Sermon Tone Analysis

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Theme: The Believer owes his or her highest allegiance to Jesus Christ, but we must also give forebearence to the state in temporal areas of life.

Theme: The Believer owes his or her highest allegiance to Jesus Christ, but we must also give forebearence to the state in temporal areas of life.

Date: 04/02/17 File name: Romans_2016_38.wpd

ID Number:

Date: 04/02/17 File name: Romans_2016_38.wpd

ID Number:

Our text for this morning is a significant text.

The question is: How is the Christian supposed to respond to governmental authority, and especially toward governmental authority that seems at odds with our faith?

What part of our life belongs to Caesar and what part of our life belongs to Christ?

Let me share with you three observations: Our Debt, Our Dilemma, and The Demand.

Our text for this morning is a significant text.

The question is: How is the Christian supposed to respond to governmental authority, and especially toward governmental authority that seems at odds with our faith?

What part of our life belongs to Caesar and what part of our life belongs to Christ?

Let me share with you three observations: Our Debt, Our Dilemma, and The Demand.

I. OUR DEBT: Christians Enjoy the Benefits of Civil Bureaucracy

1. most of us have—more than likely—complained about our taxes or our government or our politicians (or all of the above), as Americans have become increasingly more suspicious and skeptical about government in general

our politicians (or all of the above), as Americans have become increasingly more suspicious and skeptical about government in general

ILLUS.

Americans simply do not trust their government.

Whether it is the Pew Research Center, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, or FOX, survey after survey reveals that only about 19% of U.S. citizens believe that they can “trust government in Washington to do what is right”.

Fully 80% of Americans don’t trust the Federal government to do what is in the best interests of the nation.

That’s astounding!

Fifty years ago it was just the opposite.

In the early sixties, 75% of Americans trusted the Federal government to make decisions that were right and good.

Other than a couple of spikes in 1991 and 2001 American’s trust in their government has been steadily eroded ever since.

As trust in the federal government declines, anger has risen.

Currently, 30% of Americans say they are angry at the government.

37% of American say they actually fear the Federal government, and 54% consider the federal government a threat to individual liberty rather than a protector.

67% view the federal government as a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests.

Center, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, or FOX, survey after survey reveals that only about 19% of U.S. citizens believe that they can “trust government in Washington to do what is right”.

Fully 80% of Americans don’t trust the Federal government to do what is in the best interests of the nation.

That’s astounding!

Fifty years ago it was just the opposite.

In the early sixties, 75% of Americans trusted the Federal government to make decisions that were right and good.

Other than a couple of spikes in 1991 and 2001 American’s trust in their government has been steadily eroded ever since.

As trust in the federal government declines, anger has risen.

Currently, 30% of Americans say they are angry at the government.

37% of American say they actually fear the Federal government, and 54% consider the federal government a threat to individual liberty rather than a protector.

67% view the federal government as a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests.

a.

I would submit to you this morning that skepticism about government is, in many respects, part of our national DNA

respects, part of our national DNA

b.

Americans seem to love hating the Federal government, and we have virtually since its inception

its inception

2. the good news is that our local and state governments inspire more faith than the federal government

federal government

ILLUS.

45% of Americans confess they are confident in their state government and 54 percent express confidence in their local government

percent express confidence in their local government

3. though we may sometimes complain about it, the multi-tiered bureaucracy of local, state and national government, provide our society with order and stability

local, state and national government, provide our society with order and stability

a. society needs structure or it will eventually digress into a state of anarchy

b. in order to guarantee order in society, God established civil government as a divinely ordained institution

divinely ordained institution

4. in His simple statement “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s,” Jesus lays down the believer’s basic relationship to the state

God the things that are God’s,” Jesus lays down the believer’s basic relationship to the state

a. from Jesus’ statement and the Apostle Paul’s instructions, we arrive at two fundamental principles

fundamental principles

A. FIRST, CIVIL AUTHORITY IS AN EXTENSION OF GOD’S AUTHORITY

A. FIRST, CIVIL AUTHORITY IS AN EXTENSION OF GOD’S AUTHORITY

1. this does not mean that the State is divine, but it does means that political authority at every level is established of God and we are to submit to it

every level is established of God and we are to submit to it

“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.” (, NIV)

a. when you think about it, that statement has huge worldview ramifications for believers

believers

b. it has implications war and peace, for dictators and democrats, for concentration camps and city jails, for political activism and civil disobedience, for elections and lobbying, for voting, speed limits, stop signs, and taxes

camps and city jails, for political activism and civil disobedience, for elections and lobbying, for voting, speed limits, stop signs, and taxes

1) this is no small passage

2. it is by God’s will that Kings, and Presidents, and Prim Ministers, and Sheiks, Congresses, and Parliaments, Dumas, and City Councils are appointed for the purpose of maintaining order, encouraging well-doing, and punishing wrong-doing

Congresses, and Parliaments, Dumas, and City Councils are appointed for the purpose of maintaining order, encouraging well-doing, and punishing wrong-doing

“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.”

(, NIV)

for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.

They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”

(, NIV)

a. government is meant to be good and beneficial

1) it is not good for a culture when everyone does what is right in their own eyes

2) the only thing worse than bad government is no government

3. most of you have heard the old adage, “You can’t legislate morality”

a. that’s true—you cannot use laws to legislate morality

b. but we can legislate against immorality and evil

ILLUS.

Think about it this way.

There is no law that can make you honest, but there are laws that can deter you from stealing my stuff because of the penalties attached to doing so if you are caught.

There is no law that can make you love me, but there are laws that can deter you from assaulting me or killing me, because if you do the state will require your imprisonment or even your life.

There is no law that can make you say nice things about me, but there are laws that can punish you if you slander me.

are laws that can deter you from stealing my stuff because of the penalties attached to doing so if you are caught.

There is no law that can make you love me, but there are laws that can deter you from assaulting me or killing me, because if you do the state will require your imprisonment or even your life.

There is no law that can make you say nice things about me, but there are laws that can punish you if you slander me.

4. this world is made up of sinful people—most of them have no relationship with God so they are slaves to their sinful nature

they are slaves to their sinful nature

a. by default, human beings are selfish, egotistical, prideful, and arrogant, and when you throw all that together in a community, you are going to have crime

you throw all that together in a community, you are going to have crime

b. to that end the Apostle Paul writes in that the government “bears the sword” and he does not bear it for nothing