THANKFUL FOR LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: Elections are serious business but some time back I came across a bizarre and funny story. Back in 1967, Ecuador was holding its elections when a foot powder company ran an ad saying “Vote for any candidate, but if you want well-being and hygiene, vote for Pulvapies.” To make their ad more appealing, the company passed out flyers listing all the things Pulvapies would do if elected as Mayor. By the way, the flyer looked very much like the official ballot. Guess what happened on election day in the small town of Picoazà, Ecuador? People turned in their flyers at the election booths instead of their ballots! The foot powder won! Thank goodness they didn’t make it the Mayor! Election day is Tuesday and it’s no laughing matter. It’s important for all Christians to vote. Why?Not because the government can solve all our problems or bring God’s kingdom on earth but because the right government can protect our rights as Christians to live out our convictions and share our faith. If you know your history, the wrong government has always tried to silence and stamp out our faith. The lost world is never neutral or fair towards god’s people. Something else: Without Judeo-Christian values, governments will have no clear moral compass. My goal is not to get you to vote a certain party but to get you to vote your biblical convictions.

Daniel 6     3Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spiritwasin him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. 4So the governors and satraps sought to findsomecharge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he wasfaithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. 5Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we finditagainst him concerning the law of his God.”

Question: Daniel was persecuted for his faith. Is your faith strong enough to be persecuted? Are you saved?

Context: We began a new series last weekend called “Thankful” and today’s message is about being thankful for our nation, thankful for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I chose the passage from Daniel because it teaches us the importance of standing up for our convictions. The Jewish people were living in exile in Babylon and Daniel was a high ranking official in the Medo-Persian empire. How high up was he? Daniel 6    1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; What is a satrap? Darius I of Persia came up with the organization of satrapies or provinces for control and tax purposes. Each satrapy was to be ruled by satraps, which is the Old Persian word for “protector of the kingdom.” Usually, the satrap was a close relative of the king, someone he could trust. Darius appointed 120 satraps but Daniel was more than just a satrap.2and over these, three governors, of whom Danielwasone, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. So, three governors over the 120 satraps but Daniel was even more. 3Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spiritwasin him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. He was going to be in charge of the whole Persian empire! Wow!

Some people say that god’s people have no part in politics.

• Some of the people who say that actually do mix politics and church but only when it suits their agenda and political party. But, if you say anything for your views, they immediately say, “Just preach the gospel. Don’t do politics.” Some even try to claim that you are violating the law. That’s not true. Since 1954, IRS has regulations that prohibit explicitly supporting a particular candidate by name but it allows us to teach on moral issues. That’s not illegal.
• Some people claim that the gospel has nothing to do with politics. Such people fail to understand that the gospel is more than “I am saved and on my way to heaven.” It involves “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” The gospel is a change in lifestyle. What happens when two or more people begin to change their lifestyles, it begins to change the society in which they live.I John 3:8“…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Throughout the history of the world, god’s people have made their societies better by influencing the government (See Alvin Schmidt, How Christianity Changed the World):

• In the Roman Empire, Christians outlawed infanticide, child abandonment, and abortion (AD 374).
• They outlawed the brutal battles-to-the-death in which thousands of gladiators died (AD 404).
• They instituted prison reforms by separating male and female prisoners (AD 361).
• They abolished human sacrifice among the Irish, the Prussians, the Lithuanians, and others.
• They outlawed pedophilia.
• They banned polygamy.
• They outlawed the practice of burning alive widows in India (1829)
• They began compulsory education for all children in European countries.
• In the Roman Empire, Christians fought to abolish slavery.
• In England, William Wilberforce helped abolish the slave trade and slavery itself in the British empire by 1840.
• In our United States, there were Christians who supported slavery and that was wrong. But, a vast majority fought to abolish it. Two-thirds were Christian pastors.
• I can go on and on but the point is that god’s people have made their societies better by influencing their governments. One such person was Daniel.

Time is short – the governors and satraps are threatened by Daniel and they decide to take him out. They asked Darius to sign a decree, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians that does not alter, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except King Darius shall be cast into the den of lions. What was Daniel’s response?Daniel 6:10“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” What an amazing political move! Daniel did not hide, apologize, or compromise. Instead, he openly challenged the decree.

Sadly, when Christians are confronted, they hide, apologize, or compromise. This confrontation is not necessarily about praying. It comes in other more sinister ways. At one time it was Christians have always been against Science. They would always bring up Galileo and how the church persecuted him. I don’t have time to go over the whole story. Many scientists were actually Christians. Then it was Christians have always been intolerant. I already gave you the list of things that Christians have fought for throughout history. Now there’s a new one – Christians need to learn the true history of the United States. This is a new one. It says that history has been created by the dominant group from the past and it needs to be straightened out. America was never founded on Christian values and that it was just greed and selfishness. How do you answer this?It all goes back to a German Philosopher by the name of Hegel who came up with the idea of the “historical dialectic.” He believed that history was always in a state of development. You can pick any time in history and see a group that is dominant and they agree on what they consider to be the truth. He called it “thesis.” This is usually challenged by a contradictory idea that is “antithesis.” This leads to a “synthesis.” Now this “synthesis” becomes the new “thesis.” There is no such thing as objective truth. Truth is relative. Hence, what you have learned is wrong and it’s time to set the record straight. We are living in the postmodern era. In the modern era, it was question everything. Now, it is “make history whatever you want it to be. If it’s real to you, then it doesn’t matter what I say.” But if you look at our history carefully, the Magna Carta, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States are all based on the Bible. 52 out of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christians. 34% of all citations in the Constitution came from the Bible.

Personal Illustration: Having come from a nation not founded on Judeo-Christian values, I can tell you that this nation was built on biblical values and it can stand only as long as it stands on biblical values.

Back to Daniel – The governors and satraps caught Daniel praying and ran to the king and accused him. The king tried to free Daniel but the ungodly men were not going to let him off that easily and finally he had to give the command to cast him into the lion’s den. All night he couldn’t sleep or eat and very early he ran to the den of lions crying loudly “Daniel, has your God saved you?” You know the rest of the account. The King had those men who accused Daniel and their families thrown into the den and they were destroyed.

Now listen to Daniel 6     25Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.26I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdommen musttremble and fear before the God of Daniel.For He isthe living God,And steadfast forever;His kingdomis the onewhich shall not be destroyed,And His dominionshall endureto the end.27         He delivers and rescues,And He works signs and wondersIn heaven and on earth,Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” What a revival!

Invitation: Are you praying for our nation? Will you cast your vote according to your biblical convictions? Are you saved?