Transcript

Romans chapter 13. Would you turn there. Romans chapter 13, beginning in verse one (Romans 13:1). “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 whom honor.“

I want to talk about being a patriotic Christian. To be honest, I have struggled with that through the years and just recently came to a whole peace about it. That is how can I be totally devoted to my Lord and then say, I love my country when there’s so much wrong and contrary to my Lord in my country? Well, I want to say some things to you that along this line and that is that a true believer in Jesus Christ should be a patriotic American. But we must be patriotic under the Lordship of Christ and be biblical as we express our patriotism. Let me give you some reasons why this by way of introduction why we ought to be patriotic as Christians.

Number one, our country has a rich biblical heritage. It grieves me that the modern secularists, educators, have cleansed away the biblical and Christian influence that was behind this nation, but any honest observation of history leads to the absolute, undeniable conclusion that the scriptures played a foundational role in the starting of this country. A rich biblical heritage. Number two, we ought to be patriotic because God ordains the governments to bear the sword, to punish evil and defend the homeland. Why should we wave our flags? And why should we be in support of our troops around the world? Because there’s an evil in the world, and at present, that evil looks and raised it’s head in the form of terrorism. And God has ordained that government stand and punish evil doers and defend the homeland. So in being patriotic about my country’s just cause against the evil of terrorism, I am being pleasing to my Lord.

Thirdly, because America is a unique nation and uniquely blessed by God. So when I say I love my country, that’s being patriotic. When I support my country’s authority and its interest, that’s all being patriotic according to Webster’s Dictionary. I’m saying I’m supporting it, loving it because I see God’s hand of blessing on it. Our representative form of government came from the truth of Scripture, that men ought to be liberated and men ought to be free. A government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Is a blessing from God. The checks and balances that are designed into our governing system, the executive, judicial and legislative branches that hold each other accountable came from the biblical truth that men are depraved, and they need that kind of accountability and those checks and balances. Folks, that’s a blessing from God. The beautiful, rich, natural resources of our physical land is a blessing from God. The freedoms and the liberties that we have enjoyed in this country for all these years. They are blessings from God.

The great material wealth of our country, surpassed by any country ever in the history of the world. That is a blessing from God and one we are misusing. Our great military might is a blessing from God. Our record of good toward other countries. You don’t find an American colony where once stood the nation of Japan, you find Japan, Germany is not occupied and run as a part of America. We gave it back to the Germans. When our men crashed on the shores of Normandy and began pushing the Germans across France, we didn’t occupy France. We gave it back to the French. When we win and removed that big dictator Saddam Hussein out of Iraq, we didn’t establish an American country there. We gave it back to the Iraqis. That’s just the way we are. And that is unique. That is a blessing from God. The benevolence that this country has shown to the hungry and the destitute around the world is greater than any other country of the world. That’s a blessing from God. God has wonderfully and uniquely blessed us. And so when I say I love our country, I love what God’s done as far as the good things and the unique things and the blessings in our country.

Well, the forth reason why I think we should be patriotic is because loving and supporting my country does not mean I support everything about my country. I cannot support in any way, shape or fashion the murdering of unborn babies. But I still love the principle and the basic foundational truth of what my country is. Though, I do not support that. I absolutely abhor the wickedness of homosexuality and the notion that we are to somehow now call this acceptable, an acceptable alternative lifestyle and legalize it as a officially sanctioned marriage in our country is evil and it’s wrong. But that does not mean that I do not love my country. I love my country. And that’s why I do not stand for those evils.

And then, number five, a reason why I think we ought to be patriotic. And this is the one I want us to focus on this morning, because our patriotism to our country, if we are patriotic in the biblical sense, will serve to advance our Lord and his gospel. The Bible teaches that by being good citizens, good patriotic citizens in the biblical sense will serve to advance our Lord’s name and his gospel throughout this nation and throughout the world.

