We the People in America are still trying to find out what type of government we will have in the next 4 years. Too many of us are anxious of our government. Isn’t interesting that we just finished talking about what the future will be? You already know the answer, but this morning, let us remind ourselves how our God relates to government and government to God! Let us, first of all, remind ourselves again what will happen from today and towards the future.
We are living in the Age of Grace after Jesus Christ, God who became man to die for people’s sins, so that whoever believes in Him will be forgiven and will receive eternal live in perfect heaven. While we live in this Age of Grace, there are many countries in the world with differing governments and these governments are always changing!
Let us note that we are living in the Age of Grace because everyone in the world sins against God. All governments on earth, run by man, will fail. We have governments run by sinners and lived out by sinners! Will there ever be a perfect government on earth? Unless God and Jesus Christ intervene, people’s governments on earth will destroy the whole world!
As we had noted in our Message Series about the End Times, soon, Jesus Christ will appear in the clouds and take all His Believers to heaven! A One World Government will happen in the future led by someone who will eventually turn his back on the world by proclaiming himself god! At the brink of self-destruction of the world, Jesus Christ will intervene and destroys the evil leader and all his followers; then Jesus Christ, God, Lord of lords and King of Kings sets up His Government on earth for 1000 years, while satan himself is locked up in hell.
For 1000 years in the future, there will be a perfect government on earth, a God-centered government. What does this tell us? God requires government because God is a God of Order! Now, just because there will be a God-centered government, does this mean people will be godly? As we noted from God’s Word, people’s hearts are always wicked and only by the grace of God can people be perfected and be in a perfect government in heaven forever and ever! And so, let us state this right now, In spite of people trying to bring out a perfect society and government, it will fail because people sin; only by God’s Grace and Victory will there be perfection. When all is said and done in what we do on earth, God is the ultimate Victor!
We can stop here and grasp these truths about God and Government; but, we are a Bible Church and so we must look at Scriptures in more detail!
Let’s start at the very beginning; always a very good place to start! Open your Bibles to Genesis 1…. Genesis 1:1…. Lets us never forget that – Everything starts with God!
Read with me Genesis 2:1-3…. v15-17…. God is a God of order! and sets up the first government on earth with people and all the provisions provided for life; the first government on earth was God-centered (Theocratic) with perfect people and everything needed for life were provided by God! But let us note that in any government, including a Theocratic one, there will always be rules! If there aren’t any rules, there will be no order or government, just chaos! God is a God of order! God is the Creator and He sets the right rules!
Genesis 3:6-7…. In that perfect Theocratic society, the people broke the rules of government and instead of God-focused, society and government became man-focused! Adam and Eve saw “themselves” naked and covered themselves; they did it themselves (a man-focused government)!
And so, ever since people (Adam and Eve) broke the rules of God to today, society and government is always man-focused! Let us note, that eventhough a nation will try to be a God-focused society and government, since people are “bent to sin” against God, no government on earth will be perfect! There are actually many countries today who tries to be a Theocratic government (e.g. Israel, Vatican City, Iran, Saudi Arabia… let us note that Ancient Egypt was also theocratic with Pharaoh as their god); there may be order in these countries, but because all people sin against God, all these government will fail; remember that even the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ brought out sinful people who needed to be judged by God forever!
Because God is a God of order, there will always be government but with only God’s intervention will bring about the perfect and eternal government! The question is, why does God still allow people to live right now in spite of sinfulness and abuse of government! As we had noted from our study of the End Times, All the way to the end of this world, God desires to have as many people come back to Him and have a perfect government with Him for eternity through Jesus Christ!
And so, where are we and what are we to do with the government we have today until we have the perfect government in heaven?
First of all, we are to live according to God’s Plan and schedule! What does this mean?
1. We are to know God’s Plan and Schedule and live according to it! We are living in the Age of Grace but it will soon end and Jesus will return soon to judge every person and every government established! Do you and I truly believe this and live daily according to it! You may want to review our Message Series of the End Times; you can ask me for copies or the messages or you can find them on-line. God is the final judge of everything and He is the Only One victorious over all! Are we living our lives according to God’s Plan or are we following some philosophy or ideology (conservative, liberal, socialistic, communistic, humanistic, narcissistic)?
Now turn to Romans 13:1-7….
What does this mean? If God is a loving God and desires what’s best for us and He ordains the authorities over us, we must deserve who we get as leaders! The leaders we have are a reflection of who we are! Our society will not change till the hearts of people change for God!
Now, because God ordained the governing authorities for us, it is a sin to go against what God has ordained. But let us note, just because the governing authorities are ordained by God, these authorities may not be godly! It is a sin to go against God! So, we are to submit to governing authorities unless they ask us to go against God. Turn to Acts 5:27-29 with me……...
2. We are to submit to our governing authorities unless we are asked to disobey God!
By the way, be careful of political parties! Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are only about 200 years old and every year they amend their beliefs. Biblical Christianity is over 2000 years old and its Testament never changes and will be forever! What dominates your life, a political party, a politician, or Biblical Christianity? It’s okay to join organizations or even churches; but when that organization goes against Biblical Christianity, that would be the time to say no!
What else must we do today as Christians as we anticipate the perfect government in heaven in store for us? Turn to 1 Timothy 2:1-4…..
3. We are to pray for our government and our leaders to lead us to peaceful, quiet, godly, and holy lives!
And look again at v3-4…
And remember what we noted from Revelation 22:17 (God’s final instructions in His Word)….
If you and I have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are to call on others to come to heaven. And so, as we wait for Jesus Christ and the perfect government for us in heaven…
4. We are to invite people to be in this eternal perfect government in heaven for all who believes in Jesus Christ!
God is a God of order and therefore God and government go together. Our job as Believers of Jesus Christ today is to know and live out God’s will: stand firm in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, praying always, including our government and leaders as we anticipate the return of Jesus Christ to judge all people and governments, tell people about God’s perfect and eternal government in heaven and that everyone is invited!
Take a moment o quietly ponder and pray about these things….
Benediction: Romans 8: 28-31…. 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
