The Sword and The Keys

Two water towers have always served as landmarks for travelers heading for their homes near Wauconda, Illinois. But especially at the holidays.

More than 40 years ago, John Kuester, then village police chief, suggested mounting large twin crosses on the towers to luminously mark the season. Adopted by the village, the display of crosses became a tradition. Right after Thanksgiving, when Christmas decorations went up, the crosses also lit the sky from their near-heavenly height.

But in 1989, Robert Sherman, spokesman for American Atheists, Inc., heard about the crosses. Since Wauconda’s crosses were on government property, Sherman saw an alleged violation of church and state. He delivered an ultimatum: remove the crosses from the water towers or meet in court.

Several town hall meetings followed. Resident Joyce Mitchell, a member of Crossroads Community Church, asked God to give her the right words and right spirit before each meeting.

"The Christians in the community were united with the rest of the community--whether they were churchgoers or not--in refusing to let some outsider tell us how to celebrate Christmas."

But the decision was forced by economics. Realizing a similar case had lost in court, the residents of Wauconda opted not to burden themselves with hundreds of thousands of dollars in court costs. Then a grassroots group of residents had the final say.

"Our business, Wauconda Boat Company, is located across from the village hall," resident Rosemary Buschick explains. "The meeting about the crosses was on a Tuesday night, and when it was over, we knew the crosses would have to come down. Then my husband, Chuck, went to the back room of the shop and constructed a window-sized cross with lights to display the next day. Will Shumaker, whose home appliance store is also on Main Street, also put up a cross. Within weeks, crosses were appearing on houses everywhere--attached to antennas, stuck in yards, beaming from trees, shining in windows. It seemed to just happen."

When Joyce Mitchell drove around the village with her daughters, who were 6 and 9 at the time, she began to cry. "The media portrayed us as losing the fight, but we didn’t lose. Two crosses had been replaced with hundreds. God was glorified in the end."

So today we are doing part 2 of the first verse of the book of Obadiah. We see in the opening verse that God has control and oversight of all nations and that God has and will bring judgement and condemnation upon all nations. We sometimes think that Christ only deals with the nation of Israel in accordance with the scriptures, but we see that all nations are held accountable to the Law of God in the Bible. We can and will always find comfort in that. All the earth is subject to the law of God in scripture.

Again, it explains a bit more as to why Its seems more and more that our culture is beginning to influence the church. This is not a new thing… look at the churches in Asia minor in the book of Revelation and you will see how the church continues to imitate the culture instead of imitating Christ. Much of this comes from sin and our love for the pattern of this world, the things of the world, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

When it comes to how we as the church are to respond to our government, what is a Christian political philosophy? How are we supposed to see our government. Do we follow? Do we not follow? Do we look to them? Do we trust a political party? What does the Bible tell us to do Shane?

I’m gonna continue to help us with this. We are experiencing a highly charged time where politics dominate the media, and everything has become political. Voting for the President of the United States has begun and there is a lot of confusion, a lot of concern, a lot of worry, lots of anger and lots of lying. Lots happening in our country that is “foreign”, that is confusing, that is unjust but not really. Our state even in our city there is unrest, violence, alleged violence, in some cities they are allegedly eating ducks, dogs and cats and so much that is unsettling. Do we know what is really going on? Is the government lying to us? Keeping things from us? No way that happens right?

I assert that we do not need to panic, there is no need to worry, there is no cause for alarm… Shane have you lost your mind? God’s hand is all over this. Our Lord has shown that He is sovereign over all that is happening in the world. How can this be. It does not seem like He does.

We have got to make sure we are understanding the institution, politic, the magistrate, the sword and the keys, separation of church and state, and what is revealed to us in the scriptures. When we do it will make more sense and we will marvel at what the Lord orchestrates. Because He is in control of all nations even if it seems like He is not. He is sovereign without exception in all ways and at all times. This is what we will see in our passage today.

Obadiah 1 NLT

This is the vision that the Sovereign Lord revealed to Obadiah concerning the land of Edom. We have heard a message from the Lord that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say, “Get ready, everyone! Let’s assemble our armies and attack Edom!”

The grass withers the flower fades but the Word of our God stands forever.

Separation of Church and State

Salvation of Church and State

The first thing we will look at is the biblical nature of what it means for the church and the sate to be separated. Second we will see how this separation puts a premium on the gospel message intrusted to the church.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to fall into rebellion against the law of God found in the Bible, it is the truth of the scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to see the genius of the governing institution set up by the living Christ and how it leads us all to repentance and finding life in Christ.

I. Separation of Church and State

- Difference in function.

A. Clear your minds of what you have heard and have learned. This is not about foundation, protection, or ideology. Its not about keeping God out of the government and its not about keeping the church tax free. It is about function under the sovereignty of God. The only difference is about what it is does under the kingship of God. I can go for weeks and weeks on this subject but we shall keep it relatively simple, because it is really simple.

RC Sproul writes, “Key to resolving the issues regarding how the church must relate to the state is an understanding of the distinct functions Scripture assigns to each authority. Church and state are actually both ministers of God that are appointed to fulfill certain tasks. Historically, human beings have always run into trouble when the state attempts to do the work of the church and the church attempts to do the work of the state.”

B. Simply put the State holds the sword and the church holds the keys.

The state holding the sword is seen in Romans 13:1-4

Romans 13:1–4 NLT

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.

The church holding the keys is seen in Matthew 16:17-20

Matthew 16:17–20 NLT

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

C. Two different functions under the one God. It was shown to us in the OT in the work and duty of both Moses and Aaron. Aaron represented the people with the religious matters while Moses did general civil leadership for the people. We see it in restored Jerusalem and the functions between Nehemiah the governor the Ezra. Because the governor Nehemiah could not regulate the religious life of the people this was why according the FF Bruce that he called for Ezra to return.

D. And their function in governance? The Sword and the keys. The state has the function of penal sanction and capital punishment. They punish. The church has the power to excommunicate. They discipline. The state has the sword to uphold civil justice in social matters while the church has the keys of mercy. The state cannot be the promoter of the gospel or the Christian faith while the church cannot use the sword to further the kingdom in evangelism or other religious endeavors. The state is a minister of God for the good of the land and the avenger of wrath against those who practice evil all in accordance to the Law of God written in the scriptures. The aim of the state is punishment in order to maintain equity and justice. The aim of the church is discipline in order to facilitate repentance and restoration for those who have made a public profession of faith.

E. The state upholds its to duty to God by upholding civil justice in accordance to the Law of God in the Bible. The church upholds its duty to God by practicing church discipline in accordance with Matthew 18 found in the scriptures. The state punishes injustice and the church disciplines unbiblical behavior. So what do you think would happen to our nation if the state stoped punishing injustice and the church stops practicing church discipline? Take a good look. It explains a lot.

F. Punishment and justice seems a distant memory in our nation. Why does it seem that people do what is right in their own eyes? Even those who are here seeking sanctuary are living lives of lawlessness. The law is not being upheld when they came in so why would it be upheld now that you are in? It seems the victims are punished and the perpetrators get a slap on the wrist. Governing officials are lying to us… it is being proven to us that they are. Unborn babies continue to die. We are trying to redefine things even to the point of absurdity. We cannot even agree on gender. It is a continued slide of governing officials not doing their duty before God. Abortion, transgender, homosexuality, the desired lifestyle where children get in the way are all hot button ideologies that keep people from reproducing, because of fear that overpopulation will use up all the natural resources for the governing elite, which goes against the Biblical mandate to be fruitful and multiply. There is no more punishment for evil, just punishment for those who desire Biblical governing. This is not unknown. It is even understood by those in other countries… Trainer for the commission.

G. The church is no different. The keys of church discipline is rarely used anymore by many in modern evangelicalism. It is a clear mandate in the scriptures. But when we do not practice church discipline many will do what is right in their own eyes. Sound familiar? Many says its unloving. Many say its cruel. Its hypocritical. Too many mistakes can be made by the church. It is invasive to the live of people. This will offend people and they wont come back to church. This will not provide a comfortable place for people and they will not come back. It is none of anyones business. So many excuses as to why we do not do church discipline all of which our Lord was familiar with and HE STILL WANTS US TO DO IT. This is why we as the church need to fight to be faithful. The actual world needs the church to be faithful. Leaders of the church use not the keys to the kingdom given to us. They do what they want and now the people in the church do what they want.

Jeremiah 5:31 NLT

the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?

H. The state does not wield the sword. The church does not use the keys. And now there is no governing. There is no discipline. There is lawlessness in the land. And yet we are looking to our government to do what? To govern us in light of the Law of God in the Bible. Which candidate will give us more help and resources to live a life of idolatry and debauchery… but its not called that anymore. Its called happiness. Shane I hear you. You want us to go back to the Laws in the Bible, but that’s just not possible. Its way too extreme. Is it that God is extreme or is it that we have fallen so far from godliness that it would take extreme measures to get right. That’s how far we have fallen and the neglect of the sword and the keys are not helping anyone.

II. Salvation of Church and State

- The power of the gospel.

A. It is the reality of sin. It is the reality of the effects of sin. And the church, the state, and the nations are all still accountable to God and to God alone. We will be judged for our lawlessness. We will be judged for our rebellion. We will be judged and it is real, it is coming, and it will be terrible. How far have we fallen? All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous no not one. There is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. We all like the Israelites do what is right in our own eyes.

B. The nations will be judged. And that includes all of us. We are judged by God in so many ways. Calamity, circumstances, loss, and even bad leaders. The hand of the wrath of God. Outer darkness, the place reserved for the devil and his angels, the place of eternal fire, the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Every time in scripture God said He would judge, He did. Judgement is real, it is coming, and it will be terrible. Shane can we be saved from this?

C. Yes we can. Salvation is here. It is here because of what Christ has done. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

D. The promises continue. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. Believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God and you will have life in his name.

E. Throughout the scriptures, church and state has always been a difficult one. But one thing is clear. We are a lot worse than we think we are, but the love of Christ is a whole lot more than we think it is.