As followers of Jesus, we are to seek to influence government towards its divine design and towards the message and teachings of Jesus...

This week, we have been be looking at the different ways that followers of Jesus have tended to view to role that government has and how followers of Jesus are to engage government. On one end of the continuum or spectrum would be those who would advocate for what could be described as the view that government should compel religion. A step to the left on this continuum would be the “Do politics not evangelism” position that advocates for Christians to flood the political and government arenas as a means to bring political and cultural change.

On the other end of the continuum would be those who would advocate for what could be described as the view that government should exclude religion. Proponents of this view would advocate that we should exclude religion from government and politics. A step to the right of this view would be those who hold to the “do evangelism, not politics” view that followers of Jesus should disengage from government and politics to live as outsiders that just focus on telling others about Jesus and keep the culture out of the church and focus on following Jesus until He returns. 

However, I believe that the view that government should compel religion where followers of Jesus place their hope in government by attempting to legislate morality does not line up with the message and teachings of Jesus. And I believe that the view that government should exclude religion and that followers of Jesus should disengage from government and politics to live as outsiders focused solely on the gospel does not line up with the message and teachings of Jesus.

Instead, I would like for us to look to a third way, a way that seems to be repeated throughout the letters that make up the Bible. And that way is what Wayne Grudem refers to as Christian influence. We see the way of Christian influence revealed for us in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Jeremiah. So let’s look at this section together, beginning in Jeremiah 29:1:

Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,

This section of the book of Jeremiah begins by providing us the context for what we will be looking at this morning. At this point in history, which was in 594 B.C., the Jewish people were living as a conquered people in the land of Babylon, which was the dominant military and political power in the world at this time in history. Yet, while the Jewish people were living as a conquered people in exile in the nation of Babylon, there were prophets who were predicting and proclaiming that the exile would soon end and that the Jewish people would return to Jerusalem.

And as Jeremiah received word that those in Babylon were being told that the exile would soon end and that they would be returning to Jerusalem, Jeremiah sat down to send a letter to these exiles in Babylon. You see, Jeremiah wrote this letter to these exiles because Jeremiah knew something that they did not know and that the prophets who were telling them that they would soon return to Jerusalem did not know. Jeremiah then reveals what he knew that no one else knew in Jeremiah 29:4:

  "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 'Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 'Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.' "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 'For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."?

Here we see Jeremiah reveal to the Jewish people two things. First, we see Jeremiah reveal the reality that what he knew that they did not know was that the Lord was behind their defeat and exile from Jerusalem to the nation of Babylon. Notice what the Lord says to the Jewish people through Jeremiah in verse 4: to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

You see, the Lord was not surprised at their exile; the Lord was behind their exile. The Lord was behind their exile because the Jewish people selfishly rebelled and rejected the Lord by refusing to follow the Law of the Lord. Because, as we talked about earlier, you cannot legislate morality, legislation does not change human hearts, legislation only reveals the selfishness and rebellion within human hearts and punishes that selfishness and rebellion.

After revealing the reality that the Lord was behind their exile, Jeremiah revealed to the Jewish people something else, which was how the Jewish people were to live as exiles. Let’s look at these verses again, beginning in verse 5:

'Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 'Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.

In other words, the Lord basically says to the Jewish people “You need to settle down in Babylon because you are going to be there for a while. And since you are going to be there a while, put down roots and live life there. Get your degree, start your career. Don’t put your life on hold but move forward in your life when it comes to your residence and your relationships.” Then look what the Lord says in verse 7:

'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.'  "For thus says the LORD of hosts,  the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 'For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,' declares the LORD.

Notice what the Lord does not call the Jewish people to do. Notice that Jeremiah does not call the Jewish people to protest their captivity by starting a new political party in an attempt to promote, compel, of force the residents of Babylon to worship the Lord. And notice that the Lord does not call the Jewish people to segregate themselves from engaging culture or government and only talk about the Lord. Also, notice that the Lord does not call the Jewish people to compromise His message and teachings so as to be accepted by the culture.

Instead, the Lord calls the Jewish people to seek the welfare of the city where He had sent them into exile. In other words, the Jewish people were to engage the nation and culture in a way that would result in the good and prosperity of the nation. In addition, the Lord called the Jewish people to pray for the nation of Babylon. And the Lord did call the Jewish people to pray for the downfall and destruction of Babylon. Instead, the Lord called for the Jewish people to pray for welfare and well-being of the Babylonian Empire.

The Lord then explained that the reason behind His call to seek and pray for the welfare of the Babylonian Empire was that for in its welfare you will have welfare. The Lord called the Jewish people to leverage their lives in such a way that would promote the health, peace and prosperity of the nation. The Lord called the Jewish people to live in exile as exiles that were an influence in their area of influence that promoted the good of the nation and peace and prosperity within the nation.

