July 29, 2025 • 13 mins
In this thought-provoking episode, Jonathan Smith tackles a pressing and often controversial question: Should a church publicly endorse a political candidate? We explore the biblical principles that guide the church’s role in society and government, the difference between spiritual leadership and political alignment, and how Christians can engage in civic life without compromising the mission of the Gospel. Should the pulpit be a place for politics? What does Scripture say about authority, influence, and faith in the public square? Tune in for a bold, balanced, and Bible-centered conversation that challenges believers to think critically and act wisely in today's polarized culture.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I am your host, Pastor Jonathan Smith. Thank you so
very much for listening to the podcast today. I hope
that something that is said and done will bring glory
an honor to the Lord. Today, as I've been listening
to the news the last couple of days.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
We've had a lot going on in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And as I begin to think about everything that is
going on, something was brought to my attention by some
other pastors and some other preachers, and I was asked
about it, and I said, I need some time to
think about it, some time to process it, and I
want to give an answer on it today. Looking over
(00:40):
our world. This past week or so, we was told
by the federal government that the IRS has paved away
for churches to endorse political candidates and that once that
we could endorse them and it not affect our tax
exempt status with the federal government. I want to say
(01:02):
today that it bothers me at the amount of preachers
and pastors that has come out and said, oh, this
is great, this is wonderful. I wish this would have
happened during the twenty twenty four election. I wish this
would have happened during the twenty twenty election.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
We could have came out.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
We could have endorsed Trump, or we could endorse Biden, whichever'side,
Defense your own or Kamala Harris. We could come out
and endorse them. Those things would not affect our tax
exempt status. We can come out and endorse Senate candidates.
We can come out and endorse govnatorial candidates. We can
come out and indoorse congressional candidates.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And man, they are bragging about all this, being able
to do that.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, as I begin to think about that, and as
I began to ponder that, and as I began to
hear this information come out, and I begin to see
preachers and all of that happy and excited and acstatic
over that, it bothered me to the core of my heart. Preacher,
why does it bother you as a pastor? Why does
(02:12):
it bother you as a podcast host? Why does it
bother you? Let me say something today, not one political
candidate or president or governor, or senator or congressman went
to a cross to.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Die for our sin.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
We are not told as pastors to go out and
to preach politics from the pull hit. We as pastors today,
are not told to go and to preach political candidates
and to be instant in season or out of season.
(02:56):
But as a pastor and as a preacher, you have
one responsibility. That is not to preach the power of politics.
But it is your duty and responsibility to preach the gospel.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Paul said, for I am not as shamed.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Of the Gospel, not of a governor, not of a president,
not of a political leader, not of a political candidate.
But he said, I am not as shamed of the Gospel.
And today, as a pastor and as a preacher of
the gospel, and my ministry has been focused around the Gospel.
(03:40):
I have been I have been bothered at the amount
of preachers who have God in their pulpits wearing Maga hats,
wearing Maga tize, wearing Maga t shirts. And they're out there.
I've seen them. There's plenty of them on Facebook. There's
plenty of them on You to get mad at me
(04:01):
if you want to, that's fine. And they've got up
and they've made Trump a God, and they're bragging from
the pulpit about the job that our president is doing.
We are not called to brag on a president, but
we are called to present, to promote, and to praise
(04:26):
God himself. When Jesus called his disciples, he did not
tell them to go out into the highways and the
hedges and to preach politics, to promote politics, to go
out and to praise political leaders.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
But he called them to.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Go out and to compel others to come to Christ.
He told us that we should go out and preach
the Gospel and Acts chapter number two. When the power
of God fell at Pentecost, it wasn't because the writer
the disciples there were preaching the power of politics. The
(05:10):
reason the power of God fell is because every man
and woman, and boy and girl heard the Gospel in
their own language and in their own tongue. They didn't
hear how great a president was, or how bad a
king was, or how evil they were, but they heard
the Gospel. And today, if we want revival in America,
(05:34):
you and I are not going to go out and
preach politics. We're not going to go out and promote ourselves.
We are not going to go out and promote other pastors.
But what we are going to do is we're going
to go out and we're going to promote Christ. Christ
himself went to a cross to die for our sins.
(05:58):
When the brazen when the Sir came into the wilderness
and bit the people. God told Moses to lift up
a brazen serpent and the people would live. And the
Bible says today, the Bible says that even as the
serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, even so must
(06:20):
the son of Man be lifted up. He didn't say
a president. He didn't say a congressman. He didn't say
a senator. He didn't say a governor. He didn't say
a mayor. He didn't say a city councilman, a county commissioner.
