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Going to be in Romans chapter 13.

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We're going to continue our
study in Romans.

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We've been in Romans for quite
some time now, and we've learned

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a lot.

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Romans 1:11 really tell us
what God has done for us in his grace

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and in his sacrifice, what we
have in salvation, what we have in

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his grace, what we have in his mercy.

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And then Romans chapter 12 on
is all about how we're supposed to

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live in light of that grace
and mercy and salvation.

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We looked in Romans chapter 12
about how we are supposed to be a

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living sacrifice unto God.

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Why?

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Because of the mercies of God.

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And it's our reasonable
service to do so.

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And then he says, okay, look,
don't be conformed to this world.

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Don't think like the world.

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Don't act like the world.

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Don't do the things that your
flesh tells you to do.

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No, be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.

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So the call for the Christian
is to think differently, to act differently,

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to be distinctly unique in
this world.

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And then we saw how we're
supposed to deal with those within

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the church, to exercise the
gifts that God has given us in service

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to others.

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We saw what it means to serve
others, to love others, to rejoice

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with those that are rejoicing,
to weep with those that are weeping,

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giving hospitality one to another.

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But then we saw how to deal
with people that might be doing wrong

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to us.

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To.

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To do evil to us.

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It says to.

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To not respond in evil.

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Don't recompense evil for
evil, but be honest in the sight

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of all men, and if possible,
to live peaceably with all men.

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And he says, don't avenge yourselves.

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Let God be the one who does that.

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Let God be the one who makes
all things right.

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And even so, he says, that's
God's plan.

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That's what it's always been
from the Old Testament to the New.

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God says, vengeance is mine.

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I will repay, saith the Lord.

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So he says, instead of
treating people with evil as they

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do evil to you, he says, no,
feed your enemy if they're hungry,

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give them drink if they are thirsty.

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Allow to yourself to heap
coals of fire upon their head, not

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so that they can feel the
judgment of God, but so that they

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can feel the conviction and
the grief that it is that they're

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walking away from God.

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And then he ends the classic
Romans 12 chapter with that statement,

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be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good.

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And we as Christians are going
to be dealing with evil around us.

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That's the state of the
affairs in this world today, we're

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going to have evil around us.

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But the way that we combat
evil is not by reciprocating evil

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to people.

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So if people do wrong to us,
we don't do wrong to them.

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We don't speak evil things to
people that are doing evil things

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in the world.

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No, we overcome that evil with
the good that God has placed in our

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life.

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Not our own good, because
there's no good, no, not one.

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But because of the
righteousness of God imparted into

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our life, we are able to live
that good and acceptable will of

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God out by the way that we
live, by the way that we talk, by

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the way that we respond.

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And so we saw what it meant to
be a Christlike church member.

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We saw what it meant to be a
Christlike brother or sister in the

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faith, and we also saw what it
meant to be a Christlike person who

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has been persecuted.

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But now we're going to get to
Romans chapter 13, and we're going

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to see what it means to be a
Christlike citizen.

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Romans chapter 13 can be a
difficult passage for many people

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because wrapped up in Romans
13 is probably a lot of feelings

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because we can tie in this
understanding of what it means to

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be a citizen in a government
that maybe we don't agree with, or.

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Or maybe there's people out
there that say, well, what Romans

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13 is teaching is that all of
us have to do whatever the government

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says.

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And then sometimes people will
look at Romans 13 and say, well,

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the government's evil, so we
don't have to listen to it.

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We're anarchists.

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We're just going to do what we
want to do.

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Well, I believe that those are
two extremes that are not right.

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And I think that if we look at
Romans chapter 13 this morning and

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maybe next week, we're going
to see what God wants us to do as

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Christian citizens within the
land that we are living in.

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By the way, if you are a
Christian this morning, you are not

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a final citizen here in the
United States, even though you might

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be a citizen of the United States.

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That's not your eternal home.

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The Bible says that we have an
eternal destination that we're going

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to be living in forever, and
that's heaven.

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We're just pilgrims passing
through, so we know where our eternal

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destination is going to be.

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But we also have to understand
that Romans 13 says that there's

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a way that we are supposed to
live within the land that we are

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dwelling in.

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So for all of us here today,
you're in Delaware.

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If you didn't know that you're
in Delaware and you're in the United

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States and there's a way that
we are supposed to live in that mindset.

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So Romans, chapter 13.

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By the way, let me give you
the context to this.

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If Paul was here today and he
was talking to us, which by way of

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extension he is, and
ultimately God is through his word,

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a lot of us might be thinking
through the lens of living in the

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United States, living with a
government that even though isn't

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perfect, we still have some
Christian values and we still have

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a say to some degree in what
we're voting on and all those kind

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of things.

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We have freedoms and liberties
that we're thankful for, that we

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celebrate.

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But understand the context of
the people that are originally hearing

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this letter.

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This book was written to
Christians living in 1st century

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Rome under the Roman Empire.

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This wasn't a Christian
nation, this wasn't a democracy.

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This wasn't a government
founded upon biblical Christianity.

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The emperor, the leader at the
time in the eyes of the world was

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a man named Caesar.

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Rome exercised enormous
political, military and judicial

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power over everyone that was
was under that authority.

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And there were Christians
living under that government.

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That's who Paul is originally
speaking to here.

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Eventually we know through
church history and through world

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history that these Christians
that are living in this Roman Empire

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would face significant
persecution by the Roman state.

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If you know anything about a
guy named Nero, I mean, if you look

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into what he did to Christians
within the Roman Empire, it's gruesome.

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So just know that Paul is not
talking to people who like their

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government, who like, who have
everything going their way.

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This is something that's
written to us.

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Whether it's easy in our
society to understand or not easy

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to understand.

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We're supposed to apply what
he is about to say.

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And we're going to read verses
one through seven right now.

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We're going to go down through
this and then we're going to cover

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as much as we can here today.

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But I do want you to see this
through the lens of a Christian who

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has been changed by the mercy
and grace of God.

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Try not to read these verses
with your mindset of that worldly

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way of thinking that you know
what, no one can tell me what to

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do because ultimately as a
believer we're supposed to submit

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to God.

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But here in this passage,
we're going to see that there's other

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levels of authority that we
are supposed to submit to.

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It says in verse one, let
every soul, every soul be subject

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unto the higher powers.

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This would in.

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In context be the governmental authority.

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For there is no power but of God.

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The powers that be are
ordained of God.

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We're going to talk more about
what that means here in a little

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bit.

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Verse 2.

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He says, Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power, resisteth the

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ordinance of God, and they
that rest resist shall receive to

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themselves damnation or judgment.

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For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to evil.

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Will thou then not be afraid
of the power?

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Do that which is good, and
thou shalt have praise of the same.

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For he is the minister of God
to thee for good.

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But if thou do that which is
evil, be afraid, for he beareth not

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the sword in vain.

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For he is a minister of God, a
revenger to execute wrath upon him

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that doeth evil.

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Wherefore ye must needs be
subject not only for wrath, but also

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for conscience sake.

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For for this cause pay ye
tribute also, for they are God's

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ministers attending
continually upon this very thing.

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Render therefore to all their
dues tribute to whom tribute is due.

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Custom to whom custom fear to
whom fear honor to whom honor.

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Let's go ahead and open up
with a word of prayer, and then we're

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going to dive right into the
main text here this morning.

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Lord, I just thank you for
this time that you've given us today

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to look into your word.

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Lord, we're thankful for the
change that you bring in our life.

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Lord, we're thankful for the
fact that we can be transformed by

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your power and your strength
and your control in our lives.

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Lord, I pray that we can see
what it means to walk in the truth,

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not only within the church,
not only within our community, but

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also as citizens in the land
that we live in.

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Lord, I pray that we can be a
beacon of hope, a beacon of light

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to those around us as we live
publicly this testimony that you

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called us to live.

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Lord, I pray that if there's
someone here today who does not know

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you as personal savior, that
today can be the day of salvation,

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that today can be the day of
that transformation.

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So we thank you and we love
you for all that you do.

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Lord, I pray that you get me
out of the way and that your word

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clearly is seen and understood
and applied here.

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This morning.

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We ask all those things in
Jesus name.

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Amen.

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So what does it mean to be a
Christlike citizen?

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It means that to some degree
we are submitted to authority, but

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ultimately we are devoted to God.

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The big idea would be this.

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Because God has ordained civil
government, Christians should, biblically

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speaking, be respectfully
submitted to legitimate authority

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to fulfill civic
responsibilities, but yet at the

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same time understand that no
human government possesses authority

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greater than God.

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That's what this passage is
talking about.

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And also at the same time,
we're going to be looking at some

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other passages, one found in
First Peter, another found in the

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Book of Acts, that can help us
understand the context to what God

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is telling us to do here.

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We know the area in which
these people are living.

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We know the government that
they're living under.

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And Paul writes to them with
that being in mind, let every soul

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be subject unto the higher powers.

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So what is Paul saying and
what is he not saying?

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Well, he isn't saying, submit
because your government is righteous.

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We know that by way of context.

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He's not saying, hey, guys,
Caesar is right.

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Everything that the Roman
Empire is doing is righteous and

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godly.

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So follow, follow them.

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Follow everything that they say.

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He's not saying that.

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What is he saying?

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He's saying submit because God
himself has established governmental

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authority.

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Civic government is a creation
of God for a purpose.

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So we're going to talk about
that purpose here in a little bit.

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We know that as believers, we
are not supposed to avenge ourselves.

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We saw that in Romans, chapter 12.

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And we saw that we're not
supposed to overcome evil with evil,

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but we're supposed to overcome
evil with good.

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So then he says here, let
every soul be subject unto the higher

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powers.

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Paul has just told Christians
not to personally take vengeance

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with those around them.

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Okay, so for example, someone
comes into my house and they steal

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something from me, okay?

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Our human nature, our flesh
says, okay, well, if they stole from

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me, I'm going to find out
where they live.

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They left their, you know,
maybe they dropped their driver's

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license on my driveway on the
way out.

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00:10:25,809 --> 00:10:26,570
Now I know where they live.

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00:10:26,570 --> 00:10:27,890
Now I'm going to go steal from them.

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That's what our human nature
tells us to do.

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But what Paul is saying is,
no, that's not the idea.

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We're not to take personal vengeance.

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00:10:34,610 --> 00:10:38,900
We're allowed allowing God to
come in and establish civil authority

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00:10:38,900 --> 00:10:41,940
to restrain evil and
administer justice.

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00:10:41,940 --> 00:10:46,180
It's God's plan for the civil
government to be the one who is the

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one who is enacting this justice.

250
00:10:48,420 --> 00:10:49,540
So what's the command here?

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00:10:49,540 --> 00:10:53,220
The command is simply this to
submit to authority.

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00:10:54,180 --> 00:10:54,540
Paul.

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00:10:54,540 --> 00:10:56,500
Paul doesn't just say every
Roman citizen.

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00:10:56,500 --> 00:10:59,140
He says every soul there in
verse one.

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00:10:59,860 --> 00:11:04,510
So Christians are not exempt
from, from legitimate civil authority.

256
00:11:04,510 --> 00:11:05,470
So we can't say this.

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00:11:05,630 --> 00:11:08,190
Well, I'm a Christian, so I
don't have to listen to the Laws

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00:11:08,190 --> 00:11:08,670
of the land.

259
00:11:08,910 --> 00:11:09,350
Okay?

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00:11:09,350 --> 00:11:10,910
So I'm going to get out on
Shop Tank Road.

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00:11:12,030 --> 00:11:15,790
And, you know, 45 is really
slow for a road that straight.

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00:11:15,950 --> 00:11:17,710
You know, I want to go 85.

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00:11:18,109 --> 00:11:18,550
Okay.

264
00:11:18,550 --> 00:11:20,790
But I'm a Christian, so God
told me I can go 85 here.

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00:11:20,790 --> 00:11:22,590
Okay, you're going to get
pulled over.

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00:11:22,590 --> 00:11:23,550
Okay, that's not good.

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00:11:25,310 --> 00:11:28,470
Now, some of you say, pastor,
I can go five over right?

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00:11:28,590 --> 00:11:28,750
Least.

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00:11:28,750 --> 00:11:29,190
Okay.

270
00:11:29,190 --> 00:11:30,590
Hey, I'm not a judge of that.

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00:11:30,590 --> 00:11:33,820
But what I'm saying here is,
as a Christian, we are called to

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00:11:33,820 --> 00:11:37,300
submit ourselves under the
authority of the higher power.

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00:11:38,180 --> 00:11:41,620
And so Christians are not
exempt from legitimate civil authority.

274
00:11:42,100 --> 00:11:43,060
He says that there.

275
00:11:43,060 --> 00:11:45,300
He says, for there is no power
but of God.

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00:11:45,460 --> 00:11:48,020
The powers that be are
ordained of God.

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00:11:48,020 --> 00:11:52,340
Now, there's some big debate
about that phrase, because sometimes

278
00:11:52,340 --> 00:11:55,540
people will read that verse
and say, well, does that mean that

279
00:11:55,540 --> 00:12:00,190
every single person in
leadership God has placed there on

280
00:12:00,190 --> 00:12:00,750
purpose?

281
00:12:00,830 --> 00:12:04,870
Or does it just mean that God
has ordained civil government and

282
00:12:04,870 --> 00:12:08,070
then the decisions that are
made happen, and God then works out

283
00:12:08,070 --> 00:12:08,510
his plan?

284
00:12:08,590 --> 00:12:11,070
I'm going to tell you this,
and I'm going to speak dogmatically

285
00:12:11,070 --> 00:12:13,870
to this degree that every
single person that is in legitimate

286
00:12:13,870 --> 00:12:17,110
authority has been allowed to
be there by God.

287
00:12:17,110 --> 00:12:17,830
Let's say it that way.

288
00:12:17,830 --> 00:12:18,070
Enough.

289
00:12:18,070 --> 00:12:19,790
There's nothing that God is
surprised by.

290
00:12:19,950 --> 00:12:22,830
There's nothing that God is
like, whoa, that guy's president

291
00:12:22,830 --> 00:12:23,110
now.

292
00:12:23,110 --> 00:12:23,950
I didn't know that.

293
00:12:24,530 --> 00:12:26,650
Well, man, I wish I could have
done something else.

294
00:12:26,650 --> 00:12:31,250
No, we understand to some
degree that God is ultimately sovereign.

295
00:12:31,570 --> 00:12:32,930
Nothing surprises him.

296
00:12:33,170 --> 00:12:36,250
Now, I can't sit here and
dogmatically say that God puts every

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00:12:36,250 --> 00:12:39,850
single person and ordains them
there and forces that to happen.

298
00:12:39,850 --> 00:12:42,330
Though we know that God
providentially has done that in the

299
00:12:42,330 --> 00:12:42,610
past.

300
00:12:42,930 --> 00:12:45,610
We know that through Babylon
and King Nebuchadnezzar.

301
00:12:45,610 --> 00:12:48,210
So there's certain aspects of
this that we obviously can understand

302
00:12:48,610 --> 00:12:49,970
to some degree through Scripture.

303
00:12:50,380 --> 00:12:53,780
But what the Bible at least
tells us here is that God has ordained

304
00:12:53,780 --> 00:12:55,100
civil government in this world.

305
00:12:55,340 --> 00:12:59,540
There are certain individuals
that take control that might be Christlike

306
00:12:59,540 --> 00:13:01,020
or who might not be Christ like.

307
00:13:01,020 --> 00:13:03,260
But ultimately God has allowed
this to happen.

308
00:13:03,900 --> 00:13:07,100
God has established the
institution of government just as

309
00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:09,260
God has established the
institution of marriage.

310
00:13:09,580 --> 00:13:13,260
Just as God has defined things
so long ago, God has instituted government.

311
00:13:13,740 --> 00:13:16,060
Now, I know that this is
difficult to talk about because of

312
00:13:16,060 --> 00:13:16,940
the world that we live in.

313
00:13:17,230 --> 00:13:20,310
Anytime you hear the word
government within church, people

314
00:13:20,310 --> 00:13:21,630
start getting uncomfortable, right?

315
00:13:21,630 --> 00:13:23,790
Especially after 2020, we're
like, well, what does this mean?

316
00:13:24,270 --> 00:13:27,070
Is pastor going to get
political Here, I promise you I won't

317
00:13:27,070 --> 00:13:28,590
get political, but I want to
get biblical.

318
00:13:28,990 --> 00:13:31,270
And the government is
mentioned in the Bible, so it's biblical,

319
00:13:31,270 --> 00:13:31,550
right?

320
00:13:31,550 --> 00:13:34,870
So, so we're seeing here that
there is some level that God has

321
00:13:34,870 --> 00:13:37,950
ordained us to follow within
the land that we are living in.

322
00:13:38,110 --> 00:13:40,270
God establishes the
institution of government.

323
00:13:40,670 --> 00:13:43,660
So he says, whosoever
therefore resisteth the power res.

324
00:13:43,730 --> 00:13:47,130
Resist this civil government
in and of itself resisteth the ordinance

325
00:13:47,130 --> 00:13:47,490
of God.

326
00:13:47,490 --> 00:13:50,050
So if I say I'm never going to
listen to the government, no matter

327
00:13:50,050 --> 00:13:52,610
what it might be, we're
essentially saying, well, God, I'm

328
00:13:52,610 --> 00:13:53,410
not listening to you.

329
00:13:53,410 --> 00:13:54,050
God, I'm.

330
00:13:54,050 --> 00:13:57,650
I'm not going to listen to
this institution that you have come

331
00:13:57,650 --> 00:13:59,370
about with, with justice.

332
00:13:59,370 --> 00:14:01,330
And what we're going to talk
about later, honoring those that

333
00:14:01,330 --> 00:14:01,730
are good.

334
00:14:01,730 --> 00:14:02,690
So the command is clear.

335
00:14:02,690 --> 00:14:05,890
Christians are to submit to
legitimate governmental authority.

336
00:14:06,610 --> 00:14:09,890
So unless you think, well,
that's just Paul, but like all the

337
00:14:09,890 --> 00:14:12,250
other apostles didn't agree
with that, I want you to go to a

338
00:14:12,250 --> 00:14:14,610
parallel passage in First
Peter, chapter two.

339
00:14:15,180 --> 00:14:18,620
And this is another apostle
which you know is Peter, obviously

340
00:14:18,620 --> 00:14:19,580
walked with the Lord.

341
00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:23,100
First Peter, chapter 2, verses
13 through 17.

342
00:14:23,100 --> 00:14:24,620
Tell us something very similar.

343
00:14:26,140 --> 00:14:30,380
He's going to talk to us about
our role as citizens within the land

344
00:14:30,380 --> 00:14:31,299
that we are living in.

345
00:14:31,299 --> 00:14:33,820
By the way, do you know that
there's people that are not American,

346
00:14:33,820 --> 00:14:35,580
that are Christians around the world?

