Sermon, 12/4/11, Why The Herman Cain Express Suffered a Massive Train Wreck, Character Does Count! Bryan Longworth, Covenant Tabernacle

If you read my previous post, Florida Presidency 5 Report: Why Did Delegates Hop on the Herman Cain Train?, you know that I was a delegate at Florida’s Presidency 5 (P5) Presidential Debate and Straw Poll held in Orlando FL. I supported, campaigned for, and voted for Herman Cain. I supported Cain because I believed the message he so eloquently presented, trusted that he was a man of integrity, and sensed the momentum would carry him to the top. As you know, that straw poll launched Cain’s campaign to the top of the Republican Presidential field and even above President Barack Obama, but the Cain Train has been derailed by accusations of sexual harassment and a 13 year affair. I addressed this topic in my sermon preached December 4, 2011:

Sermon

I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now: The Herman Cain Express has suffered a severe train wreck. Why is it that Cain’s presidential campaign ended in disgrace. It is because character does count, especially if you’re a Republican. You see, there is a double standard in the media, and we have witnessed this time and time again. Bill Clinton’s multiple affairs prior to running for the presidency were totally ignored b y the mainstream media when Clinton ran for president. Our own St Lucie County School Board Member Kathryn Hensley said, “I just think women find him sexy.” Can you Imagine a sitting school board member saying something like that and getting away with it! Unbelievable!

John Edwards affair was ignored by the mainstream media even after pictures of his baby showed up in the tabloids. The media gave Jesse Jackson Sr a pass on his affair, and consider what Al Sharpton had to say about Tiger Woods affair.

“‘Why is it that a man who calls himself black can’t bring himself to cheat on his wife with a black woman?’ said Sharpton, speaking to a group of supporters in Harlem. ‘What does it say to young black girls everywhere when you pass them over? Shame on you, Tiger Woods. What would your daddy say?'”

“Sharpton, who has long championed taking black women as mistresses, said that today’s black athletes need to stop neglecting black women when it comes to extramarital affairs, and should follow the examples of positive black role models such as Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King, Jr., both of whom cheated on their wives with black women. Sharpton also stressed that cheating with African-American women would help the black community financially by giving black girls the chance to sell their stories to tabloids and gossip magazines.”

“Added Sharpton, ‘I’m not asking you to not cheat on your wives, I’m just asking you to give back to your own community.'”

No thought was give to the idea that you shouldn’t do this in the first place because God has called us to be faithful to our spouses.

When a Republican is running however, these issues are important to the media. In one day alone, the news media ran 50 televised reports on the allegations facing Herman Cain. Certainly, these issues should be important to us regardless of which party the candidate represents because character does count.

The initial allegations against Cain did appear as merely smear tactics by the Obama campaign. All of the accusers had come from Chicago. The women who pulled Cains employment records was connected to the Obama campaign and to David Axelrod. One accuser worked for the Obama administration. Another lived in the same apartment building as David Axelrod and admitted to knowing him.

The most recent allegations are troubling though. While we don’t know what really happened, we do know that Cain has admitted to knowing the woman and helping her financially without his wife’s knowledge, but what is most troubling is the statement given by Cain’s attorney the day of the initial press conference. Here’s what he had to say,

“This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace – this is not an accusation of an assault – which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate.”

“Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults – a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public’s right to know and the media’s right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one’s bedroom door.”

Sadly, Mr. Cain’s attorney fails to realize that character does count. God directs us to “select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” Exodus 18:21. (This passage by the way is where our founding fathers got the idea of state, local, and federal government.) We have a duty before God to choose men who fear God, keep his commandments, and are not given to covetousness. Certainly, character does count!

Sermon Notes including Bible Passages

OPENING PASSAGE — Psalm 139.

Proverbs 14:34 – “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.” (NKJV)

Proverbs 28:12 – “When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.” (Ref. vs. 28) (NKJV)

CAMPAIGN ISSUES

Rulers Must Fear God — Exodus 18:21 — Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (Ref 2 Samuel 23:3.)

Abstain from the Appearance of Evil

Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV)

Standing Before the Throne of God

“They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:5 NKJV)

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31 NKJV)

“God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” (Romans 2:16 NKJV)

 Search me, O God

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV)

Pastor Bryan Longworth

Pastor Bryan Longworth is the number one ranked prolifer on Twitter @BryanLongworth, serves as the director of Personhood FL, a prolife organization working to pass the Florida ProLife Personhood Amendment that will end abortion in FL, as the associate pastor at Covenant Tabernacle in Port St. Lucie, FL, and as the director of SOHL, Sanctity of Human Life of the Treasure Coast. Longworth is a Wall Builders Black Robe Regiment Pastor and a Family Research Council (FRC) Watchmen on the Wall Pastor. Longworth has participated in the Alliance Defense Fund’s (ADF) Pulpit Freedom Sunday since 2010. Longworth continues to be involved in the pro-life movement and in calling the church and our nation to repentance. The church and America needs revival and reformation like never before. The blood of over 55 million children cries from the ground for vengeance, and God will avenge! God send us a true move of God lest we perish in our iniquity!

Covenant Tabernacle

Covenant Tabernacle World Outreach Center in Port Saint Lucie Florida is a nondenominational, charismatic reformed church that believes the Pentecostal gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to believers today. We believe God has called us to worship, proclaim His word, and Disciple the nations in obedience to His commandments.

Vibrant Worship

At Covenant Tabernacle, we believe in worshiping God “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 – NKJV) As a part of our worship, we blow the Shofar as blown in ancient Jewish worship.

Powerful, Bible based Preaching

We believe that the word of God is true (2 Samuel 7:28) and that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV) We encourage all believers to develop a Biblical Worldview that shapes our view on not only our personal life but also our family, friends, loved ones, church, and civil government.

Discipleship

We believe in following Christ’s Great Commission to “‘go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV) As such, we believe in discipling individuals, families, communities, cities, states, and nations in obedience to God’s word.

Personhood FL Launches New Florida ProLife Personhood Amendment Petition!