Destined for Victory

Paul Sheppard: Now, you're in a corrupt society, but God still wants you to be a responsible citizen. Our affection is set on Heaven, not on earthly things, but God has a plan for us to live a peaceful life here on Earth. So he says it begins by submitting to governing authorities.

Guest (Male): This world is not my home, I'm just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. Hello and thanks for being with us today for Destined for Victory, where we feature the preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Sheppard. Well, in a way, life on Earth is merely a speed bump on the road to our eternal destination. But while we're here, God has asked us to submit to our government authorities. What does this mean for us as believers in Christ? What should this submission look like in day-to-day life?

These answers and more are coming your way next. When you get a chance, we hope you'll pay us a visit at pastorpaul.net, where you can listen to any of our recent messages on demand, including today's. That's pastorpaul.net. And if you haven't already, don't forget to download our free mobile app. Search Destined for Victory at the App Store and listen to Destined for Victory wherever you go. Now, here's our Destined for Victory message, Citizens of Two Kingdoms.

Paul Sheppard: Romans chapter 13. Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted. And those who do so will bring judgment on themselves, for rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good.

But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment, but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God's servants who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes. If revenue, then revenue. If respect, then respect. If honor, then honor.

Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another. For he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments, Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, and whatever other commandments there may be are summed up in this one rule: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime. Not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

I want to talk to you about this matter of being citizens of two kingdoms. Citizens of two kingdoms. We're continuing to explore the wonderful letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome. And in the most recent messages, where we were looking at Romans chapter 12, we looked at this matter of improving our serve or our service to other people and concluded that if we were going to truly live in the center of God's will, it means that we must make a fresh commitment to serve others in his name. And Paul gave us some very practical handles as to how we can improve our service to other people.

Now, as he moves into what we call chapter 13, Paul deals now with how to behave civically, how to behave socially, and how to behave personally. About our civic life, Paul says that we are to submit to governing authorities. Note what he says here in verse one. Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities. Now, the word submission here is a word that means voluntary yielding. Submission is not something that is coerced, but it is a voluntary yielding.

When you enter a ramp that will take you on to a freeway or a highway, more often than not, as you come around the curve and begin to head toward the merge point, you will find a sign that says yield, or you will see the drawing that represents the concept of yielding. That's what this word is about. And what it means there in the traffic scenario is that when you are merging, you should not just go and run right out there into one of the highway or freeway lanes, but rather, if there is traffic approaching the same point you are approaching, you are to take the position of waiting and tucking in behind, coming under the right for them to proceed ahead of you.

Now, a lot of folk don't know it because you shoot around the ramp, picking up speed as you go, and you never saw the sign. And many people wouldn't pay attention to it if they saw it. You know the type of driver that just comes right on out there. They don't care that you're in the right lane. They want to get on and here they come. And if they don't yield, here's my point. If they don't yield, you can't make them. Yielding must be voluntary. And yielding is is designed to bring order. It's designed to answer the question, All right, we're both arriving at the same point, who goes first? The law is, the one merging is to take the second, the subordinate position for the sake of order.

So when you leave here today, remember that. For the sake of order, for the sake of preventing a crash, the merger is supposed to take the subordinate position. It doesn't mean you're less important, less valuable, but for the sake of order. That is what the rule is therefore. Well, that's the concept of submitting. And in any any sense that the Bible uses the word submission, we are to voluntarily yield. Remember, even when it comes to our dealings with God, if anybody could make us obey, it's God. Yet God says through Paul in chapter 12, I want you to present your body as a living sacrifice to me. I don't want to make you worship me. I want you to want to worship me, to decide to worship me.

And so even God allows us the privilege of submitting by choice that he might truly glorify himself through our lives. And so we're told here by the Apostle Paul that our civic responsibility is to submit to governing authorities. Now, it is worth noting that he is writing to the church at Rome. He is writing to a church that is not at all in a Christian society. He's not saying submit because the Romans are just such wonderful people.

No, he is saying submit because it is the will of God. The Romans are pagans. They consider Caesar as God. And so their philosophy defies the word and the will of God. Their value system is driven by many points that themselves are ungodly. And yet the Apostle Paul says to the church that lives in their jurisdiction, you are citizens of two kingdoms. You're a citizen of the heavenly kingdom. Paul said in Philippians chapter 3 verse 20, that our citizenship is from Heaven.

I want to let you know when you're born again, you're born again of a heavenly society. You're born again from Heaven. When you become a child of God, Heaven becomes your spiritual birthplace. And the kingdom of God is the place where you are born. Your spiritual existence takes place in the kingdom of God. It's a spiritual kingdom, but a very real kingdom.

And the Bible says that we are citizens of Heaven. I want to let you know living here on Earth, this is quite temporary. You're on your way to your permanent place of residency. We're going to live in the presence of God forever and ever. We're just hanging out on Earth for 70, 80 years, whatever amount of time you get. And that's why the old folks said we are pilgrims passing through this land. This world is not my home. And when you see it get worse and worse, you ought to say, thank God. Thank God this isn't home. Thank God, this isn't all you got for me, God.