Now we get to Romans chapter 13. The Apostle Paul is instructing believers on how they’re supposed to view their country and relate to their country. There were some that were suggesting that the Christians would break off and start a new movement and a new culture, and even a new nation, perhaps. And Paul writes and says, that’s not what we’re all about. Christians are not about nation building. We are to function within the nation that we find ourselves and honor the governing authority over them. And when you look at what Paul says here, you need to understand the backdrop of history. Nero was the Roman emperor at this time. Nero was not a good guy. He was a savage beast who repressed his people. He murdered his own mother. He sent his wife away for his mistress. Finally, in his oppression and evil, his own army so disdain him. They turned against him. He committed suicide on June 9th, A.D. 68. Before he committed suicide. There was a great fire that devastated much of the city of Rome and Nero, needing a scapegoat, blamed the fire on Christians, and after that, Christians were mercilessly martyred and brutally murdered because he blamed them for the fire. The best historical record says that Peter and Paul were executed under Nero’s reign.

Now, with that in mind, here’s what Paul says about us, and our patriotic love and devotion to our country ought to be. First of all, he says, we ought to submit to our government, submit to our government. And under that he says, we should submit, because governments are divinely appointed to that position. They have governors, and those who govern are divinely appointed to that position. God is behind this. We do not live in a world where God is out here working and trying to get in and trying to straighten things out and trying to get involved. The scriptures say quite the opposite. God is fully involved in everything that goes on. And God has ordained government and he’s given them this divinely appointed position. We are as Christian citizens of heaven, but at the same time we are citizens of this world down here.

In verse one, Paul says these governments are established by God. It’s the very last of the verse. But being established by God, it means they’re ordained. And it’s the present tense. It means God ordained governments over men and that, system or that or ordination continues to remain in effect. He calls them in verse one, governing authorities. He uses that phrase governing authority because he shows that God is the God of order, not of anarchy and of chaos. Now, we’re not talking about the divine right of kings as some of the ancient lands would talk about. And we’re certainly not talking about any endorsement of a special form of government, because this was an absolute dictatorship under Nero, that Paul is there to support. But simply, God is for a government of order, and God has ordained that man is fallen. And man needs the rules, the restrictions, the oversight of authority. And he’s given government authority to do that. And verse one, he says, there is no authority except from God. Now we’re unique as Christians, even if we’re under a Nero. We would say confidently with Paul, there’s no authority except from God. If Nero is the emperor, God’s ordained. For now that Nero be the emperor. And we don’t necessarily like Nero, but we love God. And if God put you in there, we’re going to honor him.

God help us, Christians, to mature enough in the faith that we remember that we honor authority not based on their personality. We honor authority not based on their performance, but based on their position God has given them. What a clear picture of that with Nero. All rule is under the sovereignty of God. Real quick. Well, look at Daniel. I think this will be on your screen. But Daniel, chapter five, as Daniel is interpreting via the writing on the wall that happened in Belshazzar palace. Daniel says this. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, keep your gifts for yourself, or give your reward to someone else. However, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. O King, the Most High God granted sovereign the grandeur, glory, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. Wait a minute. How did Nebuchadnezzar that wicked pagan king, get in power! God put him there. God put it there.

I want to tell you something. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we serve an almighty, sovereign God. He’s in charge. I hate this little puny God you hear from so many evangelical pulpits where he’s not really sovereign, and God’s just doing the best we can, but evil is doing all this other stuff. Wouldn’t you rather rest, that even the evil on the earth comes through the filtering hands of a sovereign God, and he has a purpose with them for our good and for his glory. That is securing to me to know that he’s in charge. Well, Daniel goes on, and because of the grandeur which he bestowed on him, and all the people, nations and men of every language feared and tremble before him, whoever he wished to kill, whomever he wished he spared alive, and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled. But notice this God has the final word. Verse 20 but when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was disposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. God is saying, I put them in power and I take power away. You honor those I put in government authority. You submit to them. Is what Paul is saying in Romans chapter 13. And brothers and sisters in Christ, that is the way we are to express our Christian patriotism by honoring the government God puts over us. Never condoning any evil policies, our rules or law of the government, but honoring the government.

