Authority and Submission aren’t Bad Things- Right? Sermon Rom 13:1
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· 9 viewsThe right perspective of Authority helps us to walk in the purpose and plan of God.
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Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God.
I) Authority and Submission aren’t Bad Things- Right?
A. What bothers us - is how Authority is used.
1. First- is order to have a Biblical perspective on Authority we need to see the Biblical Picture
2. First- we need to see the Nature of Authority and Submission.
3. Like ask the simple question: where does Authority come from? (obvious - God)
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God.
For rulers are not a cause of terror for a good deed, but for bad conduct. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it,
4. What is God’s purpose in giving Authority to Adam?
5. Main reason: to protect, care for, provide, and rule over in service.
Genesis 1:28 (LEB)
And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of heaven, and over every animal that moves upon the earth.”
a. God intended Authority for the good of all that were under.
b. In our fallen world Godly Authority restrains evil.
for it is God’s servant to you for what is good. But if you do what is bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose. For it is God’s servant, the one who avenges for punishment on the one who does what is bad.
6. Life without Authority would release an anarchy and evil all over the world.
a. Police restrain certain criminal activity or they seek to stop and hinder evil ....this is Authority to protect.
b. Yet - they have Authority because submit to their Chief of Staff and Police Force....they cannot do their own thing?
c. So Authority and Submission is synonamous
because the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church (he himself being the Savior of the body). But as the church is subject to Christ, thus also wives should be subject to their husbands in everything.
B. The Source of all Authority and Submission is God.
1. The Creation: God made man to have Authority
2. What Reason: the right way to lead and rule
3. Christ is the Ultimate example of good Authority
and he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in everything,
4. Christ is the first Authority …all other Authority must be delegated otherwise it has no Authority? Even he was in submission to the Father
a. His Teaching on Authority was Servant Leadership
But Jesus called them to himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions exercise authority over them. It will not be like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be most prominent among you must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
b. Servant Leader is Christ not a picture of weak Authority but under SUBMISSION
5. Self- Appointed prophets have no Authority. ....They set themselves up through self appointment. ....They never have Submitted to any Authority
6. Christ is our Example
Do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves, each of you not looking out for your own interests, but also each of you for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:8 (LEB)
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, that is, death on a cross.
being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ
7. Truth is - God has made submission a human characteristic.
(II) Authority and Submission is for all our Community.
A. In our Homes, churches, societies etc
“Honor your Father and your Mother”
Another words Submission starts in the Home.
being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ
3. Example of Authority in Husband and Wives:
a. The Husband doesn’t use his Authority to demand submision he serves in love and their relationship is centered on love for each other in serving each other.
b. Quote: “A husband’s leadership isn’t about power and privilege or about figuring out who’s in charge or who should have the final say. A wife’s submission isn’t about catering to preferences.18 Submission in marriage is “appropriate, logical, and Christian,” because it’s “based on a love relationship in which one party yields to another who uses his power to sacrifice on her behalf.”
18 See Tracy, 310–11.
Miller, R. G. (2019). Beyond Authority and Submission: Women and Men in Marriage, Church, and Society (pp. 27–28). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
4. If anything Authority means more responsibility …Husbands Love your wives as …Christ loved..the church”
5. Same - Church Leadership (High standard expected) another words more responsibility.
If anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or rebellious. For it is necessary for the overseer to be blameless as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, prudent, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast to the faithful message according to the teaching, in order that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to reprove those who speak against it.
6. The Error when we are looking at Authority and Submission we tend to focus on the do’s and don’ts ? Questions like “Who’s in charge? Who does what? Who’s allowed to do what?
B. There is the beyond Authority and Submission.
Ills / In the 1990s, malls had kiosks set up selling posters that, at first glance, looked like abstract art showing random colors and patterns. But if you looked at them long enough, and from the right distance, you could see a 3D image. The trick was to unfocus your eyes. If you focused on the image, all you would see was the 2D abstract art. But if you let your eyes relax, the hidden picture snapped into view, and you’d see the image that the artist wanted you to see.
