Our culture is very confused, very distracted and very divided in determining what is right and what is wrong. Satan is dividing our nation and deceiving the population making it very hard to speak out and teach our neighbor what is truth. The words of Abraham Lincoln, in his House Divided speech given at the June 16, 1858 while accepting the Republican Party nomination for the US Senate from Illinois, begin to ring true again. He said, “A nation divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, …” where he completed the sentence speaking of the division over the issue of slavery in our nation. Today, the issue of patriotism and loyalty to our nation’s symbols of the flag, the National Anthem, all our fallen soldiers who gave their lives for the ideology of freedom, the rulers of the nation, etc., are dividing even the people who call themselves Christians. This should not be.
Division has been Satan’s primary means to obtain his loyal followers. It is a time-honored emblem of his control over mankind in the place of God or his son. Satan has caused division for centuries. Pharisees accused Jesus of being a devil. Jesus, also, spoke and said a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. (Mark 3:24) In Matthew 12:25 and Luke 11:17, Jesus states ‘the kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation.’ The earthly rendition of the ‘Church’ has suffered division multiple times and is still divided. We call it ‘denominationalism’. If we are to be in the true ‘Kingdom of God’, we need to know whether we are to take a stand or take a knee.
Growing up, I was taught I needed to stand for something or I would fall for anything. When Aaron Tippin recorded a song titled just that, I remembered what my ancestors taught me, never compromise what is right. God does not want us to compromise, either. A kingdom (i.e. church, nation, house) divided against itself is brought to desolation. So….
What does the Bible say about taking a stand or taking a knee? Does the Bible say anything about us being involved in our nation’s issues? Let us see.
I. Submit to:
A. Ordinances—rules for mankind.
1. Laws of our nation.
2. 1 Peter 2:13-14. 13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
3. We are to abide by the laws of our county, state and nation.
a) We are to give unto Caesar, what is Caesar’s.
(1) Luke 20:25. 25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
b) Caesar is symbolic of the ruling body over where we reside.
c) If we render, we are to abide by the ruling of our nation and give unto it what belongs to it.
B. Those put in position to rule over us by God.
1. Our rulers—Governors and President.
a) Acts 23:1-5. 23 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? 4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? 5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
b) This rule was remembered by Apostle Paul from the prophet’s teachings in Exodos 22:28.
(1) 28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
(2) God told Moses to proclaim this rule before the Children of Israel.
c) Solomon also spoke these words,
(1) Ecc. 10:20. 20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
C. God
1. We are to submit to God in all things where He defines a rule over the rules of man.
2. Notice the teachings of the Apostles in the early church.
a) Acts 5:25-29. 25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
b) When we have a clear ruling given by God on a subject, we are to obey God rather than man.
c) When we have no clear ruling given by God on a subject, we are to obey the rule of our nation. Why?
(1) God ordained the rulers of our nation.
3. Look at another example of this rule, given by God, concerning cursing or harming our nation’s leader.
a) 1 Sam. 24:1-7. 24 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lordsaid unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
b) Why did this situation arise?
(1) The story begins in chapter 18.
(2) Saul has sent David and his army out to battle many times.
(3) David’s army routs every force Saul sent him out to face.
(4) In verse 5 of chapter 18, we read this:
(a) 5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
(5) In 1 Sam. 19:1 Saul tells his son Jonathan, he wants to kill David.
(6) In 1 Sam. 20:1 David asks Jonathan why Saul wants to kill him?
(7) Throughout the next few chapters, David is fighting battle after battle for Saul but also running from Saul for his life.
(8) David is more honorable than Saul the king.
(9) David honors God more than King Saul, even in the situation where he could have taken Saul’s life and stopped the pursuit of his own life.
(10) David chose to follow God’s rules about patriotism of his country.
II. Should we take a stand or take a knee?
A. We are to stand for:
1. God and His Divine Law—His Holy Word—Neh. 8:5.
a) 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
(1) Perhaps, we too, should stand in reverence to the Holy Word when read.
2. Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith, who gives us Hope for Eternal Life
3. The President of our country, even if we do not agree with, nor elected him with our vote.
4. Righteousness/Truth defined in the Holy Bible.
5. Respect unto:
a) The laws of our land
b) The Flag
c) The Constitution of the nation
d) The National Anthem
e) Men and women who are our elders in age.
f) Those who gave their lives for our rights as a nation.
g) Those who are our Bishops/Elders of individual congregations
(1) We are to respect each congregation’s Bishops/Elders, even though we might not think they are qualified according to God’s rules, and, even though we might not have appointed them over us or the congregation they are Overseers.
h) Our parents—no matter what age we may be—they are still our parents.
i) The list could go one and on
B. What we kneel for:
1. The awe (A-W-E ) of God
a) God is the creator of everything we see.
b) We should bow in reverence unto Him
(1) Solomon says we should wait upon the Lord.
2. Prayer unto an awesome God—the True and Living God.
a) Once again—showing reverence and respect as a subordinate being
3. Our fellow man—we are to place others above ourselves.
4. To esteem Jesus and others, especially the Saints—being humble and obedient
a) Phil. 2:1-11. 2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Conclusion
Religion and church should not directly get involved with political movements, but we should be involved in our country’s affairs when they are standing for what God has ordained us to do. We should not stand for disrespect of our country’s rulers, laws, ideals which God has ordained. Nor are we to take a knee in defiance of a law of our nation which is not against God’s Holy Word. We are to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s. God has plainly outlined for us to live in harmony and peace with all men. We are to respect the laws of our land because God ordained them. When they are in direct violation with God’s ordained rules, we are to obey God rather than man. If something is not spoken of directly in the Word of God, we are to leave it to the individual because it is between them and their God—hopefully the True and Living God. Man is to live in peace, not controversy.
Has Satan divided you from the laws of God, causing you to spread discord?
