers drew a line and held their position at all costs. And in the same way, I refuse to simply give inspirational messages instead of giving biblical teaching that really addresses the issues of the day.

In fact, I was reminded of John the Baptist and how he had those tough conversations with King Herod. He spoke the truth with love and ended up executed because he had the courage to address an immoral, un-biblical relationship in the king’s palace.

"For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife" (Mark 6:18).

And so, sometimes like John did, you have to put yourself at risk, not concerned about being liked, not being afraid of being misunderstood, but simply drawing a line, standing firm, and speaking the truth of the word of God at all costs.

You see, there are those on the left, those in the world that want to present a different view, saying these are changing times, talking about there is no such thing as absolute truth. In fact, they say the same thing as Pilate said to Jesus,

"What is truth?" Pilate asked" (John 18:38).

In other words, even back then, Pilate was questioning the truth, because the standard was changing. He said, "What is truth?" Just like anyone else would today who doesn’t have a relationship with God. Because it’s all about perspective and our perspective as believers comes from the one who said,

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

But when you look at our culture today, looking at some of the politicians, looking at the media, or the entertainment industry. They are coming from a worldly perspective that believes that truth is changing, and so they are like, "What is truth?"

It’s in that context that Jesus calls us as the church to be salt and light in the world, not just to introduce them to our Savior, but to help them understand how faith applies to current events. In other words, I am talking about a Christian worldview, a biblical worldview, thinking with the mind of Christ about the issues, everything from artificial intelligence to politics.

When I think about navigating the current issues, we need to be grounded in the word of God like the men of Issachar. In the Scriptures, it talks about some of King David’s men, the men of Issachar, who were trained and skilled, they were on the front lines of their culture, and they understood the times and knew what Israel should do (1 Chronicles 12:32).

I believe God has raised up the church, raising up men and women today, who know what it means for the church to be salt and light, to be a leading voice in America, understanding the times and able to lead our culture in this season.

Today we have the freedom, the privilege, and the ability to let our voice be known. But if we are going to be salt and light in our culture, our influence should be biblical in the way we vote and whatever we do in our community, state, or nation. I believe that is our calling as the church, Jesus gave us that responsibility to be light in a dark place, but if we don’t stand up and speak out there are many other people who are ungodly and immoral who are looking for any opportunity to snatch it away from us. In other words, they are going to come and steal it away like a thief in the night, which is why he said,

"Understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into" (Matt 24:43).

And so, he warned us to be awake, to be alert, because if we are not paying attention, the thief will come and our house will be plundered. When that happens, when we neglect our responsibility, complacently surrendering our rights, we miss our opportunity and we lose our voice.

The next thing you know, all you can hear is the voice of the media, all of the leftist propaganda, promoting anti-biblical standards. And that’s what we have been suffering through in this country, an administration that is bullying us, mocking our godly values, as God said long ago in another place,

"The land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning—its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have" (Jeremiah 23:10, NLT).

And that is what happens when believers don’t speak up, when they don’t vote, because they are surrendering to our spiritual enemy. In other words, when we don’t speak up, we are giving away our rights, giving up our freedoms, giving up our safety, and giving up our prosperity. The Bible says,

"When the wicked rule, the people groan" (Proverbs 29:2).

These are the same people who tell you that a baby in the womb is nothing more than a clump of cells. The same people who don’t believe that you should have a firearm to protect yourself. The same people who are indoctrinating schoolchildren in all types of immorality and perversion. The same people that believe criminals should not be punished but should be given a second chance. The same people that think our borders should be wide open, that our police should be demonized, and our veterans dishonored.

I want to remind you that these are the same people that told you, unless you go get a shot, you can’t keep your job, you can’t open your business, and you can’t even go to church. That’s what they’ve been telling you, that’s what they’ve been doing, and so are we going to be silent this election season? Or are we going to stand up and fight for what we believe in? As the apostle Paul said,

"Fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12).

In other words, put your trust in God, stand firm then, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians 6:17-18).

And so, as believers, we must consider the two parties, understanding what they stand for, and make a prayerful decision. Because we cannot be like infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, we carefully consider each platform, not so much the man or the woman, but the ideology behind their party, as Elijah said, "Not wavering between two opinions," but making a biblically informed decision as the people of God. And so, as Elijah said,

"If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing" (1 Kings 18:21).

And we must speak up today, we must make a decision, remembering that our nation’s founders fought for our right to elect our leaders, so that we would have the freedom to worship. And so, as the church we must vote, understanding that we have certain unalienable rights, not given to us by the government, but by God himself. This is a value system that says that human beings ought to flourish, because every life matters, and we were made in the image of God. And so, we must hold onto our rights, the freedom of speech, and the freedom to assemble, because these are important God-given rights.

Many of you recognize that we are living in very dark times, but we do have a higher way, the way of the Lamb. And this is not a time to go into hiding, this is a time to speak up, this is a time to make the truth known. And so, I am trying to disciple you, to point you in the way, but I’m not going to tell you how to vote. I am not even going to tell you who I voted for, because I already did a mail-in ballot, and if I tell you who I voted for it will take away your freedom to follow your conscience before God.

I am trying to point you to the word of God, helping you understand God’s design for a nation, what biblical righteousness looks like, what Justice looks like, and how to value every human being as it refers to stewarding our resources. And my hope is that just maybe the church will wake up and start praying more diligently, praying like the Bible says,

"For kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:2).

Would you join me in voting and praying so that we might live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness? Let’s live in that now, practicing that now, enduring all things patiently as we continue to look forward to the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. Because we know that God is up to something in the world, it may seem a little dark at times, but we are going to continue to keep our heads up, because we are going to be focused on the kingdom and the patient endurance that is ours in Christ Jesus.

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott