Civil Obedience for the Sake of the Lord – Pt. 2

Opening Prayer

Catch Up From Last Week

We’re Commanded to Subject Our self to God-ordained Human Authorities

Our Natural Inclination is to Rebel

Reality: This started with the Fall. Satan hasn’t changed.

The Temptation is to Feel that Submitting is Giving Up Our Dignity

Reality: Obeying God is What Frees Us to Feel the Dignity that God Intends Us to Feel

God’s Purposes for Human Government

1 Peter 2:13–14 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

You have the Law makers and the Law enforcers.

They are instituted to punish those who do evil...

And, be kind and honor those who obey the laws...

And clear the name of those who are falsely accused...

And, declare that they are not law breakers, but in fact are law keepers.

This is what God has set them in place to do.

And, if it is functioning correctly...

Law keepers will not find themselves in trouble with the law.

That’s what Peter means in...

1 Peter 2:15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

By having a peaceful, law-abiding testimony...

It will make it more difficult for the people you know to believe accusations against you...

And, the faith that you profess

And, this is what God wants us to avoid.

Don’t be a stumbling block for the gospel towards others...

By being an unruly, law-breaking, people/leader slandering citizen.

Rather, be a person that wants peace, wants Law & Order, wants the good of people...

And live in such a way that adds credibility to the goodness of Christianity...

J.C. Ryle said...

People may refuse to see the truth of our arguments, but they cannot avoid the evidence of a holy life.

Now, Peter goes on and shows a way in which we can use our freedom in Christ as a means of dishonoring God...

Why Have We Been Given Freedom in Christ?

1 Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Some Christians use their Christianity as a reason to rebel against authority.

Being in the ministry for over 20 years allows for you to hear all kinds of things...

I’ve heard on numerous occasions people say, “No one can tell me what to do except God.”

When asked, but what about the authorities that God has put in place and requires our submission...

“I don’t care what they say…only what God says.”

I watched a video that someone posted this week...

This was a video that an old friend of mine posted that he was posting to back up what he believes...

It was a video of a known pastor, especially on social media.

He typically has something to say about everything that is going on and he posts videos of his thoughts.

But, he posted a video of which he explained that he refuses to wear a mask...

And how, he’ll put one on to get into stores, but then takes it off once he’s inside.

This story is not about whether we should be wearing masks or not...

I’ve got my own opinions about that as I’m sure every one in here does.

This is about our attitudes when we’re told to do something that we don’t want to do...

And, how we respond to those situations.

He went on to speak about a certain store that had not said anything to him for a couple of days...

Although the store had signs up that you had to wear masks, he never did...

And on the third day…a young man, an employee of the company, came up and told him he had to wear the mask to be in the store...

He started arguing with the employee and telling him that he wasn’t going to wear one...

And, that he’d be back later that day to shop without a mask.

It escalated to where the employee said he would be there and wasn’t going to let the guy in...

Later in the argument the pastor threatened bodily harm on the employee if he tried to stop him from shopping.

Now, I could think of all sorts of commands in Scripture that this pastor was violating.

Why?

Because, he said, “He wasn’t going to let the government or anyone else tell him what he could or could not do…because He was a servant of the God, not man.”

This man wasn’t acting like a pastor, like a Christian, or a good, peaceful citizen.

And it goes to show how we can convince our self that we don’t have to listen to the government because we have a higher authority...

The freedom we have in Christ is not a freedom to sin...

It is a freedom to obey God…understanding that obedience to God is true freedom.

The fact is that God tells us to submit to the governing authorities in the realm in which he has given them authority.

So many times when we rebel against the governing authorities...

We are actually rebelling against God.

It may be unintentional, but it is rebellion against God, nonetheless.

Peter is saying to be careful and not use your freedom in Christ...

And, the fact that Christ is your Lord...

To go against God’s prescription to obey human, governing authorities.

We are tempted to think that rights & freedoms in this life are equal to...

Or more important to living without those freedoms and rights.

Now, I’m not saying we’re in a situation, right now, in which we have to choose one or the other...

But, let me ask you…

Would you be willing to live without freedoms & rights if it meant the difference between obeying God and disobeying God?

I ask that because Peter is telling us that no matter your circumstances...

True freedom is consistent with obedience to God’s will.

We do not have freedom to do wrong.

