Sermon Tone Analysis

1

There is an old country song that goes, 'you can talk about anything in this world, except politics, religion, and her.' Of course, the premise of the song is about a country singer who loses his wife, well country singers lose everything, but this one, in particular, George Strait, loses his wife.

And to keep from having hurt feelings well up and to stay clear of an argument, he believes there are three topics off-limits to speak of, politics, religion, and her.

I'm sure most people can relate to this song, we will just ignore ‘the her’ portion even if you can relate to it, it's not the point.

The other two are politics and religion.

I find it interesting in today's society how these two topics are not so much off-limits, Christian or non-Christian.

But of the two topics, politics seems to be a topic that is more important to most people above and beyond religion most times.

We become more heated over politics than we do over sin.

I think the major reason why is because we are Americans first.

We're free, we can do what we want, we have a constitutional right to fight for what we want and do not infringe on my constitutional rights.

The problem with that kind of thinking is we are Americans first, we are Christians second.

What informs your beliefs?

What do you align yourself with and why?

Do you submit to God in every part of your life or do you only submit only when you agree with Him and when you don't agree with Him you ignore Him?

Is your life marked with Selfless Submission or Selfish Rebellion?

When you rebel is it because your personal rights have been infringed or because God's Honor has been tarnished?

Throughout Scripture, we're called to be submissive to the authority of others.

Children are to be submissive to their parents, wives are to be submissive to their husbands, and husbands are to be submissive to Jesus.

It's the last one people tend to forget.

We are also called to be submissive to our governing authorities.

'The reason why we submit to our governing authorities is that they have been appointed by God, they are misters for good, and it is our duty to honor and respect them.'

Selfless Servants Submit to God’s appointed Civil Rulers with Respect and Honor

If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Romans 13:1-7, Paul is about to teach the Roman church, love for God means you submit to His sovereign election of governing authorities.

Romans 13:1-7 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.

For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil.

Do you want to have no fear of authority?

Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good.

But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to …”

In verse 1, Paul writes, "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.

For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established

by God. 2) Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

We have been learning what it means to be a Selfless Servant.

A Selfless Servant has an attitude of sincere love.

Sincere love places the interests of the object loved above and before your own.

This sincere love is the catalyst for loving one another in the church and also for overcoming evil.

Sincere Love comes from a life and out of a heart that has had a radical Transformation from accepting the truth of the gospel.

A radical transformation happens from the inside out, and it affects every part of your life.

A Radical transformation happens in your behavior toward others.

First, is your behavior in the church, that is, how we treat one another.

Second, is our behavior toward our enemies and those who mistreat us.

We generally think of those outside the church but sadly we are mistreated by those in the church too.

Now Paul is moving forward to another sphere of our life where our behavior must reflect sincere love, and it is our behavior toward governing authorities.

In verse 1, Paul writes;" Every person, some translations might have Every Soul.'

This is not only a lesson Christians must learn, but I would argue, that every human being should adhere to this truth.

But for those who are followers of Jesus Christ who claim He is their Lord and Master.

If you claim Jesus is your King, then you especially listen to this.

"Every person is to be' in subjection to the governing authorities!

This is present tense, and it's not a suggestion, this is a command.

Now I know what you're thinking, 'well, what if it's not my party?

What if I didn't vote for the person in office, what if I don't agree with his or her politics?

Paul doesn't say, submit only if you like them, submit as long as he or she is the governing party you voted for, submit only when you agree.

When the gas prices are the way you want them and when they stop going after your guns and when they deal with inflation.

Then you submit.

That's not what Paul says.

He is very clear, submit to the governing authorities it is present tense and it's not contingent on what they do or what they stand for.

All too often, I hear Christians say things like, 'not my president,' or worse.

And those who say that they don't have a problem with the president or senator or congressman or mayor, they have a problem with God.

"We submit to governing authorities because God has appointed them."

2

God Appoints Civil Leaders

Paul continues in verse 1 and in verse 2, 'For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

(2) Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves."

Do you see what Paul is saying here about governing authorities and why we must submit, it is because God has appointed them for the positions they hold.

People do not become rulers by accident, in all honesty, people can't even steal elections.

No matter how a person becomes appointed to the office they hold, one truth stands, it didn't take God by surprise.

It was not out of God's sovereign will.

God has appointed every ruler who has come down throughout history to take their place of power over their people.

God not only places these rulers in positions of power, but He also established the system of government.

We know this by going back to Genesis, in the creation account, God created Adam and Eve, and what did He tell them to do? Subdue and rule over the earth.

Their original role was to be perfect co-rulers with God over the earth.

Adam was appointed as the ruler over the Earth under God's leadership.

That means Adam had authority but his authority was limited.

God dictated how far Adam's rule would extend.

What was Adam's limit?

The tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.

He was allowed to eat from any tree except that one.

Limited authority, all Adam had to do was submit to God's authority.

Eve as well had to submit to God's authority.

The way she was to submit to God's authority was by submitting to Adam's authority as Adam submitted to God's authority.

What happened when Adam resisted?

They tarnished, ruined, God's original design; they tarnished God's design for marriage and also His design for government.

So the government has become imperfect because of sin.

Regardless of how imperfect it is, the government was designed by Him, and it is a picture of our position under the authority and role of God in the heavenly kingdom.

Not so much our modern government, more a monarchy, well without parliament, but God's design is that He would be King.

So the governing authorities are an imperfect picture of the kingdom of heaven.

What I mean by this is, that God will rule for all eternity, we're going to fall under His rule in heaven, as a Christ-follower today, we fall under His rule now, as though we are in heaven.

So we follow Him by adhering to those who He has placed in authority over us now.

Since we fall under a system God has established and it is a picture of heaven with us falling under Jesus' Lordship then we're to submit to the governing authorities because we're in actuality submitting to Jesus Himself.

The same goes for when we resist Governing authorities, when we resist governing authorities we are in opposition to God's appointed ruler.

When we resist because we don't agree with their decisions or their plan for the country or just because they're a different party, then we are resisting God.

When you say not my president, you are claiming God is not sovereign.

Not one ruler in history has taken a position of power without God knowing about it or having an active role in it.

Oh, why would God put Hither or Stalin in positions of power?

For the same reason, He put Pharaoh on the throne during the Exodus, for His glory.

Do you know who the Emporer of Rome was as Paul writes this letter?

Nero.

He is the same guy who, in about ten years or so from the writing of this letter, will order Paul's head to be chopped off.