God is always in control. You remember as we looked at Isaiah on Wednesday nights. In the year that King Uzziah died, the Bible says, Isaiah saw a vision and he saw the Lord sitting on his throne. Well, it devastated the Jews. that king Uzziah that able administrator, and that mighty military man had died. But in the midst of Uzziah dying, God says, I’m still on the throne. I gave you Uzziah, I can give you another king. You don’t look at men, you look at God. You don’t trust in the government. You trusted the God. The God who ordained the government to be ruling over us. Now we can oppose bad government policies or decisions, and we sould do it with the Christians spirit. Matter of fact, I hope many of our young people become lawyers and judges. And in politics we need solid Christians. We need Christian judges, and we need Christian lawyers, and we need solid Christian politicians. And we should oppose the evils in our country and in our government. We should do it with the Christian spirit. But now listen, we never oppose the right of government to govern us. That is rebellion and that will be judged by God.

In verse two he says there, who ever resists authority. Now some of you came back from the womb with one big giant gear working in your flesh nature, which is, resist authority. Amen, you know, you did. It’s part of all of us, but some of us have an extra large gear like that. I’m going to tell you what you better do. You better get that submitted to God and to the Word of God or you are going to fall and God will bring you down. That is not the Christian spirit. Our strength is in our humility. How did our Lord conquer? He conquered by the death on the cross. We don’t conquer our Lord by picking up the sword and slashing and destroying. We conquer through dying for our Lord’s kingdom. That is our might. When we’re weak, then we’re strong. Remember, in Paul’s words, when we’re humble, God’s power supports us. When we’re proud. God’s opposed to us. The Scripture says resisting authority means to rage against him, to fight against God.

Let me say this to you, and I appreciate the good that’s done in many of our Christian, political involvement movements, for lack of a better way to say it. Let me say this to you. Beware of movements in the name of Christ, whose whole mission is the improvement of society, or cleaning up the government because Scripture didn’t give any validity to that. If there are whole call this… now listen, our call is not to change the society. Our call is to build the Kingdom of God for the glory of God — but if we do that, we will change society. But it’s always in that order. Do you get that? My job is to build the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and change me, and with that gospel, and men are changed and men are revived as men and women who love God, they will affect the society for change, but only in that order. Our first and primary goal is not to go out and just improve society or just clean up the government. Paul never went on a crusade for prison reform in Rome. That wasn’t his cause. It needed it, but that was his primary thing.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with our form of government. I don’t see any reason to want to change it. I think it’s the greatest form on earth. I think it’s a blessing from God. I love it and I believe in it. But if you and I lived under a communist dictator, these truths would still hold true for us. I do think there may be something wrong with some of the individuals elected into leadership in our government. It wasn’t long ago, but in that year, 25,000 people were killed on our roads by drunk drivers. And in that year, 1.5 million babies were murdered in their mothers womb through abortion. And you know what our legislature did in that year? They passed a new law to make illegal the use yard darts, you know, the yard darts, to fill them up in the air and like, land on the ground, you can get it in the ring. You get more in the ring than the other gets in the ring, then new win. Well, I guess yard darts can be dangerous. But it’s interesting to me why you get upset about yard darts when drunks are killing 25,000 a year and we’re murdering almost 2 million babies a year, in our government.

Well, in verse five, he says, you ought to be submitting to them for conscience sake, for conscience… therefore it’s necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but for conscience sake. Now this is something that’s very important and something that we need to learn. Never defile your conscience. Now here’s what he means. God put in the heart of every person a conscience, and God’s law is written on that conscience. And deep inside of you, you know that you should submit to God ordained authority. You can’t deny it. I don’t care what you do intellectually. I don’t care how you rationalize why you shouldn’t honor the governing authority. I don’t care how many things you find wrong with them, etc.. The spirit of your heart should submit to them, and that law is written in your heart. And if you do not have that spirit and you do not honor them, you violate your conscience. And if you get used to violating your conscience, you will destroy yourself eventually. So it says, for conscience sake, you know, you’re the honored God ordained authority and don’t violate that conscience that says that to you.