347
00:14:35,980 --> 00:14:36,300
Right?

348
00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:36,660
There are.

349
00:14:36,660 --> 00:14:39,740
We're going to have a person
in our service in a few minutes that.

350
00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:43,220
His name is John Baptist, John
Baptiste, and I can't even pronounce

351
00:14:43,220 --> 00:14:43,700
his last name.

352
00:14:43,700 --> 00:14:44,140
Okay.

353
00:14:44,460 --> 00:14:45,500
And it's so long.

354
00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:48,860
But you know what the truth
is, is that he understands the same

355
00:14:48,860 --> 00:14:50,140
thing that I'm understanding here.

356
00:14:50,140 --> 00:14:51,500
But he's living in a different world.

357
00:14:51,740 --> 00:14:54,020
And a lot of times we see it
through the American lens, which

358
00:14:54,020 --> 00:14:54,900
I understand, we do.

359
00:14:54,900 --> 00:14:55,900
Like, that's all I know.

360
00:14:56,220 --> 00:14:58,300
But at the same time, what we
have to see is this.

361
00:14:58,540 --> 00:15:01,700
What the Bible is telling us
here is not limited just to those

362
00:15:01,700 --> 00:15:03,260
that are living in a Christian nation.

363
00:15:03,580 --> 00:15:05,420
This is to all this is to.

364
00:15:05,420 --> 00:15:06,300
To everybody.

365
00:15:06,380 --> 00:15:10,260
And so in First Peter, chapter
two, Peter again is writing to the

366
00:15:10,260 --> 00:15:12,820
church and he's writing to
people who would have been under

367
00:15:12,820 --> 00:15:14,100
some level of persecution.

368
00:15:14,180 --> 00:15:17,220
Verse 13 says, Submit
yourselves to every ordinance of

369
00:15:17,220 --> 00:15:20,660
man for the Lord's sake,
whether it be to the king or as supreme

370
00:15:20,660 --> 00:15:24,140
or unto governors, as unto
them that are sent by him for the

371
00:15:24,140 --> 00:15:25,460
punishment of evildoers.

372
00:15:25,460 --> 00:15:26,700
And this is important, by the way.

373
00:15:26,700 --> 00:15:29,500
We're going to talk about the
characteristics of the right way

374
00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:30,500
of government here in a second.

375
00:15:30,740 --> 00:15:32,980
Because, by the way,
government can overstep its balance.

376
00:15:33,380 --> 00:15:36,340
But it says here that they are
there for punishment of evildoers

377
00:15:36,340 --> 00:15:37,820
and for the praise of them
that do.

378
00:15:37,820 --> 00:15:40,450
Well, mark that verse there,
because we're going to be coming

379
00:15:40,450 --> 00:15:41,170
back to it later.

380
00:15:41,250 --> 00:15:41,930
Verse 15.

381
00:15:41,930 --> 00:15:43,490
For so is the will of God.

382
00:15:44,210 --> 00:15:45,330
There's only a few times.

383
00:15:45,490 --> 00:15:47,570
Well, there's probably more
than a few times, but there's a handful

384
00:15:47,570 --> 00:15:50,650
of times in Scripture where it
explicitly states what the will of

385
00:15:50,650 --> 00:15:51,570
God is in our life.

386
00:15:51,650 --> 00:15:53,130
Everyone's looking for the
will of God.

387
00:15:53,130 --> 00:15:55,330
Like, what's the will of God
for my life, where should I work,

388
00:15:55,330 --> 00:15:56,850
who should I marry, where
should I go?

389
00:15:56,930 --> 00:15:57,730
Where should I live?

390
00:15:57,730 --> 00:15:58,690
All those different things.

391
00:15:58,770 --> 00:16:01,410
But there are times in
Scripture where it clearly says this

392
00:16:01,410 --> 00:16:02,770
is the will of God.

393
00:16:02,930 --> 00:16:06,510
It says, for so is the will of
God that we with well doing with

394
00:16:06,510 --> 00:16:10,430
living as a godly citizen
publicly, ye may put to silence the

395
00:16:10,430 --> 00:16:11,630
ignorance of foolish men.

396
00:16:11,630 --> 00:16:15,030
We're able to deal with those
that are foolish in our society not

397
00:16:15,030 --> 00:16:18,670
by more evil, not by more
foolishness, but by living as good

398
00:16:18,670 --> 00:16:19,390
citizens.

399
00:16:19,470 --> 00:16:21,550
That's a testimony for those
around us.

400
00:16:21,870 --> 00:16:27,190
And he says verse 16 as free
and not using your liberty for the

401
00:16:27,190 --> 00:16:29,470
cloak of maliciousness.

402
00:16:29,470 --> 00:16:32,470
So we're not supposed to use
our Christian liberties for maliciousness

403
00:16:32,470 --> 00:16:37,480
and evil in this world, but as
the servants of God, honor all men,

404
00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,040
love the brotherhood, fear
God, honor the king.

405
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,440
And so here we see in First
Peter, chapter two, a similar teaching,

406
00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,880
that we are supposed to live
under the submission of government

407
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:52,880
authority and be good citizens
so that we can be a testimony for

408
00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,640
the world, so they can see
what it means to be changed in Jesus

409
00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:57,000
Christ.

410
00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,560
Paul and Peter say the same thing.

411
00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,680
Submit yourselves to every
ordinance of man for the Lord's sake.

412
00:17:03,250 --> 00:17:05,690
That's what we see there in
Romans, chapter 13.

413
00:17:05,690 --> 00:17:08,690
And that's where we see there
in First Peter, chapter 2.

414
00:17:09,410 --> 00:17:10,570
Let every soul be subject.

415
00:17:10,570 --> 00:17:11,410
Submit yourselves.

416
00:17:11,490 --> 00:17:14,610
Both of these apostles are
teaching Christians that faith in

417
00:17:14,610 --> 00:17:17,170
Christ does not make us
lawless citizens.

418
00:17:17,810 --> 00:17:21,250
But notice something very
important in Peter's he says it's

419
00:17:21,250 --> 00:17:22,370
for the Lord's sake.

420
00:17:22,530 --> 00:17:23,330
That's the key.

421
00:17:23,330 --> 00:17:27,730
We submit to human authority
because of our submission to God.

422
00:17:27,970 --> 00:17:30,530
We don't submit to human
authority because they're our God.

423
00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:32,000
The government's not our God.

424
00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,120
God is our God and he is who
we are serving.

425
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:39,200
So we're to submit to
authority because we're submitted

426
00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:40,240
ultimately to God.

427
00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:41,840
It's the same principle with
my children.

428
00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,799
Like so, so I as a father, I'm
Supposed to be able to lead my children,

429
00:17:46,799 --> 00:17:48,240
they're supposed to obey me.

430
00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,400
There is some level of
submission there, but I don't tell

431
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,320
my children, just obey me,
because it makes me happy and I'm

432
00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:54,960
the dictator.

433
00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:58,400
No, I ultimately want my
children to understand that their

434
00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,690
submission to their father is
ultimately submission to God.

435
00:18:02,850 --> 00:18:05,210
And so as they obey me,
they're obeying God.

436
00:18:05,210 --> 00:18:06,050
It's not just all.

437
00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:07,290
It doesn't end with me.

438
00:18:07,290 --> 00:18:10,970
It ends with an understanding,
a proper understanding of their relationship

439
00:18:10,970 --> 00:18:11,970
with their heavenly Father.

440
00:18:11,970 --> 00:18:14,210
It's the same thing within our society.

441
00:18:14,370 --> 00:18:17,650
The way that we see God will
be manifested by how we deal with

442
00:18:17,650 --> 00:18:19,570
every institution around us.

443
00:18:20,370 --> 00:18:22,130
So he says it's for the Lord's sake.

444
00:18:22,690 --> 00:18:27,240
Our ultimate reason for being
a good citizen within Delaware, within

445
00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,360
Maryland, within the United
States, wherever we're at is, is

446
00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:31,840
not.

447
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:34,080
I love Caesar.

448
00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:35,200
I love the government.

449
00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:37,360
I'm going to worship the government.

450
00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,840
By the way, that's sometimes
how Romans 13 has been portrayed

451
00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:41,360
over history.

452
00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:43,520
You have to just worship the government.

453
00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:44,880
The government's your God.

454
00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:46,000
Caesar is your king.

455
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:47,040
Caesar is your Lord.

456
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,120
No, it's not I love Caesar.

457
00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:50,160
It's I love Christ.

458
00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:53,160
And because I love Christ, I'm
going to be the type of citizen that

459
00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:54,300
I'm called to be.

460
00:18:54,300 --> 00:18:57,900
Within the context of
scripture, Peter says, whether it

461
00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:00,740
be king as supreme or unto
governors, he says even the local

462
00:19:00,740 --> 00:19:04,900
government, he says it's those
that do the things of punishing evildoers

463
00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:06,220
and praising them that do well.

464
00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:10,820
So let's go back to Romans
chapter 13, and we're going to kind

465
00:19:10,820 --> 00:19:12,620
of conclude our thought there
on the command.

466
00:19:12,620 --> 00:19:14,940
Then we're going to look at
the caveat, because there's a caveat

467
00:19:14,940 --> 00:19:15,260
here.

468
00:19:15,260 --> 00:19:17,100
And I think it's important for
us to understand.

469
00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:17,940
He.

470
00:19:17,940 --> 00:19:24,160
He says in verse number three,
he says, for the rulers are not a

471
00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,040
terror to good works, but to evil.

472
00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:31,920
So one of the aspects of godly
authority, godly government, is that

473
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,560
they are to punish evil.

474
00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,200
And I think we would all agree
with that.

475
00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,000
We would want evil to be punished.

476
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:42,720
And so a marker of government
working in the way that God has ordained

477
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,520
it to work is that the
government would punish evildoers.

478
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:47,920
But then we know that it says more.

479
00:19:48,250 --> 00:19:50,410
It says, wilt thou then not be
afraid of the power?

480
00:19:50,410 --> 00:19:53,610
Do that which is good, and
thou shalt have praise of the same.

481
00:19:53,850 --> 00:19:56,530
It's the exact same thing that
Peter says in First Peter, Chapter

482
00:19:56,530 --> 00:19:56,810
2.

483
00:19:56,890 --> 00:20:01,410
The two major roles of a
government ordained by God to follow

484
00:20:01,410 --> 00:20:04,489
is to punish evil and to honor
those that do good.

485
00:20:04,490 --> 00:20:05,410
Those are the Two things.

486
00:20:05,410 --> 00:20:08,770
Now I think we can all agree
throughout history that people that

487
00:20:08,770 --> 00:20:12,090
have been in leadership have
overstepped those two commands, right?

488
00:20:12,250 --> 00:20:14,970
The government has wanted to
become God to the people.

489
00:20:15,340 --> 00:20:17,260
And that's where we have a
major issue.

490
00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:21,580
So, so Paul and Peter are
describing the the same basic God

491
00:20:21,580 --> 00:20:25,620
given function of civil
authority to punish evildoers and

492
00:20:25,620 --> 00:20:27,100
to praise them that do well.

493
00:20:27,180 --> 00:20:29,060
Now, now here is the caveat.

494
00:20:29,060 --> 00:20:31,740
Submission is not blind obedience.

495
00:20:32,300 --> 00:20:34,540
Some people will teach this
passage and say whatever the government

496
00:20:34,620 --> 00:20:37,580
says, we have to just go with
like that's the rule.

497
00:20:37,820 --> 00:20:40,100
And as a Christian, that's
something that maybe some of us have

498
00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:41,180
struggled with over the time.

499
00:20:41,350 --> 00:20:44,750
Well, there's this law and we
see this, but what am I supposed

500
00:20:44,750 --> 00:20:48,150
to do if that offends my
conscience or if that is something

501
00:20:48,150 --> 00:20:49,830
that is contrary to Scripture?

502
00:20:50,230 --> 00:20:53,830
Well, Peter is going to add
something extremely important in

503
00:20:53,830 --> 00:20:54,590
his passage.

504
00:20:54,590 --> 00:20:57,870
He says, for so is the will of
God that with well doing ye may put

505
00:20:57,870 --> 00:20:59,750
to silence the ignorance of
foolish men.

506
00:20:59,830 --> 00:21:03,870
Peter's concern isn't simply
don't get arrested guys, just, just

507
00:21:03,870 --> 00:21:04,790
be out of jail.

508
00:21:04,870 --> 00:21:07,110
He's concerned about the
Christian witness.

509
00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,640
So Christians should live in
honorable ways in our lives so that

510
00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:17,120
false accusations against the
church and against Christians should

511
00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:18,680
be exposed as false.

512
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,760
So we're to live blamelessly
as Christians.

513
00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,080
Peter says, you know, we're
free and we're not to use our liberty

514
00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,160
for the cloak of
maliciousness, but as servants of

515
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:26,520
God.

516
00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,440
And so yes, Christians are free.

517
00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,680
But there is another thing to
think about in this Christian freedom

518
00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,920
doesn't mean nobody can tell
me what to do.

519
00:21:35,910 --> 00:21:36,270
Because that's.

520
00:21:36,270 --> 00:21:38,830
Sometimes I used to think
about that as a, as a young Christian,

521
00:21:38,830 --> 00:21:41,670
I'd be in, you know, school
and there'd be chapel and this guy

522
00:21:41,670 --> 00:21:44,710
would get up and he'd say,
hey, we've got freedom as Christians,

523
00:21:44,790 --> 00:21:45,750
we're so free.

524
00:21:46,150 --> 00:21:46,910
We have liberty.

525
00:21:46,910 --> 00:21:49,350
And I'm like, well, what about
all the rules that I just got written

526
00:21:49,350 --> 00:21:52,230
up for my socks being too
short on my shoes?

527
00:21:52,230 --> 00:21:53,670
And like that's not liberty.

528
00:21:53,990 --> 00:21:55,550
And, and I'd be so confused
with that.

529
00:21:55,550 --> 00:21:59,030
Liberty, liberty, Christian
liberty is not about just living

530
00:21:59,430 --> 00:22:00,870
what I want in my life out.

531
00:22:01,330 --> 00:22:03,290
That's like, that's the
world's version of liberty.

532
00:22:03,290 --> 00:22:04,770
I just want to do what I want
to do.

533
00:22:05,090 --> 00:22:07,970
The Bible says Christian
liberty is not to exercise my flesh.

534
00:22:08,370 --> 00:22:11,610
Christian liberty in the
context of Scripture is that I am

535
00:22:11,610 --> 00:22:12,930
free to serve God.

536
00:22:13,090 --> 00:22:17,169
I'm not bound by the things of
this world that can limit me to serve

537
00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:17,410
God.

538
00:22:17,410 --> 00:22:20,170
So the freedom of a Christian
is not to say I'm doing whatever

539
00:22:20,170 --> 00:22:20,930
I want to do.

540
00:22:21,010 --> 00:22:22,610
It's that I'm a servant of God.

541
00:22:22,610 --> 00:22:26,410
And Christian liberty does not
eliminate submission to authority.

542
00:22:26,410 --> 00:22:29,290
But our freedom in Christ
produces a willing submission to

543
00:22:29,290 --> 00:22:30,290
legitimate authority.

544
00:22:30,860 --> 00:22:32,180
But that submission is not blind.

545
00:22:32,180 --> 00:22:34,340
I want to go through three
definitions for you here this morning.

546
00:22:34,340 --> 00:22:34,940
Submission.

547
00:22:35,660 --> 00:22:39,500
Submission is recognizing and
respecting legitimate authority.

548
00:22:40,140 --> 00:22:42,340
So what does it mean for a
Christian to submit to government

549
00:22:42,340 --> 00:22:42,940
authority?

550
00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:48,940
I, as a Christian who is under
submission, recognizes and respects

551
00:22:49,340 --> 00:22:51,340
legitimate governmental authority.

552
00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:51,900
Okay?

553
00:22:51,900 --> 00:22:55,100
So I say, okay, they're my
president, they're my governor.

554
00:22:55,260 --> 00:22:57,930
They're whatever know, they're
the mayor, whatever it might be.

555
00:22:57,930 --> 00:22:58,410
Okay?

556
00:22:58,410 --> 00:23:01,730
So it's a recognition and
respect of legitimate authority.

557
00:23:01,730 --> 00:23:02,890
Then we go to obedience.

558
00:23:03,850 --> 00:23:06,330
Because In Romans, chapter 13,
it says be subject.

559
00:23:07,290 --> 00:23:08,610
So the idea would be to.

560
00:23:08,610 --> 00:23:10,290
To put ourselves in the proper position.

561
00:23:10,290 --> 00:23:13,810
But then there's obedience,
doing what a legitimate authority

562
00:23:13,810 --> 00:23:14,490
commands.

563
00:23:15,370 --> 00:23:20,530
So follow, whether or not you
agree with every single, you know,

564
00:23:20,530 --> 00:23:24,820
speed limit in Delaware or
wherever you're at, there's a legitimate

565
00:23:24,820 --> 00:23:26,300
command that we are to obey.

566
00:23:26,780 --> 00:23:28,860
But then there's something
called blind obedience.

567
00:23:29,740 --> 00:23:33,620
Blind obedience is doing
whatever an authority commands simply

568
00:23:33,620 --> 00:23:34,860
because they possess power.

569
00:23:35,980 --> 00:23:36,860
I don't believe that.

570
00:23:36,860 --> 00:23:38,820
I see in Scripture at any
point that we're supposed to have

571
00:23:38,820 --> 00:23:40,060
blind obedience to the government.

572
00:23:40,780 --> 00:23:42,220
Say, whoa, what does that mean?

573
00:23:42,620 --> 00:23:46,580
That means that if God says
something and the government says

574
00:23:46,580 --> 00:23:49,970
something that is contrary to
that, who do we obey?

575
00:23:49,970 --> 00:23:51,690
We obey ultimately the Lord.

576
00:23:52,250 --> 00:23:54,090
And that's what he's talking
about here.

577
00:23:54,170 --> 00:23:56,250
He's not saying that the
government is always right.

578
00:23:56,970 --> 00:23:58,690
Peter's not saying the
government's always right.

579
00:23:58,690 --> 00:24:00,170
Paul's not saying the
government's always right.

580
00:24:00,170 --> 00:24:03,330
He says that there is a level,
a healthy submission to governmental

581
00:24:03,330 --> 00:24:05,650
authority and to some degree,
obedience to that.

582
00:24:05,650 --> 00:24:08,810
But there isn't blind
obedience because the government

583
00:24:08,810 --> 00:24:12,530
possesses authority, but a
government does not possess unlimited

584
00:24:12,530 --> 00:24:13,290
authority.

585
00:24:13,850 --> 00:24:18,930
Christians must obey every
governmental command, regardless

586
00:24:18,930 --> 00:24:19,730
what God says.

587
00:24:19,810 --> 00:24:23,930
No, Christians don't have to
obey every government command if

588
00:24:23,930 --> 00:24:27,490
it contradicts with what the
word of God says, because government

589
00:24:27,650 --> 00:24:31,010
itself exists under God's authority.

590
00:24:31,330 --> 00:24:34,330
Therefore, we have to
understand that in Acts, chapter

591
00:24:34,330 --> 00:24:36,050
five, the Bible says something else.

592
00:24:36,450 --> 00:24:43,250
Peter, the same individual
that was speaking to us in First

593
00:24:43,250 --> 00:24:47,380
Peter, chapter two, that says
submit to government authority is

594
00:24:47,380 --> 00:24:50,900
being told here in Acts,
chapter four and five, that he needs

595
00:24:50,900 --> 00:24:53,860
to stop preaching the truth of
Jesus, okay?

596
00:24:54,020 --> 00:24:56,340
By leaders, by authorities.

597
00:24:57,540 --> 00:25:00,020
So Peter doesn't say, well,
they told me I gotta stop.

598
00:25:00,180 --> 00:25:03,220
So there's ultimate government
authority, so I just need to stop.

599
00:25:03,220 --> 00:25:06,580
No, he says something very
interesting in Acts chapter 5, verse

600
00:25:06,580 --> 00:25:07,140
29.

601
00:25:07,860 --> 00:25:11,940
Then Peter and the other
apostles answered and said, we ought

602
00:25:11,940 --> 00:25:14,260
to to obey God rather than man.

603
00:25:14,980 --> 00:25:17,900
Now, sometimes people will
read those verses and get confused.

604
00:25:17,900 --> 00:25:19,700
They say, well, there's a
biblical contradiction here.

605
00:25:19,780 --> 00:25:21,220
Paul says to obey the government.

606
00:25:21,460 --> 00:25:23,540
Peter says, we obey God, not man.

607
00:25:23,700 --> 00:25:25,300
No, what it's saying here is this.

608
00:25:25,300 --> 00:25:30,900
We obey the government unless
it contradicts the word of God.

609
00:25:30,900 --> 00:25:34,820
And then at that point, we
obey the higher authority, which

610
00:25:34,820 --> 00:25:35,620
is God.

611
00:25:35,700 --> 00:25:38,100
And that's what we're seeing
here in Acts, chapter five.

612
00:25:38,470 --> 00:25:41,190
And ultimately, that's how we
can understand Romans, chapter 13.

613
00:25:42,310 --> 00:25:45,830
We go back to Romans 13 again,
those two roles of the government,

614
00:25:45,830 --> 00:25:48,590
verse three, they're not a
terror to good works, but to evil

615
00:25:48,590 --> 00:25:51,030
works and the praise of the
ones who do the good works.

616
00:25:51,030 --> 00:25:51,590
Verse 4.

617
00:25:51,590 --> 00:25:55,110
For he is a minister of God, a
servant of God to thee for good.

618
00:25:55,430 --> 00:25:58,310
So the government working in
the right way is a servant for good,

619
00:25:58,310 --> 00:26:01,710
for order, for honoring those
that do good things, to punish those

620
00:26:01,710 --> 00:26:02,710
who do bad things.

621
00:26:02,790 --> 00:26:05,630
But there is a time and a
place where the government can overstep

622
00:26:05,630 --> 00:26:06,230
those bounds.

623
00:26:06,230 --> 00:26:06,430
And.

624
00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:07,260
And then what do we do?

625
00:26:07,260 --> 00:26:08,260
We obey God.

626
00:26:08,740 --> 00:26:11,180
Now, I'm probably on some
watch list now because I said that,

627
00:26:11,180 --> 00:26:11,940
but that's okay.

628
00:26:12,340 --> 00:26:15,660
The truth is, is that we're on
the Internet, aren't we?

629
00:26:15,660 --> 00:26:15,860
Yeah.

630
00:26:15,860 --> 00:26:16,260
Okay.

631
00:26:16,420 --> 00:26:19,180
But the truth is, and I'm
going to tell you this, there are

632
00:26:19,180 --> 00:26:20,540
rules on the books.

633
00:26:20,540 --> 00:26:24,380
There's laws on the books in
America that contradict the word

634
00:26:24,380 --> 00:26:24,900
of God.

635
00:26:25,380 --> 00:26:26,060
So what do we do?

636
00:26:26,060 --> 00:26:28,340
We say, well, it's on the
books, so we got to do it.

637
00:26:28,340 --> 00:26:29,260
Or we got to support it.

638
00:26:29,260 --> 00:26:30,340
We got to tolerate it.

639
00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:35,290
No, as a Christian, I obey God
rather than man when it comes to

640
00:26:35,290 --> 00:26:37,210
things that are things of the word.

641
00:26:37,450 --> 00:26:39,570
In the Book of Matthew, Jesus
is talking.

642
00:26:39,570 --> 00:26:42,050
And you remember there was
this big debate like, well, should

643
00:26:42,050 --> 00:26:43,130
we pay our taxes?

644
00:26:43,450 --> 00:26:44,490
We're going to talk about that here.

645
00:26:44,490 --> 00:26:45,850
Romans, chapter 13 a little bit.

646
00:26:46,890 --> 00:26:48,530
And Jesus says a statement.

647
00:26:48,530 --> 00:26:50,850
I think probably all of you to
some degree are familiar with it.

648
00:26:50,850 --> 00:26:51,530
He says, what?

649
00:26:51,530 --> 00:26:53,610
Render to Caesar what Caesar's.

650
00:26:54,330 --> 00:26:57,410
And everyone's like, oh, he's
like, who's on the money?

651
00:26:57,410 --> 00:26:57,730
Right?

652
00:26:57,730 --> 00:26:58,730
You remember that story?

653
00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:01,920
But then he says a statement
at the, at the end of that.

654
00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:03,760
He says, render God's.

655
00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:04,640
What is God's?

656
00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:09,080
So, so when Caesar's in his
lane, okay, honor that, but honor

657
00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:10,800
God where he speaks.

658
00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,400
And what we have to understand
is the difference between the two.

659
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,400
And we're going to get more to
that as we go along, but just to

660
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,800
Note the, the role, the
characteristics of the government

661
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,920
that God has ordained is to
restrain evil.

662
00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:26,200
We know that the government
has a legitimate role to restrain

663
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,000
evil with criminal justice,
punishing wrongdoers, protection

664
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,720
of society, maintaining civil order.

665
00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,120
Those are all wonderful things
that we should celebrate within our

666
00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:34,600
society.

667
00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,200
And the government also has a
role to promote good.

668
00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,440
And we see that in Romans 13
and in 1st Peter, chapter 2.

669
00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:44,400
To promote good, government
should protect the innocent, maintain

670
00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,000
order, create civil
environment in which people can live

671
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:47,560
peaceably.

672
00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,200
We're talking about God's
purpose for government, not claiming

673
00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,560
that every government
perfectly fulfills this purpose.

674
00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,750
I would venture to say that
most governments stray away from

675
00:27:56,750 --> 00:27:57,030
this.

676
00:27:57,350 --> 00:27:59,950
So we need to understand that
there's a distinction there.

677
00:27:59,950 --> 00:28:02,510
Government is a minister of God.

678
00:28:02,510 --> 00:28:04,790
See, see that there with me in
verse 4 of Romans 13.

679
00:28:04,950 --> 00:28:08,550
For he is the minister of God,
but not the Master.

680
00:28:08,950 --> 00:28:09,870
So we have to see that.

681
00:28:09,870 --> 00:28:13,390
We have to see that the
government is there to enact in the

682
00:28:13,390 --> 00:28:17,150
right way as a minister of
God, but not the Master over the

683
00:28:17,150 --> 00:28:17,430
people.

684
00:28:18,390 --> 00:28:21,270
And that's biblically, I
believe, a good way to see it there.

685
00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:23,820
The minister is a servant.

686
00:28:23,820 --> 00:28:26,860
Government therefore possesses
delegated authority of God.

687
00:28:26,860 --> 00:28:28,300
God gives government authority.

688
00:28:28,380 --> 00:28:29,740
God defines the purpose.

689
00:28:29,740 --> 00:28:31,980
And then God remains above the government.

690
00:28:32,060 --> 00:28:33,660
Government is under God.

691
00:28:34,540 --> 00:28:35,860
God is not under the government.

692
00:28:35,860 --> 00:28:38,540
And we have to be very clear
about that within our own walk.

693
00:28:38,540 --> 00:28:39,660
So the conflict.

694
00:28:39,740 --> 00:28:41,820
So, so, so we've talked about
the command, we talked about the

695
00:28:41,820 --> 00:28:42,140
caveat.

696
00:28:42,140 --> 00:28:45,220
Now we need to talk about in
the, in the characteristics of a,

697
00:28:45,220 --> 00:28:45,780
a government.

698
00:28:45,780 --> 00:28:49,370
But now we need to talk about
the conflict when government and

699
00:28:49,370 --> 00:28:50,410
God collide.

700
00:28:51,290 --> 00:28:53,770
That's really where we were
all getting to anyway, right?

701
00:28:54,010 --> 00:28:56,050
I think we all understand I
should follow the rules.

702
00:28:56,050 --> 00:28:58,890
But what happens when it goes
against what God has said?

703
00:28:59,210 --> 00:29:01,170
What happens when the
government commands something that

704
00:29:01,170 --> 00:29:05,210
God forbids or forbids
something that God commands?

705
00:29:05,610 --> 00:29:06,690
What did Peter say?

