back to index2018-04-15 God's Call to Submit to Government
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If you guys can turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 13, 1-7. 00:00:12.000 |
We're going to read this text, and as we're reading it, I know so many guys are going to be reading it, 00:00:19.000 |
and be like, "Oh, we're going to be talking about submitting to government today." 00:00:24.000 |
So, I guarantee you, this has a lot more significance than what you may see on the surface. 00:00:32.000 |
So let me read the text, and then just ask the Lord's blessing over this time, and then we'll jump into it. 00:00:39.000 |
"Let every person be subject to governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 00:00:47.000 |
Therefore, whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 00:00:53.000 |
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. 00:00:56.000 |
Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? 00:00:59.000 |
Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval. 00:01:02.000 |
For he is not a servant for good, for your good; but if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear this for his being. 00:01:09.000 |
For he is a servant of God, an avenger, who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 00:01:13.000 |
Therefore, one must be in subjection not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. 00:01:18.000 |
For because of this, you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 00:01:24.000 |
Pay to all what is owed to them, taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." 00:01:33.000 |
Holy Father, we pray for your blessing on our own people over this time. 00:01:38.000 |
Let your word that you have put your very breath and your authority have its authority over us. 00:01:46.000 |
Help us to be hearers toward God and also doers of your word. 00:01:50.000 |
Bless this time, Lord, and use it in your way. Amen. 00:01:53.000 |
You know, the first question we ask is, you know, Paul's been talking about the practice of biblical love up to this point. 00:02:02.000 |
So we may get to chapter 13 and all of a sudden he's switching gears and now talking about submitting to government and paying taxes again. 00:02:10.000 |
It's not something that we would typically want to choose to talk about. 00:02:15.000 |
But first we have to ask ourselves, why is this here in the first place? 00:02:20.000 |
We know that he's writing this letter to the Church of Rome and that was at that time the epicenter of power. 00:02:27.000 |
And so being very aware that this church is being watched by the governing officials, 00:02:33.000 |
that there might have been some concern that Paul is writing this letter and making sure that the church is not in a rebellion. 00:02:40.000 |
So whatever happens in Rome may end up having a ripple effect throughout the known world at that time. 00:02:47.000 |
Another reason where Paul says in the previous chapter, he says not to take vengeance when somebody wrongs you. 00:02:53.000 |
So there could have been a situation where the government was coming down on the church and maybe bringing physical harm, 00:03:00.000 |
making it difficult for them to survive to care for their family. 00:03:03.000 |
And as a result, the vengeance that they may have been thinking about may be against the authorities in the Roman government. 00:03:08.000 |
And so Paul's practical application of that is to suppress that and basically says not to react and leave room for the vengeance of God, 00:03:15.000 |
instead to submit to the government authorities. 00:03:19.000 |
Paul may have been aware that he's writing this letter about submitting and giving authority to God, calling Him Lord and Savior. 00:03:28.000 |
Possibly as this letter is being taken to the Church of Rome, that maybe somebody's going to confiscate it and take it to the Roman authorities. 00:03:37.000 |
So we can speculate and read into all of these things. 00:03:41.000 |
But there is a much bigger reason why this is taught. 00:03:46.000 |
Now whether you lived 2,000 years ago, whether you lived 500 years ago, whether you live here, 00:03:52.000 |
there is a universal reason why this is so important as Christians. 00:03:57.000 |
And it is not simply for us to be good citizens, because that's what good Christians are called to be, even though that is the teaching here. 00:04:05.000 |
If you look at the core rebellion of mankind, the core rebellion of mankind is basically willfully this will be done. 00:04:15.000 |
The act that demonstrated that in the book of Genesis is basically taking a fruit that they weren't supposed to eat and they ate it. 00:04:24.000 |
Now if you take that out of context, it doesn't seem like a big deal. 00:04:29.000 |
That whole sin of mankind, the judgment of mankind, the reign of death over mankind, 00:04:37.000 |
came in because of the simple disobedience of eating something that they weren't supposed to eat. 00:04:43.000 |
Now we talked about that, even the disobedience of the breaking of the Sabbath in the Old Testament, 00:04:52.000 |
It's because there was a willful rebellion to resist submission to God. 00:04:57.000 |
So we can say that the core rebellion of mankind against God is a willful disrespect, a rebellion, and refusal to submit to God's authority. 00:05:09.000 |
R.C. Sproul describes it this way, "The universal call to submit to authority touches the root of our corruption. 00:05:17.000 |
Everyone is a sinner, and every sin is an act of revolt against authority. 00:05:22.000 |
If we respected the authority of God perfectly, we would never sin. 00:05:26.000 |
Sin is a refusal to submit to the governing authority of God, God himself, and God knows that about us. 00:05:32.000 |
If we are not willing to submit to God, it is more difficult to submit to the police department, the government, and other authorities that rule over us. 00:05:40.000 |
It is the duty of every Christian to be in subjection to the authorities." 00:05:45.000 |
So in other words, R.C. Sproul basically has articulated what I said, 00:05:50.000 |
is that at the core of our rebellion is our refusal to submit to God, and our refusal to submit to God is a reflection, again, of our core rebellion. 00:05:59.000 |
And that's why when he calls us to submit, it has more to do with who we are in rebelling against God than simply not calling us to be good citizens. 00:06:10.000 |
There's three reasons, mind you, kids, why we need to submit to the authorities. 00:06:14.000 |
Again, even before I get to that, I'm going to be talking about at the tail end of the sermon, but even before I get to that, 00:06:21.000 |
I want to acknowledge that I'm assuming that there are a bunch of you sitting here who may have not voted for Trump, 00:06:29.000 |
and maybe despise the things coming out of his mouth and some of the policies that he has, 00:06:33.000 |
and said, you know, that you think that he needs to be called out, and the submission, 00:06:38.000 |
possibly he must not be talking about this particular situation because Paul does not know Trump. 00:06:45.000 |
Some of you, I'm assuming some of you may be thinking that. 00:06:49.000 |
Understand the context of what Paul is talking about. 00:06:52.000 |
He's talking about people who are under the rule of the Roman government. 00:06:56.000 |
As you know, the Roman government, for the first 300 years of Christian experience, were so harsh against the Christians, 00:07:04.000 |
that the majority of the mission work that took place in the first 300 years were families with young children who were running for their lives 00:07:12.000 |
because of the persecution, because men and women were being dragged into the Coliseum to be torn apart by lions, 00:07:19.000 |
and burned at the stake, that they were treated so cruelly for the first 300 years, 00:07:24.000 |
as they were running for their lives, they began to share the gospel. 00:07:28.000 |
That was Christian history for the first 300 years, and that's the context in which Paul is talking to. 00:07:35.000 |
So whatever political circumstances, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, that we may be thinking, 00:07:40.000 |
there's no way that God is calling us to submit. 00:07:44.000 |
Understand that the situation that the Romans are in are 100 times worse than what you and I have ever possibly imagined. 00:07:52.000 |
And it's in that context that he gives three specific reasons why we ought to submit to authority. 00:07:57.000 |
Number one, he says, all authority is under God's control. 00:08:06.000 |
In verse one, he says, "For there is no authority except from God." 00:08:09.000 |
God is completely sovereign over any authority that may be above him. 00:08:12.000 |
And those that exist have been instituted by God. 00:08:16.000 |
He goes even a step further. He doesn't simply say God is above them. 00:08:19.000 |
He says they were actually instituted by God. God placed them there. 00:08:24.000 |
Verse two, he says, "God has appointed them." 00:08:27.000 |
Verse four, he says, "For he is God's servant." 00:08:31.000 |
And then he says it again at the end, "He is God's servant." 00:08:34.000 |
And then in verse six, he goes as far as to say they are ministers of God. 00:08:39.000 |
So if there's any confusion as to how God views governing authorities, 00:08:57.000 |
To make it absolutely crystal clear that they are not independent of God. 00:09:04.000 |
And so he calls us to submit to them because ultimately, 00:09:07.000 |
God is the one who is completely sovereign and in control. 00:09:12.000 |
Personally, I don't think there's anything, any doctrine that has more personal effect, 00:09:18.000 |
specific ramification and truth, than our belief of God's sovereignty. 00:09:25.000 |
If we believe that God is absolutely sovereign, 00:09:32.000 |
we automatically see that God is in complete control. 00:09:34.000 |
Part of the reason why we get anxious is because we question God's control. 00:09:40.000 |
If we really believe that all the good and all the bad that happens in our life 00:09:55.000 |
So this doctrine of sovereignty of God is the first reason why He gives, 00:10:02.000 |
As you know, the scripture says in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, 00:10:07.000 |
And I remember when I first became a Christian in the Charismatic Circle, 00:10:11.000 |
that this was emphasized to the extent that I had a very skewed view of Satanic activity. 00:10:20.000 |
but when I first became a Christian, I was so aware of Satan and the devil 00:10:28.000 |
You know, the good benefit of that was I would not touch anything 00:10:32.000 |
that I thought may have a demonic state to it. 00:10:36.000 |
I wouldn't listen to the radio, I wouldn't watch TV or any movies, 00:10:44.000 |
But at the same time, I had a very unhealthy view of Satan 00:10:47.000 |
because I was afraid sometimes he could wake up in the middle of the night 00:10:51.000 |
thinking that the devil is in the bathroom, you know, or dark places, 00:10:55.000 |
or if I hear some strange noise, maybe that's the devil. 00:10:58.000 |
And really, again, like I said, the benefit from that was it caused me to cling to God. 00:11:02.000 |
But the other part of it was I was living in fear until I started reading the Bible. 00:11:08.000 |
And I think you guys should realize the image that I had of Satan 00:11:14.000 |
In fact, the scripture says over and over again that even Satan, 00:11:18.000 |
even in his rebellion against God, he's under God's sovereign hands and authority. 00:11:27.000 |
The book of Job begins with an encounter that he has with God. 00:11:31.000 |
He enters into the court and he begins to speak with God and say, 00:11:34.000 |
"The only reason why Job is faithful to you is because you put a hedge of protection on him. 00:11:40.000 |
You take that away and let me get at him. You see how faithful he is." 00:11:46.000 |
So for Satan to even do anything to Job, God had to give him permission. 00:11:50.000 |
And in the beginning, he says, "I'll allow you to touch him," 00:11:54.000 |
meaning to harm him, except you can't touch him. 00:11:57.000 |
You can touch his family, you can touch all the other things. 00:12:00.000 |
And then later on, when Job would not relent and he would continue to worship God, 00:12:08.000 |
"He can be harmed and maybe he's stronger than I thought." 00:12:12.000 |
So through that whole process, we see Satan asking for permission. 00:12:16.000 |
But what's interesting about the book of Job is that Satan is in the beginning. 00:12:25.000 |
But Satan is never mentioned again throughout the rest of the book of Job. 00:12:29.000 |
All throughout the book of Job, his friends come and they recognize that the only reason why this is allowed 00:12:39.000 |
They don't say, "Why is Satan doing this to you?" 00:12:44.000 |
And Job doesn't cry out to God and say, "Lord, look what Satan is doing to me." 00:12:48.000 |
He says, "Lord, why are you doing this to me?" 00:12:52.000 |
And I've yet to realize that Satan, as powerful as he is, is under the authority of God. 00:12:59.000 |
In Luke 22-31, even when Satan wanted to come and hinder Peter, 00:13:04.000 |
he said he came to the Lord and asked permission to sit Peter at light. 00:13:08.000 |
We have to come before God to ask permission. 00:13:11.000 |
In James 4-7, it says, "Submit yourself therefore to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 00:13:21.000 |
But he says if we submit to God and resist him, he's going to actually flee. 00:13:30.000 |
Nebuchadnezzar becomes arrogant because he's the king over the biggest empire at that time. 00:13:37.000 |
And he becomes arrogant, and God chooses to humble him. 00:13:41.000 |
And in the vision that he has, Nebuchadnezzar says this, 00:13:45.000 |
"To the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, 00:13:50.000 |
and gives it to whom He wills, and sets over it the lowliest of men." 00:13:59.000 |
Up to this point, the most powerful kingdom at that period. 00:14:06.000 |
And he has this vision, he says, "This Most High God, that's above any God that I know," 00:14:11.000 |
he said, "He's the true God." And this is what he sees in his vision. 00:14:15.000 |
In fact, in Jeremiah 27-6 and chapter 23 verse 10, 00:14:24.000 |
"Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, 00:14:29.000 |
my servant." And that same phrase is used again in chapter 43 verse 10. 00:14:34.000 |
Isaiah 44 verse 28, the next kingdom that comes after Babylon, 00:14:42.000 |
Who says of Cyrus, "He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purposes." 00:14:54.000 |
He was a secular king of Persia, and yet God calls him "my shepherd," "my servant." 00:14:59.000 |
And I'm going to use him to restore Israel back to its land. 00:15:05.000 |
Think about how ridiculous this must have sounded at that current time. 00:15:10.000 |
That's just like saying, you know, we have a small group of people here who worship this God, 00:15:14.000 |
and then saying that, you know, that the God that we worship is the God of the universe, 00:15:21.000 |
and Donald Trump and all these other rulers are the servants of our God. 00:15:26.000 |
Israel was a tiny little nation that was already conquered. 00:15:31.000 |
A small group of people who was worshipping their God, and they said, 00:15:34.000 |
"Well, our God is the ultimate God, and your king, Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyrus, 00:15:42.000 |
Think how ridiculous that must have sounded at that particular time. 00:15:46.000 |
Now that we're over 2,000 years removed from that context, 00:15:49.000 |
the only reason why we even know the name Nebuchadnezzar 00:15:57.000 |
The only reason why you and I know about Cyrus, 00:16:00.000 |
maybe some of you guys are really smart and like to read history books, 00:16:03.000 |
maybe that's not the case for maybe one or two of you, 00:16:05.000 |
but most of us would have never heard of the name Cyrus 00:16:08.000 |
if it wasn't for the fact that they were mentioned in the redemptive history 00:16:16.000 |
It might have sounded completely ridiculous in that historical context, 00:16:20.000 |
but now that we're 1,000 years removed, he was absolutely correct. 00:16:25.000 |
God used these powerful men for his purposes. 00:16:30.000 |
So the kingdom of Babylon, and even this great kingdom of Persia, 00:16:35.000 |
they played a role in God's larger picture of redemptive history. 00:16:43.000 |
Not Nebuchadnezzar, not Cyrus, and neither was Rome. 00:16:47.000 |
And that's why he said, "Our God is completely sovereign." 00:16:53.000 |
and they're the ones who seem to have the sword and they have the power, 00:16:57.000 |
he calls us to submit because God is the ultimate power. 00:17:03.000 |
We also see that when Jesus is being tried in front of Pilate, 00:17:07.000 |
and Pilate says to Jesus, "Do you not know that I have the authority 00:17:14.000 |
Jesus says to him, "You would have no authority over me at all 00:17:24.000 |
The sovereignty of God, it changes everything. 00:17:28.000 |
If we really believe it, very few Christians, 00:17:32.000 |
very few Calvinist Armenians will question the sovereignty of God. 00:17:35.000 |
It's the extent of the sovereignty that maybe some people debate it, 00:17:38.000 |
but the sovereignty of God is clearly taught in Scripture. 00:17:41.000 |
But if you truly believe that, it changes everything. 00:17:47.000 |
I was a young guy who was very bitter and angry about my life. 00:17:51.000 |
Why did my parents come to the United States? 00:17:53.000 |
Why was my dad a pastor? Why didn't he have money? 00:17:57.000 |
Why do we have to go to a new school every single year? 00:18:02.000 |
but I remember the day that I met Christ, it changed everything. 00:18:07.000 |
And the reason why it changed everything was because 00:18:09.000 |
I was looking at the decisions that maybe my parents made 00:18:12.000 |
and things that happened to me when I was at school, 00:18:15.000 |
and I just couldn't understand why I was put in those situations 00:18:21.000 |
And the moment I met God and I realized that there is a God 00:18:29.000 |
all of a sudden, every bitter memory that I had 00:18:33.000 |
turned into joy because I recognized that God is the one who did that. 00:18:41.000 |
He did that to prepare me, to bring me to Him, 00:18:46.000 |
and that every bitter memory turned into a testimony 00:18:52.000 |
So I didn't need years of counseling to reverse my thinking. 00:19:04.000 |
we probably have no specific circumstance that He's thinking of, 00:19:10.000 |
whatever it is, He's the one who's in control. 00:19:19.000 |
Secondly, He says, if we believe that He is sovereign, 00:19:24.000 |
a part of society will ultimately resist God. 00:19:27.000 |
Verse 2, "Therefore, whoever resists authority 00:19:37.000 |
"You know, I have a problem submitting to God 00:19:42.000 |
Most Christians have enough sense not to challenge God. 00:19:46.000 |
But the Scripture says that to submit to God, 00:19:50.000 |
He calls us to have a general attitude of submission. 00:19:54.000 |
In fact, the Christian life could probably be described 00:20:04.000 |
to the authority that God has placed in our lives. 00:20:07.000 |
As children, the Bible says that we are to submit to parents. 00:20:31.000 |
not use my name in vain to keep the Lord's day holy." 00:20:36.000 |
why is this particular commandment singled out? 00:20:53.000 |
Today, if our children disobey, we give them amendment. 00:21:00.000 |
or if they're teenagers, they're not allowed to be on their phone, 00:21:05.000 |
In the Old Testament, all your children should thank God 00:21:11.000 |
Because in the Old Testament, if they disobeyed, 00:21:24.000 |
And you look at that and not understand the context of it, 00:21:26.000 |
and you look at that and say, "Oh, God, they're really harsh." 00:21:46.000 |
Remember we talked about the breaking of Sabbath 00:21:48.000 |
and why the breaking of Sabbath incurred capital punishment. 00:21:52.000 |
Because it was a willful rebellion against God. 00:21:56.000 |
Eating of that fruit, they have seen like an innocent act, 00:22:01.000 |
"Why would that bring any judgment on mankind?" 00:22:04.000 |
But that eating of the fruit was a willful rebellion 00:22:06.000 |
because it was a clear command of God not to do so. 00:22:11.000 |
And they said, "No, I'm going to do it my way." 00:22:16.000 |
Breaking of the Sabbath, like God says to keep it holy, 00:22:21.000 |
And the reason why disobedience and refusal to submit to parents 00:22:25.000 |
is because God plays authority over their lives. 00:22:31.000 |
they were the mediator to God, to the children. 00:22:47.000 |
And that's why the scripture says over and over again 00:23:06.000 |
that the person we are submitting to is of greater worth. 00:23:31.000 |
automatically there is a rebellion inside of us 00:23:43.000 |
He calls all the saints to submit to one another. 00:23:47.000 |
Our general attitude is to see others better than ourselves 00:23:54.000 |
So the whole call of Christian relationship is to submit. 00:23:58.000 |
Submit to the elders, submit to the authorities, 00:24:01.000 |
submit to your husband, submit to one another, 00:24:10.000 |
because ultimately it is our way of submitting to God. 00:24:17.000 |
one of the top questions that they'll ask you 00:24:19.000 |
is what kind of relationship you have with your boss. 00:24:25.000 |
there's a good chance that that's going to carry over 00:24:29.000 |
that you as a person have a problem with authority. 00:24:32.000 |
In other words, you're a very difficult person to work with. 00:24:37.000 |
So we may ask, "Well, what does that have to do with other? 00:24:43.000 |
But the reason why they ask that in every interview 00:24:45.000 |
is because they want to see if you can work under authority. 00:24:52.000 |
because it is a practical avenue for us to submit to God. 00:24:56.000 |
By submitting to government, by submitting to husband, 00:24:59.000 |
submitting to the elders, and submitting ultimately to one another. 00:25:03.000 |
And that's why he says it strikes at the core of our rebellion. 00:25:09.000 |
Because if you were to say, "Let's go fight, let's do this," 00:25:14.000 |
"Hey, let's submit ourselves, humble ourselves, be patient, 00:25:22.000 |
And that's why he says, again in Colossians 3.23, 00:25:29.000 |
Whether you eat or drink, do it unto the Lord. 00:25:32.000 |
If you are working as a slave for the master, 00:25:44.000 |
is that it is an avenue for us to worship and honor God. 00:25:48.000 |
Third, he says, "The rulers, for the most part, 00:25:51.000 |
"are savage, so reward the good and punish the wicked." 00:25:56.000 |
Rulers, for the most part, reward the good and punish the wicked. 00:25:59.000 |
So Romans 13.3-4 says, "The rulers are not a terror to good conduct." 00:26:05.000 |
In other words, if you are living as a good citizen, 00:26:10.000 |
Would you have no fear of one who is in authority? 00:26:13.000 |
Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval. 00:26:23.000 |
an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 00:26:27.000 |
In other words, if you live as a good citizen, 00:26:29.000 |
as a good person, there's no reason to fear the government. 00:26:38.000 |
"Be subject, for the Lord's sake, to every human institution, 00:26:43.000 |
"or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil 00:26:49.000 |
In other words, this is what the theologians call common grace. 00:26:54.000 |
That God has established the secular authorities over us 00:27:03.000 |
Now, especially in the last five to five or six or seven years, 00:27:08.000 |
there's been this movement against the police, 00:27:16.000 |
and a lot of that is a protest against police brutality. 00:27:20.000 |
And obviously, if somebody who's in authority 00:27:24.000 |
is abusing authority, they need to be called out, 00:27:29.000 |
But as a whole, the scripture says authorities 00:27:31.000 |
have been placed in our lives for common grace, 00:27:34.000 |
to restrict sin, sinful behavior, and reward what is good. 00:27:41.000 |
Imagine if we didn't have authority in our society. 00:27:48.000 |
Maybe some of you guys think, "Oh, that'd be fantastic." 00:27:53.000 |
is if there wasn't police monitoring our behavior, 00:27:57.000 |
I wouldn't be able to get to church crying about five minutes. 00:28:08.000 |
to get here, but I think I can get here in five minutes. 00:28:12.000 |
I'm not at the fastest car, but I'm pretty sure 00:28:14.000 |
I can go by 100 miles per hour, maybe a little bit faster. 00:28:25.000 |
But can you imagine what this is going to look like 00:28:30.000 |
without somebody governing and restricting us 00:28:37.000 |
and that even the people who hate the police in our society, 00:28:42.000 |
the first person that they're going to look for 00:28:48.000 |
yes, there are bad apples, but we know that as a whole, 00:28:51.000 |
they are there for our protection, for our good. 00:28:58.000 |
and if I was smoking crack or doing something, 00:29:06.000 |
when I see the police, I would have a negative reaction. 00:29:14.000 |
seeing a lot of police officers in my neighborhood 00:29:23.000 |
It's not because they're from that other people. 00:29:29.000 |
Get the police to hang out, especially if you're in a bad neighborhood. 00:29:38.000 |
Because we generally know that if the police say, 00:29:42.000 |
there's a huge benefit of having authority near us. 00:29:47.000 |
He said that's the reason why he established government, 00:30:18.000 |
And so we may think, like, where do we draw this line? 00:30:22.000 |
John Stott writes a story about this man named Michael Cassidy. 00:30:38.000 |
that was institutionalizing racism in that culture, 00:30:48.000 |
that comes with this institutionalized racism. 00:30:52.000 |
Well, one day, the president of South Africa decides, 00:30:59.000 |
So he gets invited into the president's office, 00:31:01.000 |
being excited that possibly that they're going to have 00:31:13.000 |
He said, "I was immediately aware on entry to the room 00:31:17.000 |
"that this was not to be the sort of encounter 00:31:36.000 |
basically talking to some of the institutionalized injustice. 00:32:09.000 |
