Romans #19 Is It a Sin to Speed?

Romans Series #19

Romans 13

Is It a Sin to Break the Speed Limit?

Or Why Submit to Authority?

Do we believe the Word of God?

Read some scriptures

1) Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise- 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

2) Ephesians 5:21-24 (NIV)

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

3) Hebrews 13:17 (NIV)

17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

4) John 14:23-24 (NIV)

23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

We aren't real crazy about submission to authority are we?

Remember what we asked in Chapter 1

-Is This the Word of God?

- Is It True?

- Can I trust God?

Aw come on, be honest we don't really like it

I think we fall into a couple of categories when we resist authority

#1 - I'll Respond to Authority when I have to but NOT to God, because I'm not sure if I know what he wants and not sure what his authority over me really is.

Or

#2 - Well, I'll respond to GOD'S Authority but I don't have to Respond to Anyone else's because I just respond to God or I just respond to his Spirit - "well how spiritual that is." Kinda hard to argue with isn't it?

Or how about this

#3 - Well how do I know which authority figures are legit so I can know which ones I should follow?

- the Scriptures talk about some God-ordained authorities in our lives

- Word of God

- The Church

- Pastor/Leadership

- Parents

- Governmental Leadership

But we are often looking for an excuse to make it OK to NOT submit to authority

So, Why Submit to Authority

God is a God of Order and Authority is a gift from him to lead us to him

Submission is a Sin Issue

Romans 8:7 (NIV)

7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

James 4:17 (NIV)

17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

a watching world wants to see the life of Christ lived out

They want to see if those who follow Christ operate differently than the rest of the world

What does Romans 13 have to say on this issue of submission and authority?

Read Chapter 13

Who is Paul speaking to? He is speaking to Christians at the heart of the Roman empire.

While they were NOT under heavy persecution YET, it was soon coming

There is a clear progression here of reasons to submit to authority

1. For Fear of God's Punishment vv1-4

A. Government - they may not always be godly, but they are "of God" his "ministers" or servants whether they recognize it or not

1. no one rules without God's permission

2. a fight against the government is a fight against God

3. do what is right and you need not fear - if you never break the speed limit, you DON'T hit your brakes when you see a police car

4. If you are obedient then either the Law will protect you or God will protect and deliver you

5. If you are out of line, then be afraid

a. the government has a God-given authority to punish

b. the Lord can also set us straight

B. What if the Government is wrong

1. God is a God of order NOT disorder

2. Government has processes whereby change can be wrought

3. What if the Authority is wrong

a. Is the Authority over you causing you to go against a biblical commandment?

b. There is an order to all authority -

God's Authority First

National Authority Second

Local Authority Third

Personal Authority Behind

c. If a lower tier of authority goes against a higher authority the Higher Authority takes precedence.

d. i.e. as a parental or pastoral authority or as a husband, I don't have the right to lead those under my authority to willfully break the law or go against God's Authority.

e. however, if any authority lower authority goes against God's Clear Biblical Directive, then I reason to resist the lower authority

f. in the Old Testament God used Nations to deal with Nations that were outside of his will and bring them to submission

g. Daniel didn't always obey the directives of his conquering kingdom, Babylon, as they went against God, but he also didn't seek to personally overthrow

4. If you take a stand against God's ordained authority, even for righteous reasons be prepared to bear the consequences of your actions

C. Level One in Submission

1. Fear is the FIRST and most basic level of submission to what is right

2. you may not want to but Fear of Government or Fear God will set you on the right path

3. if you don't have a good reason to submit to those in Authority, Fear is a good place to start

Second level of Submission

2. For a Good Conscience vv5-7

Anyone can submit out of fear of God or the Authority, let's take a step up

A. Clear Conscience

1. when you are wrong, your conscience accuses you

2. don't you want to be able to look yourself in the mirror?

3. that we might be men and women of integrity, above reproach or question

4. Now, if submission goes against your conscience before God, then you must obey God

"We must obey God Rather Than Men" Peter said in Acts 5:29

5. If the Law is right, keep it, that you might keep your clear conscience

B. What you "Owe"

1. whether money, or honor, give what you owe

2. protects our hearts' and reputation

3. it will come back to you either from Man or from God

Let's Take the 3rd Step Up in the Stairway of Submission

3. For Love of Your Neighbor vv 8-10

Hey submission is a Hard Thing I understand!

Everybody is quick to want to run the show, but we are slow and don't want to submit to someone else's authority

A. Love One Another

1. when you bring love into the picture you also enlarge the circle of submission - Ephesians 5:21

2. Love says I will defer my selfish desires because I love you

3. I won't steal, kill, covet, destroy, use what isn't mine, not because someone says it's against the law, but because I LOVE YOU with the Same Passion that I Love MYSELF - which insinuates a healthy love for yourself, self-respect leads to respect of others

B. New Commandment

1. John 13:34-35 - "a new commandment I give to you, love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love one another, by this will all men know that you are my disciples that you have love for one another."

2. We think that people will know that we are disciples by all of our knowledge

3. they will know by all of our "spiritual" - ness

4. NO - The WORLD will know that we are disciples as we submit to one another in Love

5. One of the reasons that the world doesn't believe what we are telling them about Christ is because they are watching us with our "every man for themselves" religion that fights about the slightest thing and resists authority because we don't get to be the star and they say "I can get that anywhere"

"I want something MORE"

6. The TEN COMMANDMENTS are not mentioned in the New Testament because they are rolled UP in this commandment LOVE ONE ANOTHER

** - this is not a message on Financial Issues but I do thing I should just make an aside here.

- The question arises "does this passage mean that I am NOT to borrow money for any thing?"

- We must always use the whole of scripture when we are interpreting scripture. If you look at scripture it teaches financial responsibility and not over stretching ourselves but I don't believe it completely restricts the loaning of money or other things and even the charging of interest. In the parable of the Talents the man with one talent was scolded for not even investing his money to gain interest.

While there are some who would use this scripture to limit us from ANY buying with debt, I don't find that blanket restriction. However that doesn't give us the excuse not to be wise and to have needless controlling debt.

- another thing is if God gives you a PERSONAL conviction in this area then you ARE responsible for that Conviction, whether I am or not.

We are talking about a love issue in Submission

Romans 8:7 (NIV)

7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

John 14:23-24 (NIV)

23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

That takes us On up another Step Moving to the Highest Point on the Submission Staircase

4. For the Sake of Christ (vv 11-14)

We've moved up a long way in 20 minutes or so here from Fear to Duty of Conscience to Love now to a Deep Abiding Commitment to the Cause of Christ

The Cause of Christ is more important that anything else

A. Wake Up!

1. Just because you think we have plenty of time is NOT a reason to become spiritually lazy

2. 1 Thes. 5 tells us that he will come Like a THIEF in the NIGHT - when you least expect it, so stay ready stay alert. His coming is closer today than yesterday

Because of the shortness of time we must be aware of our testimony and be submissive to others as a sign of submission to Christ

It is for the Cause of Christ not the plans of man

B. Clean Up!

1. 1 John 2:28 - "…continue in him so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him …"

2. The president's coming to the house are you going to come out of the mud pit or are you going to clean up and present your best

3. You must clean up before you put on the armor of light

4. v12 "put aside the deeds of darkness" KJV "cast off"

C. Grow Up!

1. we've spent enough time in the past doing what the pagans do

2. 1 Corinthians 14:20 - "stop thinking like children. In regards to evil, be infants, but in your thinking be adults

3. For the sake of Christ we must grow up in terms of submission. We shouldn't be having the same struggles with our 16 year old as we did with our 12 year old and neither of them as we did when they were 3!

4. we fight over childish stuff sometimes in the church don't we

5. how do we GROW - by feeding ourselves nourishment

a. you are what you eat

b. what are you feeding on?

c. are you feeding your flesh or your spirit

d. are you feeding on the word of God or the Praise of men

e. are you feeding your ego or a heart of humility?

D. Dress Up!

1. put on the Lord Jesus Christ

2. put on the armor of God

3. to put on Christ means to be Like Christ

4. If Jesus Submitted to the Father how much more should we submit to Him

5. If Jesus Submitted to the laws of the Romans and Jews, how much more should we

6. If Jesus submitted to his parents how much more should we

7. If Jesus should love in submission to each, how much more should we

Is it a Sin to Break the Speed Limit? Actually YES IT IS

Is it a Sin to Needlessly go against God Ordained Authority? Yes it Is

Why Submit to Authority?

2 Chronicles 30:8 (NIV)

8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the Lord. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God,

The whole purpose for Authority in place and Submission to that was that people might Seek God

Pagan nations were allowed to overthrow God's people in the Old Testament so that they people would return to God

Acts 17:24-28 (NIV)

24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

Authority Leads us to Submission, Submission Leads us to Christ

Five Words Defined

Surrender isn't giving up

something you don't want …

It's giving up what you do want.

Victory isn't walking

across the goal line …

It's struggling through opposition to goal.

Trust isn't going

just where the lights are …

It's following through the dark valleys.

Love isn't giving

when others are giving …

It's giving when others are not giving.

Faith isn't overflowing

to others …

It's emptying itself to others.

Blessed Assurance

1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

3 Perfect submission, ]

all is at rest,

I in my Savior am happy and blest:

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Chorus This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long.