706
00:29:06,690 --> 00:29:08,570
We ought to obey God rather
than man.

707
00:29:09,290 --> 00:29:12,610
Peter wasn't denying
governmental authority, he was recognizing

708
00:29:12,610 --> 00:29:13,370
its limits.

709
00:29:14,700 --> 00:29:17,700
The apostles were commanded to
stop preaching Jesus, what do they

710
00:29:17,700 --> 00:29:17,860
do?

711
00:29:17,860 --> 00:29:19,260
Well, they didn't say, well,
we better stop.

712
00:29:19,260 --> 00:29:20,060
No, they refuse.

713
00:29:20,060 --> 00:29:20,380
Why?

714
00:29:20,460 --> 00:29:22,500
Because God's authority is
greater than man's authority.

715
00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:24,140
And we are called to preach
the word.

716
00:29:24,620 --> 00:29:28,500
And there are biblical
examples of godly resistance to the

717
00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:28,780
government.

718
00:29:30,300 --> 00:29:31,780
And, and I gotta be very
careful here.

719
00:29:31,780 --> 00:29:34,500
I'm not calling you today to
start a rebellion.

720
00:29:34,500 --> 00:29:34,940
Okay?

721
00:29:35,340 --> 00:29:35,820
What I'm.

722
00:29:35,820 --> 00:29:36,260
What I'm all.

723
00:29:36,260 --> 00:29:36,620
But I.

724
00:29:36,620 --> 00:29:39,180
What I am saying clearly is
that if the government tells us to

725
00:29:39,180 --> 00:29:42,370
do something that is wrong, we
have to obey God.

726
00:29:42,450 --> 00:29:43,730
Let me Give you some examples.

727
00:29:43,730 --> 00:29:44,170
Okay.

728
00:29:44,170 --> 00:29:45,050
Exodus, chapter one.

729
00:29:45,050 --> 00:29:46,130
The Hebrew midwives.

730
00:29:46,210 --> 00:29:48,450
Pharaoh commanded them to kill
the Hebrew boys.

731
00:29:49,010 --> 00:29:49,850
What did they do?

732
00:29:49,850 --> 00:29:50,170
They.

733
00:29:50,170 --> 00:29:50,930
They refused.

734
00:29:51,250 --> 00:29:52,770
The midwives feared God.

735
00:29:52,930 --> 00:29:54,130
Moses's parents.

736
00:29:54,530 --> 00:29:57,130
We know that Moses's parents
hid their son.

737
00:29:57,130 --> 00:30:00,210
They refused to comply to what
the king's command was.

738
00:30:01,250 --> 00:30:03,330
Think about Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego.

739
00:30:03,570 --> 00:30:07,410
They were told in Daniel three
to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar statue

740
00:30:07,410 --> 00:30:09,090
or they would go into the
fiery furnace.

741
00:30:09,350 --> 00:30:09,750
What do they do?

742
00:30:09,750 --> 00:30:11,590
They say, no, we're not going
to worship him.

743
00:30:11,910 --> 00:30:12,870
You're not our God.

744
00:30:12,870 --> 00:30:14,070
We're not bowing the knee.

745
00:30:14,150 --> 00:30:16,150
And they faced the fire.

746
00:30:16,390 --> 00:30:18,310
And we know that God sustained
them through that.

747
00:30:19,030 --> 00:30:20,550
Daniel, chapter six, Right.

748
00:30:20,550 --> 00:30:22,150
Daniel was told not to pray.

749
00:30:22,630 --> 00:30:25,190
Daniel boldly opened his
windows and he prayed.

750
00:30:26,550 --> 00:30:28,070
But understand this.

751
00:30:29,030 --> 00:30:31,470
The government prohibited
prayer to anyone who accepted the

752
00:30:31,470 --> 00:30:31,670
king.

753
00:30:31,670 --> 00:30:32,790
Daniel continued praying.

754
00:30:32,790 --> 00:30:34,070
He didn't overthrow the government.

755
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:36,880
He just kept doing the right thing.

756
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,040
I want you to understand the distinction.

757
00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,160
He didn't go in and say, well,
you know, king, I'm going to overthrow

758
00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:42,480
you.

759
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:43,680
He didn't agree with that.

760
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:48,400
And he just overcame evil with
good instead of evil for evil.

761
00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:50,520
So he didn't respond in violence.

762
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:51,680
He responded with prayer.

763
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:53,880
Acts, chapter four and five.

764
00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:54,800
We've already talked about this.

765
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,600
Peter and John, they were told
not to preach Christ.

766
00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,360
And they said, you know what?

767
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:01,840
God has called us to something greater.

768
00:31:02,780 --> 00:31:05,180
So what, what does it mean
then, to be a good citizen?

769
00:31:05,180 --> 00:31:10,740
It just means that we are to
obey the legitimate authority that

770
00:31:10,740 --> 00:31:12,300
God has ordained within our society.

771
00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:13,820
We are to do our best.

772
00:31:14,060 --> 00:31:17,020
Even if, let me say this
morning, this is going to be probably

773
00:31:17,260 --> 00:31:22,180
offensive to some people, even
if we don't agree with some of the

774
00:31:22,180 --> 00:31:25,660
rules, some of the laws, if
it's not something that's contradicting

775
00:31:25,900 --> 00:31:27,460
God and it's.

776
00:31:27,460 --> 00:31:29,820
It's under the legitimate
authority that God has ordained.

777
00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:34,030
We, we have to, as Christians,
or we should as Christians be a testimony

778
00:31:34,030 --> 00:31:37,750
of obedience to show the world
what it means to be Christ like and

779
00:31:37,750 --> 00:31:38,990
to have that level of submission.

780
00:31:39,230 --> 00:31:40,750
And we go to verse 5.

781
00:31:41,230 --> 00:31:44,910
He says, Wherefore you must
needs be subject not only for wrath,

782
00:31:44,910 --> 00:31:46,510
but also for conscience sake.

783
00:31:46,750 --> 00:31:49,270
He says it's not just about
the fear of judgment, even though

784
00:31:49,270 --> 00:31:49,990
that's part of it.

785
00:31:49,990 --> 00:31:51,110
I don't want to get arrested.

786
00:31:51,110 --> 00:31:52,190
I don't want to get in trouble.

787
00:31:52,670 --> 00:31:55,150
So it's not just about the
fear of wrath, but it's also for

788
00:31:55,150 --> 00:31:55,950
your conscience sake.

789
00:31:55,950 --> 00:31:57,530
It's also for your sake, for
your testimony.

790
00:31:57,530 --> 00:32:01,090
It's also for your public
display of how you are living within

791
00:32:01,250 --> 00:32:01,970
this world.

792
00:32:02,690 --> 00:32:02,970
We.

793
00:32:02,970 --> 00:32:06,050
We know that Jesus said, give
Caesar what Caesar's.

794
00:32:06,290 --> 00:32:09,650
So we see in verse six, he
says, for this cause, pay tribute,

795
00:32:10,050 --> 00:32:11,090
pay your taxes.

796
00:32:11,090 --> 00:32:12,210
That's what he says here.

797
00:32:12,689 --> 00:32:16,290
Respect legitimate authority,
Fulfill your civic responsibilities.

798
00:32:17,170 --> 00:32:17,490
And.

799
00:32:17,490 --> 00:32:19,890
But we know that he says, give
to God what's God's.

800
00:32:20,210 --> 00:32:23,130
So we, we don't say, well, the
government says, this is what marriage

801
00:32:23,130 --> 00:32:23,610
is all about.

802
00:32:23,610 --> 00:32:24,610
So we have to follow that.

803
00:32:24,610 --> 00:32:25,730
Even though the Bible says this?

804
00:32:26,250 --> 00:32:27,250
No, that's not what he's
saying here.

805
00:32:27,250 --> 00:32:28,570
He says God is defined things.

806
00:32:28,570 --> 00:32:29,290
We obey that.

807
00:32:29,770 --> 00:32:33,770
Give Caesar his taxes, give
Caesar his coin, but give God your

808
00:32:33,770 --> 00:32:34,090
life.

809
00:32:34,570 --> 00:32:38,770
We're not to worship the
government, your worship, your conscience,

810
00:32:38,770 --> 00:32:40,450
your ultimate allegiance is to God.

811
00:32:40,450 --> 00:32:41,690
So the contrast is this.

812
00:32:41,770 --> 00:32:45,610
A good biblical Christlike
citizen is not a government worshiper,

813
00:32:46,010 --> 00:32:46,650
Okay?

814
00:32:46,810 --> 00:32:48,090
I. I just had to be.

815
00:32:48,090 --> 00:32:50,450
And I'm not talking about
politics, right or left.

816
00:32:50,450 --> 00:32:52,260
I'm not talking about any of
that, okay?

817
00:32:52,260 --> 00:32:55,620
I'm talking about a good
Christian citizen should not worship

818
00:32:55,620 --> 00:32:56,060
the government.

819
00:32:56,060 --> 00:33:01,420
This, this could be maybe an
offensive thing, but I'll say this.

820
00:33:02,220 --> 00:33:05,220
A Christian can say, I will
respect the government without worshiping

821
00:33:05,220 --> 00:33:05,660
the government.

822
00:33:07,420 --> 00:33:11,100
I will obey the law without
making the law my ultimate authority.

823
00:33:11,260 --> 00:33:13,900
I'll pay my taxes without
surrendering my conscience.

824
00:33:14,220 --> 00:33:17,420
I'll honor my leaders without
believing that they're infallible.

825
00:33:18,570 --> 00:33:21,490
I'll pray for those in
authority without agreeing with everything

826
00:33:21,490 --> 00:33:22,170
that they do.

827
00:33:22,330 --> 00:33:25,370
What if I got up here today
and there's a politician and we,

828
00:33:25,370 --> 00:33:26,890
like, don't agree with what he
believes in?

829
00:33:26,890 --> 00:33:28,050
I say, hey, we should pray for him.

830
00:33:28,050 --> 00:33:30,570
And people are like, I'm not
praying for that guy or that lady,

831
00:33:30,570 --> 00:33:31,210
whoever it is.

832
00:33:31,690 --> 00:33:32,970
That's not a Christlike heart.

833
00:33:33,290 --> 00:33:35,650
Though I might not agree with
their politics, I might think that

834
00:33:35,650 --> 00:33:36,810
things that they're doing are evil.

835
00:33:36,810 --> 00:33:39,770
My heart should be to pray
that God gets a hold of their heart,

836
00:33:39,770 --> 00:33:42,770
that God changes them, that
they can experience what it means

837
00:33:42,770 --> 00:33:45,900
to have that transformation,
that renewal of their mind.

838
00:33:46,780 --> 00:33:48,020
That's not hypocrisy.

839
00:33:48,020 --> 00:33:49,340
That's biblical Christianity.

840
00:33:50,140 --> 00:33:51,580
We don't have to choose between.

841
00:33:52,460 --> 00:33:53,580
Think about this, this morning.

842
00:33:53,660 --> 00:33:57,740
A lot of times in our culture,
everything's extremes, but we don't

843
00:33:57,740 --> 00:33:59,820
have to choose between
everything the government does is

844
00:33:59,820 --> 00:34:03,740
right or the government has no
authority and I'm running my own

845
00:34:03,740 --> 00:34:04,060
way.

846
00:34:04,380 --> 00:34:07,660
We don't have to choose those
two extremes, biblically speaking.

847
00:34:07,820 --> 00:34:09,260
There's a third option.

848
00:34:09,340 --> 00:34:13,240
The government has legitimate
authority because God has established

849
00:34:13,240 --> 00:34:16,200
it, but the government remains
ultimately under God's authority.

850
00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:20,920
So the way that we could
summarize all this as a Christian

851
00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,120
is that we should be a
Christian witness by the way that

852
00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:23,440
we live.

853
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:27,120
We should obey the laws that
don't contradict the word of God.

854
00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,080
But ultimately we should
follow God and understand that he

855
00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,640
is our ultimate guide and we
are to worship him and submit ourselves

856
00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:35,080
to Him.

857
00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,360
We are free, but we submit.

858
00:34:39,129 --> 00:34:41,209
We disagree, but we still honor.

859
00:34:41,449 --> 00:34:46,569
We resist evil, but there's
still some times that we don't render

860
00:34:46,569 --> 00:34:47,449
evil for evil.

861
00:34:47,449 --> 00:34:52,089
We render good, we obey so
that we can ultimately worship God

862
00:34:52,089 --> 00:34:55,009
and be a testimony and a
beacon of light to those that are

863
00:34:55,009 --> 00:34:55,529
around us.

864
00:34:55,849 --> 00:34:58,569
The phrase that I was reading,
I saw this pop up a few different

865
00:34:58,569 --> 00:35:00,889
places is essentially this.

866
00:35:00,889 --> 00:35:02,249
It's Christ above Caesar.

867
00:35:02,969 --> 00:35:05,529
Even though Caesar has
legitimate authority to some degree,

868
00:35:06,060 --> 00:35:08,140
though we render to Caesar's
what Caesar's.

869
00:35:08,220 --> 00:35:10,380
Ultimately, it's Christ above Caesar.

870
00:35:11,820 --> 00:35:15,300
A godly Christian who's
obeying the Lord should be the best

871
00:35:15,300 --> 00:35:21,819
citizen in the land because of
us allowing ourselves to do what

872
00:35:21,819 --> 00:35:23,580
is right, to follow the law.

873
00:35:24,140 --> 00:35:26,740
And by the way, if you think
about the second aspect of the greatest

874
00:35:26,740 --> 00:35:28,660
commandment, to love God with
all of our heart, soul, mind and

875
00:35:28,660 --> 00:35:30,780
strength and to love our
neighbor as ourself.

876
00:35:31,100 --> 00:35:35,220
Folks, if we're living the
godly life the way that God has commanded

877
00:35:35,220 --> 00:35:37,380
us, we'll be the best citizens
because we're loving our neighbor

878
00:35:37,380 --> 00:35:37,980
as ourselves.

879
00:35:38,460 --> 00:35:40,380
Everyone should want to live
next to a Christian.

880
00:35:40,460 --> 00:35:42,740
Every government which should
want to have a bunch of Christians,

881
00:35:42,740 --> 00:35:45,620
because we're going to treat
people the way that we want to be

882
00:35:45,620 --> 00:35:46,020
treated.

883
00:35:46,020 --> 00:35:48,140
We're going to treat people in
that Christlike love.

884
00:35:48,220 --> 00:35:50,980
And biblically speaking,
that's a way that we can be a citizen

885
00:35:50,980 --> 00:35:56,060
to all those that are in the
world at least example of a citizen.

886
00:35:56,540 --> 00:35:57,980
So Christ above Caesar.

887
00:35:58,870 --> 00:36:00,630
God ultimately gets the worship.

888
00:36:00,870 --> 00:36:05,110
Though the government might
receive our submission, our taxes,

889
00:36:05,110 --> 00:36:08,790
our tribute, our civil
obedience, they don't receive our

890
00:36:08,790 --> 00:36:09,430
worship.

891
00:36:11,510 --> 00:36:15,030
So as we conclude here this
morning, the Bible tells us to submit

892
00:36:15,030 --> 00:36:17,270
to government because God has
ordained that authority.

893
00:36:17,270 --> 00:36:20,870
And let me be clear here this
morning, lest anyone gets confused,

894
00:36:21,990 --> 00:36:26,170
I am telling you as a
Christian to obey the civic authority,

895
00:36:26,490 --> 00:36:31,330
be a good citizen, follow the
rules, understand how we can promote

896
00:36:31,330 --> 00:36:35,970
good in this world and punish
evil, but submit to government because

897
00:36:35,970 --> 00:36:39,210
God has ordained that serve as
a good citizen where you belong to

898
00:36:39,210 --> 00:36:39,530
Christ.

899
00:36:41,370 --> 00:36:43,610
But don't forget that
government is under God.

900
00:36:44,810 --> 00:36:48,530
It's ultimately his authority
and our ultimate allegiance belongs

901
00:36:48,530 --> 00:36:48,970
to Him.

902
00:36:49,450 --> 00:36:53,430
So as we look at Romans 13 at
least up to verse 7, we understand

903
00:36:53,430 --> 00:36:56,350
that we're to render therefore
to all their dues.

904
00:36:56,350 --> 00:36:57,990
Tribute to whom tribute is due.

905
00:36:58,070 --> 00:36:59,630
Custom to whom custom is due.

906
00:36:59,630 --> 00:37:01,030
Fear to whom fear.

907
00:37:01,030 --> 00:37:02,230
Honor to whom honor.

908
00:37:03,110 --> 00:37:06,230
There is a proper way to
submit ourselves within the government

909
00:37:07,510 --> 00:37:08,790
authority that's over us.

910
00:37:09,350 --> 00:37:12,350
And I believe Romans 13 is
telling us how to do that, along

911
00:37:12,350 --> 00:37:16,710
with 1 Peter, chapter 2, along
with Matthew, chapter 22, along with

912
00:37:16,870 --> 00:37:17,790
Acts, chapter 5.

913
00:37:17,790 --> 00:37:21,040
By the way, that's so
important because as a Christian,

914
00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:23,760
we don't just proof text one
verse and make all of our life on

915
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:24,040
that.

916
00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:27,280
We look at the whole scope of
Scripture and we understand all these

917
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,120
things together give us the
theology that we are supposed to

918
00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:31,080
live out within our life.

919
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:32,840
So is it.

920
00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:35,520
Is it something that is easy?

921
00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:35,880
No.

922
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:37,840
By the way, let me tell you, I
struggle with this.

923
00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:39,240
I still struggle with this to
this day.

924
00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:41,840
I look at a situation, I go,
that's not right.

925
00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:42,480
I want to submit.

926
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:43,280
I want to pay that.

927
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:44,120
I don't want to do that.

928
00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:45,560
That's ridiculous.

929
00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:46,200
I.

930
00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:46,600
Then I.

931
00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:48,560
Then I just put myself back
in, like the time of Nero.

932
00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:50,800
And I'm like, well, if I was
there, I wouldn't be complaining

933
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:51,960
about what I'm dealing with
right now.

934
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,000
So, folks, I want to let you
know, this is not.

935
00:37:55,720 --> 00:37:57,560
Hey, we do this because we
live here.

936
00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:01,000
We're about to talk to a dear
brother who lives in a country that

937
00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:03,080
there are a lot more
restrictions than here.

938
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:07,120
And I was having some
conversation with him, and I'm like,

939
00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:08,600
can't you just break those rules?

940
00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:10,760
He's like, yeah, but the
government's saying, and it's not

941
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:11,750
against God's word, and.

942
00:38:11,750 --> 00:38:12,750
And I struggle with that.

943
00:38:12,750 --> 00:38:14,790
And I'm not saying that I have
all the answers for this.