Who defines what is wrong? God.

I feel like I should say that we our afforded may freedoms in our country.

Freedoms that allow us to change laws, change representation, change elected officails...

We can write letters, vote people out, vote people in, peacefully protest as an expression of disagreement...

But, we must be constrained with how we act, react, speak, and express disagreement...

By the Word of God.

We must maintain our Christian testimony above any other right we think we may have.

Our first response to our authorities, however, should always be to pray for them.

Not slandering, castigating, gossiping...

But, prayer for their soul and for their leadership.

Our Overall Behavior Towards All

1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

We see Peter direct our attitude/behaviors in three ways for four categories.

Let’s deal with the three attitudes/behaviors...

And, then we’ll deal with the four categories.

#1 – Honor

Show proper respect…

To behave towards someone with a favorable attitude

#2 – Love

From agape…to not only show love in word or behavior, but in action IOW, there is an expression of love demonstrated towards the brotherhood To not only want their benefit, but to rejoice when they do benefit… And, to behave towards them in such a way that you seek to help them gain benefit.

#3 – Fear

To reverence...

To stand in awe...

Expressing adoration

To be in such awe that you are induced into worship

So, you can see the levels of behavior and attitude that we’re commanded here to show.

So, let’s look at the categories in which these attitudes/behaviors are commanded...

#1 – Honor everyone (all people)

We hear this command and we immediately want to say, “Everyone?”

Surely you don’t mean everyone, Lord? Have you seen some of the people and how they’re acting?

The command is to show respect and have a favorable attitude towards everyone.

How?

By remembering that all are created in the image of God

By remembering that you were saved by grace and used to walk according to the passions of your flesh

Remembering you, before justification, deserved hell for your life choices

Wanting them to come to the realization of God, themselves, & Christ as you have...

So that they become worshippers of God

#2 – Love the brotherhood

Now, towards the brotherhood, the command is heightened.

This is a step up from honor.

Not only do we respect the brotherhood, but we show strong, deep love to them.

#3 – Fear God

God is the only One that we honor, love,a nd worship.

He is our Supreme authority & our Supreme Love.

Our entire being is enveloped in loyalty to Him

#4 – Honor the emperor (king or governing authorities)

Why is honor the emperor (governing authority) on the same level...

Yet a separated command from honor all people

Because you honor governing authorities in a way that you don’t honor a normal person.

If a regular person tells me to pull over in my car...

I won’t..not without a very good reason that I agree with.

If a police officer tells me to pull over...

I’m going to pull over.

If my neighbor tells me not to add a porch to my house...

That’s not going to stop me from adding a porch.

If the city commission tells me I’m not coded to add a new porch and not to...

I may not like it…I may see if there’s other avenues I can go through...

But, until I can do it legally…I’m going to heed the command of the city commission.

Why? Because they have the authority to uphold building code laws and enforcement.

My neighbor doesn’t.

So, we honor…that’s the limit…

We honor governing authorities in a different way than we honor all people.

Charles Spurgeon said...For us to hate those who are in error, or talk of them with contempt or wish them ill, or do them wrong, is not according to the Spirit of Christ. You cannot cast out Satan by Satan, nor correct error by violence, nor overcome hate by hate. The conquering weapon of the Christian is love.

Now, let me close with showing you...

The Privilege of Subjecting One Self

I want to close by pointing out something that is remarkable and, in my opinion, jumps off the page...

Its something that I skipped on purpose because I think it exemplifies the reason we want to obey this command to subject our self to governing authorities...

1 Peter 2:13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,

Be subject for the Lord’s sake

That just jumps off the page at me

Be subject.

Why?

for the Lord’s sake

We are to subject our self...

Because Christ, the eternal Son of God subjected Himself...

And, He subjected Himself to the very authorities that He created, as Creator of all things.

He submitted Himself to authorities that would march Him to the Cross...

Because of accusations that were not true, unsubstantiated...

And, in the face of death…

He gave them no reason to believe the testimony of those who slandered Him.

We subject ourself and follow in the footsteps of Christ, our Lord.

We subject ourself for the glory of the gospel of JC.

We submit to show that our hopes are not in this world going the way we want...

But, the way God has ordained.

We have the chance to be a people that obey for the sake of our Lord...

Who gave all…

So, we could have all!

Closing Prayer

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