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'heaven’s Citizens And Human Government' Series
Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jul 14, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: 'Heaven’s citizens and human government' - Romans chapter 13 verses 1-7 - sermon by Gordon Curley (PowerPoint slides to accompany this talk are available on request – email: gcurley@gcurley.info)
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SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). the Christians role with government (vs 1&5)
(2). the rule of government (vs 1b-2)
(3). the reason for government (vs 3-5)
(4). the response to government (vs 6-7)
(5). the rival against government (vs 5b)
SERMON BODY:
Well, the new government is up and running,
• And life goes on pretty much the same as it did before they took power!
• Of course, time will tell if Labour are able do a better job than the Tories.
• So, we will have to wait and see!
• Joke: As one man once said,
• “I don't approve of political jokes... I've seen too many of them get elected.”
• Joke:
• Question: Do you know the difference between socialism and capitalism?
• Answer: Capitalism is man exploiting man, & with socialism it is the other way round!
Ill:
• I wonder if anyone here has dual citizenship?
• I haven’t yet, I say yet,
• But because my father was American so I can apply for a USA passport if I want to.
• A dual passport would make me a citizen of two countries.
• TRANSITION:
• As a Christian I already have dual citizenship.
• Because every Christians is a citizen of two kingdoms:
• God's eternal kingdom and an earthly physical country.
• i.e. The New Testament teaches that we are citizens of heaven.
• (Philippians chapter 3 verse 20, (Ephesians chapter 2 verse 18-19; chapter 6 verse 20).
• i.e. But as the recent Euros football and the soon coming Olympics remind us,
• Our world is divided into a variety of countries (195 in total.)
• You were born in one of them –therefore you also have earthly citizenship.
• Because we are residents of two realms, we should learn to live responsibly in both
• We should not be uninvolved or uninformed.
• We must learn how to balance our allegiance to both realms
• These verses deal with how we can behave in our earthly societies,
• According to the values of God's heavenly kingdom?
(1). The Christians role with government (vs 1&5)
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Ill:
• I wonder who your favourite Prime Minister was?
• Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Ted Heath, Maggie Thatcher, Tony Blair,
• Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Rishi Sunak, and now of course Keir Starmer.
• Imagine if you had been born in another country and your leader was,
• Pol Pott, Kim Jong Un, Vladamir Putin, Idi Amin or Adolph Hitler!
• (Maybe out choices weren’t so bad!)
• TRANSITION: Now amazingly this passage declares it is that men like that,
• Who are in some sense, servants of God.
• (Now that will make interesting content for the Thursday house group!)
When the apostle Paul refers to governing authorities,
• He uses a phrase that can best be translated "the powers that be."
• He is not just talking about heads of state, i.e. Prime Minister/President etc.
• He is talking about all levels of authority,
• All the way down to the local Councillors, the Police etc.
• For those of you at school, your teachers and members of staff!
• The apostle Paul, tells us how we should think about these "powers that be."
• He says, that in some way, they are brought into being by God himself.
• We will delve into that a little bit more later on in this sermon.
Note:
• No one type of government is commended over another.
• He doesn’t say Conservatism is better than Socialism,
• Or that imperial is better than monarchical and republican.
• We are just told to submit to the authorities, because God instituted them.
This does not mean that all the powers accord with God's will in what they do.
• There are good and bad authorities,
• God-fearing and godless governments.
Ill:
• Many of you know Moldova is a Country I visit every year,
• I work alongside the Moldovan Mission, for a 10-day gospel preaching undertaking
• There are very much two attitudes to the Government.
• The older people/seniors in Moldova,
• Can remember when the Russians invaded and ruled their land.
• I have asked some of them did, they prefer the Russian communism or self-governing,
• They often reply under communism, “We all had food and we all had jobs!”
• Ask the young people and the last thing they want is communism back,
• They like capitalism and Western ways; they all want true democracy.
• (still have many restrictions that may shock you, if I had time to explain).
• Joke told of a man under the communist system,