He didn't say none of those people that if you
looked upon them, that you would live. But he said
(06:40):
to look upon the son of Man, and you would live.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Jesus said, I coming not to.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
The world to condemn the world, but that the world
through me might be saved. And today, if you and
I want to be more powerful as pastors, if you
want to be a more powerful preacher, drop politics out
of your vocabulary and preach Christ point blank. You don't
(07:06):
need to give a rundown of what you've seen on
Fox News in the pulpit.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
What you need to do is pick up the good
news called.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
The Bible and preach the Bible and share the good
news of the Gospel. To Paul told or Titus wrote,
and Titus chapter number two and verse number fifteen, we're
looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He didn't say that we
(07:36):
were looking at Fox News, CNN, PMSNBC. He didn't say
any of those things. But he said, we're looking for
the blessed hope and a glorious appearing, Not of a president,
not of a governor, not of a congressional leader. But
he said, we're looking for that blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our Lord and.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Savior, Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
In these last days that we're living in, we need
to quit listening for a political leader and start listening
for the voice of God. The Bible tells us that
in the last days, perilous times will come, and this
world will wax.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. And
our world is waxing worse and worse and worse. And
I would hate to know that in these last days
that I spent time in my full pit telling the
people about a man who can tell them at any moment,
(08:40):
a man that possibly could be in the Epstein files,
a man who could be in the corruption of pornography,
a man who could change his stants on abortion, who
could change his stants on traditional marriage, a man who
could be in trouble for embezzlement. I'd hate to know
(09:02):
that I stood and wasted the time on a Sunday morning,
a Sunday night, or a Wednesday night, endorsing a man
who could fell us as a leader.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
But instead I would rather be known as a man
of God who stood Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night,
and Revival night that promoted a man who came into
all the world not to condemn us, but to save us,
Who came into the world and gave his life so
that you and I could have life, and have it
(09:37):
more abundantly.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Who said I am the water.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
That if you partake of, you will never first again.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Who said I am the bread of life, Who said
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life that
no man can come into the Father but by me.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I would much rather promote the.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Man whose name is Jesus, who said I will come
and to seek and to save those which are lost.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I would rather know that I promoted a man who.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Is known as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and
the End, who is known as Lord of Lords and
King of Kings.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I'd mut rather know that I promoted a.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Man whose name was Jesus, who's known as the Prince
of Peace. I would much rather know that I promoted
a man by the name of Jesus Christ, who gave
his very life that you.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
And I might live.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I would rather know that I promoted a man who said,
in his name shall be called Wonderful counselor the Mighty God,
the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I would much.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Rather know that I promoted a man who, in Matthew
chapter number one, in verse number twenty one, who said,
and shall bring forth a sun, and thou shalt call
his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sins. I'd much rather know that I promoted a
man who said in the Book of Revelation that he's
(11:15):
going to come back riding on a horse, and who's
going to destroy.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
This earth and is going to make a new heaven
and a new earth.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
I much rather know that I promoted a man who's
never broke a promise, who made a promise that I
will be with you all the days of your life.
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I will
stand by you. I will sin in the darkest of
the darkest of ours with you.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
He said, I am the light of the world.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
I would much rather know that I promoted a man
who is the light of the world instead of a breaker.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Of the law.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I would much rather know that I promoted a man
who is the prince of peace instead of trying to
be a peacekeeper. I would much rather know that I
promoted a man who loved us and gave himself for us.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
That why we were yet sinners.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
The Bible says in Romans five eight that Christ died
for us. You say, preacher, you sound a little passionate.
You sound a little disturbed that we've got people out
here that would rather promote a sinful man instead of
the perfect lamb of God. Today, you and I, as
men of God, need to buckle down and just preach Jesus.
(12:37):
Leave your personal opinion at home, leave your political opinion
at home, leave.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
All of that crap at home, and.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Say I'm going to the church house today on Sunday morning,
Sunday night, Wednesday night, and.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
I'm going to preach the Bible. I'm going to preach
thus saith the Lord.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
The only thing that is in the Bible today about
politics is that you and I or to pray for
those that are in leadership over us. And today you
and I as Christians need to learn to stand on
the word of God. There is a place that you
(13:17):
and I should stand.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
On the word of God.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
There is a place that you and I should go
out and vote and quit being the silent majority.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
But at the end of the day today, if.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
You are a man of God, if you proclaim to
be a pastor, if you proclaim to be a preacher,
then it's your duty and responsibility as a Christian, as
a pastor, as a preacher, to preach the Bible plus
nothing minus nothing. Hey, thank you so much for listening
to the podcast today. I hope that something that has
(13:51):
been said has been a blessing to you and to
your family.
I am your host, Pastor Jonathan Smith. Thank you so
very much for listening to the podcast today. I hope
that something that is said and done will bring glory
an honor to the Lord. Today, as I've been listening
to the news the last couple of days.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
We've had a lot going on in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And as I begin to think about everything that is
going on, something was brought to my attention by some
other pastors and some other preachers, and I was asked
about it, and I said, I need some time to
think about it, some time to process it, and I
want to give an answer on it today. Looking over
(00:40):
our world. This past week or so, we was told
by the federal government that the IRS has paved away
for churches to endorse political candidates and that once that
we could endorse them and it not affect our tax
exempt status with the federal government. I want to say
(01:02):
today that it bothers me at the amount of preachers
and pastors that has come out and said, oh, this
is great, this is wonderful. I wish this would have
happened during the twenty twenty four election. I wish this
would have happened during the twenty twenty election.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
We could have came out.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
We could have endorsed Trump, or we could endorse Biden, whichever'side,
Defense your own or Kamala Harris. We could come out
and endorse them. Those things would not affect our tax
exempt status. We can come out and endorse Senate candidates.
We can come out and endorse govnatorial candidates. We can
come out and indoorse congressional candidates.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And man, they are bragging about all this, being able
to do that.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, as I begin to think about that, and as
I began to ponder that, and as I began to
hear this information come out, and I begin to see
preachers and all of that happy and excited and acstatic
over that, it bothered me to the core of my heart. Preacher,
why does it bother you as a pastor? Why does
(02:12):
it bother you as a podcast host? Why does it
bother you? Let me say something today, not one political
candidate or president or governor, or senator or congressman went
to a cross to.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Die for our sin.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
We are not told as pastors to go out and
to preach politics from the pull hit. We as pastors today,
are not told to go and to preach political candidates
and to be instant in season or out of season.
(02:56):
But as a pastor and as a preacher, you have
one responsibility. That is not to preach the power of politics.
But it is your duty and responsibility to preach the gospel.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Paul said, for I am not as shamed.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Of the Gospel, not of a governor, not of a president,
not of a political leader, not of a political candidate.
But he said, I am not as shamed of the Gospel.
And today, as a pastor and as a preacher of
the gospel, and my ministry has been focused around the Gospel.
(03:40):
I have been I have been bothered at the amount
of preachers who have God in their pulpits wearing Maga hats,
wearing Maga tize, wearing Maga t shirts. And they're out there.
I've seen them. There's plenty of them on Facebook. There's
plenty of them on You to get mad at me
(04:01):
if you want to, that's fine. And they've got up
and they've made Trump a God, and they're bragging from
the pulpit about the job that our president is doing.
We are not called to brag on a president, but
we are called to present, to promote, and to praise
(04:26):
God himself. When Jesus called his disciples, he did not
tell them to go out into the highways and the
hedges and to preach politics, to promote politics, to go
out and to praise political leaders.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
But he called them to.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Go out and to compel others to come to Christ.
He told us that we should go out and preach
the Gospel and Acts chapter number two. When the power
of God fell at Pentecost, it wasn't because the writer
the disciples there were preaching the power of politics. The
(05:10):
reason the power of God fell is because every man
and woman, and boy and girl heard the Gospel in
their own language and in their own tongue. They didn't
hear how great a president was, or how bad a
king was, or how evil they were, but they heard
the Gospel. And today, if we want revival in America,
(05:34):
you and I are not going to go out and
preach politics. We're not going to go out and promote ourselves.
We are not going to go out and promote other pastors.
But what we are going to do is we're going
to go out and we're going to promote Christ. Christ
himself went to a cross to die for our sins.
(05:58):
When the brazen when the Sir came into the wilderness
and bit the people. God told Moses to lift up
a brazen serpent and the people would live. And the
Bible says today, the Bible says that even as the
serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, even so must
(06:20):
the son of Man be lifted up. He didn't say
a president. He didn't say a congressman. He didn't say
a senator. He didn't say a governor. He didn't say
a mayor. He didn't say a city councilman, a county commissioner.
