 Well today we're in Romans chapter 13. We're going to be looking at verses one through seven and the message relates really to what Paul speaks about here, the Christian and government. And so as we look at this subject we'll begin reading at verse one, Romans 13. We'll read to verse four and we'll get into our study, the Christian and our civic responsibility, the Christian and government. Paul writes, let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, but there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority do what is good and you will have praise from the same for he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain for he is God's minister an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Now Paul is writing concerning our responsibilities in society, the Christian and civic responsibility. And there are at least two reasons why he begins to approach this one quite obviously would be that it flows from chapter 12 because in chapter 12 he had already stated that we were to prove what is the good acceptable and perfect will of God. And so in order to spread the gospel we need to to work within the confines of civil government. See the good and perfect will of God is to present the gospel to others but the fact is is we have to work within the governmental structures in order to do so. And so what he wants to do in this passage is to clarify our responsibility to human government. Now as you look at this we need to remember the context we need to remember that during that time the Jews had questions concerning the right of the Roman government to rule over them. Many at that time had a certain nationalism and nationalistic pride and and they had a tremendous resentment that Rome actually had authority. Now there was an occasion it's recorded in John's Gospel in chapter 8 verse 33 where they they had said we are Abraham's descendants we've never been in bondage to anyone. So there was a great deal of nationalism during that time there were even nationalistic groups that had arisen in opposition to the Roman authority and all and so they had a real problem with this. There was a great resentment against Rome and they resented the way the Romans treated the Jews. All you need to do is begin to look in the New Testament you'll see incidents of this and mention of it. For example in row in rather Luke chapter 13 verse 1 Luke writes they were present at that season some who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices and so that's just something that is stated there it doesn't even give us great information other than the fact that pilot the governor had actually slaughtered people while they were making their offerings to God. In Acts chapter 5 verses 36 and 37 one of the great teachers of the law his name was Gamaliel. Gamaliel was speaking and and he said this he said for some time ago Theodos rose up claiming to be somebody a number of men about 400 joined him he was slain and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census due away many people after him he also perished and all who obeyed him were dispersed and so there's mention made of how the the Romans had treated the Jews and the Jews many of them simply hated the Romans that gives you insight into why there was such an antagonism towards those who collected taxes because when Matthew was brought into faith in Jesus Christ and began to follow him he was a member of a group that was greatly hated by the Jews he was a tax collector because they saw that this was wrong they believed that Rome was was a pagan intruder and and religious Jews really chafed at the idea of supporting pagans and the oppressive Roman government this foreign entity that was ruling over them and they wondered should they or should they not support Roman authority and you had a lot of arguments as a matter of fact we know a very famous one that took place when a question was brought to the Lord Jesus Christ concerning this very thing it's recorded in Mark's Gospel chapter 12 verses 14 through 17 where it says they had come they said to him teacher we know that you are true and care about no one for you do not regard the person of men but teach the way of God in truth and then they asked this question is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not shall we pay or shall we not pay but he knowing the hypocrisy said to them why do you test me bring a denarius that I may see it so they brought it and he said to them whose image and inscription is this they said to him Caesar's Jesus answered and said to them rendered Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's and they marvel at him you see when they brought that question it was a typical question asked at that day to start a problem because on the one hand if Jesus said no we should not pay taxes then they would take that statement to Roman authorities and they would say that Jesus is preaching insurrection but if Jesus were to say to them oh pay it they would take it to the religious Jews and say see Jesus does not care at all about our religious sentiment and our national pride so what they had done is they tried to catch him on what is called the horns of a dilemma how are you going to respond to this and so Jesus said it with great wisdom he says you owe human government certain things give to human government what you owe it you owe God certain things give to God that which belongs to him see man has responsibilities to God as well as to other men we need to remember though that there are differences between the two human government relates to person to person relationships and Paul obviously was aware of the friction that existed between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man now we need to as I lay a foundation a little bit further we need to remember that the church has not been established to pursue worldly power we have had nothing but problems whenever the church has gotten entangled with the government an ambition for power for its own sake it was actually at the heart of the fall of Satan himself you see that in in Isaiah's book when he says in chapter 14 verses 12 through 15 how you are fallen from heaven oh Lucifer son of the morning how you are cut down to the ground you who did weaken the nations for you have said in your heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most high you see Satan had eye problems but it says you shall be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit it's this ambition for power this desire to be like God to rule in a rain that crept into his heart that caused him to to fall an author by the name of John Milton wrote a book called Paradise Lost and in Paradise Lost he quotes Satan Lucifer as and Lucifer saying to rain is worth to rain is worth ambition though in hell better to rain in hell than to serve in heaven and you've heard that phrase before that's from John Milton's Paradise Lost better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven that's the ambition and that mentality of wanting to rule and to rain permeates human government