Submit to Government, Love your Neighbor

Intro:

As I looked at the text for this weeks message I couldn’t help but think of how timely the portion of scripture is to what we have experienced over the past week. This morning as we continue in our series The Church Defined we are going to look at portion of Romans 13:1-10.

The two aspects of the text go hand in hand. Let’s read the first portion Romans 13:1–7 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.”

This portion of scripture most certainly will provoke some deep response in our hearts because of our political climate in America, but I want us to look beyond politics to hear the essence of what Paul is speaking.

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Submit:

When governmental authorities are functioning in their rightful manner it is intended to be a blessing and a covering to the people under their authority. The instruction of Paul to the Church is to be subject to the governing authorities. All authority is from God, and the are appointed by God. They are intended to govern righteously and to good those they are responsible for. They are also to execute wrath on those who practice evil.

I will be honest. I don’t speak on political realties unless the Lord tells me too. On most things I stand apart personally from the views of the leadership of our nation and state. We have a moral obligation to righteousness and the kingdom of God. I am Christian before I am a associated with a political party.

This past week has reminded me of the value of leadership that I often stand in opposition to philosophically and morally. This past week I witnessed the purpose of the governing authorities. Their response to the devastation happening Ruidoso was overwhelmingly good.

I was also reminded that our submission to governing authorities positions us to advance the kingdom of God in times of need. While we stand strongly in our convictions as believers, our relational equity positions us to serve and meet needs.

Submission to authority does not equate to unequivocal blind following of agendas, but it is a place of honor for the offices that God has established and ordained. In America we have a unique privilege to choose those who serve in the roles.

If we refrain from exercising our rights and even more so our moral obligation and duty I believe we are just as guilty of the evil we have allowed to rule. I believe it is important that we use the opportunities we have in every domain to advance the kingdom of God, but electing God fearing individuals to serve in public offices.

Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

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Apply:

The next portion of Romans 13 we are going to look at is Loving Your Neighbor:

I believe that love looks like something. Love is more than a feeling or emotion. Love can be seen and experienced through the expression of generosity from God’s people.

Romans 13:8–10 “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

The essence of the kingdom of God is the Love because God is love (1 John 4:8). Our joining to Christ through salvation has given us every seed we need to learn how to walk in love. When we declare Christ as Lord, we are born again by the Spirit of God.

We receive the nature of our Father. We are born spiritually with the capacity to love. 1 John 4:7–11 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

The nature instilled into the born again individual is love. When opportunity presents itself there is no question on whether to become love. The outward expression of love is a result of the inward infilling of love we have received from our Father. It is simply who we are.

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Closing:

If there is one thing I can say about this past week it is this. I see Jesus in you. I no longer find myself wondering if the message of the kingdom is taking root in the lives of people, I now know that it has.

The love of the Father and the generosity of His heart was on full display this past week. I was in awe watching your selflessly serve people you don’t know. No one required you to come, but you did. No one made you take on additional responsibility and the weight of others burdens but you chose to.

I know that in the days, weeks, and months ahead you will continue to serve because you are in the father, and the nature of the father is in you. To every person who stepped up to lead others over the past week, I want to especially thank you. Without a doubt we could not have accomplished what we did without you.

Your efforts to coordinate, purchase supplies, answer the phones and take messages, lead teams to supply drops, have a made the opportunity for people to have hope possible. To my staff in the office. Thank you for being solid! God assembled you here for such a time as this.

I know there will be more work to be done in helping others rebuild their lives, and we will look for how the Lord would like to use us. Jesus is our hope, motivation, and reason for why we go.

What do we do in trouble times as believers.

We hold step fast to the promises of God we anchor our hope and the one that’s greater than our situation. I want to remind you that we have a anchor of the soul. We’ve been given the steadfast love of God that never fails in any season.

Even when we experience our worst day, His grace is sufficient. Even when we feel like we’re walking to the valley of the shadow of death, we know that he’s there. In the midst of chaos we attach ourselves to our anchor and persevere. We make the decision to walk by faith and not by sight.

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—”

As the body of Christ, we respond in trouble times who acts of service and compassion we will lay down our time, treasure, and talents to meet the needs of others. We choose to become the hands and feet of God to those around us. We don’t simply speak the message of Hope, we let our lives demonstrate the message through our actions.

In troubled times without a doubt people need our prayers because they need the intervention of the Father, but they also need our action.

This past week I have watched you become the message and I could not be more proud and grateful for your expression of genuine faith. I want to again express my gratitude for your time, your generosity, and your yes.

Let’s Pray!

For refreshing of our souls by the Holy Spirit.

For the people of Mescalero, Alto, Ruidoso, and the Ruidoso Downs. (Especially those who lost their homes, businesses, and family members.

Salvation.