Patriotic Christians #4
Respecting Our Leaders
Theme: Though we may not agree with our elected officials, we have a duty to God to respect them, to honor them, to submit to their leadership, and obey them. God has ordained the governing authorities, and by respecting and honoring them, we show respect and honor to God.
Introduction
We are continuing today our thoughts about being a patriotic Christian.
Over the past few weeks, we have talked about praying for our country.
We have talked about praying for our leaders.
We have talked about having a love for our country.
This morning, let’s consider, for a few minutes, respect and submission.
Our country today seems to have forgotten what these two very important words mean.
People get in each other’s faces, cursing at them, yelling at each other. Remember the viral video from a high school field trip to the Lincoln Memorial last year of Nick Sandmann, a student from Covington Catholic High School, having a group of what were called Hebrew Israelites, a group of black men, taunting and abusing the students from the school. Then there was the encounter that Nick had with Omaha tribe elder Nathan Phillips.
Lawbreakers will get in the law enforcement officers’ faces and spit on them.
Our fellow citizens will shout obscenities and curses at anyone, whether they agree or not with them.
Respect for the law just doesn’t exist. People in our country will steal and call it entitlement.
It’s one thing to disagree. It’s something completely different to be disrespectful.
People disregard and disrespect other people’s property.
We have spent months watching videos of rioting and looting through many cities across our country. People destroying businesses, homes, and property of innocent people. No respect for what belongs to other people.
It’s one thing to protest and speak up. It’s something completely different to be disrespectful and vandalistic.
We have watched over and over lawbreakers running from law enforcement, acting like they are going to attack the officers, and unfortunate consequences transpiring. No submission to the authorities that are in place.
We have a serious problem in our country. No respect. No submission. No obedience.
A very different set of behaviors than the expectations that God has laid out for His people.
In Romans 13, Paul gives this direction to the Christians in Rome.
Rome of all places. Where Nero, the cruelest of all Roman emperors ruled. Where Christians were being persecuted. Where Christians were not respected. Where Christians were targeted by the government to be killed because of their faith.
Follow along to see what Paul says about the expectations of God’s children:
1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. (Romans 13, NLT)
<Barclay, William. The Letter to the Romans (The New Daily Study Bible) (p. 206). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition. >
William Barclay says in his commentary about this section that Paul saw in the government as an instrument in God’s hands — something that God was using to keep the world in order. Those who are running the government are playing a part in God’s master plan. “Whether they knew it or not, they were doing God’s work, and it was the duty of all Christians to help and not to hinder.”
The Apostle Peter echoes those same instructions for God’s children in 1 Peter 2:
13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king. (1 Peter 2, NLT)
The purpose of government is to keep order.
I will be the first to admit that the government often leaves a lot to be desired. Just consider some of the many things going on today. The arguing. The fighting. The attacks on each other. The acceptance of the wrong.
But if we did not have government, we would have nothing by anarchy. That’s why God ordained an order of leadership and servanthood.
Without government, our world would spin off into complete and total chaos.
It is true that sometimes the government and its elected officials do not act worthy of respect and submission. Just look at how our leaders have been acting over the past few months through the chaos of the COVID outbreak, the economic decline, the activities leading up to the election next month.
Despite their actions, we, as Christians, as adopted children and heirs of God, are still called to submit to the authorities and respect the authorities, despite all of the things we’ve just said.
So this morning, how do we do that?
1. Let’s look at submitting to authorities first.
Both Peter and Paul direct us to submit to the governing authorities.
While submission and obedience do not mean exactly the same thing, I believe that they are inseparably linked.
And I believe that submission to the authorities begins with a healthy obedience.
Obeying the laws that have been enacted.
Obeying the rules as they are given.
Respecting the regulations that govern our lives.
In one sense, we should be more like dogs.
<On the Obedience of a Dog
By SermonCentral
(From a sermon by Steve Shepherd, Command And Teach These Things, 8/20/2011)
Copied from Sermon Central>
It's been said that it is not the dog's keen smell or hearing that has endeared him to modern man, it's his uncomplaining readiness to obey and lavish affection on his human friends.
A dog is loyal, loving, and lovable, even if his master can boast none of these qualities. The Prussian monarch Frederick the Great hit the nail on the head when he said: "The more I see of men, the better I like my dog."
Obedience should come from the authority that the elected officials have and not from the power that they may hold.
<There's A Difference Between Power And Authority
By Sherm Nichols
Copied from Sermon Central>
There’s a difference between power and authority.
Let’s look at a policeman. He has both.
He has authority. He has a uniform and badge. That badge might cause you to behave right – if you respect authority. Those are symbols of the authority that has been entrusted to him by the local government.
On the other hand if you’re a criminal, his authority will not stop you at all. The policeman has something else too. Power. You see, at his side, he carries a 9mm Glock automatic service pistol. He may also be carrying a Taser. Either of those are for him to use to enforce his authority if needed.