unfortunately it it seems to entice many to aspire to leadership of all forms including political leadership we need to remember something we need to remember that the kingdom of God is actually ruled by different principles and Jesus taught us that there is a principle called servant leadership because servant leadership is the way of the Lord Luke tells us in chapter 22 verses 25 and 26 that Jesus said to them the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors but you shall not be so but he was greatest among you let him be as the younger and he who is chief as one who serves we need to understand that the kingdom of God is not synonymous with the kingdom of man the church has been given a mandate by God a mandate to use our influence but we have to use our influence without compromising in order to keep favor with men we need to use the influence that God has given to us but not compromise that in order that we might become popular the Jesus speaking concerning what the church is in the gospel of Matthew said it like this he said you are the salt of the earth but if the salt loses its flavor how shall it be seasoned it is then good for nothing but to be thrown down and trampled underfoot by men you are the light of the world a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house you have you are the only light you are the only salt is what Jesus was saying you have influence you're supposed to retire the corruption and to give flavor to this world in a darkened world you're to provide light so that people may walk without stumbling so you have influence all of us in this room every believer in this room is to use that influence for good and so we're not to be pursuing power for power sake alone but should the Lord put us in a place of influence we're to use it for good now Paul is speaking concerning Roman here in the book of Romans concerning human government and so he begins at verse 1 by simply saying this in Romans 13 1 he says let every soul be subject to the governing authorities there's no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God Daniel 432 says the most high rules in the kingdom kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he desires and Paul is simply echoing that and he's saying that every believer is to submit to government's authority and that is what has been referred to and you hear this if you watch the news or read newspapers that is what has been referred to even in our own country as the rule of law the rule of law this is a nation that we live in that has been established with with principles of law law that is supposed to rule the elements of our life in order to give to us the ability to live with security to live with freedoms and so this nation was established under the principle of what is called the rule of law and you and I we do not have the right to pick and choose normally which laws we're going to submit to that's why he says that every soul is to be subject you see every believer is to submit to governmental authority now when he says to be subject that means the word subject means to place yourself under somebody's authority and you see this echoed in in 1 Peter 2 13 through 15 where the Apostle said submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men whether to the king as the supreme authority or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right he says for it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men now when he says this I need to hasten to have this he's not saying be compliant or mindlessly follow orders we're not like living in a totalitarian totalitarian state where if they say do something you just simply do it when I was in the military we had and I don't remember exactly how it was phrased but we had the right to refuse what we what we were taught was an unlawful order and so if I had somebody who had command authority speak to me and say to me to do a certain thing if it violated my conscience if I felt it was the wrong thing to do in the military I had the right to say to the one given me the order that I respectfully refused to follow that order they would write me up and I'd have a court martial and all of that that's what would take place then I'd have to be defended as to why I did not follow that order if they said go into that village for example and torch it and kill all the civilians I would have had the right to say at that time I refused to follow that order because it was a matter of moral and conscience it's something that I could not do and and they might have handcuffed me they may have put me someplace and then tried me later on but I had the right to refuse you see so you have a right to refuse an order that's given to you that is going to violate your conscience or your morals we'll look at that in just a moment because you see there are times when we need to choose to serve God or the government the government as it exists is not to replace God or a devotion that belongs only to him and we need to remember that civil laws established to restrain evil from dominating and as such we are to be submitted to proper authority as long as it doesn't replace God in the United States of the law or government action violates our consciences and understanding of God's word we have a right to address it and we have a right to reject it and as Americans there are many concerns for us that we ought to voice our thoughts about and it is our responsibility to exercise our rights in this country and we should participate in making our voices heard that's what it means to be salt and that's what it means to be light we don't have to be belligerent we don't have to be mean spirited but we certainly have to have a spine and we need to stand up and say I will or will not do certain things just because it's law doesn't make it right just because it may be legal doesn't make it moral and we need to understand that we see that today many Americans have a tendency of establishing moral values and moral beliefs based on what is lawful what is legal to do so if it's legal to smoke pot in certain ways then somebody says well that's obviously moral if it's illegal to have an abortion someone will say well that's obviously moral it's proper if somebody says that two men or two women can get married there are those who will argue and say that it's legal therefore it's moral but as a as a Christian I have the right to say no that violates my moral code that violates my understanding of scripture and just because the governor may sign into law a certain law that makes certain practices and behaviors acceptable doesn't mean that I have to accept it and it doesn't mean that I as a pastor have to preach that I will not do that so if the government says to me that I need to rent out these buildings here to those who violate our standards and our beliefs that I have to rent out this is this is something that California is dealing with right now so many of you may be familiar with this but if we'll say homosexuals get married and they want to one they want us to perform the ceremony or two they want us to rent to them our our fellowship hall for that for them to have their whatever that thing is that they call it after they get married funeral or something I forget moment of sorrow where they have their reception there are those that are arguing that I as a pastor have to rent the facility out to those who want to rent it of course we're not going to do that of course we won't we wouldn't do that why would we do that because it violates our beliefs and if they say well we'll put you in jail then then I'm going to go to jail with a lot of Calvary Chapel pastors because none of us will do that why because it violates our conscience and we won't do it yeah you're clapping because you're not going to go to jail I'll resign no my assistant will go to jail but I'm telling you that's just the fact isn't it I mean there are some laws that are just immoral and we do not have to abide by those laws we can in good conscience stand up and so he's not saying that every single thing that every government does is proper he's not saying that what he's laying is a general principle a general foundation that government is established for certain things that God is the author of government when you look into the first nine chapters of the book of Genesis the first book of the Bible you find three institutions ordained by God you see marriage you see the church and you see human government all of this is established within nine chapters and all of that are building blocks those things are building blocks to the foundations of an orderly society and so we have the right to voice our opinions we have the right to resist the authority when but the authority is attempting to do is bring us to submit to that which is not proper so it's our responsibility to exercise our rights in this country we should participate even as it says in Proverbs 1434 righteous exalts a nation righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people but there are those who argue and say well there's no authority except from God so we're to submit to every law is that true what about laws that are contrary to the law of God what happens when a civil law violates a higher law remember with me in the book of Exodus chapter 1 verses 15 through 17 where it says there the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives whose names were Chepra and and for when you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool if it's a boy kill him but if it's a girl let her live is that what they should have done I mean it was a command the Pharaoh said kill him well what did they do well the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do they let the boys live and that's how Moses was able to survive because they resisted and refused to obey that law laws that do not contradict God's laws are to be obeyed because God has established civil authority and the law normally parallels his law somebody is sad man I've had these discussions in the past perhaps some have had this same kind of discussion where they have said you cannot legislate morality you can't legislate morality is that true is that true think about it with me for a minute perhaps you haven't ever thought of it some of you I'm sure have thought this through yourselves already you do not legislate morality then what are you legislating when you when you capture somebody for killing somebody why do we call that murder what are you legislating when somebody goes into a bank and robs it and we arrest them and we call it robbery we call it stealing where did you get the idea that that somebody shouldn't kill somebody else and where did you get the idea that somebody shouldn't steal and are the laws actually establishing morality or preserving it and are the laws in and of themselves are they moral and if so why are they moral and where did you get the morality to have that law in the first place and what we need to remember simply is that the United States is based it's in its code in its ethics and its laws are based on the Old and New Testament laws and so killing is a moral thing and stealing is something moral even weddings and marriage are moral all of the laws that you have in the United States relate to behaviors and there is a moral aspect to them and so I really believe very strongly that that laws that do not contradict God's law is to be obeyed but those that do not coincide with our understanding of Scripture well I'm going to appeal to a higher law it's like what it says in Acts chapter 4 verses 19 and 20 when the Apostle Peter and John had been forbidden to speak in the name of Christ and Peter and John answered and said to them whether it's right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God you judge where we cannot but speak the things which you have seen and heard you think that I'm supposed to follow what you're saying or what God says and that's what we're to do now he says in verse 2 whoever resist the authority resists the ordinance of God those who resist will bring judgment on themselves so as a general rule government can be benevolent and of benefit to believers laws generally protect people from harm as well as promoting the well-being of community it also provides punishment for those who violate the law and so he says whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God and then bring judgment on themselves why well verse 3 for rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil do you want to be unafraid of the authority do what's good you'll have praise from the same for he is God's minister to you for good if you do evil be afraid free does not bear the sword in vain free as God's minister and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil therefore you must be subject not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake so there you go judgment conscience it's interesting how he puts both of those in the same passage you're on the freeway speed limit 65 everybody knows that you can actually go five miles faster than 65 because we've created that five mile cushion and sometimes you can go 80 because there's nobody around right or faster because you're breaking in something so as you're driving you're looking at your speedometer 65 70 80 you get lost in the drive I mean it's four o'clock in the morning you're outside of LA you're going north a lot of stretches of empty road up there and you look off to the side then you look behind you and you see a black and white car what's the very first thing you do very first you slow down I look at the speedometer first thing I'll do why did I do that because I'm guilty of violating the law I can be by habit I'm you know there's nobody here but man the second I see a black and white the first thing I do is I look at my speedometer that's one of the reasons I'm glad that I have one of these cars that you can actually have a cruise control you can put it at certain speed take your foot off and and just drive because it's easy to let a car we call it we let the car get away from us no I just keep pushing my foot down and I keep going fast but it's amazing to me the minute I see a police officer that I check to make sure I'm keeping the law why is that because of fear of judgment Paul is referring to that that principle there are people who do what is right for fear of judgment that's why they do what is right it's not because they believe it it's not because it's their moral code it's because it's against the law you may believe with all of your heart that is okay to smoke pot you may think it's just fine to do that and then you may want to argue you know and in all of that about it but if you're sitting there smoking a joint and a police officer rolls up next to you what do you do with that joint you eat it if you throw it they can pick it up how do I know that well someone told me about that years ago why you want to argue all day long you argue with your parents you argue with your friends you argue with everybody that it's okay it's harmless and why why did you do that why you do it because you know it's against the law now the difference is doing things right because of conscience sake why don't I smoke pot and drive because for conscience sake I don't smoke pot why don't I go in 95 and 100 when it's empty and it's four in the morning you know there's nobody on the freeway for conscience sake I'm not going to speed why do I stop at stop signs which are a suggestion to many people today but in reality it's a law why do I stop at stop signs and I do it in my neighborhood we have stop signs I stop at everyone of course I don't roll through I know there's nobody around it's four o'clock who's going to be up at four just me I can just roll through all of those stop signs there's nobody there but what happens when I see a sheriff sitting next to that stop sign I hit the stop sign one two three then drive off why is that because you can do it through conscience or you can do it through fear of judgment what is Paul saying he's saying listen either you can be afraid of being a violating the law and do what right is right because of that or you can be aware of the fact that your conscience has been tenderized by God's spirit and you do the right thing out of the heart what is the higher form what is the highest form of doing right guys because it's legal or because your heart has been tenderized by God's spirit which is the highest well obviously conscience you do things that are right because it doesn't violate your conscience any longer and a lot of us didn't have a conscience till we got saved and then our conscience became informed by God's word and we began to do what is right from the heart instead of just because I'm going to get arrested for it so there are those who do it is right because well because the government is God's avenger on those who do what is wrong and therefore they'll do it is right but if they had the opportunity to do wrong they do it whenever they're given pop opportunity to do so and then there are others who simply do what is right because it's the right thing I was walking and in in front of a young couple a few years ago now and the young lady was griping to her boyfriend or friend she was walking with saying that old man it wasn't me but some other old man that old man man he just was going to speed limit man because he's old so she's probably thinking that if he was young he'd be just busting through the speed limit and do what he wanted because young people do that because they're not afraid because they got these quick reflexes and they got great breaks I don't know what she was thinking but in her mind she's thinking that the reason this old person was going to speed limit was because he's an old person and only old people obey the law and she immediately was revealing to me that this woman has no conscience at all for her to do right or wrong is a matter of choice and when it feels like at this moment and you and I were different we're believers we read the Bible the Bible says to obey the ordinances and we do why because we're able to live at peace God established government he keeps us safe through it before I was saved I did not like police officers I had every good reason not to like them because they were always after me I didn't like them you know I had may sprayed in my face and things and they weren't very nice to me and I didn't like them I got saved when I got saved I started saying God thank you for the police thank you for law enforcement thank you for them because they take care of us so I can live a peaceful life bless you Lord for them I have relatives who are police officers and I love them because of the good that they do and they put their lives on the line for me I appreciate them very much but I didn't before I was saved well why because I was drinking and driving smoking pot doing drugs carrying things with me I shouldn't carry because if they rolled over and pulled me over I'd be going to jail because I was afraid of them because I was always holding or I was I was in the place that I could have been arrested so many times and so Paul is simply saying listen God has appointed government and we should not violate law and we don't violate law because of matters of conscience notice in verses six and seven finally he says because of this you pay taxes for their God's ministers attending continually to this very thing render therefore to all their due taxes to whom taxes are due customs to whom customs fear to whom fear honor to whom honor Christians recognize human government is a design of the Lord and therefore we should be the best citizens in the country we pay our taxes we serve our country we do our best to respect our officials we pray for those who were in office we vote sometimes even get involved in the political process in order that we might continue to do the best that we can to ensure that we can live in the best country this world is seen and to live in peace and that's what we're supposed to do government has been established to restrict evil and to promote the welfare of people and we should pray for our officials we should pray from president all the way down to governors and everything else mayors that that God might reach their hearts and and touch them and and that God would save them and that this government might survive and we might at least this nation might survive and we we pray that God will keep us safe in this in this country that we live in and as believers well I'm gonna I'm gonna keep the law as long as it doesn't violate my conscience and when it violates my conscience I would rather obey God than man and that's what I'll do and that's what we'll do we'll do the best that we can to live within this framework of government that God has given to us that we might live at peace and take this message and continue to give it out human government it's not the same as the kingdom of God we owe certain things to the kingdom of God certain things to the kingdom of man they're not the same they're not identical but we render into Caesar the things that our Caesar and unto God the things that belong to God