And it is here that we discover the timeless answer to the issue of how followers of Jesus should view the role that government has and how we are to engage government as followers of Jesus. And that timeless answer is this: As followers of Jesus, we are to seek to influence government towards its divine design and towards the message and teachings of Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we are to seek opportunities where we can influence government toward God’s design and purpose for government. As followers of Jesus we are to seek opportunities where we can influence government toward the message and teachings of Jesus when it comes to living in the relationship with others as a nation. As followers of Jesus, we are to seek opportunities where we can influence government in way that promotes the welfare and well-being of the nation.

 This means that as followers of Jesus, we seek to exert influence in a way that protects the religious freedoms of all people, even those who are not Christians. You see, without the influence of followers of Jesus, government will have no moral compass as almost every political decision and law has a moral component.

Now what this does not mean is that followers of Jesus are to be Bullhorn-toting, Bible thumpers. You see, you can only exert influence if you are viewed as being influential. And you are only influential when you are given a sphere of influence. Instead, as followers of Jesus, we are to seek to influence others in a way that reveals and reflects Jesus as a result of being loving, engaging, and persuasive, both in our words and actions.

In addition, to exert influence as a follower of Jesus does not mean that, as a Christian, you should only vote for people who say that they are Christians. Exerting influence as a follower of Jesus means that we vote based on how a candidate votes and engages in politics. We are voting for a political leader not a pastor.

Now a natural question that might be running through your mind is “Well Dave, isn’t America a Christian nation?” My response would be this: It depends on how you define what one means when one says "Christian nation". If you define being a Christian nation based on America being founded on Judeo-Christian principles, then yes, America is a Christian nation. However, if you define being a Christian nation on a nation promoting Christian principles, then no we are not a Christian nation.

Most studies show that, at best, only 20% of Americans would be considered to holding a Biblical worldview and having a Biblical relationship with Jesus. That is why this idea of followers of Jesus seeking to influence government towards its divine design and towards the message and teachings of Jesus is so important. As followers of Jesus we have an obligation to understand how the message and teachings of Jesus speak into the various social, cultural, and political issues so as to be well informed and vote intelligently as we live lives as missionaries and as exiles. That is the whole point of this series.

In addition, we see the example of such influence throughout the letters that make up the Bible. Examples of such significant influence include, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah.  As we discovered last week, God is the God of all peoples and God has called us to be missionaries to all peoples who are far from Him. And one of the ways that we do that is to live lives that seek to influence government towards it Divine Design and towards the message and teachings of Jesus.  

Now, and a natural question that arises is “Well Dave, if what you have said is true: If government was designed by God to represent Him in a way that promotes good for people and punishes the evil of people; if we are to seek to influence government towards its divine design and towards the message and teachings of Jesus; then what kind of government is the right government? Does Jesus promote socialism? Communism? A monarchy? Democracy? A Republic?

That is a great question. And next week, we will spend our time answering that question...

The other end of the spectrum of how followers of Jesus view their engagement in government and politics...

This week, we are addressing the question of how followers of Jesus should view the role that government has and how we are to engage government as followers of Jesus. To answer these questions, we are going to spend part of our time looking at the various positions that followers of Jesus have advocated for when it comes to how followers of Jesus are to view the role that government has and how followers of Jesus are to engage government. We will then look at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible that I believe provides a timeless and true answer to how followers of Jesus are to view the role of government and engage government. I would like for us to view these different views on a continuum, or spectrum, so to speak.

Yesterday, we looked at one end of the continuum or spectrum would be those who would advocate for what could be described as the view that government should compel religion. Proponents of this view would advocate that civil government should promote or compel its citizens to support or follow one particular religion. We also took a step to the left on this continuum or spectrum, at the view that would advocate for Christians to flood the political and government arenas as a means to bring political and cultural change. Wayne Grudem refers to this view as the “Do politics not evangelism” position. This position maintains that if Christians were able to be in positions of political and government power, they would be able to advocate for the passage of legislation that place Christian principles and practices into the forefront of culture in a way that would bring cultural change.

However, I believe that those who advocated for Christians to flood the political and government arenas as a means to bring cultural change with the “Do politics not evangelism” position missed two major Biblical themes. First, has the concept of legislating morality ever worked? Second, many who advocated for Christians to flood the political and government arenas as a means to bring cultural change with the “Do politics not evangelism” position ended up placing their hope in politics. However, the message and teachings of Jesus make it abundantly clear that there is only one object that we are to place our hope in; and that object is not politics or government, that object is Jesus. And unfortunately, the misplaced hope of the moral majority movement and others like it in the 70’s through the 90’s turned off an entire generation to the idea of church.

Today, I would like for us to look at the other end of the spectrum, so to speak when it comes to what followers of Jesus have advocated for when it comes to how followers of Jesus are to view the role that government has and how followers of Jesus are to engage government. On the other end of the continuum or spectrum would be those who would advocate for what could be described as the view that government should exclude religion. Proponents of this view would advocate that we should exclude religion from government and politics.

 

However, there are several problems with this view. First, the view that government should exclude religion fails to make a distinction between the reason for a law and the content of the law. While many of our laws have religious reasons behind them, that does not mean that these laws, in themselves, establish religion. For example, all religious systems have a law against murder, but a law against murder does not establish that religious system. In addition, this view changes freedom of religion to freedom from religion and wrongly restricts freedom of religion and freedom of speech. As we discovered earlier, the idea of separation of church and state was about government not establishing a state religion, not to keep religion out of public discourse.

If we were to take a step to the right from the view that government should exclude religion, we would find those who hold the view that, as followers of Jesus, we should disengage from government and politics to live as outsiders. This view leads what Wayne Grudem refers to as the to “do evangelism, not politics” view. This view would say that we should not engage the culture in the political process; instead, we should just tell others about Jesus. This view would say that we need to keep the culture out of the church and focus on following Jesus until He returns. 

However, there are several problems with "do evangelism not politics" view. The first problem is that following Jesus is not simply about getting into Heaven. Following Jesus is about shining the light of the kingdom of heaven into dark places and spaces and we cannot do that if we simply remove ourselves from conversations about culture and politics. In addition, those who advocate the "do evangelism not politics" view can tend to make a false distinction between evangelism and discipleship. You see, evangelism and discipleship are not separate processes. Instead, evangelism is just the first step in discipleship.

Also, the message and teachings of Jesus call us to be salt and light that transforms our culture by engaging our culture in a way that helps to improve the culture. Another question that arises from this view is if the church should just do evangelism and not get involved in the culture or politics, then what parts of the Bible are we not going to preach about so we only talk about the gospel? What parts of the Bible are we going to ignore so that we can only talk about evangelism?

Finally, this view overlooks the reality that God divinely designed and established both the church and government to restrain evil. Think of it this way: If we are just supposed to talk about evangelism; if the church is just about bringing people to Jesus, then what are the good works that Paul talks about in Ephesians 2:10?

You see, when we read the letters that make up the Bible, we discover that when a nation experienced genuine and lasting cultural change, three things happened. First, the people within that nation experience a change in their hearts that result in them pursuing good and not evil. Second, the people within that nation experience a change in their minds so that their moral convictions align more closely with the message and teaching of Jesus. Third, the people within that nation make a change in their laws in a way that promotes the good for people and punishes the evil of people.

With that in mind, how can people experience a heart transformation that only comes through the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel if we are on the end of the continuum or spectrum that advocates government exclusion of religion or that followers of Jesus just focus on politics and not evangelism? How can people experience a change in thinking that results in moral convictions that line up with the message and teachings of Jesus if followers of Jesus just remain in a holy huddle and do not engage culture? How can the government of a nation have laws that promote the good for people and punish the evil of people as God designed it if followers of Jesus are not engaging in politics or government? 

I believe that the view that government should compel religion or the "do politics not evangelism" views where followers of Jesus place their hope in government by attempting to legislate morality does not line up with the message and teachings of Jesus. And I believe that the view that government should exclude religion and the "do evangelism not politics" view that followers of Jesus should disengage from government and politics to live as outsiders focused solely on the gospel does not line up with the message and teachings of Jesus. Instead, I would like for us to look to a third way, a way that seems to be repeated throughout the letters that make up the Bible. And that way is what Wayne Grudem refers to as Christian influence.

We see the way of Christian influence revealed for us in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Jeremiah. Friday, we will look at this section together...

One end of the spectrum of how followers of Jesus view their engagement in government and politics...

At the church where I serve, we are in the midst of a sermon series entitled “Vote for Jesus”. During this series, our hope and our prayer is to accomplish three specific goals. First, our hope and our prayer is to demonstrate that Jesus is not a republican and Jesus is not a democrat. Instead, Jesus is God and as God Jesus is the one that we are to place our hope in, not a political party. Second, our hope and our prayer is to equip and empower us to think critically and Biblically when it comes to the issues that our culture is faced with that often express themselves in the political process. And third, our hope and prayer is to provide a framework from the message and teachings of Jesus when it comes to how we as followers of Jesus are to engage in the government and in the political process in way that reveals and reflects Jesus to those around us.

My goal is not to tell you how you should vote on any particular ballot measure. In addition, I am not going to endorse any political candidate.  Instead, I am going to strive to present the political platform that Jesus would run on if Jesus was running for political office. This week, I would like for us to address and answer the question of how followers of Jesus should view the role that government has and how we are to engage government as followers of Jesus.

To answer these questions, we are going to spend part of our time looking at the various positions that followers of Jesus have advocated for when it comes to how followers of Jesus are to view the role that government has and how followers of Jesus are to engage government. We will then look at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible that I believe provides a timeless and true answer to how followers of Jesus are to view the role of government and engage government.

So, with all that in mind, I would like to begin by looking at the different ways that followers of Jesus have tended to view to role that government has and how followers of Jesus are to engage government. I would like for us to view these different views on a continuum, or spectrum, so to speak.

On one end of the continuum or spectrum would be those who would advocate for what could be described as the view that government should compel religion. Proponents of this view would advocate that civil government should promote or compel its citizens to support or follow one particular religion. What is fascinating about this view is that the idea that government should compel its citizens to support or follow one particular religion is what led to the pilgrims to travel to America and found the United States of America.