2. The same is true when we study Scripture.
a. Sometimes we’re so intent on finding the answers to our questions that we get caught up on the background and miss the bigger picture. When we study the Bible, it is helpful for us to step back and ask, “What is the Bible’s purpose?”
3. Quote : The Westminster : that the Scriptures teach what we are to “believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of [us].Miller, R. G. (2019). Beyond Authority and Submission: Women and Men in Marriage, Church, and Society (pp. 35–36). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
4. The Main focus of The Bible isn’t about Submission and Authority its starts and finishes with Jesus?
a. Doesn’t mean we dismiss Authority and Submission but we can miss the main thing? The main message?
b. The Bible is the Jesus Story from first to last.
c. When we concentrate on maintaining a hierarchy—or on overthrowing it—we forget our unity and interdependence and our call to mutual service.
3. Women can become completely dependent on men and devoted to serving their interests; men can forget their need for women and can focus more on enforcing submission than on serving their wives and families.
4. Contrary to what popular culture states, women and men are not from different planets. We’re complementary—more alike than different. Without denying the differences, we need to stop defining women as the polar opposite of men and vice versa. Such divisive definitions create and encourage unnecessary conflict and set up unrealistic and unbiblical expectations for how women and men should behave.
5. Paul frequently refers to fellow believers—both men and women—as his co-laborers. The word he uses, sunergos, means “a companion in work.
6. The Creation we see Unity in Creation:
a. If we focus on differences between people - it is what will divide us.
b. We label ourselves based on skin colour, how much money we make, what education we had, where we live, what type of house, what car we drive?
c. We define people by what associations ?
7. The Divine plan - we all come from one source Adam ......even in creation we see the plan of unity ?
Genesis 2:23 (LEB) And the man said, “She is now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; she shall be called ‘Woman,’ for she was taken from man.”
a. We are all created in God’s image - God made Adam out of the Dust of the Earth
b. Society teaches us to Label people all throughout out lives
c. Bible speaks of this profound unity even in the Sacred first Marriage?
Genesis 2:24 (LEB)
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cling to his wife, and they shall be as one flesh.
8. God made us to be united this is the whole plan in creation
a. United with God and one another
b. When this is happening there will be know issues with Authority and Submission because you come under the divine image
complete my joy, so that you are in agreement, having the same love, united in spirit, having one purpose.
Now I exhort you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing and there not be divisions among you, and that you be made complete in the same mind and with the same purpose.
so that with one mind you may glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
one body and one Spirit (just as also you were called with one hope of your calling), one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing others, because for this reason you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.
7. Get the picture: the bible testifies to our Unity.
a. Think of a Marriage in Unity there is no need to focus on Authority and Submission
b. Love in the marriage brings the Unity and there flows Authority and Submission.
c. When God made the Woman he made her the Helper for the Man
d. Believers misinterpret what “helper’ means
Then Yahweh God said, “it is not good that the man is alone. I will make for him a helper as his counterpart.”
8. Helper - means sustainer, help, nourisher, to strengthen
a. The Holy Spirit is our helper …God the sovereign Lord - sustainer , Helper
b. Woman are Co-Equal - made also in God’s Image ......
c. A Helper supplies what is lacking or missing ?
d. God didn’t intend for women just to be helpers as assisitants who are not doing the real work?
e. This is why there are issues in Marriages ....men misusing their Authority causing Division , treating the wife with Disdain and less respect.
9. Truth is when all people have a good understanding of Authority this plays out for the benifit on the whole Community.
a. Jesus commended the Centurian who understood this dimension.
(III) Authority and Submission is for Service
A. This is the Mature understanding of Authority is Service
1. God calls us to service
2. Truth is people who won’t submit won’t want to serve ?
a. God calls parents to serve their Children, Husbands and Wives to serve each other
b. Pastors to serve their congregations through the Ministry of the Word
c. God calls church members to serve the church using their gifts ha has given
Galatians 5:13–14 (LEB)
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, for I am. If then I—your Lord and Teacher—wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
3. So when it comes to who’s in charge ultimitely - God
4. We are called Co- Laborers in his Kingdom
5. Servants don’t seek top positions they are just happy to Serve ?