2020-04-01 1 Pet 2.13-16

1 Peter 2:13–16 CSB

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

1 Peter 1:13–16 CSB

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

I. Our submission to authority is out of respect to God.

1 Peter 2:13–14 CSB

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

1 pet 2:13-14

A. Our submission to God results in submission to the people God tells us to submit to.

1 Peter 2:12–14 CSB

12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits. 13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

Illus: This may be an odd sermon to preach in the midst of the global pandemic becoming very much a local pandemic.

A little over two weeks ago The Governor of Louisiana requested that any church over 200 people cease to meet. Out of his direction, our pursuit to protect every member of our congregation, and to serve our city, we chose for the first time to close the physical campus of FBC.

Deep within my heart was a war. One one hand I was listening to our nurses the government, on the opposite hand was many pastors and churches who were saying as peter did, “We must serve God and not man.”

Were we ceasing to honor God in this moment by following the public health directives?

There was a tension in scripture that needed to be resolved. On one hand peter says, submit to the governing authorities, and on the opposite hand peter says obey God and not men.

What were we to do. I am hoping as we walk through this passage that I can explain how scripture leads us as the people of God to relate biblicaly to the government.

We must begin in understanding where all authority comes from. Every authority, the president, congress, the Governor, our aldermen, pastors, dads.... all are put into their respective positions by God.

If we hold to the biblical view that God places those people in their places, then our obedience to authority is not driven by our allegiance to them, but instead to God. We obey authority out of obedience to God.

*** Now yes, there will come moments where an authority abuses their power and we must make the prayerful choice of obeying God and not men***

Even the way we interact with our governing authorities is an act of worship. We worship God through obeying our authorities.

Romans 13:1–2 CSB

1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.

B. God has placed specific leaders where they are for His own reasons.

1 Peter 2:13–14 CSB

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

Illus: I know the argument… but this leader or that one is not good.

Context is essential at this moment in the text. The churches Peter is writing to are not under a benevolent government. These believers were facing persecution. Their persecution was great enough that Peter called them exiles on earth, a reminder that they were citizens of heaven.

Peter, writing under the inspiration of God, communicated to a persecuted people to submit to the authorities over them because the authorities who were persecuting them were placed over them by God .

What we often fail to grasp is that God is working our a plan that is much bigger than our temporal eyes can see.

I like the way tim keller describes it, “God does give us exactly what we ask for. Instead he gives us what we would have asked for if we had known everything he knows.”

God doesn't put the people in authority over us that we feel is best. He puts people over us that are best for us and his plan orchestrating everything through his perfect knowledge.

So yes, our biblical submission to authorities, even those we don’t agree with, is rooted in the faith that God placed them there out of his perfect will.

We as believers say, God is sovereign, He is in control. I trust Him even when the world around me does not make sense.

1 Samuel 24:1–6 CSB

1 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave, 4 so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’ ” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. 5 Afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “I swear before the Lord: I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed. I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”

II. The way we interact politically/civily affects how a lost world understands God.

1 Peter 2:15 CSB

15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

1 Peter 3:15 CSB

15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

A. Believers should be the model citizens for the sake of the Gospel.

1 Peter 3:15 CSB

15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

1 Peter 2:15 CSB

15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

Illus: In the midst of crisis the world is watching to see how christians react. They want to know who we really are.

This past week the eyes of America have been focused on Louisiana. We are one of the hot spots of this pandemic.

Far to many churches exsist for themselves. The decisions they make are reflective on what would be best for our body.

More than that they eyes of our country have focused on a single church in central Louisiana who had defied the public health orders to temporarily cease to gather in person.

When the world looks at this church what do they see? Do they see a group of people who are genuinely following God or do they see a people thumbing their nose at the government. Yes, I have my reservations about the governments actions, but I also am asking what the church should do.

I believe there is a far stronger witness to the commitment of the church by following the guidelines of the government and pursuing safe methods for fellowship and worship.

When the world sees the tenacity of the church to gather online, across Facebook groups, through drive in services, all the while pursuing the well being and health of the city, they will see we are genuinely a people who care about each other and the good of our communities.

The Bible is clear, our respect to our leaders and government will be a witness about our God to a watching world.

1 Timothy 2:1–4 CSB

1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 tim 2:

B. The way we interact politically damages our gospel witness.

1 Peter 2:15 CSB

15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

Illus: One of the areas we as believers fail regularly is i regards to politics.

Because we do not live in a totalitarian state, but instead in a republic, we are given the gift of free speech.

Let’s be straight. We as believers in practice honor the politicians we like and slander the politicians we hate.

As a pastor I am embarrassed regularly the the online postings of the people of God.

We as believers resort regularly to mocking our opponents and ridiculing the very people God has called us to honor and pray for.

There is a sad desperation that if we don’t join the world in mudslinging, we will lose our elections.

For more sad is that when the church lowers itself to the mudslinging of the world we have lost something far more valuable, our witness.

Titus 3:1–3 CSB

1 Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. 3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.

Titus 3:

III. Don’t use God to cover for your own rebellious heart.

1 Peter 2:16 CSB

16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

A. Far too often we attempt to use God to further our own selfish agenda.

Illus: Let me walk you through the bible’s logic in this passage. Submit freely in honor to the government and be seen by both the world and the government as a friend.

Fight against the government and see how quickly the government will use it’s force to bring you into submission.

Yes, there are issues worth speaking up for. The right of life for all is one of those.

On the opposite hand if our lives are spent in politics and kicking against the government we have failed the spirit of God’s instruction regarding authority.

If it is up to us, we are called, commanded, to live peaceful, godly and quiet lives because we know that constant strife does not honor our God, nor further our witness.

1 pet 1:17-1

1 Peter 1:17–19 CSB

17 If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in reverence during your time living as strangers. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.