He didn't say none of those people that if you
looked upon them, that you would live. But he said
(06:40):
to look upon the son of Man, and you would live.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Jesus said, I coming not to.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
The world to condemn the world, but that the world
through me might be saved. And today, if you and
I want to be more powerful as pastors, if you
want to be a more powerful preacher, drop politics out
of your vocabulary and preach Christ point blank. You don't
(07:06):
need to give a rundown of what you've seen on
Fox News in the pulpit.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
What you need to do is pick up the good
news called.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
The Bible and preach the Bible and share the good
news of the Gospel. To Paul told or Titus wrote,
and Titus chapter number two and verse number fifteen, we're
looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He didn't say that we
(07:36):
were looking at Fox News, CNN, PMSNBC. He didn't say
any of those things. But he said, we're looking for
the blessed hope and a glorious appearing, Not of a president,
not of a governor, not of a congressional leader. But
he said, we're looking for that blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our Lord and.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Savior, Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
In these last days that we're living in, we need
to quit listening for a political leader and start listening
for the voice of God. The Bible tells us that
in the last days, perilous times will come, and this
world will wax.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. And
our world is waxing worse and worse and worse. And
I would hate to know that in these last days
that I spent time in my full pit telling the
people about a man who can tell them at any moment,
(08:40):
a man that possibly could be in the Epstein files,
a man who could be in the corruption of pornography,
a man who could change his stants on abortion, who
could change his stants on traditional marriage, a man who
could be in trouble for embezzlement. I'd hate to know
(09:02):
that I stood and wasted the time on a Sunday morning,
a Sunday night, or a Wednesday night, endorsing a man
who could fell us as a leader.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
But instead I would rather be known as a man
of God who stood Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night,
and Revival night that promoted a man who came into
all the world not to condemn us, but to save us,
Who came into the world and gave his life so
that you and I could have life, and have it
(09:37):
more abundantly.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Who said I am the water.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
That if you partake of, you will never first again.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Who said I am the bread of life, Who said
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life that
no man can come into the Father but by me.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I would much rather promote the.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Man whose name is Jesus, who said I will come
and to seek and to save those which are lost.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I would rather know that I promoted a man who.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Is known as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and
the End, who is known as Lord of Lords and
King of Kings.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I'd mut rather know that I promoted a.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Man whose name was Jesus, who's known as the Prince
of Peace. I would much rather know that I promoted
a man by the name of Jesus Christ, who gave
his very life that you.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
And I might live.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I would rather know that I promoted a man who said,
in his name shall be called Wonderful counselor the Mighty God,
the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I would much.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Rather know that I promoted a man who, in Matthew
chapter number one, in verse number twenty one, who said,
and shall bring forth a sun, and thou shalt call
his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sins. I'd much rather know that I promoted a
man who said in the Book of Revelation that he's
(11:15):
going to come back riding on a horse, and who's
going to destroy.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
This earth and is going to make a new heaven
and a new earth.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
I much rather know that I promoted a man who's
never broke a promise, who made a promise that I
will be with you all the days of your life.
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I will
stand by you. I will sin in the darkest of
the darkest of ours with you.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
He said, I am the light of the world.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
I would much rather know that I promoted a man
who is the light of the world instead of a breaker.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Of the law.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I would much rather know that I promoted a man
who is the prince of peace instead of trying to
be a peacekeeper. I would much rather know that I
promoted a man who loved us and gave himself for us.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
That why we were yet sinners.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
The Bible says in Romans five eight that Christ died
for us. You say, preacher, you sound a little passionate.
You sound a little disturbed that we've got people out
here that would rather promote a sinful man instead of
the perfect lamb of God. Today, you and I, as
men of God, need to buckle down and just preach Jesus.
(12:37):
Leave your personal opinion at home, leave your political opinion
at home, leave.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
All of that crap at home, and.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Say I'm going to the church house today on Sunday morning,
Sunday night, Wednesday night, and.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
I'm going to preach the Bible. I'm going to preach
thus saith the Lord.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
The only thing that is in the Bible today about
politics is that you and I or to pray for
those that are in leadership over us. And today you
and I as Christians need to learn to stand on
the word of God. There is a place that you
(13:17):
and I should stand.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
On the word of God.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
There is a place that you and I should go
out and vote and quit being the silent majority.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
But at the end of the day today, if.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
You are a man of God, if you proclaim to
be a pastor, if you proclaim to be a preacher,
then it's your duty and responsibility as a Christian, as
a pastor, as a preacher, to preach the Bible plus
nothing minus nothing. Hey, thank you so much for listening
to the podcast today. I hope that something that has
(13:51):
been said has been a blessing to you and to
your family.
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