Word by Mail

ROM 240 - Government & God Rom 13:1-7
 
We're still flying - from the Take-Off point of Rom 12:1-2
 
We're still looking at HOW it looks
when we are LIVING a Transformed life
 
After "Taking Off" from Rom 12:1-2 - We looked at;
1) How to Serve God - Rom 12:3-8
2) How to Walk Like a Christian - Rom 12:9-21
 
& today we look at - How to Act like a Citizen
by understanding - GOV'T and GOD
 
& we ARE teaching verse-by-verse - this is NOT a TOPICAL msg thrown in because it's election time
 
For the CD archives I prob need to Date-Stamp this msg
it's Oct 19, 2008
 
& we have PIVITOL Presidential election coming up in 2 WEEKS
& the truth is - I am very afraid for this Great Country
 
I believe the potential for the U.S. to become Increasingly Un-Godly
is higher right now - than it has ever been
 
This is the Greatest Country in the World - BECAUSE
this Country was built on Godly Principles & Biblical Values
 
& I believe VERY strongly - that we will ONLY REMAIN
the Greatest Country in the World
 
as long as we RETAIN our Godly Principles & Biblical Values
 
And you can absolutely, clearly, unquestionably SEE
over the last 40 years
 
that AS this country has FALLEN away from its Godly Values
We have EQUALLY begun to FALL AWAY - from our Greatness
 
& so YOU & I - as Christians - MUST do everything we can
to help this country remain "One Nation UNDER GOD"
 
 
BUT - - what happens if we, as a Country,
CONTINUE this SLIDE into Un-Godliness ??
 
What happens if the enemies of God
Who control most of the media in the country
 
What happens if they succeed in effectively REMOVING God
from the very foundation of this Great Country
 
What if our GOV'T becomes completely Anti-God
& Totally against the Biblical Principles we were founded on
 
WHAT then ???
 
Well - THAT (actually) is the POINT of our Text today
 
Let's Pray
 
 
 
Like I said - we ARE teaching V-by-V
& our text today IS the NEXT verse in our study of Romans
 
MAYBE it's just coincidence - this Msg falls 2 weeks before
 
what I believe will be a VERY PIVITOL election
in the HISTORY of this Country
 
 
& by the way - it is still LEGAL (for now)
for me to Directly Encourage you, to Stand for - & Vote for
 
the VALUES of GOD, & the PRINCIPLES of God's Word
 
Which include - God's Design for Marriage
& the Sanctity of Human Life - among other things
 
WE MUST do all we can - to hold onto & support
the Biblical VALUES this country was truly FOUNDED ON
 
Even tho our culture is doing all it can
to try to ERASE that truly God Centered Foundation
 
 
Along those lines - I want to strongly suggest
 
that you Look Into just HOW God-Centered
the Foundation of this country really was
 
Go to WWW.WALLBUILDERS.COM - Check it Out !!
 
We are a Christian Country - altho less & less every election
 
But I need to make it very clear
we are the SALT & the LIGHT in this progressively DARK Culture
& we have a responsibility to do ALL we can
to call this Country BACK
 
to the Godly & Biblical principles that made her GREAT
 
 
HOWEVER - today's Message is NOT
a "Fight the Gov't" - Msg
 
& THIS Msg - is NOT a Politically Motivated msg
altho the FIRST Msg I wrote actually WAS
 
But God "Shook Me" - & I had to totally RE-WRITE the Msg
 
So - if I am going to stay TRUE to out TEXT (which I intend to)
 
Then I have to talk about
the TWO very clear points our TEXT makes ;
 
1) God's Sovereignty & Purpose in Government
2) How we should act toward our Government
 
My 1st Msg - was a CRY for us to do all we can
to save this country from its SLIDE into Un-Godly Self-Destruction
 
& I still believe we must DO all we can
 
But when God SHOOK me - I realized
there is ACTUALLY a BIGGER Msg here
 
than just my FEAR over our current Political situation
 
 
So I'm going to teach you (a much as I'm able)
what this TEXT actually SAYS
 
& if "in between the lines"
You hear me CRYING OUT for this country - that's OK
 
But Our TEXT today - actually shows us
the BIGGER PICTURE
 
 
So - with ALL that - let's start with Rom 13:1
where BOTH our main points are seen
 
but we'll start by focusing on
the SOVERIEGNTY of God in GOV'T
 
ROM 13:1 - ESV
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
 
Now THAT is a radical statement !
 
There is NO Authority except FROM God
The authority that exists has been instituted BY GOD
 
I know some of your minds are already SPINNING
with a dozen reasons why that must NOT be true
 
But I promise you - God's Word is true
& this is exactly what God's Word says
 
 
 
This is Vs. about
GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY - & OUR RESPONSIBILITY
 
The God's Sovereignty part is;
there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
 
The Our Responsibility part is;
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities
 
& HERE is something we MUST come to grips with
 
We are NOT supposed to understand God's Sovereignty
We ARE supposed to trust it
 
Rom 11:33-34 - NLT
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?
 
When we combine ROM 13:1 - with ROM 11:33-34 - - [VIDEO]
we can get PEACE about God's Sovereignty
 
Rom 13:1 - ALL Authority has been instituted BY GOD
Rom 11:33 - It is IMPOSSIBLE to understand God's ways,
or to know His thoughts . . . OR, give Him ADVICE
 
 
 
In JER 25:9
God calls the PAGAN KING Nebuchadnezzar His SERVANT
 
& God uses him to allow Israel to be taken into Captivity
Because they had turned so far from God
 
But even BEFORE THAT - In ISA 45:4
God says to the KING that would RETURN Israel to the land
 
Isa 45:4 - 4 For the sake of . . . Israel . . . I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.
 
THAT King's name was CYRUS - & God NAMED him in ISA 45
over 150 Yrs BEFORE Cyrus was BORN
 
What that means is - God CAN & DOES work with
ith both BELIEVING & UNBELIEVING Kings
 
But that DOESN'T mean
we just let whatever happens, happen
 
We DO have an OBLIGATION to be God's Light - & God's Banner
 
& we have an OBLIGATION to Call this Nation
BACK to its Godly Heritage - (just like the Prophets did)
 
We MUST Proclaim - & VOTE FOR
God's Values & Godly Principles in our GOV'T
 
We MUST take a stand for GOD in this Country
& we must do it NOW more than ever
 
 
 
HOWEVER - The truth of this scripture still stands
there is NO Authority except what God Institutes
 
THAT - is God's Sovereignty
 
& so the Question is - HOW do we WORK (live) within that ??
 
& the BEST Explanation of HOW to do that
comes from Jesus Himself in Mat 22
 
In MAT 22 - TWO Groups come to Jesus together
The Pharisee's & the Herodians
 
The Pharisees were extremely religious
& hated everything about the Roman GOV'T
 
The Herodians were purely POLITICAL
& they existed solely to support the GOV'T
 
One day they came to Jesus together
& really - their intention was to entrap Jesus
 
& so they try to SET HIM UP in V.16
& then they try to drop a BOMB on Him with this question in V.17
 
Mat 22:17 - NLT
17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
 
& then - starting in V.18 - Jesus teaches us EXACTLY
what Romans Ch 13 is teaching us
 
Mat 22:18-22 - NLT  
 
Mat 22:18-22 - NLT
18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me?19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin,20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.
 
Caesar had HIS image stamped on the money - so it belonged to him
 
God's PEOPLE had God's image stamped on their hearts
so they belonged to GOD
 
& it is the SAME for Christian Citizens TODAY
 
Give to Caesar what is Caesar's
Give to God what is God's
 
Which means simply
Be RESPONSIBLE to the GOV'T - But give your HEART to GOD
 
 
We must do all we can to CALL this NATION
BACK to its Godly Heritage
 
But we must ALSO be ready to SERVE GOD Correctly
Meaning - Give to God what is God's
 
NO MATTER what happens in the Election in 2 Weeks
 
 
There are HUGE - Culture Changing Possibilities in this election
both in the State of CA - & in the Country
 
The state of CA may actually make it ILLEGAL DISCRIMINATION
 
to say that God's Design for Marriage
is exclusively for one Man & one Woman (Prop 8)
 
& in the Nation - There's a chance that this country will elect
the MOST Radical Liberal that has ever held the office
 
Who - among other atrocities - will INSURE
this country will continue to have the "Right"
 
To TERMINATE ANY young life that has no voice
or might be an inconvenience
 
Which - BTW - is the exact same philosophy toward life
that Adolf Hitler had - terminate the WEAK & inconvenient
 
I am VERY scared - of the UNGODLY direction
this country is turning
 
& we may find ourselves, more & more, living under a GOV'T similar to the one Paul was writing about in ROM 13
 
Paul is writing to Christians who are in the Midst
of a an extremely Perverse & Un-Godly GOV'T (Rome - Nero)
 
Butagain - THIS TEXT (which I must to stick to) - is about 2 things;
1) the Sovereignty & Purpose of GOV'T
2) HOW we should act toward that GOV'T
 
So let's get back to that
 
Rom 13:1 says - There is NO Authority EXCEPT from God
 
& then - Rom 13:2 says;
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
 
The Point of this text is NOT - what to do when the GOV'T
demands that you to disobey God
 
We have plenty of examples of Men of God
Serving God Uprightly - in the Midst of Un-Godly GOV'T's
 
JOSEPH - MOSES - DAVID - DANIEL - Many of the Prophets,
ALL served God - in spite of UNGODLY GOV'T's
 
& we have the great example in ACTS CH 5
 
where Peter & the Apostles were told by the GOV'T
NOT to Preach the Name of Jesus
 
& we read in ACT 5:29 - ESV
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."
 
& so we know there comes a time
when the Rule of God supersedes the Rule of MAN
 
& Scripture gives us instruction
on how to respectfully disobey - if
 
You are being forced to violate a command from God,
or commit an ungodly act
 
But most of us will probably never be in those situations with our GOV'T
 
AND - that's NOT actually what our text in ROM 13 is about
 
THIS Text - Is about the Regular Daily Activities
of HOW to live as a CHRISTIAN CITIZEN
 
 
& so (again) - Rom 13:2 says
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
 
& Rom 13:3-4 - ESV
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
 
Really - the SUMMARY PURPOSE of GOV'T
is to promote GOOD & restrict EVIL
 
These Vs's show - One of God's Primary Purposes for GOV'T
is to Restrict EVIL so that GOOD can flourish
 
& so we are to
DO GOOD - & we won’t have to FEAR the Authorities
or DO WRONG - & we should Be Afraid of them
 
 
This is a very simple truth
Christians should OBEY the LAW
 
& if NOT - there are Consequences - that GOD has established
 
Look closely at V.4 - TWICE we read
the Authorities over us - are GOD'S SERVANTS
 
Either for our GOOD (if we DO good) - or
to bring God's WRATH (if we do evil)
 
& THAT WORD - for SERVANT
is the word we get the word DEACON from
 
The Authority over you - is actually doing GOD's WORK
of Restricting EVIL & Promoting GOOD
 
So DO GOOD - & receive their approval
 
 
BUT - Don't JUST Do Good out of FEAR of the consequences
DO GOOD for your own CONSCIENCE SAKE
 
Rom 13:5 - ESV
5 Therefore one must be in subjection [to authorities], not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
 
Paul's saying - OBEY the Law to avoid God's Wrath
but ALSO - for the sake of your own conscience
 
Acknowledging (again) that Scripture DOES address
GOV'T forcing us to be Disobedient to GOD
 
 
For instance - IF Prop 8 fails - we will find a way
to RESPECTFULLY NOT perform same-sex marriages here
 
Because it would FORCE us to be Disobedient to God
 
But that is NOT the point here - The point here is
In Daily Life - Christians are to Follow the Laws of the Land
 
 
By the Way - When we're talking about
Doing GOOD - & Doing RIGHT
 
What SOURCE do we USE
to Determine what is GOOD & What is EVIL
 
There are TWO basic Sources for Doing this
 
#1 - a THEOCRACY = "God-Rule"
which is the SOURCE our Founding Fathers followed
 
& the SOURCE this country followed
did for almost 200 yrs (not a long time)
 
But about 40 years ago - Our Culture began to SWITCH
from following a Theocracy - to a HOMOCRACY
 
THEOCRACY = "God-Rule"
HOMOCRACY = "Man-Rule"
 
& when our culture STOPPED following GOD's RULE
& stated following MAN's RULE
 
Then the definitions of GOOD & EVIL began to change
 
 
Now - under Man-Rule
it's GOOD to terminate an inconvenient life
& it's EVIL to pray in school
 
Under Man-Rule
It's GOOD to drown ourselves in Sexual Sin
But it's EVIL to limit Marriage to one Man & one Woman
 
God help us SEE - that following HOMOCRACY - "Man-Rule"
Is bringing this country down - ONE Election at a time
 
& Sadly - God will allow us to elect people
who promote & follow Man-Rule
 
& He will allow us - to experience the Consequences
 
BUT - - in a way we can’t fully understand
 
Even while He is allowing our evil choices
He is still in ultimate sovereign control
 
 
But One thing we know for sure
 
PRO 14:34 says - ESV
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
 
& I believe THAT is why this nation has been EXALTED
& why it is NOT SO exalted right now
 
& that's why we MUST represent GOD'S Principles
 
We must be the LIGHT in a culture - progressively getting darker & darker
WE MUST;
1) Always SERVE God - Represent Him - uphold His THEOCRACY
2) RESPECT the rule of the Gov't
3) Be SALT & LIGHT in an increasingly Dark world
 
We must BOTH - Live in Submission to Authority
AND - Wholly SERVE God
 
 
& now finally - our text deals with - PAYING TAXES
 
V.5 says - We are to be in subjection . . .
& then Rom 13:6 says
 
Rom 13:6 - ESV
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
 
because of this - because we are to be in Subjection
to the GOV'T - for CONSCIENCE sake
 
because of this - we are to pay taxes
 
BECAUSE (v.6) - the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing
 
Do you know that the IRS has a “conscience” fund
where they collect millions of dollars a year from people who say they’ve cheated on past taxes
 
One guy sent a note with his "Conscience Payment" - it said;
“here’s $1,000 that I owed from taxes 10 years ago . . . if my conscience continues to bother me . . . I’ll send the rest"
GOD sets up GOV'T
& those who RULE, are called God's MINISTERS
 
& we are to pay taxes - to support the work they do
 
 
Finally - we see the Main Point SUMMARIZED in Rom 13:7
 
Rom 13:7 - ESV
7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
 
The MAIN POINT today is Very Simple
 
if your life has been TRANSFORMED by God
you'll be living as a Good Citizen
 
Paying your TAXES
Paying RESPECT - to whom Respect is due
Paying HONOR - to whom Honor is due
 
 
So Go out there & Support
the Godly Heritage of this country
 
Support (& VOTE for) God's Values & God's Principles
Be the Light that shines in the darkness
 
BUT - even if we, as a nation, continue down the slippery slope
of Man-Rule, instead of God-Rule
 
we must know - that thru it all
God is actually STILL - in overall control
 
& no matter what - we are called to be GODLY citizens,
EVEN if we have to be so, in an increasingly Un-Godly Nation
 
God HELP us - AND . . . (I mean this with all my heart)
PLEASE GOD - Continue to Bless America
 
Let's PRAY