Well, let’s hurry on. Not only are these appointed to this position, you honor those who are appointed to God ordained positions, and that includes your governments. But secondly, God divinely appointed them to punish. He has divinely appointed governments, to punish. It says perish, but that’s punish. So I change that on your notes. If you’re taking notes. First of all, it says in verse two. Those who resist authority have opposed the ordinance of God. When you run into a young person that won’t honor their parents, when you run into somebody that has a dishonorable spirit toward government, when you run into a church member that have a less than honorable, tenacious spirit in church elders. Here’s what you say to them. Why do you oppose God? That’s the issue. That’s immediately where Paul brings us here. They oppose the ordinance of God, and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

So God has ordained that condemnation would come when people rebelled against his ordinance of government’s authority to govern. And notice what he says about them in verse four. He says, it, our government is a minister of God to you for good. Now the word minister there is a word that is strictly used in a religious sense. God equates government leaders as ministers along the line of God ordained gospel preachers. That’s an incredible thing. Here’s the way you should look at it. That policeman that pulls you over. Is a God ordained minister. That city councilman is a God ordained minister. You say, I grew up with that guy… He’s an idiot! Doesn’t matter! Well, he fails here, and he’s weak there, and he’s not right. It doesn’t matter. That’s what the scriptures tell you. He’s a God ordained minister. And I’ve made it a pattern of my life. When I get pulled over and I don’t care if he’s a church member of mine. I respect him as my authority. That’s being a patriotic Christian and loving your country biblically. Our president is a God ordained minister. And we should honor them because God has ordained them. And then he says in verse four, to bear the sword. They have a divine right to punish. They have a divine right to execute or render capital punishment. They have a divine right and even a responsibility to wage war, to punish evildoers and to protect the homeland.

Well, number two, not only should we submit to them, but we should support them. That’s what Paul says here. This is how you’re a patriotic Christian. We should support them. First of all, are you ready? Take a deep breath. With our taxes. I got one Amen out of the choir. And he has so many children who don’t pay taxes. Amen. But now. Seriously? Our Lord tells us that that is a spiritual thing that you do. You might say, well, when I write out my taxes, I had to pay more this year, but I write out my taxes, I don’t feel very spiritual. That’s because you’re not normal. You need to become a normal Christian and see this as an ordained system that God has established. And it might help you with your attitude. When you pay taxes. Notice how he words it in verse six. For because, this. Because of what? Because they’re ministers of God. You pay taxes. What he is doing there is saying this. The children of Israel understood from time immemorial, they give tithes and offerings to pay for the priests, to provide for the priests The new testament church has known that for 2000 years we give tithes and offerings to support the pastors. He says in the same way you pay taxes to support God’s ministers who are in government. I don’t like some of those guys in government. Have you ever tried Nero out? See, that gives a new light to this whole thing.

Hang with me. Here’s my suggestion to you. Find every legal deduction you can find and then pay what you owe on taxes as a gift to the minister of God. That’s God’s will. Will Rogers said one time, just be glad you’re not getting all the government you’re paying for. A lot of truth to that.

Well, supporting with our resources. And then lastly, we really touched on this well, but we’ll touch on it again, support them with our respect for respect. Verse six. But because of this you also pay taxes for rulers are servants of God. This word servant is the same word Paul used to talk of himself as a servant of God. So he’s showing how much respect should you have for God’s preacher. If you are a Christian of the Bible, you know what that means. I read Hebrews 13:17 says here to obey and submit to your pastors. That’s high respect. And then Paul writes the same phrase he would use for pastors, and he gives it for governing authority. It shows the respect that we owe them.

