Submission Message
I have been meditating a lot lately about taking God for granted. On one end of the spectrum, and I think this applies to most people in the world today, God is someone you talk to when the going gets rough -- when they are confronted with sickness or disease, or tragedy. We in the church call people like this, “crisis Christians”, they only know God when they need Him.
On the other side are those people who view God as their constant companion or friend. While most people would not consider this to be a bad thing, I have heard people ask, OK “Lord, what are we doing today?” Or say, “it’s you and me God, lets go”. Whether they realize it or not, what they are actually doing is living their lives and taking God along for the ride. The presumption that both groups of people are making is that God is at their beck and call.
Pastor has talked a lot lately about the folly of the name it claim it generation. How it didn’t work because people were claiming abundant living and not walking in authority. What good is praying for deliverance if you won’t take your stand against the devil?
This morning, I want to expand our understanding of authority. You see, authority is more than knowing who you are in Christ. Authority is more than a power at your disposal. Authority is about submission. authority is a two-way street. It involves not only the exercise of the leader’s authority, but also the follower’s acceptance of that authority.
Let’s go to Mt. Sinai, Exodus 32
Moses is up on top of the mountain with God receiving the 10 commandments and the Israelites are at the base of the mountain worshipping a golden calf.
Lets start in vs. 7
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “O Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
The words that jump out at me are “your people”. God tells Moses that they are his people and Moses tells God they are His.
Who is the leader God or Moses? God
Does Moses know that? Sure he does,
look again at vs. 11
11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God.
Moses didn’t say, “Look God, you brought them out of Egypt, they’re your problem”. He sought God’s favor, he showed reverence to him, he asked with respect.
Authority is grounded in submission. For someone to have authority another must submit to accept that authority. Why did the children of Israel worship a golden calf? Because they were willing to submit to its authority. And by doing so they were rejecting GOd’s authority.
Are you with me? Good
Let’s move forward in time. I Samuel 8
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.
3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
Again we see the children of Israel rejecting God and his appointed leader and choosing for themselves who they will submit to.
9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
I can hear the frustration in God’s words. He already knew that He had lost the place of authority with Israel. God was their king and yet they wanted a man to rule over them, to take them into battle, to fight for them.
What does that imply?
That God is weak?
That God doesn’t know what he’s doing?
That things aren’t moving fast enough for them?
How about that God isn’t doing things their way?
I said at the beginning that there are people who believe God is at their beck and call. Let me ask you, who’s in charge in that situation? Who is the authority and who is in submission?
We’ve looked at 2 examples of Israel refusing to submit to God’s authority and we know there are many more throughout Scripture. In fact I did a search of how many times we find the words, “because you have rejected the Lord” or “because you have rejected my laws”, or “because you have rejected my word”. They appear 70 times.
By rejecting God’s word and his laws, the children of Israel refused to submit to God’s authority.
When I was studying this week, I discovered something about Jewish history. We know that the judgment for not submitted to God’s authority was captivity. Over the past couple years we’ve studied the Babylonian exile. We’ve studied Daniel and parts of Ezra & Nehemiah. We know that the temple and city of Jerusalem were looted and the walls were broken.
I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me that being taken into exile would dramatically change the way people worshipped. Think about it with out a place to bring sacrifices, and without a priest to conduct the sacrifices, the Israelites, couldn’t offer sacrifices.
In order to preserve their faith, the people had to rely on those who had memorized the Torah, and those who could write to keep and teach the word. These men became known as Rebbi or as we say today rabbis. These men also acted as judges for the people. Their words and interpretations of scripture were written down and comprise the Talmud and the Midrash.
These teachings make up the code of conduct for Jews: Laws pertaining to agriculture, observance of festivals, marriage and divorce, civil & criminal law, diet & purity. Jesus accused the Pharisees of keeping these man-made rules and regulations over keeping God’s law. In other words, they submitted to the authority that suited them better.
Now, if Jesus rebuked them for their failure to submit to God, how much more should we to be rebuked when we do the same thing?
Turn with me to Romans 13
Everyone must submit
The Greek word for submit refers to a soldier, following the orders of his superior officer. They do it without question.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
God instituted 4 authorities on earth:
1) government over citizens;
2) church over believers;
3) parents over children;
4) masters over (slaves) employees
Before we go any further, scripture is clear that the only time we have God’s permission not to submit to those in authority over us is when they require us to break God’s law. (2 sources would be in Ex 1 where the midwives were ordered by Pharaoh to kill the babies, and in Acts 4 when Peter & John were ordered by the governor not to preach the Gospel.)
2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Since all authority is God-ordained, failure to submit to that authority is rebellion against God.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.
In other words fear of punishment is a deterrent to crime. O body wants to go to jail.
Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
Jump down to vs. 5
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
Paul is telling us, as believers to do the right thing here. Submit to those in authority over you, not because you are afraid of punishment, but because you love God and are submitted to him, when you submit to those in authority over you.
One more scripture and it doesn’t get any plainer than this. Turn to James 4, and remember James is speaking to the church.
What causes fights and quarrels among you?
Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
I believe we’re talking selfish desires. The refusal to submit not only to those in authority but to one another – giving the other person preference.
2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.
The NIV translation is too mild here. James used the word for murder, destroying a person reputation, crushing their spirit, acting in hate, anger, & bitterness.
You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
True joy, peace, happiness, hope, and fulfillment in life come only from God. People who refuse to submit to God or acknowledge their dependence on Him will never be satisfied.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
The fact is, if you are not submitting to God, you are submitting to the enemy. If you are not submitting to those God has placed in authority over you, you are submitting to the enemy. And if you are not showing preference to your brothers and sisters in Christ, you are submitting to the enemy.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Enough said?