Illus: This is exactly what a young lady in college did when she was having problems with her grades and finances. She dreaded having to inform her parents of her situation, so she composed this letter:
“Dear Mom and Dad, I just thought I’d drop you a note to let you know of my plans. I've fallen in love with a guy named Jim. He quit school due to some trouble he had with the law. About a year ago he got a divorce from his third wife. Jim has a paper route, and has a very hard time providing for his nine children, but things will get better. We've been going steady for six weeks, and plan go get married in the fall. Until then, I've decided to move into his apartment since I think I am pregnant.”
“At any rate, I knew you would be glad to hear that I am doing so well. I have decided to drop out of college for now, although I'd like to finish sometime in the future.”
Her parents received this letter and they were devastated as they read it, but on the bottom of the page, the daughter had written, "Please turn over." The second page stated:
“Mom and Dad, I just want you to know that everything you read on the first page is false. NONE of it is true. But Mom and Dad, it IS true that I got a C in French, and flunked math. It IS true that I'm going to need some more money for my tuition payments.”
This young lady was sharp enough to know that bad news can sound like good news if it is compared to something worse.
God told Peter, “Feed My Sheep”, and before he fed them the GOOD THINGS he gives them an appetizer to prepare them for the main course.
For example, in verse 9, he told them they were, "A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people... ".
But also in verse 9 he tells them why they were blessed this way, “... that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
God has always wanted a people who would let their light shine out to a lost world.
Look at verse 12, we read, “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
But let us look at verses 13-25. In these verses he begins to feed God’s sheep some spiritual meat and potatoes. The first thing he wants to talk to them about is-
I. OUR SUBMISSION
Look at verses 13-14, we read, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 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.”
Notice, OUR SUBMISSION is not to be determined by whether or not we like the person we are supposed to submit too. Our submission is determined by our love for Him who commanded us to do it.
Submission is a very vital part of the Christian life. Peter shows us four basic ways we are to submit:
(A) WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO ORDINANCES
We are to submit to, "every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." Notice the words “every ordinance.” Peter is acknowledging that we must accept the good with the bad.
Illus: For example, in our country we have freedom of speech. But we realize that this freedom is not just for Christians. If it were, then it could not be said that we have freedom of speech for everyone. There are times we would like to silence those who do not think the way we think, but if everyone had their way, then no one could express their views on anything. But we have to remember, they also would like to silence us.
Likewise, Peter recognized that a society cannot choose which "laws" they are going to obey, and which laws they will disobey.
You will never find a nation whose laws you will agree with entirely, but as Christians it is unbecoming to the Lord, when we proudly strut before a lost world saying, "We serve the true and living King, and our Kingdom is not of this world, and we do not intend to obey these laws."
Illus: How would you feel toward an Ambassador that came from another country to our country, and violated every written law we have? We would have no use for such an ambassador or for the country he represented.
We may be "strangers" and "pilgrims" in this land, but we Christians represent the Lord and His Kingdom, and for the "Lord's sake", we submit to the law. It brings no glory to God when we obey only those laws that please us, but it does bring glory to God when we "submit" to those laws we personally do not like.
What if the laws are in violation to God's laws, do we obey them? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
When man is foolish enough to make laws that override the laws of God, we as God's people are to have the courage to be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and say, "We will not bow to such laws."
Illus: In the days of the Apostles, ungodly men passed a law forbidding any preaching about Jesus. That law was in direct violation to God's Word that commands us to spread the gospel. Peter's reply in Acts 5:29 was, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
But, if the laws of this land are not in conflict with God's Word, we are to submit, “To every ordinance of man.”
We are to, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” By submission we honor the Lord.
WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO ORDINANCES, but also-
(B) WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO GOVERNORS
Why? For the same reason, for the Lord’s sake.
Look at verse 14-16. We read, “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. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
Illus: Every four years the people of this nation elect a new president. Generally that choice is made between a Democrat or a Republican. Sometimes the majority vote is only marginal.
Let us suppose that presently we have a republican as president, and all the democrats oppose everything he does.
But suppose in the next election a democrat wins, and all the republicans oppose everything he does.
If this is the case, this country would come to a standstill, and all you would ever hear from Washington is the opposing party constantly trying to sabotage the party in power, and putting their spin on why they oppose the party in power. This is the major problem we have in Washington. Many of their decisions are partisan decisions.
The Christians' view should be determined by our love for the Lord and for “His Sake”, we honor all leaders.
Israel's downfall was, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)
Anyone can honor a leader that does everything he wants, but it takes a genuine Christian to submit to government leaders who are doing things that we do not favor.
Peter tells Christians to submit “to Governors”, because their purpose according to verses 14-16 is, “... for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
We are to submit to ALL ORDINANCES, and GOVERNORS, but also-
(C) WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO ALL MEN
Look at verse 17. We read, “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” The Word of God teaches we are to, "honor all men".
It is difficult to understand some professing Christians who profess to love the blacks in Africa, but hate the blacks in America. We have those who claim to love the Jewish Savior, but they hate the Jewish people.
God’s Word says we are to love them and honor them by showing the proper respect that should be shown to them. Racial biases should not be the determining factor in who we honor and who we do not honor.
Anyone can love a person that thinks the way he thinks and has the same color of skin he has, but God's people love and respect all men, simply for “God’s sake”.
The world in which we live today is such a violent society that we hear of killings constantly. We hear of:
• Gang violence
• Parents killing their children
• Children killing their parents
• Neighbors killing their neighbors
• Snipers killing people as they drive down the highway
“Preacher, you have always had this kind of violence.” Yes, this is true, but not as much as we have today.
Notice, the solution to this violence is SUBMISSION! When you have two people who are both determined to have it their own way, you have a problem. But when you have one that is willing to submit to the other one, it generally solves the problem.
Illus: Can you imagine how many arguments and fights could be avoided if people would be willing to submit to each other?
DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO THEM EVEN IF WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING EVIL? Of course not, it is never right to do wrong! But if it has to do with anything that is not sinful, then we should be willing to submit to bring an argument to a godly conclusion.
(D) WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO EMPLOYERS
Look at verses 18-20. We read, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”
A great deal of the business world is controlled by lost people. They employ saved people and lost people. Christians should be the best workers employers could hire.
Our submission to their authority should not be based on whether we like them or do not like them, or even if they are good or bad employers.
Look at verses 18-20, we read, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”
It is our RESPONSIBILITY that we "Submit" to:
• Every ordinance
• Governors
• All men
• Employers
We looked at OUR SUBMISSION, but now let us look at-
II. OUR SPECIMEN
Look at verse 21, we read, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”
If anyone ever had a right to rebel against all these things we have been talking about, the Lord Jesus did.
But look at verses 22-25, we read, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
Illus: A young girl, who had a wonderful Christian mother, chose to live a sinful life. One day a woman was telling her how she was breaking the heart of her mother, but it did not seem to phase this rebellious girl. The lady left these words with her; "You may choose to live in sin and die and go to a devil's hell. One thing for sure, you will go there knowing better, because you had a godly mother that gave you the right example.”
This is also true of Christians. We may choose to live our lives full of hate and rebellion, but we have had the best example that we could possibly have, the Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled Himself before mankind and went about doing good.
This is some very good spiritual food that Peter is feeding God’s sheep.
Conclusion:
God said, “Peter, Feed my sheep!”
Tell them of:
I. OUR SUBMISSION
A. SUBMIT TO EVERY ORDINANCE
B. SUBMIT TO GOVERNORS
C. SUBMIT TO ALL MEN
D. SUBMIT TO EMPLOYERS
II. OUR SPECIMEN