But what was the qualification of that in verse 18? 00:32:20.000 |
as long as it doesn't supersede God's authority, 00:32:24.000 |
as long as you are capable of doing so, he says. 00:32:53.000 |
and they said, "You tell me what is right to do. 00:33:00.000 |
There are courageous men and women in North Korea 00:33:09.000 |
There are courageous men that we are supporting 00:33:39.000 |
where he says, "As much as it depends on you." 00:34:03.000 |
"If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. 00:34:41.000 |
that we ought to have the same mindset of Christ. 00:35:10.000 |
If anybody has every authority to do his will, 00:35:44.000 |
"Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister Lazarus, 00:35:48.000 |
"he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 00:35:56.000 |
"'Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stung you, 00:36:02.000 |
In other words, they're very aware that Jesus 00:36:20.000 |
"If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, 00:36:24.000 |
"But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, 00:36:52.000 |
Hey, what time are you going to come tomorrow? 00:37:04.000 |
walking in the light, there's twelve hours in the day, 00:37:23.000 |
He didn't tell them that you're not going to die. 00:37:35.000 |
because if you see John chapter 11, verse 16, 00:38:01.000 |
And you know, Thomas is known as the doubter, 00:38:12.000 |
That's what he understood, and we always say, 00:38:15.000 |
you know, Peter and the disciples were cowards 00:38:27.000 |
Because they were waiting for the Messiah to come, 00:38:45.000 |
But then all of a sudden, this Messiah shows up, 00:39:15.000 |
Remember what Peter does at the Garment Gethsemane. 00:39:19.000 |
and if you look at the historical context of that, 00:39:21.000 |
the soldiers were probably not in small numbers. 00:39:32.000 |
Because remember why they came so early in the morning? 00:39:42.000 |
They took all the guards that were planted at the temple, 00:39:47.000 |
So when Peter took out his sword to slay them, 00:39:51.000 |
I think he was doing exactly what Thomas said. 00:40:12.000 |
And in the very next class, remember what Jesus said? 00:40:14.000 |
"He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword." 00:40:16.000 |
"Do you not know that I have legions that I can call upon?" 00:40:21.000 |
because I don't have the power to do anything about it?" 00:40:24.000 |
And all of a sudden, the disciples were confused. 00:41:05.000 |
Maybe at some point he's going to demonstrate his glory 00:41:11.000 |
that they were following him from a distance and watching him. 00:41:13.000 |
Because again, they weren't cowards, not up to this point. 00:41:38.000 |
And they're watching him being nailed on this tree. 00:41:45.000 |
This is a Messiah who's going to come and conquer. 00:41:54.000 |
That goes against everything that we know of this world. 00:41:57.000 |
If you want to conquer, you have to do better. 00:42:13.000 |
He gave himself and allowed himself to go to the cross, 00:42:27.000 |
that what Jesus did goes against every fleshly instinct. 00:43:01.000 |
that desire to be somebody constantly creeps in. 00:43:06.000 |
"If you want to follow me, you have to pick up your cross too." 00:43:11.000 |
That he who is seeking to live outside of Christ, 00:43:22.000 |
The call to submission isn't simply about government. 00:43:32.000 |
This is how he showed us and demonstrated to us 00:43:49.000 |
To the authority and submit for our husbands. 00:43:58.000 |
You think I'm going to have to get into prayer again? 00:44:06.000 |
it strikes at the core of every single instinct that we have. 00:44:12.000 |
And we're going to fight it until the day we die. 00:44:25.000 |
We're going to fight it with our husband and wives. 00:44:28.000 |
That's what Paul says, "I walk in my body and make it my state." 00:44:32.000 |
Fight against this flesh to somehow live without Christ. 00:44:40.000 |
and see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:44:42.000 |
I pray that you will understand why God calls us 00:44:45.000 |
to run in the opposite direction of our faith. 00:44:49.000 |
That is, when we lose ourselves in Him, we truly lose. 00:44:56.000 |
And again, I want to encourage you, as we pray, 00:45:05.000 |
but specifically, where do you struggle with submission? 00:45:19.000 |
and ask what He's praying that Christ may be exalted.