Introduction

Good Morning Church family! I'm so glad to see all of you here today. We're going to dive into a passage from Matthew, specifically Matthew 22:15-22, where Jesus teaches us some important lessons about God's sovereignty, recognizing tests of allegiance, and upholding our loyalty to God.

Before we do that, I want to share a quote with you from A.W. Tozer. He once wrote, "To know that God knows everything about me and yet loves me is indeed my ultimate consolation." This serves as a great reminder of the depth of God's love and understanding for each one of us.

Let's read the passage together,

"Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way."

Just by reading it, we can already feel the tension, the conflict, and the wisdom that Jesus reveals. It's going to be an exciting exploration, but before we do that, let's come before the Lord in prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this gathering of believers and for the opportunity to delve into Your word. We ask that you open our hearts and minds so that we can fully understand and apply these teachings in our daily lives. Grant us the wisdom to recognize and overcome the tests of allegiance, and the strength to uphold our loyalty to You above all else. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Alright, let's get started...

God's Sovereignty Over All Things

The first point we are exploring today is the concept of God's sovereignty over all things. This is a fundamental belief in Christianity that God, as the creator and sustainer of the universe, has absolute authority and control over everything in existence. It's a comforting and powerful truth that can shape our understanding of the world and our place in it.

A question designed to trap Him: The Pharisees and Herodians were trying to force Him into a corner where He would either alienate the Jewish people by supporting Roman taxes or get in trouble with the Roman authorities by denouncing them. But Jesus, in His divine wisdom, sidestepped their trap and used the opportunity to teach about God's sovereignty.

Verse 21: When Jesus asked whose image was on the coin, they answered, "Caesar's." He then said, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." With this statement, Jesus acknowledged that while Caesar had a certain level of authority, God's authority was supreme. Caesar's image was on the coin, so it belonged to him. But who made the metal in the coin? Who created the people who mined the metal, minted the coin, and whose hands it passed through? It was God.

Extends to all aspects of our lives: We may have bosses at work, leaders in our community, or officials in government. They have a certain level of authority given to them, but it is God who is ultimately in control. He is the one who allows them to have that authority and He can take it away. This understanding can give us peace in times of turmoil and uncertainty.

He is in control of our personal lives: He knows our past, present, and future. He knows our joys and our sorrows, our victories and our failures. Nothing is hidden from Him. This can be a comforting thought because it means that we are never alone. God is always with us, guiding us, and working out His perfect plan for our lives.

Requires submission on our part: It means recognizing that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. It means trusting Him even when we don't understand what's happening in our lives. It means surrendering our desires, plans, and will to Him.

Not always easy: We like to be in control. We like to know what's going to happen next. But when we surrender to God's sovereignty, we are acknowledging that He knows what's best for us. We are trusting that He loves us and has a good plan for our lives.

A deep and complex topic: It's also a beautiful and comforting truth. It's a reminder that no matter what happens in our lives or in the world around us, God is in control. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Recognizing Tests of Allegiance

In the passage we just read, the Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trap Jesus into saying something that could be used against Him ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO