Limited Demand

Intro:

Last week we talked about limits. We have an unlimited God. His grace brings us beyond the limitations of our barriers. We talked about when the Israelites were limited in their food options got hangry and started a whole mob about it.. Moses found himself out of the resource of patience and understanding as well as his own leadership skills… God came through, gave them quail til it was running out of their nose. You need to be careful what you ask for, God may give you so much the “blessing” turns into a curse. God came through for Moses, raised up 70 leaders put some of the Spirit on them as well so he wouldn’t be limited in his leadership.. Your limits can become landmarks where God shows up.

2 Cor. 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

This week, I want to talk “in a limited way” the role that we as as Christians have in terms of our civic duties.. Voting etc..

Setup: I want to draw you to a portion of scripture where Jesus brings some clarity on some of our role when it comes to civic duty… It has to do with taxes but I believe we can see a principle that can apply broader than just taxes..

Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Prayer

Story:

Transition:

Text:

What’s our role in politics / voting etc?

1. it’s Limited

— What a profound sermon illustration Jesus gives us..

— “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

— Jesus is saying that there Caesar has a demand on us.. That’s HIS coin.. So give back to him what’s “his”

— Caesar didn’t just have his face on the coin. He had his fingerprint and hand in a lot of things..

— At the time, Rome was of course the major power in the known world..

— Of course there was a military, government systems, officials and power structure, public works projects like aqueducts and road systems etc.

— So, like it or not, there was a demand on the populace. Even the Jews, who were now a client state of Rome since they were overthrown by them in 63 bc.

— The Jews were still allowed to lead their own somewhat, but they were under the thumb of the Romans with a tight leash.

— So, remember they were still operating somewhat as a theocracy, (Ruled by God) so the Pharisees were a political force as much as a religious force.. And the Herodians, they were connected religious elite political activists partial to the house of Herod..

— With that background, with all that political maneuvering, notwithstanding that they are also expecting the Messiah to come as their savior in regards to freeing them from Rome’s rule..

— With all that’s at stake, they got him in a pickle or so they think..

— “TELL US WHAT YOU THINK” ever feel that the only place you can live is quietly and on a fence!!

— Now is not the first time in history where you can’t just freely offer what you think without the risk of offending someone or sending them off the rails.

— Only in Christ and the power of the Spirit do we have the capacity to speak this level of profound truth to a divided and chaotic political world..

— I pray that God grants us the grace to be prophetic not political! God isn’t asking us to align with the pharisees or the herodians or the left or the right. He empowers by His Spirit to transcend the limitations of our preferred political view point and bring clarity and wisdom by His Spirit to a divided and confused world.

— So, Jesus is saying that what is made in the image of Caesar goes back to him.

Rom. 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Rom. 13:7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

— But, as you can see, that is limited. Coins are made in the image of Caesar so we pay taxed, but because we are made in God’s image we owe God our lives!

2. Like it or Not

— Jesus is telling the pharisees and Herodians that the Roman government has a demand on them even though they despise them.

— Even though they don’t agree with the roman government

— Even though the Roman government is corrupt. Even though the Jewish form of government is the best type, setup and ordained by God Himself..

1 Ti 2:1–2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

1 Pe 2:13–17

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to…

— The New Testament was written entirely to Christians who were subject to tyrannical leadership structures.. Wether that be abusive Jewish Leaders, or People under Nero.

— There is a demand scripture puts on us, though limited..

— Since we love our neighbor as ourselves, we see to it that we obey laws, we help maintain order in our neighborhood etc.

— And we find ourselves in a unique time and place being in a constitutional republic. We get to vote in certain leaders to represent our interests..

— So we have the option to vote. It’s good to vote according to our values absolutely.

— I think of important issues like protecting the unborn, or fiscal responsibility, protecting the people from enemies (Globally, border etc) some of the hot topics like what is being pushed on our kids etc. in terms of the LGBTQ agenda.. Some of the liberal policies that sound a like Marxism which has never ended well where that has already been tested..

— Well, what happens when people are voted in that don’t align with our values, or don’t represent us?

— Guess what, you still pay your taxes! You still behave like a good citizen.

— But here’s where limits apply. I have to live according to my conscience. I can’t do something that goes against what God asks me to do.

— Like when the High priest told Peter and the Apostles to stop preaching..

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

— WE OWE GOVERNMENT OUR TAXES AND LIMITED OBEDIENCE BUT WE OWE GOD OUR LIVES..

3. “likeness”

— Jesus says “To God the things that are God’s”

— In other words, it’s Caesars money, so give that to Caesar but you are made in the image of God, so you belong to GOD.

— You are made in the Imago Dei

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

— WE are His, some have been “found” others have been lost..

— Since the Fall, we lost that relationship,

Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  

— I think it’s important to note that you don’t have to agree with someones political leanings or policies but we need to agree that the politician is still made in the image of God!

— I think the jabs that start attacking looks, personality, it may be a useful tool for the opposition. It breaks the heart of God!!

— I think that’s the issue here, that as Christians we don’t walk the same as the world.. We have been bought with a price..

— AS Christians we should view all people who don’t follow God as lost way before we view them as a political threat..

— Jesus gathered a “certain type” sinners.. The religious were upset about this.. Jesus used three stories about certain things being lost and then found: Coin, sheep, son:

Luke 15:8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

— And since we have a God that found us, His whole plan is for us to join His mission with Him, preaching the Gospel to a lost world.

— And He has more of a demand on us than any kingdom of this earth!!

— Do we get anxious about the upcoming election?? Do we make our relationships with others based on political leanings??

— Do we put all our hope in our political power??

— The reality is, when we are fully following the King of Kings, and everything else like politics is lower in position, God will begin to use us in greater ways!!

— We should not be limited to just what our political party can accomplish.

— Don’t be limited by that!! WE HAVE POWER IN THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL.

— God wants to use His church to bring change. Don’t exchange Spirit power Gospel power for political power.

— Our system of government is a blessing.. But it will not last. Only HIS RULE AND REIGN WILL LAST