Another verse is very important. Is Titus 3:1 Notice how he words it here. Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient to be ready for every good deed. And then here’s the one I really want us to look at as we’re closing down. First Peter 2:13-17. Submit yourself, for the Lord’s sake, to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors, as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. Notice this, for such is the will of God — here is the primary, ultimate, highest motivation for Christian to be patriotic in this way. For such is the will of God, that by doing right, you silence the ignorance of foolish men. That means Satan is ever working to discredit the body of Christ. Satan is ever working to hurt our testimony and hurt our reputation. Peter says, if your people in your church will honor governing authority with a joyous, submissive, respectful spirit, you will silence those who are against you and you will clear the way to spread your testimony of Jesus Christ to your nation.

Now let’s bring this thing full circle. What’s the best thing we can do for our nation? The patriotic Christians do what God’s Word says and we will be, in effect, plowing the way, paving roads to spread our Lord’s Gospel. But we’re not ever going to be any good at it. And we bow up and we’re hard hearted and we’re stiff necked and have disrespectful attitudes, listen, against the ordinance of God. We can’t do it our way. We got the Bible way and God aligned. And I’ve said to you, year after year after year, what’s the greatest thing we can do for our country to be a true biblical church? That’s the greatest thing we can do.

I want to close with just some thoughts about America. Some of the peoples have claimed that freedom, but American freedom is different from all others. In the beginning of the Declaration of Independence, it says in I quote, men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So our founding fathers believed that our rights and our privileges are defined and given by God. Ultimately, we don’t look to a brilliant man as the founder of our country. We look to the God man, Jesus Christ. In the end of the Declaration of Independence, they wrote, and I quote, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions through publishing to declare the things United colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states with firm reliance on the protection of divine providence. We mutually pledge each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. So they were implying that we are responsible to God for the actions we are taking, and declaring ourselves independent, and a free nation and a free people. So this is what makes our freedom different.

France had a revolution along the same time. We had a revolution, but theirs was not founded on God like ours is founded on God. Ours is a freedom unto God. And here’s what you must understand as a Christian. I hope others did not make us free to do what we want. They established freedom so that we could do what we aught under God. Free to honor God and obey God, not free to get into the flesh. Is the freedom of America. To our founding fathers, the God that they look to that inspired this freedom was not the God of Buddism, not the God of Confucianism, not the God of Islam, and not the God of humanism. It was the God of the Old and New Testament.

The testimonies of this truth are all over our country. Take a look at the Library of Congress. Take a look at the Washington Monument. Take a look at the Lincoln Memorial. Take a look at the Supreme Court. You find references to God, the Bible, Providence and the Almighty all over the place. Above the heads of the Supreme Court, there are the Ten Commandments on the Washington Monument. Quote. Praise be to God and quote, search the scriptures and quote holiness under the Lord and quote, train up a child in the way he should go. In the Library of Congress there are numerous Scripture quotations: Psalm 91, John 1:5, and Micah 6:8, which says, what does the Lord require of but to do justly, and love mercy, and to walk humbly before our God. In the capital is the stained glass window with George Washington kneeling, and the words of Psalm 16:1, which says, preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust.

John Adams said, our Constitution was made only for religious and moral people. It is inadequate for the government of any other. Patrick Henry said the Bible is worth all of the books which have ever been printed. Ulysses S. Grant said the Bible is the anchor of our liberties. That great Southern General, Robert E. Lee said, and all our perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me life and strength. Lord Tennyson said Bible reading is an education in itself. And Andrew Jackson, when someone in his presence said something slighting about the scripture, said this: that book, sir, is the rock on which our Republic rests.

So today, as we celebrate our country’s independence, we must be mindful of the secret of our greatness and our freedom. And that secret is the Word of God. Thomas Jefferson said it with this I’ll closed. My God, how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy?