Christian Living cont. 2025-08-31
Notes
Transcript
Living Under a Government
Living Under a Government
Let’s Pray.
Father, as we look to your word this morning, we ask that the Holy Spirit apply these words to each persons heart, just what you want us to hear today.
We ask this in Jesus mighty name. AMEN
Today,
as we look into God’s word in Romans chapter 13, a major topic is how Christians,
born again
bible believing
Christians
how they should live under a government.
Reinhold Niebuhr says
Mans capacity for justice makes democracy possible.
Mans capacity for injustice makes democracy necessary. Reinhold Niebuhr.
God Establishes All Authorities
God Establishes All Authorities
That is something that will be clear as we look at Romans 13 but some other verses that support this idea are found in the Book of Daniel where he is talking about God.
He says about God:
21 He controls the times and the seasons;
he makes and unmakes kings;
it is he who gives wisdom and understanding.
We probably already knew, that the seasons were something God Controlled,
but that he makes and unmakes kings,
that could be a new thought for you.
Daniel also says something similar, that God can give kingdom’s to anyone He chooses,
even the least important person.
17 This is the decision of the alert and watchful angels. So then, let all people everywhere know that the Supreme God has power over human kingdoms and that he can give them to anyone he chooses—even to those who are the least important.’
Let’s take a minute to begin reading our passage
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
It looks like Governing Authorities, are established by God!
So we need to be subject to them!
Paul writes to Titus
1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,
Even Peter spoke on this.
He wrote in
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
So there you go,
We need to submit
We are commanded to submit to Governing Authorities
What if your party lost the election, what should you do?
What if your party lost the election, what should you do?
Can you diss them
Can you ignore their laws and decrees
because you don’t like them
you dis-agree with them?
NO, we need to subject our lives, to their rules.
So,
be subject to governing authorities.
That goes for you and me.
But does that mean, we can’t protest?
No, we can protest,
civilly.
Does that mean, we can’t speak and promote,
a different course of action?
No.
But we can’t just blatantly break laws,
when they are not our preference.
Because
New International Version (2011) Chapter 13
whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
What kind of Judgement?
Government judgement Yes
so that would be
fines
restitution
community service
Jail and Prison
and death
New International Version (2011) Chapter 13
4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.
They do not bear the sword for no reason!
They have civil authority over you and me
`because God has established Governments and Nations.
What if the leaders are evil, do harm to the country?
What if the leaders are evil, do harm to the country?
Can we rebel against a bad leader?
The quick simple answer is
NO, we cannot!
Reading through the Old Testament
IT IS CLEAR
That God raises up leaders
internal leaders and
external leaders
To punish nations
To punish each and every nation.
He did it with Israel and Judah
5 “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger,
in whose hand is the club of my wrath!
6 I send him against a godless nation,
I dispatch him against a people who anger me,
to seize loot and snatch plunder,
and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
He used Assyria to punish them but
promised to punish Assyria for their wickedness
right after he finished using them as a club to
beat on Israel and Judah.
12 When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.
Why does God punish?
Two reason come to mind
His righteous wrath, His justice calls for us to receive what we deserve
AND
To call people back to Himself.
To punish people groups
To turn them back to Him
To turn people back to
Serving Him
Obeying Him
Trusting only in Him
No hedging your bets
giving to God and
giving to Baal or other little gods.
What is the leader is bad,
makes some bad decision
makes some bad rules
do we have to submit to bad laws?
Yes we do!
When is defiance, dis-obeying the Government, ok with God?
When obeying the rules, laws and decrease
would contradict God’s laws
Human life is valuable, because we are made in God’s image.
Pharaoh was afraid the Hebrews would take over
and he ordered the midwives to kill all the male babies.
17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
This could have cost them their lives, or caused them punishment, but they came up with an excuse, they said
18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”
20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Daniel defied King Darius decree to pray only to King Darius for the next 30 days
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
And he was thrown into the lions den.
There but for the grace of God, he would have died.
His friends Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego were thrown into a firey furnace for defying the kings law to worship his Golden statue.
10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
All of these are example of legitimate reasons to defy the government over you.
Because God’s laws are higher then man’s laws.
God’s laws
Trump
man’s laws.
Let’s talk further about Submitting, that is surrendering to governing authorities.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
God’s people pay what they owe.
God’s people pay what they owe.
It appears from verse 6 that one of the reason we pay our taxes is that the government is working for us,
for our good.
While that may be hard for some of us to accept,
without some form of government, life would be like the wild west
where everyone did what was right in their own eyes.
Without government,
there would be chaos
The strong would rule over the weak, and so on.
So, since the government serves us,
since the government holds our society together,
we should pay them for their work.
Verse 7 gives a rule and a principle.
7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Give to everyone what you owe them
He names
taxes Government fees
revenue Making your payments when due
Respect Honoring parents, children, honoring government leaders for their office
even when you don’t like their politics
honor
What do you owe to others?
To Parents
To your children’s teachers
To the officer that pulled you over
To the stranger on the street
Respect, just might be one of the things you owe.
Do you pay your bills?
if not, is it because you can’t?
Or you just don’t plan on it, work on it.
Christians, should be known as being the most reliable of customers
but that is not always the case.
Sometimes the prosperity Gospel
get’s us buying things
ON FAITH
because we are Kings Kids.
Sometimes that thinking make us
presumpteous kings kids
and when God doesn’t drop money in our lap
we are embarrased
and shame the name CHRISTIAN.
There is a place for faith giving and faith spending but
perhaps it should not be more than we can afford if
that is not how God want’s to bless us.
illus.
After Seminary, when the door to full time ministry was being closed to me.
I got to thinking, if I can’t preach, I want to write computer programs.
I found Oregon Polytechnic gave a 2 year programing degree in 18 months.
I organized funding, and completed their program in 12 months, having tested out of 6 months of classwork.
How did I do this, after college and 3 years of seminary?
I wrote mom and Daryl, and asked for a lone.
I knew mom and Daryl had money
I knew something about how much help they gave my sister
and it seemed reasonable to ask for a loan.
They agreed and sent us the money,
along with a promissory note for the money.
Payments were never well defined but
when we were on our feet again,
we would start paying them
on this zero interest loan.
Years went by, and money was tight.
Finally we came to a point were we thought we might be able to make payments,
and with a heavy heart, I wrote mom
apologizing for our delay, and offering to pay some amount monthly
though I wasn’t really sure, it would work out every month.
Much to my surprise, shame, joy and relief.
The Promissory Note came back with Paid in full and a personal note
that they had forgiven the debt long ago, nothing was due any more.
So that’s my story.
That’s the one debt, we left outstanding too long.
But the scriptures say
Give to everyone what you owe them
Sometimes Christians, find they have to declare bankruptcy.
That can be very hard, on a good persons heart.
My favorite credit recovery stories are the ones where people,
not only paid off their current debt,
but found the means to pay off their bankruptcy debts as well,
even though there were legally released from them.
Holy Spirit, help us to recall even now if there is anything we owe and should be giving to others:
be it time, money, honor, respect or anything else.
Paul makes it clear that becoming a Christian is easy,
Romans 10:9–10 “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
But there is a lot to living the Christian life,
isn’t there?
What commands has Paul given today?
*Be Subject to governing authorities
and we talk about when it’s appropriate to rebel against the authorities
*Give to everyone what you owe them
What come up as teachings this morning?
God establishes governing authorities
bad ones, just might be punishment from God
or a wakeup call to the nation
Do right and you don’t have to live in fear
which we didn’t even talk about but
it is generally true, except under really harsh governments
Civil authorities are God’s agents of wrath
they don’t have the sword for nothing
Let’s pray
Father we pray, help us to take the message you put in our hearts this morning with us, so that we can grow and walk on with you today and always.
And all God’s people said
AMEN!