Now, the bad guys often have guns too, but they don’t have the right to use it. They both have power, but one will get arrested if he uses it, and the other will even get into trouble if he uses it wrongly.
So what gives a policeman the right to use that power in certain situations, but not the criminal? The answer is authority. They both have power, but only one has authority.
It’s the same with our elected officials. They have power because of their position, but the position is given power because of the authority they hold while in that position.
Because of that authority, we need to obey them. Follow the laws they enact.
Submit to the authorities and do not rebel, Paul says.
A fine line here, isn’t there. After all, isn’t rebellion how our country came to be? A rejection and rebellion of the authority of England.
Maybe, maybe not.
<CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, REBELLION, AND THE LIMITED ROLE OF GOVERNMENT (ROMANS 13:1-7)
September 3, 2019
https://knowingscripture.com/articles/civil-disobedience-rebellion-and-the-limited-role-of-government-romans-13-1-7
by Zachary Garris>
In an article for KnowingScripture.com, Zachary Garris helps us understand.
He writes, “In general, it seems obvious that Christians should not revolt in an attempt to overthrow government. Christians can and should work within the legal means available. But there are situations, such as in Stalinist Russia, where a government becomes so wicked that it would seem wrong for individual Christians to stand there and do nothing. If Christians could institute a better government, why would they not?”
He continues, “Let us consider a real example of so-called “rebellion” from the past, the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). This war is better termed the American War for Independence. Without getting too deep in the weeds, a strong argument in support of the American colonists was that the act of secession from Britain was legal. The American colonies were under British authority, and the king had a duty to protect the colonies. Since British Parliament was abusing the colonies by legislating for them without providing representation, the king should have stepped in to protect the colonies from this unconstitutional usurpation.
“When the king did not intercede at their appeal, he violated his legal duty, and the American colonies had no other choice than to declare independence. (The Declaration of Independence lists the failures of the king as the basis for secession.) Thus, the legal argument is that the Americans had the right to secede under British law. In this case, this was no “revolution” but simply secession—and legal secession at that. So the American act of declaring independence and the ensuing war to fight off the British attempt to prevent secession were legal and therefore morally permissible.”
I think as Christians, it boils down to this: we need to submit the authority of our government.
When the government is not doing its God given duty or failing in its contract it makes to protect the citizens of its country, that’s when it’s time to work to change the laws, the government, the leadership. Be involved in the democratic process. Respectfully speak up for what is right.
But Christians should never be out to overthrow the government through utter rebellion.
We should be an example to the rest of the world by being respectfully obedient to the God ordained authorities.
2. Speaking of respect, consider now how respecting authorities looks.
I’m sure you’ve often heard the phrase, “Respect is earned, not given.”
What does that exactly mean? It means that you do not have to respect people unless they earn your respect.
<https://www.typingadventure.com/respect-is-earned-not-given/
Elmer Smitham
5/28/2019>
On a blog website for professionals, TypingAdventure.com, Elmer Smitham writes, “‘Respect is earned, not given’ suggests that if you want to be respected, you cannot force people to respect you just because you want them to. People who adhere to this saying recognize that not everyone is born equal and they aren’t obliged to love or respect anyone just because they exist. To earn their respect, you need to prove that you are worth their time….
“You aren’t obliged to respect someone if you feel they don’t deserve it. If you think people need to earn your respect, you aren’t automatically going to respect someone unless you know something about them that’s worth revering. It means you aren’t going to respect an older person because they’re older than you (and it’s customary in many cultures to respect the elderly), a higher-ranking person in the office (especially if they’re not even competent at their job), or a neighbor (if they prove to be a bad neighbor).
“And since you don’t respect these people, you are unlikely to feel remorse or guilt when you don’t treat them the way they feel you should be treating them. If an elderly person in a bus is rude to another passenger, you don’t have to politely tell him to stop. You can be as rude as you want because he clearly is someone who does not deserve your respect.”
That’s how our world functions these days. Some in our world do not respect the police because they feel like the police have not earned respect.
Some in our world do not respect other people because they have differing opinions and beliefs, and that negates a respectful attitude.
People do not respect managers and supervisors in their jobs because they do not feel their manager has earned the right to be respected.
All of this, though, is in direct opposition to how God has called us as Christians to live.
We are to give respect, not because it is earned, but because it is commanded.
The same goes for our governing authorities.
We are commanded to show respect to those in authority, Paul and Peter both say. It’s not a matter of personal preference, individual feeling, or internal desire. It’s the law of the church, of the family of God.
What are some ways to show respect?
We can first listen to them.
What do I mean by that? Habit 5 of Stephen Covey 7 habits of highly effective people is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
When we listen to understand, listen to gain perspective, listen to appreciate the other person, we are showing them respect.
If we immediately cut them off, or tune them out, letting their words go in one ear and out the other, as my Grandpa would say, then we are not being respectful.
Our leaders may have differing opinions than us, but we can still listen to what they have to say, appreciate that they may view things differently, and treat them with dignity and respect.
Build the personal relationship before trying to convince them of the error of their thoughts. Show them the truth only after showing them how much we care.
Respect our authorities also means honoring them.
Honoring our leaders, or anyone for that matter, I think means to respect and celebrate that person.
It’s about accepting someone as they are and appreciating them for who they are.
I don’t have to agree with them on all issues, I don’t necessarily even have to like them — but I will choose to honor them.
I think it comes into play when we are talking about others. Consider using THINK. Before you speak, think:
Is it true?
Is it helpful?
Is it inspiring?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
It’s a great way not only to apply to our words, but to our actions, our thoughts, and our intentions.
Respect our authorities by giving thanks for them.
We’ve talked about praying for them and giving thanks to God, but publicly giving thanks that they have been willing to serve our community, our country.
Stop and say thank you.
We can disagree with our leaders, with the authorities, with others, and still be respectful.
<Baseball Basics
By SermonCentral
SOURCE: Pastor Tim
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh
Copied from Sermon Central>
There’s an old baseball story that talks about one point during a little league game when the baseball coach said to one of his young players, “Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?”
The little boy nodded that he did.
“Do you understand that what matters is whether we win together as a team?”
The little boy nodded yes.
“So,” the coach continued, “when a strike is called, or you’re out at first, you don’t argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?”
Again the little boy nodded.
“Good,” said the coach.
“Now go over there and explain it to your mother!”
We do not have to agree in order to be respectful. We do have to be respectful.
As Christians, we are not only called to respect the authorities, but all people.
Peter reminds us that we are to “Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.”
3. It really all boils down to this: doing what is right.
Do the right thing all the time in all circumstances.
Have the wisdom to make the right choices and act upon them.
Paul tells us to do what is right. When we live and do what is right, we will have the respect of authorities, we will live peaceably with others, we will be an example, we will make a difference in our world.
First and foremost we should always obey God’s laws.
The Bible does not teach us that we should disobey every unjust law. The Bible teaches us that we must disobey the government when the government requires us to sin.
In the New Testament, Peter and John disobeyed the Jewish authorities when they told them to stop preaching Jesus. Peter and John said:
“19 Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; 20 for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4, NRSV)
Similarly in Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men.” The Book of Revelation shows throughout that keeping God’s commands is required even when faced with government pressure to disobey.
The point is that God’s authority is greater than government’s authority. While we are to obey government, we are also to obey God. His authority trumps government authority. In fact, it is God who gives government authority. As Jesus told the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11, NRSV).
An extension of this can be said this way: Just because it is permissible by man’s law does not make it permissible in God’s eyes.
Consider things like abortion. Legal in our country. A violation of God’s commands to not murder and respect life.
Gay marriages. Legal in our country now. A violation of God’s design for marriage and family.
Pornography. Legal in our country. A violation of God’s commands to keep ourselves pure and not to be immoral.
We as Christians are called to be different. We are to claim our citizenship in Heaven.
Yes we live in this country.
Yes we are to obey our country’s laws.
Yes we are to obey our country’s regulations.
Yes we are to respect our leaders.
Yes we are to obey our leaders and submit to their leadership.
But it starts with obedience to God first and most importantly.
It’s a refocus of our thinking, of our priorities, of our loyalties.
Do what is right. Always. No matter who is watching and who is not. And when we do, we will be honored. We will have a clear conscience. An honorable, righteous life will silence the ignorant people who make foolish and false accusations against us.
Conclusion
This morning, we’ve talked about respecting, obeying, and submitting to the officials who have been elected to represent us, to protect us, to lead us.
We do all of this because these officials, whether we agree with them or not, whether they are worthy of respect or not, whether they are honorable or not, are extensions of God’s own authority.
And by obeying them, we are being obedient to God. By respecting them, we are showing respect to God. By honoring them, we are honoring God above all else.
Paul said they are God’s own servants, sent for our good. They have the purpose of enacting laws, to carry out punishment of those who do wrong, and honoring those who do right.
<Barclay, William. The Letters of James and Peter (The New Daily Study Bible) (p. 238). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition. >
William Barclay, in his commentary on the letters of James and Peter, writes, “In any state, there must be a certain subjection… In a democratic state, … the duty of all citizens is not only to submit to be ruled, but to take a necessary sharing in ruling. Hence, if Christians are to fulfill their duty to the state, they must take part in its government. They must also take part in their local government and in the life of the trade union or association connected with their trade, craft or profession. It is tragic that so few Christians really fulfill their obligation to the state and the society in which they live.”
This morning, what William Barclay said is exactly why we are doing this study — to draw out and highlight the ways that we can be Patriotic Christians — how we can be involved in the government and its process, and still maintain our integrity as Bible believers.
Be an example to the world. Stand up for what is right. Lead by example.
That’s our calling. That’s our duty. That’s our responsibility as Bible believing people in this world that we live in today.
