Rulers You Find Intolerable

Rulers You Find Intolerable!

Romans 13:1-7

November 8, 2020

Grace to you…

This past Tuesday morning, the day of the election, I was reflecting on what to preach about, when the title for today’s sermon came to mind. If it is not up on the screen, the title is: “Rulers You Find Intolerable.”

Now, I knew that this title would easily apply to today’s message whether or not we would know who would be President of the U.S. for the next 4 years.

I know this title works because of conversations I have had with you over the preceding months as we got closer and closer to the election. Some of you desperately wanted President Trump to continue in office. Other desperately wanted President Trump out of office.

In my ministry I have made a point of not pushing for one candidate or another. I have my opinions and if you ask me directly, I will give you my thoughts.

However, if there are moral issues, then you might hear me speak out about those. I know other Pastors deal with this differently, and are very outspoken, even in their sermons about who their parishioners should vote for.

Obviously, we are a Nation Divided! People have very strong feelings about who should and who should not be governing this great nation.

Tuesday, Paula and I went to vote at the the Boonsboro High School. We could vote anywhere in the county. We went there because Jeff & Jackie, Julie and Jayne were all working there. I also thought it might be quicker to vote there because Boonsboro is smaller than Hagerstown. I was wrong. The line was long and it took 90 minutes to get through the line and finish voting. I was encouraged by the voter turnout. People care about what kind of future they may have, and passionately got out to vote.

Yesterday, we found out that Joe Biden has been declared to be President Elect. The Trump campaign will follow legal challenges until at some point every attempt to recount, or any other challenges are exhausted.

But what if the person you support didn’t win? What if the person you supported won?

What are we supposed to do?

That is why I thought of the passage from Romans 13. It is one of the clearest Biblical passages in giving guidance to how Christians should relate to the government.

Let’s start at verse 1 of Romans 13.

13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

First off, if your candidate doesn’t win, does the fact that he didn’t win give you the right to use any means possible to resist, dispute and possibly even try to overturn what he is able to put into place as the leader of our country?

Let me ask you. Did you read an exception in that verse? If there was an exception it would read like this:

13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. Except when the governing authorities are wrong!

There is no clause that will give you an out, if your candidate does not win. What does the last half of verse one say?

For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

No matter who wins this election, God has appointed them as an authority.

Now, did you react when I said that? What if I said it this way: God appointed Biden as President, or, God appointed Trump as President.

Perhaps now you are reacting. When you react strongly to a statement that you disagree with, it means you have trouble accepting it. It means you have trouble accepting what God has appointed.

If the person you wanted to win, has lost, it may be hard to accept that God appointed this to happen.

Let me put a little perspective on this. Pastor Jason Gudim, and AFLC pastor, posted something this week about the election. It was so obvious, but I had never thought about it like this.

He said, “If Paul can write Romans 13 (and the rest of Romans for that matter) while Nero was the leader of the known world, we can manage to muddle through whatever the next four years has for us no matter who is elected.”

Yes! I had forgotten that Nero was the Roman Emperor, under whom Paul and the rest of the Christians lived, during those tumultuous times.

Early Church father’s credit Nero with being the first to openly persecute and kill Christians. You may remember that Nero set fire to Rome and blamed it on the Christians.

Let me read Romans 13:1 again and you think of the world situation under Nero as Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these words:

“13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

Nero was appointed by God? That is what Paul said. Nero persecuted Christians and could be the one who had Peter put to death. It is not quite as certain that Nero had Paul executed, it could have been. Nero had his own mother executed. God appointed this man? Paul would say, “Yes.”

Now let me draw a fine distinction. Since God appointed Nero, does that mean God approves of everything Nero said or did? Absolutely not. God new Nero would be a terribly ruthless dictator. But God can work in spite of people like this.

Do you believe God can work through Evil People? It seems strange to think about this. However, because God is ALL-KNOWING, and ALL-POWERFUL, we have to say yes, God can work through Evil People.

Let me take you briefly to the 17th chapter of Revelation. The Harlot who rides the beast is about to be judged. But I want to focus on what God does in verse 17. The writer is speaking about the 10 horns of the beast, who represent 10 kings. The verse refers to “their hearts.” It is the hearts of these evil kings being referred to.

Listen carefully to these words:

Revelation 17:17 (NKJV)

17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Who put the idea into the hearts of these Evil kings? God did. Why would God do that? Look at the rest of the verse.

to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Now it is very difficult for us to understand but God can and will work His will to be completed, even when God chooses to work through Evil. Again, the very end of Revelation 17:17 puts it clearly, “until the words of God are fulfilled.”

I get emails from a group simply known as 1517. That date, if you remember is the year Luther started the Protestant Reformation. One that came this week helped put much about this election into its proper perspective.

It is written by: Chad Bird, a Missouri Synod Pastor and Lecturer

It is entitled: God’s not worried about the election, November 1, 2020

“God’s Not Worried About the Election

Cast your vote with an air of bold and defiant levity. Don’t take yourself, or this election, so seriously. No string of unfortunate events can stop Christ's beating heart of mercy. No politician can un-Easter our Lord.

“Whatever happens in Tuesday’s presidential election, I can tell you one thing for sure: God’s not worried about it.

So, dear Christian, why are you?

But if Biden wins, you say…

But if Trump wins, you say…

“But if.” Do you, even for a fleeting moment, imagine that this is God’s first rodeo? Do you honestly think Jesus’s blood pressure has risen a mere one half of one percent during this election cycle?

“Tell me something.

Where were you when God laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell me, if you have this figured out.

Who determined the world’s measurements—surely you know!

Who shut in the sea with its doors when it burst out from the womb?

Who hung the stars in their celestial canopy?

Who causes the sun to rise, the moon to wax and wane?

“Let me know, you all-wise mortal.

When the Egyptian warriors, with eyes of flame and chariots screaming, ran like roaring lions toward the people of God at the Red Sea, did God flip out? Did he lose sleep that night, wondering how he could possibly use this situation for good?

“When the Babylonian army, sprayed with the blood of thousands slain, trampled the holy city underfoot, spit in the face of the Holy of Holies, and led God’s people in chains to a land not their own, was God worried? Did he have his Ivy League angels working overtime, trying to figure out how he could possibly cause even this situation to work out for good?

“But 2020 is different, you say. How? Tell me.

“Has the Creator of heaven and earth changed?

Has the might of the Lord of lords atrophied?

Has he who walked upon the water now sunk?

Has Daniel’s lion tamer retired and moved to Florida?

“God’s not worried about the election. He’s bigger and he’s better than that.

“Should Biden win, all shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.

“Should Trump win, all shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.

“You know why? Because Christ is risen and is seated at the right hand of God.

“No particle of dust lands on your phone screen without his knowledge.

No hair from your head falls onto the bathroom counter without him counting it.

God has the whole world in his nail-scarred hands. And he has you.

“May things get worse? Sure.

May they get better? Sure.

“Whatever happens on Tuesday, Tuesday will still be a day when Christ is risen. Your sins will still be forgiven. Your life will still be redeemed. Death will still be conquered.

"Cast your vote with an air of bold and defiant levity. Don’t take yourself, or this election, so seriously. No string of unfortunate events can stop Christ's beating heart of mercy. No politician can un-Easter our Lord.

“We preach Christ crucified and risen for you. For you. For you. It’ll all been done on your behalf.

“Lift up your head and laugh, dear Christian, for the grave is empty.

Jesus lives and reigns. And nothing will dampen, becloud, or stop that best of news.”

As much as I love this country. As much as I consider myself strongly patriotic. My ultimate allegiance is not to the United States. My ultimate allegiance is to Jesus Christ!

My work is ultimately about the Kingdom of God. Because Jesus saved a wretch like me, He can save anyone.

Paul who was persecuted over and over again wrote that we are to be subject to the governing authorities, also wrote these words that I close with.

They come from Philippians 2:9–11 (NKJV)

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Those bowing knees include the likes of Nero, Hitler, they also include the like of you and me.

Jesus is on the throne, that matters much, much more, than who sits in the Oval Office.

Amen, Now may the Shalom of God…

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. He holds master’s degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. He has contributed articles to Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Modern Reformation, The Federalist, Lutheran Forum, and other journals and websites. He is also the author of several books, including Night Driving & Your God Is Too Glorious.