Submitting to Government Authority 10-22-23

Overview: Pastor Williams introduces the topic of Romans chapter 13, discussing the importance of submitting to government authority. He points out that even in the face of persecution, Christians should submit to the government because God is in control and using them for His purposes. He emphasizes that our salvation, protection, and provision come from God, not the government. He also highlights the role of government in maintaining order and punishing evil. Overall, the main idea is that Christians should submit to government authority as a way to overcome evil with good. ----- Transcription: For those of you remaining in here with me, we get the joy and the privilege of diving into Romans chapter 13. And I say it's a joy and a privilege, and I mean that with all of my heart because we are diving into the Word of God, but I use it very loosely because the topic, the subject of Romans chapter 13 is a topic and a subject that many of us would probably take pause at. At least in some instances, we would dare say, now wait a minute. Hold on, preacher. Slow down. I know you don't mean what you think you mean. And I want to just put this up front, out front, in your lap right now. This comes straight from the Word of God. Not from me. Because if I'm honest with you this morning, there are times when I read this, there are times and things I've experienced in my life that I look back and I say, now wait a minute, God. But what about this? What about that? And you say, well, preacher, what are we talking about? Well, if you've turned to Romans 13, you already know. We're talking about, at least in part, submitting to government authority. Now by way of introduction, I want to very briefly, and I say briefly, I mean within the form of three sentences, give you a summary of where Paul has brought us through the first 12 chapters of Romans and brought us right to the very practical teaching that we see in Romans 13. So I say this, since we are all in danger of God's wrath, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and since we are all offered salvation through faith and not of works, and since having laid hold of that salvation, we should all present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, by being transformed and not conformed to the patterns of this world, we should be led by the Spirit and not the flesh. There are therefore now some very practical applications to those teachings. And so I said very briefly, this is where Paul has brought us to. For Christians, for children of God, for those of us who have put our faith and trust in Christ, and because we've put our faith and trust in Christ, have been cleansed from all unrighteousness through the work that Christ accomplished on the cross, since all of that has taken place, there are some very practical things that should be fleshed out in our life. And I believe Romans 13 really hangs on the very last verse of Romans 12. Because he says in Romans 12 verse 21, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Overcome evil with good. And I believe Romans 13 tells us three practical ways to overcome evil with good. So let's look at first of all, we overcome evil with good through submission. Through submission. Look at chapter 13 verse 1 and 2. Let every soul... Now we should pause right there for just a second and understand that every soul means every soul. We cannot look at our neighbor. We cannot look at our brother, sister in Christ. We cannot look at somebody across the sanctuary this morning and say, he's talking to you. No, I'm talking to you. I'm talking to me. I'm talking to every soul. Why? Because Scripture talks to every soul. He says, 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. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Beloved, what we have to understand is when these words were written, they were written to a people, Christians. They were written to believers. They were written to Jewish believers. They were written to a people that found themselves in the midst of a time, in the midst of a culture where the government was not on their side. You see, us as American Christians today, we make claims, well, America was founded on Christian principles. We used to be a Christian nation. And we have experienced religious freedom and religious protection from our government to the point now where if they stick one little edge of a toenail over into our realm, we're like, well, the government has no place in religion and they just need to stay in their place. But what we have to understand is this letter was written in a time to a people that constantly experienced governmental persecution. You know who's king in Rome right now during this time, this letter? Nero. You know what Nero will go on to do? He will persecute Christians and kick them out of Rome and he will set fire to the city and blame it on the Christians. The government did that to them. And yet, in the midst of that kind of leadership, we see Paul writing, no, no, submit to the government. Submit to those governmental authorities. And beloved, if it was true for the early believers in the early centuries under a government that persecuted them, do you not think it's even more true for us today? We should understand that by submitting to the government, by submitting to those governing authorities over us, we can overcome evil with good. You see, we submit to governing authorities because God is in control. That's what