1. Fear or Faith: How do you vote?

2. Purpose of the Church: To make disciples of Jesus Christ!

3. Make Disciples By baptizing By preaching and teaching that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life By sharing the belief that Jesus died and rose again for the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of heaven.

4. We are about saving souls, not politics!

5. What you won’t hear today: My (or the church’s) opinion on candidates. My (or the church’s) opinion on proposals My (or the church’s) opinion on political parties

6. What you will hear today: God’s Word applied to the separation of church and state. God’s Word applied to two key, foundational issues.

7. WHY? The freedom to preach that Gospel is at stake!

8. John 17, Jesus’ prayer for disciples My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

9. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

10. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

11. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

12. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

13. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” -Jesus Christ, Matthew 22:21

14. Two Kingdoms of God

15. Power Grace (Left hand) (Right hand) All people Believers only Beli ever

16. Christian Citizens of U.S.A. Are Law Keepers (Ro. 13, 1 Ptr 2:13) Are Good Neighbors (Lk. 10) Are Prayer Warriors (1 Thes. 5:17) Are Productive Workers (2 Thes. 3:9; Gn 2:15) Are “Sanctified” Voters (Jn. 17:15) Some are called to civil vocations.

17. How is the Gospel at stake?

18. Acts 5:28 “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.”

19. 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

20. The base and bottom line of the Christian’s place in society: We must obey God rather than men.

21. Why this Scripture is so important: Augsburg Confession Art. XVI: Of Civil Affairs. “Therefore, Christians are necessarily bound to obey their own magistrates and laws save only when commanded to sin; for then they ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29.

22. Never been closer to being forced to disobey God by the government… …century long process under the surface… work of Satan…

23. What is not “sanctifiable” (Up for debate) Religious belief of a candidate Fiscal and tax Issues How to administer health care Welfare issues Social Security issues

24. Sanctifiable Issues: (Non-negotiable in Bible) 1.Right to Life 2.Right to Religious Freedom i.e. speaking the Gospel publically.

25. RIGHT TO LIFE Roe v. Wade since 1974 Does not require abortion, but allows it. Church has been pushing, marching, and encouraging voting for candidates against abortion.

26. Healthcare Mandate Mandates employers, including religious employers (other than local congregations) to provide birth control that takes the life of an unborn baby.

27. This forces the Church to go against her religious beliefs Takes effect August, 2013

28. Same Sex Marriage Now allowed in our country… We have the freedom to reject it…

29. “None of our business… …two consenting adults”

30. How it could effect you… Adoption services, Catholic, Lutheran Religious marriage counselors Religious employers Pastors and churches refusing to marry same sex couples

31. How it could affect you: New Jersey Methodist San Francisco Salvation Army Portland Maine Catholic Charities California Lutheran High School

32. The Church becomes marginalized, insignificant, and cloistered within our walls… harmless to society

33. Church, Speak Up! She is… but not being heard… letters… amazing… Never seen anything like it…

34. How will you vote? Biblically Negotiable Personal Benefit Biblically Non-Neg Personal Cost

35. The base and bottom line of the Christian’s vote: We must obey God rather than men.