Can the Church Be Great Again Sermon
8/5/20 – By Sam McKeen
I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed recently and was distressed to encounter many contentious politically oriented posts. Especially because some of the posts and mean-spirited comments were from those that merits to be Christians.
I don't demand to tell you that in today's culture we seem to take lost bones civility. No longer can nosotros have discussions and dialogue with those we don't hold with and part friends or at least respect the other person. No, instead we vilify and demonize those that disagree with us.
Author and philosopher Bone Guinness in observing the deep divisions in our nation believes that America is in its greatest crisis since the Ceremonious War, and perhaps since the American Revolution.
Why are we hither? What has happened to crusade these deep divides?
1 of the major reasons we are where we are today is that people, including many Christians, have elevated the government to the place of God. We have a misplaced reliance on the government. We care more about who is sitting in the oval office than living the life God has chosen us to live. As Christians nosotros have forgotten that nosotros are citizens of heaven first and citizens of America second.
Perchance you strongly disagree with what I just said. Y'all are thinking, "I don't idolize the government or political leaders. I do non worship the government and certainly don't retrieve that the government is going solve all my problems."
Let me enquire yous a few questions:
How much fourth dimension to y'all spend reading, watching or listening to political commentary compared to spending time in God'south Word?
How much fourth dimension to you spend discussing or arguing political issues compared to having spiritual conversations and sharing the Gospel?
How much of your social media action is related to politics compared to posts and comments that are God glorifying?
If we are honest, we would admit that we worship the authorities and politics more than we realize. If we took all the time, energy, and attention that we spend in the political loonshit, and instead invested that in service to our God, what kind of affect could we have in our society? See nosotros can't exist good citizens of America if we are not good citizens of God's Kingdom offset.
In order to help usa correct our thinking let's review what the Bible has to say about God, the government, and citizens.
God established government and gave it authority.
Let every person be subject to the governing regime. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Romans 13:1(ESV)
Romans 13:1 makes information technology pretty articulate that governments are established by God, only exactly what authority and function does the authorities have? To answer that consider these two passages that speak of earthly rulers:
For he is God's retainer for your skillful. Only if you practice wrong, be afraid, for he does non acquit the sword in vain. For he is the retainer of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
Romans xiii:iv(ESV)
Be subject for the Lord's sake to every homo institution, whether it be to the emperor every bit supreme, or to governors as sent past him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who exercise good.
1 Peter 2:thirteen-14(ESV)
From these passages we tin understand that the government is divinely appointed and commissioned to administer justice, punish evil, and encourage goodness among its citizens.
God is the ultimate authority.
Allow every person be subject field to the governing authorities. For at that place is no dominance except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Romans thirteen:ane(ESV)
Romans 13:i also reminds us that God is the ultimate authorisation. God is sovereign over all rulers and governments. The following two verses affirm this truth:
The king's centre is a stream of water in the paw of the Lord; he turns it wherever he volition.
Proverbs 21:ane(ESV)
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and noesis to those who accept understanding;
Daniel two:21(ESV)
Everyone is to be subject to the governing authorities.
Let every person be field of study to the governing authorities. For there is no dominance except from God, and those that be accept been instituted by God.
Romans 13:one(ESV)
Romans 13:1 makes it very clear that we are to be submit to the regime. Peter likewise states this in his first epistle.
Award anybody. Honey the brotherhood. Fright God. Honor the emperor.
1 Peter 2:17(ESV)
Keep in mind the emperor that Peter is referencing is Nero. If you know annihilation near Nero, you know him for his lunacy and persecution of Christians. If Peter is telling the church during the dominion of Nero to honor the rex, and so we practise not accept any excuse when it comes to honoring our rulers.
Of course, the question that immediately comes to heed is, "What if government forbids what God commands or commands what God forbids?" The simple answer is that when that occurs, Christians have the right to disobey their government.
In Acts v we take the business relationship of Peter and the apostles being arrested and imprisoned for teaching about Jesus.
And when they had brought them, they ready them before the council. And the loftier priest questioned them, saying, "We strictly charged you lot not to teach in this name, still hither you lot have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you lot intend to bring this human being's blood upon the states." Simply Peter and the apostles answered, "Nosotros must obey God rather than men."
Acts v:27-29(ESV)
It is not always unproblematic to determine when the laws of a government actually prevent what God commands or control what God forbids. Simply the principle of obeying God over obedience to the government remains. It is possible to disobey the regime while nonetheless obeying the imperative to submit to it. Let me explain.
While we naturally presume that submission and obedience are synonymous, they are not the same thing. You tin can obey without submitting and you tin can submit without obeying. Submission is about placing yourself under someone's authority and oversight. It is not only about your actions, but about your relationship to them.
A great instance of submission to the regime while disobeying the government is Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
In Daniel one they would not eat certain unclean foods.
In Daniel 3 they would not worship a statue.
In Daniel 6 Daniel would non stop praying to God.
Although they disobeyed, they respected the Babylonian leaders who were over them. They submitted to the rex's potency to punish them and put them to decease if he saw fit to exercise so. God blest them for their courageous choice to accolade God above the Rex.
The reality is that when people ignore God and His truth they increasingly look to the regime as the savior. They look to the government to supply their needs. Believers must not autumn into this wrong way of thinking. Believers must have the courage to stand firm and remember who their rightful Male monarch is. They must remember the 1 they tin can trust and depend on. The one who can truly provide their needs.
So, who are y'all worshipping and putting your trust in? God or the regime?
A Christian's loyalty to the Kingdom of God should trump their loyalty to America. Let'south make God great again! Here is a final give-and-take of encouragement.
The 1 who provides for our deepest needs and brings true peace is not on a ballot. God lonely can truly help our nation and the nations of the globe.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my assistance come up? My assist comes from the Lord, who fabricated heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:i-two(ESV)
This guest post was written by Sam McKeen. Sam serves as the Associate Pastor at Eye Barnstead Christian Church.
Source: https://centerbarnsteadcc.org/make-god-great-again/
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