verses 1 and 2 says. There's no authority that's been placed over you that God does not know about. That God has not allowed to be in place. This idea, this cultural saying, this proclamation from the masses of that's not my president has no place in the church. I knew this one was going to be quiet. We cannot have the mentality of that's not my president. Why? Because we are commanded by God Himself to submit to the governing authorities. He appointed them. I take you back to a time in the Old Testament where Israel was held captive by Egypt. Slaves. Punished. Whipped. Beaten. Killed if they didn't do what they were supposed to do. Pharaoh hardened his heart. Therefore, God hardened Pharaoh's heart. And what does God tell the people of Israel? For this reason, I have put Pharaoh in place. Wait a minute, you mean somebody as evil and as wicked and as corrupt and messed up as somebody like Pharaoh? God has put into place? Yes. Why? So that His glory may be revealed. Well, but just because we don't agree with our governing authority, that does not give us the right to rebel. That does not give us the right to ridicule. That does not give us the right to trash talk and have a rebellious spirit. Because if we understand that God is sovereign, if we understand that God is in control, if we understand that those authorities are put into place, allowed to be put into place, that His glory may be revealed, then when we speak against those, when we rebel against those, when we talk trash, what we're saying is, God, You messed up. God, You have failed us. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't ever remember a time in my life or a time in Scripture or a time in history of the world that God has ever failed at anything. He's not going to start now. He said we submit to the authorities that are governing over us because He is in control and He is using them. He says later down in verse 4, for He is God's minister. He is God's minister to you for good. Let me ask you a question. Very practical right here. When's the last time in your personal relationship with God did you ever say, God, how is Biden ministering for my good? We like to fuss, don't we? We like to complain. Man, gas prices are outrageous. The price of eggs is outrageous. The price of groceries. The price of lumber. Oh, man, I tell you, it don't take long. You go hang out in Home Depot or Lowe's and get with some guy that you know, boy, it will turn into a gripe fest in a second. And you know what it all comes back to? Biden. But never once have I heard a man of God bring this up and say, you know what though? Scripture says that He is a minister for my good. God, show me that. Show me that. Of course, it's a little cliché during election years, coming up next year, but I'm going to tell you something that I have been reminded of and challenged by that has ministered to my good. That no matter what, my salvation, my protection, my provision doesn't come from the White House. It doesn't come from the State House. It doesn't even come from Town Hall. My salvation, my protection, my provision comes from a holy, holy, holy God who loves me. And if it has taken the government to do what it has done now, if it is taking the complaints and the problems that I may have with the leadership that's in place to get me to that point, then guess what? That's ministered to my good. Because it has revealed to me the sovereignty and the grace and the mercy of God in my life. And guess what? No matter what happens next year, it's still going to be true. That our salvation, our protection, our provision comes from God, not the government. And so we submit to the government with the knowledge, with the understanding that God is in control. And when we allow that to be our starting point, God, You're in control. God, You've allowed this person, they are a minister for my good. They're Your minister for my good. You are using them. You have appointed them. And that's my starting point. Then that submission to them brings relational peace. Look at verse 3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good. And you will have praise from the same. For He has God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid. For He does not bear the sword in vain. For He is God's minister and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Man, if there was not a message for today, that's it. In a culture that wants to blame the police officer... We got two of them in here, right? I don't think we have any more. We got two of them in here. In a culture that wants to blame you for all their problems, what they need to realize, what they need to understand, if they do what's right, they're not going to have a problem with you. But if they do wrong, then they expect or should expect a problem with you. I had this conversation in my house yesterday. I had to gently train one of my children who wanted to blame everybody else for their problems. Now, wait a minute. Let me show you what I'm preaching tomorrow so that you understand that this is Bible and not daddy talking. Do what is right and you won't have a problem. But we also understand that's not true in all the cultures, is it? Christians were trying to do what was right under Nero. Christians were trying to live peacefully as far as was up to them under Nero. And yet, they still found themselves in persecution. So how is Paul writing to a group of believers that are facing that? And he's saying, just do what's right. Because as much as we can, I heard one preacher put it this way, we don't need to give them any ammunition for their guns. If they're already coming after me as a Christian, because they don't like my faith, they don't like my religion, they don't like what I stand for, they're already coming after me. The last thing I need to do is go around breaking all their rules and starting a riot and getting in people's face with that. Why? Because they're already coming after me. So what I need to do is live in such a way as the disciples did when they were brought several times before the Sanhedrin and they were brought in and they were accused of these things. And yet, they could not find anything to charge them with. Why? Because they lived in submission to the government. Now, I want to clarify for just a second this point right here. Because we remember stories of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We remember Daniel and the lion's den. We remember where Peter and John were told from the governing authorities not to teach in the name of Jesus. And yet, in all of these areas, we remember them not doing what the governing authorities told them to do. In fact, Peter and John, they simply say this, if it's better to listen to you rather than God, you judge. But for us, we have to obey God. As long as the governing authorities are not commanding us to do anything that goes against our faith, our right, our belief, our experience of worship and following Christ, then we have to obey the governing authorities. But even when they tell us to go against this, we respectfully decline. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, right? Bow down and worship. I'm the king. I'm going to throw you in this fiery furnace. If you don't bow down and worship, they were facing death if they didn't bow down and worship. They didn't rise up and say, listen here, O king, you don't know what you're talking about. And that's my faith and that's my right. You can just go out in the pasture if you think you're going to do it and just really start berating Him. No, they respectfully said, our God is able to save us from this fire. But even if He doesn't, we're still not going to serve. We're still not going to bow down. Daniel, when he was proclaimed, you can't pray to any other god except the king. You can't pray to anybody. He didn't rise up and say, come on, boy, next time we can't pray, let's go down to the street corner and picket fish and do all this and just cause this big old ruckus. No, what did he do? He simply went as was his custom and prayed. They drug him away to the lion's den. He didn't fight. He didn't bicker. In fact, the only one that did fight was Peter, remember, in the garden? Cut off the guy's ear. No, Jesus, he doesn't want to do that! Oh, put that sword away. He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. Reaches down, picks up the man's ear and puts it back on the side of his head. The very man that was arresting him to go to the cross. Peter and John in the temple, as I said before, stood their ground respectfully. Challenged them. This was a religious crowd that he was talking to. Consider this. Is it better for somebody to listen to God or man? Respectfully, may them consider their own position. So even when the governing authorities begin to attack us and begin to creep in on our area that we think we have the right and the privilege and should have the freedom to step into without government overstep, we respectfully deny their request. All the while, submitting to and realizing that they are the authority. And when we do that, it will bring a relational peace. That does not mean there's not going to be some disagreement. That does not mean that... But what it will do is stop a bunch of fussing and fighting from going on. And what it will do is show them, hey, listen, we're doing good. Peter and John was brought before the Sanhedrin when? After they healed somebody. We healed somebody. And you're going to get mad at us for that? We're doing good. We're trying to help. We're trying to provide needs. It brings relational peace, but it also brings mental peace. In verses 5-7, therefore, you must be subject not only because of wrath, right? Do good out of fear of getting in trouble. But not only that, but also for conscience sake. For because of this, you also pay taxes for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due. Taxes to whom taxes are due. Customs to whom customs fear. To whom fear, honor. To whom, honor. What does that mean? Even if we don't respect the person, we respect the position. Even if we don't respect the person, we respect the position. And what this does for us personally is it brings a mental peace. I want you to think, if there's ever been a time in your life where you were accused of doing the wrong thing knowing you had done right, raise your hand. If you've ever been accused of doing the wrong thing, know that you did right. I'm not alone. Many of you have not had that glorious experience. It's really aggravating. You want to see the flesh come out of me, and hopefully you don't. Hopefully you don't because it's not very pretty. But if you want to see the flesh come out of me, accuse me of something that I didn't do. And I'm just prideful enough to stand my ground and tell you where to go stand. I have to repent of that often. I get that. That's not a good, godly, characteristic of a pastor. And so I'm bearing my heart and soul before you to let you know that the flesh creeps out in me every once in a while. And my family used to put it, I'm just redneck enough, right, to accuse me of something I didn't do. But there have been times in my life where they accused me of something that I didn't do that I had known, I knew that I'd done right. James, you did this. No, I didn't. Well, we gotta do this. I don't know what to tell you, I didn't do it. This is what happened. This is the truth. And I had a peace in that moment because I had known that I did the right thing. And I didn't have to argue. I didn't have to defend myself. I didn't have to bicker. Because I knew the truth. I knew that I had done right. And that's what submitting to the government authorities and doing the right thing will do for us if they were to bust in here right now. Y'all are inciting a riot. People look pretty calm to me. I mean, you got a couple falling asleep, they're so calm. I'm just kidding. Don't look around, they're not. I mean, if they come in there and accuse that of us, especially in this sermon when I'm telling you to submit to authorities, right? They would be wrong. And we could simply say, just look around. I don't see any pitchforks or torches. We're not yelling and screaming and fighting. And we could stand on the ground that what we're doing here is right and holy and just. And they may arrest us, they may drag us off, they may question us, they may kind of come up with all kinds of evidence. And we simply say, we know what we're doing. We did right. And that brings us peace of mind. Doing what is right. Helping others. Knowing that we do good brings peace. Now, flip that coin around. And you've been doing something a little shady behind the scenes. You've been gossiping, talking trash, trying to rally the troops on the flip side. I'm sitting up here going, hey man, I'm fine. I ain't been doing none of that. I've been telling them to submit to authority. But then you on the back row going, I didn't point over this way on purpose, right? Y'all on the back row is like, oh no, they're going to find out about them emails and text messages. I did snail mail, so I couldn't be tracked. Oh man, they're going to find out. And then you're all nervous, right? But if we do what is right, we can have peace of mind. Submit to the governing authorities. Because in doing that, we can overcome evil with good. Because you think about it. Think about the other groups that are out there. Groups that we've dealt with, right? Groups that will take over cities and burn businesses and hurt people intentionally. All because they didn't get their way. All because that's not who we are as children of God. Instead, we willingly submit to the governing authorities that are over us so that we can overcome evil with good. We overcome evil with good. I'm going to run through these next two points through love. Through love, look at verse eight. He says, Owe no one anything except to love one another. For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Now that's one way of love that I've never considered. I owe it to somebody. Now outside of debts for cars and houses and maybe loans of other sorts, we don't like to think we owe anybody anything, do we? I don't owe him nothing. You want to respect me? I don't owe you respect. You got to earn that. But wait a minute. Owe no one anything except to love one another. That means I owe others love. I owe it to them. I'm indebted to them. Why? Because it's commanded. But also because we've experienced it. Beloved, I want you to understand this, that God didn't owe you the love that He gave you. You didn't earn it somehow. In fact, Scripture says the complete opposite. Wages of sin is what? Death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. He gave you love because He wanted to. We have experienced the agape love of God and so therefore we owe it to others to give it to them. Love is owed. Love fulfills the law. He says that in verse 8, but also in verses 9 and 10 for the commandments. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not covet. If there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. That's why the New Testament takes all the laws and sums them up in 2A. Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. And the second is like the first. Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two things. Paul's repeating that here. He's saying if you love your neighbor, then these commandments will take care of themselves. If you owe your neighbor love and you give it to them, then you don't have to worry about coveting. You don't have to worry about lying, bearing false witness. You don't have to worry about stealing. You don't have to worry about these things. Why? Because you love them. And you will not hurt them if you love them. Love is the fulfillment of the law. And through love, what do we do? We overcome evil. I told you this story before and I think it bears repeating here. Me and my brother were in a fight one time. And I mean a physical fight. I don't mean yelling, screaming. I mean throwing hands and feet fighting. And I was sitting on the couch and he started it. He started it, okay? He started it. So I'm sitting on the couch. Y'all can't see me on the corner. Just picture me sitting on the couch. Well, I go to get up like this. Well, what does he do? He kicks me in the forehead. And he's standing right there. Again, I'm just redneck enough, right? Let me get out here so everybody can see. I'm just redneck. He kicks me in the forehead. So I'm standing up. He's right here. And I go... And I walk away. This was after I got saved. I'm a Christian. I'm trying to witness to my brother. I punch him in the face. I walk away. You say that sounds familiar? I don't know if that's right. Laying hands with a closed fist, right? I'm like, Jesus, no. So I leave. And I go and park my truck. I'm supposed to have a softball game that day with the church. Park my truck. And I'm sitting there. And the conviction of the Holy Spirit of God is on me. That ain't no way to act, man. Call him up. Hey, man, I just want to tell you, I'm a Christian. And I shouldn't be acting that way. And I apologize. I love you. And I should never have hit you like that. Well, I was going to fuss at you some more. I said, I understand. I probably deserve it. But I just want you to know I love you. OK, I love you too. Love overcomes evil with good. Third way that we overcome evil with good, and again, sprinting to the end with this, that we make no provision for the flesh. We make no provision for the flesh. Why? Look at verse 11 and 12. And do this knowing, so submit to authorities, love your neighbor, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. For now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Beloved, this letter was written within the first 100 years A.D. We are now almost 2,000 years since this letter's been written. And if he said our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed just a few years ago, how much more is that true 2,000 years later? Our salvation is nearer now than when this was written. And so we need to be aware of the time. When is the Lord coming back? I don't know. Here's what I know. He's coming. He's coming. And it's closer now than it was 2,000 years ago. It's closer now than it was a month ago. It's closer now than it was a week ago. And church, we need to wake up. We've gotten too comfortable. We're too relaxed. We're set in our ways. We're biding our time. I can't wait until Jesus comes back. Splits the eastern sky. Comes back and trumpets sound. I'm going to meet Him in the air. And we should just expectantly await that day. But we should expectantly be working as that day is headed. And he remembers in verse 12, he says, the night is far spent. The day is at hand. What day? The day that the Lord's coming back. The Lord's day. The day when He is going to rapture His church home. And in that moment, I want you to picture this. If that were to happen today, if that trumpet wasn't sounding right now, who's that loved one you wish you would have told about Jesus? Who's that neighbor you wish you would have spent some time conversating about who Christ is? Because, beloved, we've got to wake up. Salvation is near. The day is closer. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. We don't know. But it's closer than it's ever been before. Make no provision for the flesh because of the time and because of the culture. 13 and 14, let us walk properly as in the day. Not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. Beloved, if there's ever been words that have described our culture, it's that right there. Revelry and drunkenness, lewdness and lust, strife and envy. And we are not to walk as they walk. We are not to act like the culture, but we are to act like a difference. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. If we are going to overcome evil with good, and we put on Christ, and we act like we have Him on. How have you been living? In that work environment where you don't like that boss where he's rude and a jerk and obnoxious? You don't like him. Have you been submitting to his authority? And that home where you live with a grumpy old man like my family does? It makes it difficult sometimes. Do you submit to that authority? Now, wives, before you all say amen and jump on your husband, you've got to flip the coin around too. How about that home where you've got that nagging wife and just constantly berates you and gives you lists of things to do? Do you love her like Jesus loved the church? I don't know about you, but I know this was a tough Scripture. I know this was a tough teaching. But in those challenges, those life lessons, for me personally, a lot of oh me moments. Lord, I've failed to do that. I've failed to love like I should love. I've failed to lead like I should lead. I've failed to submit like I should submit. There's a gracious thing about God that simply takes this. That I've failed. Help me to submit. Help me to love. Help me to live like Your child. And the God of all universe, the God of all strength, the God of all comfort, all wisdom, will give you exactly what you need to do those things. If, if you're His child. Well, how do you become His child? Simply by believing that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life without a substitutionary death on the cross and freely offers forgiveness for your sins. Scripture tells us if we will confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our iniquities. If you need to be forgiven this morning, God will forgive you. Just come to Him in repentance. Let's stand together. Musicians are going to come. Is there an area of your life where you need God to just help you? To teach you? To give you wisdom? Will you come and ask for that from Him now? Would you like to acknowledge Him as your personal Lord and Savior? I'd love to share with you more about that. I'll be down front. Love to share with you. And you come and pray however the Lord is leading you. You come.