In Europe in the 15, 16, and 1700’s, countries had a state sponsored church that its citizens were called to attend. For example, in England, the state church was the Church of England, which is also known as the Anglican Church. In Germany, the state church was the Catholic or Lutheran church.  In Switzerland, the state church was the Catholic or the Reformed church.

The pilgrims left Europe to come to what we know today as the United States so that they could experience freedom of religion where communities could have Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic churches in each community. The idea of separation of church and state, for the founders of the United States, was that there would be no such thing as a government sponsored church. Instead people would have the freedom to worship God without government required sponsorship.

In addition to the argument that the founders of our country had against the view that government should compel religion, there is the argument that Jesus Himself made against government promoting or compelling religion. In a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew, Matthew records for us an event from history where a group of self righteous religious people attempted to trap Jesus with the question “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” In Matthew 22:18-21 Jesus answered this question with the statement “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s”.

As Wayne Grudem points out, what is significant about this statement is that Jesus reveals for us the reality that there are to be two different spheres of influence, one for the government and one for the religious life of the people of God. Some things, such as taxes, belong to the civil government “the things that are Caesar’s”, which implies that the church should not try to control these things.

On the other hand, some things belong to people’s religious life “the things that are God’s”, which implies that the civil government should not try to control those things. In addition, when we read the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible, we repeatedly discover that Jesus refused to try to compel people to believe in Him. Jesus repeatedly gave people the freedom to reject Him and repeatedly let people walk away from Him as they rejected Him. And because of this reality, as followers of Jesus we should support freedom of religion and oppose any government attempt to force people to follow or believe in one particular religion.

Now, with this idea of a continuum or spectrum in mind, if we were to take a step to the left on this continuum or spectrum, we would find those who would advocate for Christians to flood the political and government arenas as a means to bring political and cultural change. Wayne Grudem refers to this view as the “Do politics not evangelism” position.

This position maintains that if Christians were able to be in positions of political and government power, they would be able to advocate for the passage of legislation that place Christian principles and practices into the forefront of culture in a way that would bring cultural change. This position was popularized in the 70’s and 80’s in the moral majority movement led by Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and others. The belief behind this view is that with the right political candidate, Christians would be able to begin to bring the light of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Similarly, the social gospel movement has attempted to address societal and cultural issues through legislation and political action without sharing the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.

However, I believe that those who advocated for Christians to flood the political and government arenas as a means to bring cultural change with the “Do politics not evangelism” position missed two major Biblical themes. First, has the concept of legislating morality ever worked? How did legislating morality work for the Jewish people in the Old Testament? Did the laws, principles, and practices of the Old Testament bring change to the Jewish people? You see, legislation can never change the human heart. Government legislation can promote good for people and punish the evil of people, but government legislation does not make evil people good people.

Second, many who advocated for Christians to flood the political and government arenas as a means to bring cultural change with the “Do politics not evangelism” position ended up placing their hope in politics. However, the message and teachings of Jesus make it abundantly clear that there is only one object that we are to place our hope in; and that object is not politics or government, that object is Jesus.

And unfortunately, the misplaced hope of the moral majority movement and others like it in the 70’s through the 90’s turned off an entire generation to the idea of church. An entire generation has been turned off to the idea of church because they view Christians and the church more interested in fighting the culture wars than in telling them about Jesus. An entire generation has been turned off to the idea of church because they view Christians as only interested in telling them what they are against, not what they are for.

Tomorrow, we will look at the other end of the spectrum, or continuum of views when it comes to how followers of Jesus have tended to view to role that government has and how followers of Jesus are to engage government…

Government was designed by God to represent Him in a way that promotes good for people and punishes the evil of people...

This week, we have been addressing the question of whether or not followers of Jesus should be involved in government in general. More specifically, I would like us to address the origins of government. In other words, is government a human endeavor invented by humans? Or is government something that comes from God that humans are to be involved in? Where did government come from?

We looked at Genesis 9:5-7 and discovered the foundational principles for the establishment of government. We saw the Lord delegate to human beings throughout history the responsibility to carry out the punishment of evil and to protect the common good of society. One of the purposes of government is that government has been given the responsibility to punish evil and encourage good.

We then looked at Romans 13:1-5, where we saw Paul reinforce the reality that followers of Jesus are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government.  In Romans 13:1-2, we see Paul reveal that we must submit to government because God designed government as an authority over us. Government derives its authority because of the fact that it is established and put into place by the Lord Himself. And because of that reality, as citizens, we should be subject to the government and obey the laws of the government.

Paul also stated that the very act of opposing government is to place ourselves in opposition to God. When we choose to oppose the government that choice places us in a position to be punished and judged by government as God’s instrument of justice on earth. Then, in Romans 13:3-5, we discovered that we are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government in that government’s divine design and purpose is to punish evil and promote justice on earth. Government was put into place by God as an intermediary, or representative, of God to promote justice for those who do well and to punish evil by responding with righteousness and justice to wrongdoing and injustice.

Government was divinely designed by God to execute justice and defend the weak. In addition, a purpose of government is to create structures that execute swift punishment for crime so as to be a deterrent to crime. In addition, another purpose of government is to promote the good of the people who are under that government. Governments have been designed by God in such a way that they have a responsibility to safeguard and promote human liberty.

And as a result we are to submit to government, whether good or bad, because ultimately, all governments are placed into authority by God as His representative on earth. However, when government attempts to force us to disobey God we are to choose to disobey government and obey God. And our attitude in expressing civil disobedience is just as important as the act of disobedience itself. If we refuse to obey government for religious reasons, we should not be rebellious in our attitude and be prepared to accept whatever consequences that the government imposes.

Today, we see Paul provide us a third reason why followers of Jesus are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government in Romans 13:6-7. Let’s look at it together:

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.

In these verses, we see Paul reveal for us the reality that we are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government by fulfilling our responsibilities. Paul reveals for us four different ways that we as followers of Jesus are to fulfill our responsibilities to government. First, we are to pay our taxes. We are to pay our taxes to whom it is due; local, state, and federal. Jesus Himself conveyed our responsibility to pay taxes when questioned by the religious leaders of the day in Matthew 22:17-21. Second, we are to pay customs to whom it is due. An example of a custom would be the fees at an airport that are charged by the government; or a fishing or hunting license.

But notice that Paul calls us to fulfill our responsibilities to the government not only with our finances. We are also to fulfill our responsibilities to our government with a proper attitude. Paul states that we are to have an attitude of healthy fear toward our government. What Paul is conveying by this phrase is that we are to recognize and follow in submission and obedience the authority that God has placed over us in government.

And Paul continues by stating that we are to do so in a way that honors and respects those in authority over us in government. While we may not agree with those in authority over us in terms of their policy positions or stands on different social, political, and moral issues, we are to treat them with the respect and honor that their position of authority deserves. This includes those in politics; law enforcement, such as police officers; or public safety, such as fireman.

And it is here that we discover the timeless answer to the questions “Where did the idea of government come from? And what are the responsibilities of government?” And that timeless answer is this: Government was designed by God to represent Him in a way that promotes good for people and punishes the evil of people.

God, who is sovereign over all nations, created the institution of government to represent Him in a way that punishes evil and encourages good. God created government for all humanity as all humanity is responsible and accountable to Him. God designed government to serve the people and seek the good of the people, not the good of the rulers of the people.

God designs and establishes all governments, even though some governments do not follow His commands or desires. And because of that reality, we are to be subject to the government and obey the laws of the government, unless those laws attempt to compel us to directly violate the message and teachings of Jesus.

However, while government was designed by God to represent Him in a way that promotes good for people and punishes the evil of people, government was never designed to be the object that we place our ultimate hope in. Government was never designed to be a vehicle that fundamentally changes human hearts. And government cannot rescue someone from the selfishness and rebellion that separates them from God.

Now a natural question that arises is “Well Dave, if what you have said is true: If government was designed by God to represent Him in a way that promotes good for people and punishes the evil of people; then how are we supposed to engage government and politics in the culture we are in today? How are we supposed to engage in government and politics in the current toxic cultural and climate that we find ourselves in?

That is a great question. And next week, we will spend our time together answering that question...

Is it ever okay to disobey government?

This week we are asking the questions "Where did government come from? What is the purpose of government?" Yesterday, we looked at a section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, where we saw the foundational principles for the establishment of government. In Genesis 9:5-7, we see the Lord delegate to human beings throughout history the responsibility to carry out the punishment of evil and to protect the common good of society.

And because of that reality, one of the purposes of government is that government has been given the responsibility to punish evil and encourage good. Today, we will see this reality reinforced in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Romans. So let’s look at that together, beginning in 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.

Paul begins this section of his letter to the members of the church at Rome by revealing for us the reality that followers of Jesus are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government.  In Romans 13:1-7, we see Paul reveal three reasons why followers of Jesus are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government.

First, we see that we must submit to government because God designed government as an authority over us. In verse 1, we see Paul reveal to us the reality that government has its ultimate design and establishment by God. The word establish, in the language this letter was originally written in, literally means to put into place. Paul is explaining to the members of the church at Rome, and followers of Jesus throughout history, that government derives its authority because of the fact that it is established and put into place by the Lord Himself.

And because of that reality, as citizens, we should be subject to the government and obey the laws of the government. Paul also states in verse 2 that the very act of opposing government is to place ourselves in opposition to God. Paul’s point here is that when we choose to oppose the government that choice places us in a position to be punished and judged by government as God’s instrument of justice on earth.  We see Paul unpack this reality in Romans 13:3:

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.

Here we see Paul reveals for us a second reason why we are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government in that government’s divine design and purpose is to punish evil and promote justice on earth. Government was put into place by God as an intermediary, or representative, of God to promote justice for those who do well and to punish evil by responding with righteousness and justice to wrongdoing and injustice. When Paul uses the phrase “do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same,” he is pointing out two powerful principles.

First, Paul is pointing out the principle that government was divinely designed by God to execute justice and defend the weak. In addition, when Paul states “But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing;” he is revealing for us the reality that a purpose of government is to create structures that execute swift punishment for crime so as to be a deterrent to crime.

Second, Paul points out the principle that government was divinely designed to serve the people and seek the good of the people, not the rulers. That is why, in the very first part of verse 4, Paul states that government is a “minister of God to you for good.”  And because of that reality, governments would exist even in a sinless world because a purpose of government is to promote the good of the people who are under that government. Governments have been designed by God in such a way that they have a responsibility to safeguard and promote human liberty.

Now, a natural question and objection that often arises here is “But what about governments who do not do operate according to God’s design? What about governments who fail to punish evil and promote justice?” In Romans 13:5, we see Paul explain to us that we are to submit to government even if government is either unwilling or unable to punish evil and promote justice.

Paul states that we are to submit to government not only because it is designed to punish evil; we are also to submit to government because of conscience’s sake. Now our conscience is one’s inward faculty for determining right and wrong. What Paul is communicating by this phrase is that we are to submit to government, whether good or bad, because ultimately, all governments are placed into authority by God as His representative on earth.

Now some of you may be thinking, “But what about evil governments? What about the Nazi’s in WW II or China or Iran today? Are we, as followers of Jesus, supposed to obey evil governments?” It is important to understand that God designs and establishes all governments, even though some governments do not follow His commands or desires. So, if it is the case that some governments do not follow His commands or desires, is it ever okay to disobey government? 

When we read the letters that make up the Bible, we discover that followers of Jesus can express direct civil disobedience, which is when a government attempts to force us to disobey God’s clear commands. When government attempts to force us to disobey God we are to choose to disobey government and obey God. And our attitude in expressing civil disobedience is just as important as the act of disobedience itself.

If we refuse to obey government for religious reasons, we should not be rebellious in our attitude and be prepared to accept whatever consequences that the government imposes. We see this in an event from history recorded for us in Daniel 3 involving three Jewish exiles and a fiery furnace. We also see this in Acts 5:27-29 when early followers of Jesus were told to quit spreading the gospel message. However, the letters that make up the Bible do not condone indirect civil disobedience, which is when we choose to disobey government to protest government violations against someone else.

To illustrate and apply this principle, let’s take the issue of abortion. Currently in America it is legal to get an abortion. And while it is legal to get an abortion, as Christians we believe that abortion violates God’s moral law. And, in America, Americans are not compelled, or forced, to get abortions as a result of being pregnant. In China, however, with its one child policy, Chinese citizens are compelled to receive abortions.

So, from a Biblical perspective, Chinese Christians are permitted to express civil disobedience due to the fact that they are being compelled or forced to violate God’s clear command to not murder by getting an abortion. In America, however, civil disobedience regarding abortion would not be permissible as it would be indirect civil disobedience.

As followers of Jesus, we can express a Christian worldview and promote policies that would change the law regarding abortion, but we are not permitted to violate the laws of the land to do so. It is against Biblical principles to blow up abortion clinics, refuse to pay taxes, or violate any other government law in order to protest government policy. We are permitted to express direct civil disobedience only against a law that compels or forces us to disobey God’s clear commands.

Friday, we will see Paul provide a third reason why followers of Jesus are to practice a lifestyle of submission to government and answer the question of the origin and purpose of government...

An election year unlike any other...

In two months we will vote to elect the next president of the United States. But you did not need me to tell you that an election is coming up. The fact that an election is near is not new information. After all, we have been bombarded by the reality that this is an election year for over a year. Over the last year, the intensity and frequency of election coverage has seemed to increase exponentially.

And over the last year, the tone and tenor of this political season has been unlike any in recent memory. The tone and tenor of this political season has been one of outright rancor, hostility, and division. There is rancor, hostility, and division between political parties and there is rancor, hostility and division within political parties. And people from every part of the political spectrum have strong emotions and strong opinions on a variety of issues.

Over the past year, we have seen the strong emotions and strong opinions expressed in ways that filled with anger and hostility. We have seen the strong emotions and strong opinions expressed with vulgarity and vitriol. And over the past year, we have seen the Bible used as justification for many of the political positions held by both parties.

We have heard democrats cite the message and teachings of Jesus to justify their political positions. And we have heard republicans cite the message and teachings of Jesus to justify their political positions. And I have repeatedly heard Christians on television, radio, social media, and in conversations claim that the reason that they held to a particular political position or candidate was based on the message and teachings of Jesus. Many followers of Jesus say they are republicans because the Republican Party best portrays the message and teachings of Jesus. Other followers of Jesus say they are democrats because the Democratic Party best portrays Jesus care and concern for the poor and marginalized.

But is Jesus a republican? Or is Jesus a democrat? Or is Jesus a socialist? And how do we know that the message and teachings of Jesus actually are being used accurately by politicians, their spokesmen, and other Christians? And just as importantly, how are we as followers of Jesus supposed to participate in a political environment that is so hostile, divisive, and toxic?

Should followers of Jesus even bother to engage in the political process as it is today? Should followers of Jesus engage in the political process if they believe that there are no candidates that hold to their values and convictions? Or should followers of Jesus stay away from the political process? Should followers of Jesus even get involved in government?  

To answer these questions, at the church where I serve, we are going to spend the weeks leading up to this election in a sermon series entitled vote for Jesus. During this series, our hope and our prayer is to accomplish three specific goals. First, our hope and our prayer is to demonstrate that Jesus is not a republican and Jesus is not a democrat. Instead, Jesus is God and as God Jesus is the one that we are to place our hope in, not a political party.

Second, our hope and our prayer is to equip and empower us to think critically and Biblically when it comes to the issues that our culture is faced with that often find themselves expressed in the political process. And third, our hope and prayer is to provide a framework from the message and teachings of Jesus when it comes to how we as followers of Jesus are to engage in the government and in the political process in way that reveals and reflects Jesus to those around us.

To accomplish these goals, I am not going to tell you how you should vote on any particular ballot measure. In addition, I am not going to endorse any political candidates.  Instead, I am going to strive to present the political platform that Jesus would run on if Jesus was running for political office. Now, I just want to let you know that at some point I will probably offend every one of you. At some point I will probably say something that will challenge how you have applied the message and teachings of Jesus to the political process. And because of that reality, right up front, I would simply ask that when I offend you, that you would ask a simple question. And that simple question is this: “Am I offended and what Dave said because Dave said it or am I offended at what Dave said because he said what Jesus said?”

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together addressing the question of whether or not followers of Jesus should be involved in government in general. More specifically, I would like us to address the origins of government. In other words, is government a human endeavor invented by humans? Or is government something that comes from God that humans are to be involved in? Where did government come from?

To answer these questions, I would like for us to spend our time together looking at two passages that are found in the letters that make up the Bible. And it is in these two passages that we will discover the origins for government and the purpose for government. We see the first passage in the very first letter of the Bible called the book of Genesis, beginning in Genesis 9:5-7. Let’s look at it together:

Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man.  Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. "As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.

Here we are given a glimpse into a conversation that occurred between the Lord and a man named Noah. However, to fully understand what is happening here, we first need to understand the context of this conversation between the Lord and Noah. As a result of the open and defiant selfishness and rebellion of humanity at this time in history, the Lord decided to bring a flood of water to the earth to wipe out every living thing on the earth in His right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion that filled His heart with sorrow and outrage.  

However, God chose to extend grace to Noah and his family and used Noah and his family to preserve two of every type of animal from His response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity. And it is in this context, after the waters of the flood receded, that the Lord had this conversation with Noah. In this conversation, we see God reveal to Noah that the consequence that would occur for willingly and thoughtfully taking another’s life was death. Murder was to receive a punishment that matched the crime. Today, we call this capital punishment. During this series, we will spend an entire sermon on the issue of capital punishment.

But in the meantime, did you notice who is responsible for carrying out capital punishment? “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed”. You see, the Lord was not going to carry out the consequence of capital punishment. Instead, other men, as His representatives, were to carry out the consequence of capital punishment.

Notice also that this command was given at the very beginning of the reestablishment of humanity. This command was given before the Jewish people existed as a nation as a principle for all humanity. The timeless reality is that the Lord is sovereign over all nations, and all people are accountable to Him. And it is this verse that we see the foundational principles for the establishment of government.

Here we see the Lord delegate to human beings throughout history the responsibility to carry out the punishment of evil and to protect the common good of society. That is why anarchy, which promotes the idea that there should be no governmental authority whatsoever, is so dangerous. If you want to see how well anarchy works, just read a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Judges. The book of Judges reveals for us the reality of what happens when there is no government and when everyone does what is right in their own sight.

And because of that reality, one of the purposes of government is that government has been given the responsibility to punish evil and encourage good. We see this reality reinforced in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Romans.

Tomorrow we will begin to look at this section of this letter…

Investing our time in a community group is essential because we are created for community….

This week, we have been looking at an event from history involving a man named King David. The king, after isolating himself from close community that had access to him and who knew him best,  so that he could having the autonomy to do what he wanted to do, decided that what he wanted to do was have a little fun with someone else’s wife, who was doing what King David was supposed to be doing.

So, in order to do what he wanted to do, King David sent his messengers to get Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, for a late night rendezvous.  The messengers did not refuse, challenge, or hold the king accountable because King David was the one who wrote out their paycheck. King David had drifted away from the accountability of close community and was now surrounded by yes men who would only tell the king what he wanted to hear, not what he needed to hear. Instead of remaining in close community that provided loving accountability, King David’s independence, isolation and autonomy drove him to commit adultery.

After Bathsheba became pregnant; after King David attempted to control the outcome with no success, King David had Bathsheba’s husband murdered. And while King David thought his plan to cover up his selfishness and rebellion that led to a murderous affair was a success; while King David thought he was off the hook, the reality was quite different, as we see in 2 Samuel 12:1:

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, "There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. "The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. "But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. "Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

The Lord responded to King David’s cover up by sending the prophet Nathan to the king. The Lord sent Nathan because no one had access to King David because everyone else around King David was a yes man who received a paycheck. King David had made himself inaccessible and isolated.

Nathan engaged the king with a scenario to expose his selfishness and rebellion. The scenario, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded like this: “There were two men who lived in the same town, one rich and one poor. And all the poor man had was a gift certificate for his family to go to Chili’s for a family dinner. However, when a relative from out of town came to visit the rich man, he was unwilling to spend his own money to take him to Chili’s. Instead, the rich man stole the gift certificate from the poor man and his family to take his relative to dinner. So king, what should happen to the rich man?” We see the King’s response in verse 5-6:

Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. "He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion."

The prophet, having set the trap for King David, sprung the trap on King David in verse 7-12:

Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'"

The prophet confronts the king with his selfishness and rebellion and begins to proclaim God’s just and right response to his rebellion. Because King David chose to follow his selfish desires instead of fulfilling his responsibilities, he had despised the Lord. Now this word despised literally means to think lightly of. You see, King David’s rebellion revealed that he placed his own selfish desires over God’s desires.

And as a result of King David’s choice to follow his selfish desires instead of fulfilling his responsibilities, the prophet proclaimed that King David would experience opposition from within his own family for the rest of his life. As a result of King David’s choice to follow his selfish desires instead of fulfilling his responsibilities, the prophet proclaimed that what King David had done in private to Uriah would be committed against him in public.

You see, King David’s sin was devastating. King David’s sin, like ripples that form when a rock is dropped in a pond, had devastating consequences to his family and the nation.  King David’s selfishness and rebellion that flowed from his isolation and autonomy permanently undermined his credibility and moral authority with is adult children.

For the rest of King David’s life, his adult children, who quickly did the math and figured out what had happened between their father and Bathsheba, would rebel against him. For the rest of King David’s life, King David would struggle against the outcomes that flowed from his selfishness and rebellion.

You see, King David got into trouble because he isolated himself from the only group of men who had access to him. King David got into trouble because he isolated himself from the close community that could hold him accountable by telling him what he needed to hear, not just what he wanted to hear. And because of that reality, because no one had access to King David, King David made a series of decisions that had life changing consequences.

But here’s the thing, every one of us has the potential to do the same thing. Every one of us has the potential to do the same thing because when we isolate ourselves we don't get in trouble by ourselves. Every one of us has the potential to do the same thing because autonomy is a myth. Autonomy is a trap. The goal of autonomy an unworthy goal because you are never really autonomous and you are never really out of community.

And it is here, in this event from history, that we discover a timeless truth as to why it is essential for us as followers of Jesus to be consistently investing our time in a community group in that investing our time in a community group is essential because we are created for community. Just as it was for King David, just as it has been for humanity throughout history, investing our time in a community group is essential because we are created for community.

The question is not “will you be a part of community?” the question is “what community will you be a part of?” You see, you are never completely out of community but you could be out of the community that you need the most. That is what we are such big believers in community groups here at City Bible Church. That is why we have as a goal that every regular attender at C.B.C. would be investing their time in a community group. Community is not optional. It is critical, because what you do is not optional, it is critical.

We believe that the circles that are community groups are betters than the rows of corporate worship gatherings because transformational spiritual growth occurs in community with others where those supportive and encouraging relationships can be developed where people can take that next step in their relationship with Jesus wherever you are at in that relationship with Jesus. And, as a church, we believe that the earlier the better when it comes to community groups. That is why we have community groups for every age and stage of life here at City Bible Church.

And here is the thing: If you wait to get in a community group until you need it, you will not have community when you need it. And when you are in community as part of a community group, community is already there for you when you need them to be there for you. Community groups have the potential to keep you from getting off track when it comes to your relationship with Jesus and the relationships around you because somebody can see what you can’t see.

Somebody can see when you are getting sideways when it comes to your marriage relationship before you see it. Somebody can see when you are getting sideways when it comes to your relationship with your children before you see it. Somebody can see when you are getting sideways when it comes to your relationships as a single person before you see it.  Because just for free, single people you have stuff you need to work on that you will not work on until you are married, but it is hard to work on when you are  married. You see, people don't have marriage problems; they have single problems and now are married. And that is why single people, it is so, so, so important for you to be in community so that you can work on your single people problems before you get married.

So with all that in mind, here is a question to consider: When will you take the step to get into the community that you need the most by being a part of a community group? Are you willing to give people who don't need anything from you access to you? Are you willing to give people permission to ask “Are you okay?” who will not accept “I’m fine” for an answer? Are you willing to give people the opportunity to truly know you as you get to truly know them? Or are you going to continue to drift towards the false and unworthy goal of autonomy, isolation and independence that results in you only ending up in the wrong community?

Because, as we have discovered, investing our time in a community group is essential because we are created for community….