944
00:38:14,790 --> 00:38:18,630
And I believe that as a
Christian, all of us, all of us have

945
00:38:18,630 --> 00:38:21,310
to make those decisions
ultimately before the Lord in our

946
00:38:21,310 --> 00:38:21,670
own life.

947
00:38:21,670 --> 00:38:22,750
I am not your conscience.

948
00:38:22,750 --> 00:38:25,430
I'm not the Holy Spirit as
much as I want to be the Holy Spirit

949
00:38:25,430 --> 00:38:25,950
for my children.

950
00:38:26,030 --> 00:38:27,589
And I want to tell them
everything that they're supposed

951
00:38:27,589 --> 00:38:28,870
to do and everything they're
supposed to think.

952
00:38:28,870 --> 00:38:30,710
I cannot be the Holy Spirit.

953
00:38:30,710 --> 00:38:32,070
You cannot be the Holy Spirit.

954
00:38:32,070 --> 00:38:34,590
So you have to allow the Holy
Spirit to speak to you and how this

955
00:38:34,590 --> 00:38:36,670
lives out in your life as a
godly citizen.

956
00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:38,120
So think about it this morning.

957
00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:41,520
What does it mean for you to
be a Christlike citizen to, as Peter

958
00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:44,840
says, to be a testimony to
those in the world that need Jesus?

959
00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:46,680
Because that's ultimately what
it is.

960
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:50,920
Every relationship that we
have should be a few different things.

961
00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,800
If they're unsaved, it's
Evangelism if they're saved, it's

962
00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:53,960
a.

963
00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,840
It's a tool for edification
and a tool for education and a tool

964
00:38:57,840 --> 00:38:58,440
to edify.

965
00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:01,320
So if they're an unsaved
person, my job is not to crush them.

966
00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:03,930
If they're an unsafe person,
it's not my job to belittle them.

967
00:39:03,930 --> 00:39:05,570
It's not my job to reject them.

968
00:39:05,570 --> 00:39:07,450
It's my job to lead them to Jesus.

969
00:39:07,450 --> 00:39:10,450
By the way that I live and by
the way that I talk, by the way that

970
00:39:10,450 --> 00:39:13,250
I obey, by the way that I'm a
neighbor, you know, what kind of

971
00:39:13,250 --> 00:39:15,570
testimony would it be for me
that, like, hey, there's all these

972
00:39:15,570 --> 00:39:16,690
ordinances in my neighborhood.

973
00:39:16,690 --> 00:39:17,850
And I go, yeah, I'm not
listening to any.

974
00:39:17,850 --> 00:39:18,650
Any one of them.

975
00:39:18,650 --> 00:39:22,130
Okay, I'm a rebel, but obey
Jesus, okay?

976
00:39:22,130 --> 00:39:22,410
Be.

977
00:39:22,410 --> 00:39:23,530
Be a good citizen.

978
00:39:23,530 --> 00:39:24,010
Like it.

979
00:39:24,010 --> 00:39:24,330
It's.

980
00:39:24,330 --> 00:39:24,930
You see the.

981
00:39:24,930 --> 00:39:26,330
The dynamic, the contrast.

982
00:39:26,330 --> 00:39:29,090
And so the Bible says, yes,
we're to obey the government up to

983
00:39:29,090 --> 00:39:30,070
a point where.

984
00:39:30,220 --> 00:39:33,340
But then when God speaks on
something and the government contradicts

985
00:39:33,340 --> 00:39:36,580
with a corruption, we have to
say, no, it's about Jesus, and we

986
00:39:36,580 --> 00:39:37,180
follow him.

987
00:39:37,660 --> 00:39:42,300
And your testimony rides on
that because people are watching.

988
00:39:42,380 --> 00:39:43,780
People watch what the church does.

989
00:39:43,780 --> 00:39:45,300
People watch what the
Christians do.

990
00:39:45,300 --> 00:39:48,340
And we as a church must stand
to be Christlike citizens in the

991
00:39:48,340 --> 00:39:48,620
world.

992
00:39:48,620 --> 00:39:51,740
Not so that people can say
we're good people, not so that just

993
00:39:51,900 --> 00:39:55,300
we were afraid of going to
jail, but ultimately, because our

994
00:39:55,300 --> 00:39:59,020
conscience tells us that as a
believer, we are to appeal to that

995
00:39:59,020 --> 00:40:01,940
higher authority, and we're to
be a testimony for those that need

996
00:40:01,940 --> 00:40:02,500
Jesus Christ.

997
00:40:02,500 --> 00:40:04,580
And ultimately, that's the
answer to all of this.

998
00:40:04,580 --> 00:40:05,620
People need Jesus.

999
00:40:06,820 --> 00:40:07,780
Pray for your government.

1000
00:40:08,100 --> 00:40:10,740
Pray that Christlike
principles are in government.

1001
00:40:10,740 --> 00:40:13,940
We want that to be the case,
but if not, we don't quit.

1002
00:40:14,180 --> 00:40:17,940
All we do is we as a culture
want to impact those around us.

1003
00:40:17,940 --> 00:40:20,580
Pray for our politicians,
witness to the politicians.

1004
00:40:20,740 --> 00:40:21,740
That's what we have to do.

1005
00:40:21,740 --> 00:40:24,310
We have to be bold in our witness.

1006
00:40:24,310 --> 00:40:27,190
We can't just stay here and
complain about the things that we're

1007
00:40:27,190 --> 00:40:27,750
dealing with.

1008
00:40:27,830 --> 00:40:29,150
Complaining doesn't do anything.

1009
00:40:29,150 --> 00:40:30,550
Complaining doesn't fix anything.

1010
00:40:30,710 --> 00:40:32,630
It's action that.

1011
00:40:32,710 --> 00:40:34,830
Compassionate action to go out
into the world.

1012
00:40:34,830 --> 00:40:37,030
So I pray that you do that,
and I pray that you're the citizen

1013
00:40:37,030 --> 00:40:38,470
that God has called us to be.

1014
00:40:38,629 --> 00:40:40,710
Well, let's go ahead and have
a time of invitation.

1015
00:40:40,710 --> 00:40:42,230
I'm asking if you're able to stand.

1016
00:40:42,950 --> 00:40:43,710
Stand with me.

1017
00:40:43,710 --> 00:40:46,030
Every head bowed, every eye
closed as the music plays here.

1018
00:40:46,030 --> 00:40:49,190
This morning we've talked
about a lot of different things.

1019
00:40:49,190 --> 00:40:50,950
The first and biggest question
is this.

1020
00:40:51,730 --> 00:40:53,410
Do you know Jesus as your
personal savior?

1021
00:40:53,410 --> 00:40:54,610
Has he transformed your life?

1022
00:40:55,010 --> 00:40:58,290
Have you trusted in the fact
that Jesus lived a perfect life,

1023
00:40:58,290 --> 00:41:01,290
died on the cross for your
sins, rose again on the third day,

1024
00:41:01,290 --> 00:41:02,570
and is ruling and reigning now?

1025
00:41:02,570 --> 00:41:04,650
And are you going to put your
faith and trust in that and that

1026
00:41:04,650 --> 00:41:06,810
alone, not your good works,
not being a good citizen?

1027
00:41:06,810 --> 00:41:08,770
By the way, being a good
citizen doesn't save you.

1028
00:41:08,770 --> 00:41:10,610
What saves you is faith in
Jesus Christ.

1029
00:41:10,690 --> 00:41:13,250
And then he changes you to be
that citizen that you're called to

1030
00:41:13,250 --> 00:41:13,490
be.

1031
00:41:14,050 --> 00:41:15,730
So, number one, are you, Are
you saved?

1032
00:41:15,970 --> 00:41:17,290
If not, come forward this morning.

1033
00:41:17,290 --> 00:41:17,770
We got folks.

1034
00:41:17,770 --> 00:41:20,090
I can show you in the Bible
what it means to have faith in Jesus

1035
00:41:20,090 --> 00:41:20,370
Christ.

1036
00:41:21,190 --> 00:41:25,230
But secondly, are you being
that intentional citizen that points

1037
00:41:25,230 --> 00:41:26,230
people to Jesus?

1038
00:41:27,030 --> 00:41:28,030
Who are you worshiping?

1039
00:41:28,030 --> 00:41:29,190
Who are you submitting to?

1040
00:41:30,470 --> 00:41:31,550
Who are you pointing to?

1041
00:41:31,550 --> 00:41:34,550
Jesus, by the way, that you
live in your life boldly for the

1042
00:41:34,550 --> 00:41:35,510
cause of the gospel.

1043
00:41:35,830 --> 00:41:38,030
If that's something that you
need to get right with him.

1044
00:41:38,030 --> 00:41:41,790
This morning, I ask that you
come forward, take this time to submit

1045
00:41:41,790 --> 00:41:43,030
these things over to the Lord.

1046
00:41:43,190 --> 00:41:45,990
As a Christlike citizen here
in 2026.

1047
00:41:46,420 --> 00:41:48,180
I pray that you be in this
time of invitation, working hearts

1048
00:41:48,180 --> 00:41:48,500
and lives.

1049
00:41:48,580 --> 00:41:49,940
We thank you for all that you do.

1050
00:41:50,020 --> 00:41:53,380
And I pray that you can meet
us where we are in our needs, Lord,

1051
00:41:53,380 --> 00:41:56,060
as you always do, and help us
to submit ourselves to you.

1052
00:41:56,060 --> 00:41:59,180
Ultimately, as we follow what
you've commanded us to do, we ask

1053
00:41:59,180 --> 00:42:00,340
these things in Jesus name, Amen.