"Buckle Up"

Introduction:

Mandatory seatbelt laws, the talk of Greeley in recent days! I am not sure what your position is on the subject. Opinions have varied in recent newspaper letters to the editor. One resident’s philosophy is that it shouldn’t be forced on people, after all she wrote when it’s your time to go it’s your time to go! While I agree that our departure is up to God and his timing, I believe He gives us brains for a reason! As chaplain of the Colorado State Patrol, I can assure you that seat-belts can and do make a difference! It takes three seconds to buckle up, three seconds that can alter an individual life, and affect a family. We have car insurance, and fire extinguisher’s yet when someone tells us we must where seatbelts we complain, that our rights are being violated!

Derrick Thomas the late defensive end of the Kansas City Chiefs wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, earlier this year when he lost control of his car on an icy highway. He was ejected as was another passenger, and both died from their injuries, a friend in the back who was wearing his seatbelt was treated for minor injuries and released!

The "when it’s your time to go" philosophers can say what they want, but I believe He would still be alive if he wore that seatbelt! I wouldn’t be surprised that if I died because of not wearing a seatbelt that God would set me down and say Mark, why didn’t you buckle up?

Transition:

Believers have a responsibility to take full advantage of safety features. When we willfully neglect them we presume upon God! This message you may be interested to know isn’t really about weather you should wear your seatbelts, it is how ever about a Christians responsibility to observe the laws of the land. 1st Peter 2: 13-15.

"Submit yourself for the Lords sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king as the supreme authority, or by the governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men"

I. Believer’s should be submissive:

"Submit yourself for the Lords sake to every authority instituted among men: The command is simple, "submit yourselves," from the Greek word hupotasso, it literally is a military term meaning to arrange in military fashion under the commander. It’s talking about being subject. The best translation would be, "Put yourselves in an attitude of submission.." By the way, that is distinctively Christian because attitudes of submission and humility in ancient times were looked upon as those things which characterized cowards and weaklings. And no man of strength would ever think of submitting himself or being humble.* John Mcarthur

The Bible makes clear the need for submission. And be subject to one another in the fear of Christ (Ephesians 5:21). In the context of his teaching on submission, Peter calls upon the saints to "honor all men." I believe this is a manifestation of submission. Peter commands the saints to submit to the king as the one "in authority" (verse 13). The Greek term rendered "in authority" is the same term Paul employed in Philippians 2:3:

"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:1-5).

While God has sovereignly ordained governmental officials to hold positions of authority over us, we are also to regard our fellow-believers as having a higher claim on us than our own selfish desires. Therefore, submission is not only a matter of authority but also a matter of priority. *From a sermon by Robert deffeenbaugh

II. Why Should We Submit?

Look again at verse 13. Here is Peter’s first reason for us to obey authorities. "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake." The motivation is not just to avoid punishment, but because of the Lord. God wants you to submit to authority. If you don’t respect authority, how can you claim to respect God who is the ultimate authority. If you don’t submit to your parents, you are in essence disobeying God. If you do not submit yourself to the laws of the country you live in, you are disobeying God.