Christian
Politics –
Part 10: Education
Pastor
Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
Over the last few weeks,
we have discussed the following issues and shown where the bible stands.
Ø Jesus, if a U.S. Citizen, would vote in
elections to fulfill citizenship duties
Ø What about the matters of life and death?
o
Healthcare – Miracles, modern
medicine & personal control over decisions (not government/insurance/doctor
control)
o
Suicide & Euthanasia
– for reasons other than defense of self, family, property or country, the
intentional killing of one’s self, or another is murder, and wrong according to
God.
o
Abortion & Stem Cells
– Abortion too is the intentional killing of an innocent, and considered murder
since scripture show that life truly begins at the moment of conception when
God begins to knit you in the womb where He also names you.
Ø Crime and punishment and how the Lord would
approve of the death penalty for certain offenses
Ø War, defense, and national security
Ø Guns and matters of defense
Ø Immigration and matters of national security
Ø Marriage
Economy, budget, trade, campaign finances
Ø Green Values
SCRIPTURE READING
Hosea 4:6
“my people are
destroyed from lack of knowledge.
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have
ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.”
I.
TWO TYPES
OF EDUCATION, BIBLICAL AND SECULAR
a. Biblical education and the parent’s duty
i.
Scripture warns that
those who belong to Him are “destroyed” in this world because they lack
knowledge
1. What knowledge is God speaking of? Scripture, His
Word
ii.
“Because you reject
knowledge (the Word of God)
1.
“I will reject you as
my priests.”
a. By the way, we (believers) are priests
b.
1 Peter
2:9 “But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you
may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light.”
2.
“Because you ignored
the law of your God…
a.
What does the Old
Testament Law accomplish?
b.
Reveals our sin and
need for a savior!
3.
“…I also will ignore
your children”
iii.
Why are the children
ignored?
1.
Because their parents
ignored God
2.
Meaning, they also did
NOT teach the law of God to their children
3.
And what happens if
the law is not taught? They grow up not knowing they need a savior
4.
Without sin being
revealed, there is no understanding of their need. Without that understanding
of need, there is no searching. Without searching they do not find.
iv.
Matthew
7:7 “Seek and you will find…”
v.
1 John
1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
vi.
Acts 3:19
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”
vii.
If we do not teach the
laws to our children, they will not know what sin is.
1.
If they do not know
what sin is, they cannot seek God to confess and repent.
2.
If they do not confess
and repent, God cannot forgive them, and they are in turn ignored!
viii.
John 9:31 “We know that God does not listen to sinners.
He listens to the godly person who does his will.”
1.
What is God’s will?
2.
Confess your sin,
repent and be forgiven, then you will be considered righteous and godly!
b. Secular education and the parent’s duty
i.
We are also instructed
to teach things of the world and every day life to our children as well
1.
Discipline
a.
Proverbs
23:13-14
b.
Proverbs
22:15
c.
Proverbs
29:15
d. Proverbs 29:17 “Discipline your child, and he will give you rest;
he will bring you happiness.”
2. Teaching both worldly education as well as God’s
teachings
a. Ephesians 6:4 Parents, do not anger your children, but rear them
in the discipline and in the teaching of Our Lord.”
c. It is our responsibility to educate our children
when possible
i.
In worldly ways as
well as the Lord’s teachings
ii.
The BIGGEST teacher of
all is OUR example!
iii.
1 Corinthians
8:9
iv.
Matthew
5:15-16
v.
Through discipline,
teaching and example we are to raise our children in the teachings of the Lord
as well as things of the world so that they will grow in the Lord, understanding
and be able to live successfully in this world.
vi.
Then they too will be
a light unto others.
II.
WHICH IS
A PARENTS DUTY AND WHICH THE GOVERNMENTS?
a. When is it OK for government to teach biblical education?
i.
Never
ii.
Many who oppose religion
misuse “separation of church and state”
iii.
Not fully
understanding that it is actually in SUPPORT of the Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom originally signed by Thomas Jefferson.
1.
This is the act that
inspired and shaped the guarantees of religious liberty eventually found in the
First Amendment.
iv.
In short, the act
affirmed what we should recognize in every era: the right to practice any
faith, or to have no faith, is a foundational freedom for all Americans. This
right is also behind what Jefferson meant when he spoke of a “wall of
separation” between the church and the state.
v.
WHY is this important?
1.
Because it states the
government cannot chose or dictate religion to the people. (One of the problems
we had in England)
vi.
It is OUR
responsibility to attend and assemble with believers for worship, and our
responsibility as a parent to teach the Lord’s teachings to our children. Never
the governments.
b. When is it OK for government to teach secular
education?
i.
In some
cases
ii.
Unless you are an
educator, teacher, or instructor, or if you happen to have an understanding of
the materials needed for your child to be able to make a living for themselves
when they mature, you may want outside help.
iii.
This does not always
mean government-controlled learning, though it may.
iv.
When homeschooling is
not enough, or you just do not understand calculous, you may want other
education.
v.
The dangers of
government education are many, from poor quality of instruction (Common Core),
to misguided and ungodly beliefs in health to political views from instructors
which may not even be on the curriculum.
1.
I have seen people say
they are homeschooling, and their 10-year-old cannot read.
2.
Or they say they are
homeschooling and instead of structured lessons with educational value they
walk around the yard looking at bugs.
vi.
It is sad that a
parent would think it was OK to rob their children of a real education.
vii.
All you are doing is
setting them up for failure in life.
viii.
It should be our goal
to have our children’s lives at least one step better than ours.
1.
If each generation
would do this, we would see the world change for the better!
c. Take responsibility to your children’s education
i.
Psalm 78:1-7
“My people, hear my
teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with
a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of
old—
3 things we have heard and
known,
things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from
their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of
the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for
Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our
ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation
would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their
trust in God”
ii.
Teach your children
the ways of the Lord, and ensure they are receiving the best education in all
things as possible.
III.
WHAT HAPPENS
IF WE ALLOW OTHERS TO FULFILL OUR DUTY?
a. The result of government teaching religion
i.
I do not believe in a
religious government, and neither did Jesus.
ii.
Mark
12:17 Jesus said to them, “Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”
1. Jesus just stated the separation of church and
state, NOT the eradication of state for church!
iii.
What happens when we
have a government controlled by religion instead of a government run by holy
people? This is called theocracy.
1. Sanhedrin
2. Iran
3.
The Vatican (Pope
considered God on earth)
4.
Ancient Egypt
(Pharaohs considered gods)
5.
China
6.
Persia
iv.
When the government
uses religion to control the people, they use the people to do their evil under
the guise of “faith” in whatever god they invoke.
1.
Edward the I of
England expelled Jews in 1290, hundreds of Jewish elders were killed
2.
The Catholic church
forced 250,000 Jews in Spain to convert to Catholicism expelling between
40,000-70,000 who refused.
a.
Many of which
continued practicing Judaism in secret which led to the Inquisition
3.
Parts of Ireland were
seized by the English Crown expelling the Irish for English colonies
a.
My ancestors fled
religious persecution of the Catholic church because they were protestant,
fleeing to America, some of the Shields family dying on the way here.
v.
The list goes on and
on.
vi.
Religious RUN
governments are not what Christ is seeking.
vii.
But governments run by
faithful followers of Christ IS!
viii.
Government must never
teach faith, or choose which faith is allowed. Government can never tell you
what faith to have, or if you have any at all. And they can never dictate what
you do or do not do, THAT is the TRUE meaning of Thomas Jefferson’s “separation
of church and state”
1.
NOT that there are no
faithful people in office, but that the government does not control religion.
b. The result of government teaching secular
education
i.
We must also stay on
guard with governmental education systems as well
ii.
Schools have become
the indoctrinating grounds of secular life, liberalism, and agenda’s which are
anti-religious and sometimes even satanic.
1.
Teaching falsehoods
(including scientifically false information)
2.
Teaching scientific
“theories” as fact
3.
Or ignoring facts
all-together to teach an anti-religious agenda, such as there are many genders,
when scientifically speaking, there are two genders, even though there may be
deformities or medical anomalies that are induced by outside influence.
iii.
Sometimes education
from outside our homes is necessary, however, there are many Christian schools,
homeschooling groups, etc., that will teach facts rather than misinformation.
c. Choose wisely what your impressionable children
absorb
i.
Teach them the Lord’s
instruction and Word of God
ii.
Teach them discipline
iii.
Educate them in the
truth of science, history, math, etc…
iv.
Live as an example to
them
v.
Correct any falsehoods
they may be taught
vi.
And as I Corinthians 8:9 states, do not become a stumbling block
CONCLUSION – How would Jesus vote on education?
According to scripture, Jesus would vote against allowing religion (ANY)
from ruling as a government. Remember, Jesus doesn’t want religion running government,
but faithful people running government.
In the same token, He would vote against restricting or preventing people
of faith from serving in the government, because as Jefferson stated, the
separation of church and state protects people of FAITH as well as those who do
not want faith dictated to them BY government.
I also believe that Jesus would vote against anything that places
government education as the only viable system, and against anything that
restricts or prevents homeschooling for our children.
NEXT WEEK: Part 11 – Economy
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