LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR // Sunday, November 3, 2024 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Love Your Neighbor

(Picture of Yard Sign)

Biblical Insights on Government

1.              Government is intended for our good.

Romans 13: 1 (ESV)

    Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 

Government is intended to incentivize good conduct and to restrain evil.

Government officials are to be servants of God.

Romans 13: 4 (ESV)

For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 

Because God instituted government for our benefit and to restrain evil, we should:

1.              Be good citizens

2.              Pay our taxes

2.              Government is inherently flawed because of sinful humanity

3.              Periodically, government falls under demonic powers.

The Naked Communist

How should we respond when persecuted by the government?

Proverbs 27: 12 (NASB)

   A prudent person sees evil and hides himself; but the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.

4.              Government if temporary and provisional.

Government is intended to incentivize good conduct

and to restrain evil.

Proverbs 29: 10 (NASB)

   When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when a wicked person rules, people groan.

Summary Statements:

1.              Patriotism NOT Utopianism

2.              Pay taxes even to ungodly governments

1 Peter 2: 13 (NASB)

   Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority.

1 Kings 12: 15 (NASB)

   So the king did not listen to the people; because it was a turn of events from the Lord, in order to establish His word which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

3.              God holds true authority

Romans 13: 1 (ESV)

    Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 

4.              The church is called to influence culture

5.              The gospel MUST be our priority

Government is temporal,

Souls are eternal

6.              Obey God over government

7.              Salvation is not achieved by the government.

The world needs the church!

Government restrains,

but it doesn’t redeem

Government rewards,

But it doesn’t restore

Jesus isn’t coming back to take sides…

He’s coming back to take over!