Not My President

by Pastor Andrew Wolfenbarger
08/22/2023

Luke 19:14 – “But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.”

The political climate in the United States of America has always been a hotbed for discord and strife, but that has risen to a fever pitch in recent years. The last handful of Presidential elections were billed as the most important one in our nation’s history. The reality of every election is that almost half the country is disappointed by the result, no matter what. You may recall in one of our recent elections after the votes were counted and the winner announced, rhetoric began to arise amongst some disappointed voters. They would say, “he’s not my president”.

I am not here to enter into political banter. Frankly, I have found freedom in knowing that my God rules the affairs of men. That’s good enough for me. However, it is one thing to reject the rule of a human leader. Military coups and riots occur frequently all around the world resulting in the overthrowing of a governmental leader. But imagine the audacity of someone saying to Jesus Christ, “I will not let you reign over me”. This is an utter absurdity. Jesus isn’t a choice; He is reality.

Acts 17:28 says, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”

Everyone is alive at this very moment because the sovereign will of the Lord Jesus Christ determines it to be so. Our lungs fill with breath the next time we inhale because Jesus gives us oxygen. The electrical impulses that keep our heart in rhythm, distributing blood throughout our extremities are all operational by His decree.

You can choose to not acknowledge that. You can be an agnostic or choose some other god that is either a cheap counterfeit of the Almighty God of Heaven or an image of something that He created. Yet, no matter your choice, Jesus is God. To disbelieve in Him is similar to rejecting the existence of Henry Ford. Just look around, if you search for any length of time, I bet you can find something with Henry Ford’s influence upon it. The Word who became flesh (Jesus) has placed His fingerprint throughout His creation. Just look around with eyes of faith and you will see it.

What we must acknowledge is that people don’t reject Jesus because they despise the idea of a benevolent Creator. They reject Him because they despise the concept of an overruling Lord. Notice, the servants say of their nobleman, “We will not have this man reign over us”. That is the core problem that most people have with God. They don’t want to submit to Him. That was Satan’s problem. When Pharaoh resisted Moses’ plea to let God’s people go into the wilderness, Pharaoh rebelled at the idea that he wasn’t in charge. We all struggle with submission, but God requires that every person submits in some way, and that begins with our submission to Him.

Things didn’t end well for these servants who rejected their ruler. Nor will they for any person who rejects the rulership of Jesus in this lifetime. Luke 19:27 - “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

Have you placed your life under the rulership of Jesus today? May I encourage you to verbally acknowledge in a prayer today that Jesus is the Lord of your life, and you will serve Him whatever He demands of you? Jesus did this in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42).

Recent

Archive

 2023

Categories

Tags

1 Chronicles 4 1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 1 1 Kings 11 1 Kings 17 1 Samuel 18 1 Samuel 3 1 Thessalonians 4 1 Timothy 4 2 Chronicles 18 2 Chronicles 20 2 Chronicles 2 2 Corinthians 4 2 Corinthians 7 2 Kings 5 2 Kings 6 2 Timothy 2 2 Timothy 3 2 Timothy 4 2 corinthians 5 Abel Acts 11 Acts 3 Arise Author Battle Bearing Belief Bible Blessing Burdens Burn-out Chaos Choices Christian Christ Church Colossians 1 Colossians 3 Consequence Courage Cross David Day Decisions Deurteronomy 3 Deuteronomy 11 Deuteronomy 28 Deuteronomy 31 Deuteronomy 6 Ecclesiastes 1 Ending Enoch Ephesians 2 Ephesians 3 Ephesians 4 Ephesians 6 Ezekiel 11 Ezekiel 8 Ezra 7 Ezra 8 Fathers Father Fear Finisher Free Fruit of the Spirit Fulfilled Future Galatians 1 Genesis 17 Genesis 25 Genesis 39 Genesis 3 Genesis 40 Genesis 50 Gift Glory God's Word God's will God\'s will God Gospel Go Grace Guide Habakkuk 3 Habit Hard Hebrews 10 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 5 Hebrews 7 Hebrews Help Holy Spirit Infinite Isaiah 26 Isaiah 37 Isaiah 55 James 4 James 5 Jeremiah 10 Jesus Job 29 John 12 John 13 John 19 John 21 John 4 John 6 John 7 John 8 Joseph Joshua 1 Journey Judges 6 Judges King Leadership Leads Lord Luke 15 Luke 19 Luke 1 Luke 2 Luke 6 Luke 9 Man Mark 16 Mark 1 Mark 9 Matthew 11 Matthew 14 Matthew 18 Matthew 6 Message Mind Mother Mouth Noah Now Numbers 35 Opinions Opportunity Past Pattern Peter Philippians 1 Philippians 3 Philippians 4 Prayer Preach Prepare Preservation Priest Productive Prophecy Proverbs 11 Proverbs 17 Proverbs 25 Proverbs 27 Proverbs 3 Proverbs 4 Psalm 101 Psalm 105 Psalm 12 Psalm 16 Psalm 32 Psalm 34 Psalm 37 Psalm 48 Psalm 50 Psalm 51 Psalm 55 Psalm Purity Reading Refuge Rest Return Romans 7 Ruth 1 Ruth 2 Salvation Savior Scripture Shine Sinner Solomon Sovereign Spiritual Story Strength Struggles Temptation Transformation Travel Void Walk Will Wisdom Witness Word of God Word ability accountable action active act afflictions all amazement anticipation anxiety anxious armory army assurance attendance attendence attitude barnabas beauty behavior believers believe blasphemous blessings body book boy bread called cast challenge change character children choice circumstances cleanse clean colossians 1 comfort coming commandments command comparison compassion complete conduct conflict consequences contentment control conversation correction critic crucifixion daily life deliverance desire difficulties direction direct discouragement draw nigh eat edification encouraged encouragement enemy eternal everything example excitement excuses exhortation existence faint faithfulness faith false worship family favor feast fellowship fight focus follow foolishness fool forget forgiveness forgivess forgive forward freedom fret friend fulfillment fulness glorify goal godly goodness grandfather growth guards guidance hands harvest heart heaven hide history homes home hope humility hunger hurt illumination important insight inspiration intercession inward job joy kindness knowledge labor labour laughter leading learning life light liquor listen live love luxury meaning meat mediator mercy milk minds ministry mission moment mountain moving nourishment obedience obedient obey offering others overcome overseer pain parents participation path patience peace people personal plan potential power praise preaching preeminence preparation presence pressure pride priesthood priorities prison private problem prodigal promise promis protection provide pure purpose pursuit rapture ready reality reason rebuke refine rejection rejoice relationship relax renewed renew repentance request resident resist responsibility restored righteous room ruler satisfaction satisfy schedule seek selfish sermon servant serve service share shield shout sin slavery soldier sorrow soul-winning soul speak spirit filled spouse spritirual steps stewardship steward stress submission success suffering sufficient supplication surrendered sustinance task taste teaching team temple testimony test thankful thirst thoughts time timing tomorrow trials trial trouble trumpet trust truth twinkling unaware urgency value vessels victory warfare watchful way weakness wealth weary wise with us words work worship yoke youth