It's pretty pitiful. If this is all I got to look forward to, got to lock up my door and get an alarm system and sometimes get a big dog and and what have you. And I got to dodge bullets and worry about crazy people coming into the job because they got fired. Now they want to shoot me. I didn't get fired. You know, and on and on. Political corruption and business corruption, financial corruption and on and on. That's the world in which we live. If in this life is all of your hope, my brother, my sister, you are of all men most miserable.

But I'm so glad that this world is not my home. I'm so glad that in the words of the songwriter, I have a home prepared where the saints abide, just over in the glory land. And I long to see, to stand by my savior's side, just over in the glory land. Now you don't have to want to go right now. You're saying, well, pastor, should we have to go now? No, if you want to hang out here a while, go on. But know that God has something better and more permanent.

And we know, 2 Corinthians 5:1, that when this earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have another building, a house not made with hands, but eternal in the Heavens. I better leave this alone. I'm going to mess around and get happy.

Listen, listen, we have a place to go when we leave here. You don't have to want to go now, but it's good to know you got somewhere to go. Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away. We're taking off from here. But in the meantime, we must live with the tension of being citizens of two kingdoms.

Guest (Male): Still ahead, the second half of today's Destined for Victory message, featuring the teaching ministry of Pastor Paul Sheppard. If you enjoy listening to Pastor Paul, you'll be glad to know that we've archived all of our recent messages at pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. You can also listen and subscribe to the podcast at Spotify or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Some things go without saying. This is not one of them. The only reason we're able to bring you these Destined for Victory messages is because of you, our listening friends and partners. You're the ones who provide all of our financial support, and we're so grateful for you, not only for your generosity, but for all the good that's being done in the world.

To give generously today, please visit pastorpaul.net, or call 855-339-5500. What does it look like to be in the world but not of it? Find out next in the rest of today's message, Citizens of Two Kingdoms.

Paul Sheppard: Our citizenship is really in Heaven. That's where we're going to live forever. But in the meantime, we have dual citizenship because we are also members of a current society. And so we've got to learn to live in this world and yet not be of this world.

And that's what Paul's getting at here. He's saying, church at Rome, you've got to learn to live by the rule of Heaven and at the same time, you've got to honor God by the way you execute citizenship here on Earth. Now, you're in a corrupt society, but God still wants you to be a responsible citizen.

And so the point here is, our affection is set on Heaven, not on earthly things, but God has a plan for us to live a peaceful life here on Earth. So he says, it begins by submitting to governing authorities. Why are we being called to do that? We're being called to do that, number one, because government is ordained of God.

Why should we submit when it comes to our civic responsibility? Why should we submit to governing authorities? Number one, because government is ordained of God. He says in verse two, "Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted." Or established. God is the one who ordained the concept of government among men. Because God knows that everything in the universe must be governed in an orderly fashion. God is a God of order. And so he has ordained that there be governing authorities who see to the welfare of society.

And so why are we called to submit? We're called to submit first, Paul argues, because government is ordained of God. Now, perhaps in your mind a question arises, which is, yeah, but since they were in a pagan society, weren't there going to be times when government asked them to do that which is directly unbiblical? And the answer is, absolutely yes. There are such times. Not only were there such times in the church at Rome, but there are such times even today, when you are asked by governing officials to do that which is not according to the will of God. Well, what happens when they institute a law or give a regulation or an ordinance that is against the will of God? Well, here's the answer. There's an overriding principle in scripture. And the overriding principle is this: when the law of man comes into direct conflict with the law of God, we obey God rather than man. Now you got to understand that, or else you'll never be able to navigate well in a wicked world such as we live in.

Remember Peter and the apostles in Acts chapter 5? For the first time, they were coming under persecution. And they were told, "Do not preach this new doctrine in Jerusalem or anywhere else." "Do not preach." Well, they went out and preached. And when they were called on the carpet, in Acts chapter 5, verse 27 tells you, the Sanhedrin gathered, called them on the carpet, and says, "We strictly forbade you to preach or to speak any more in the name of this man Jesus." And Peter spoke up boldly and said, "We must obey God rather than man." In other words, when your will conflicts with God's will, you lose.

Now that's good for any governing authority in your life. Anybody who otherwise you would be called to respect and submit to, when they tell you to do what contradicts the will of God for your life, you must obey God. You do it respectfully, as respectfully as you can. The early apostles said, "We're not trying to stir up trouble, we're just trying to please God." In other words, they didn't have a defiant attitude for defiance' sake. You know how there are some people, not you, but people you know, who just have a defiant attitude. Their attitude is, nobody tells me what to do.

Well, no, that doesn't please God because your normal attitude ought to be, God has called me to live peaceably, and one of his directives is to submit to authority. And so unless those authorities are calling me to do that which is distinctly unbiblical, I'm not even talking about questionable, where you're just looking for a reason not to obey. But distinctly unbiblical, he says, the default position is, you want to submit to them. First, because they're ordained of God. God is the one who established government for the sake of order.

The second reason Paul argues here is because government exists to protect society from corruption and criminal behavior, and criminal behavior. Look at what he says in verses three and the first part of verse four. "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing." I mean, that's pretty plain, isn't it?

He says, "We are called to obey and submit to governing authorities, first because they're ordained of God. Secondly, because they are charged with the responsibility of protecting us from corruption and criminal behavior." Now, in stating this, Paul lets you know very clearly that God has expectations of government as he has ordained it. And you know as well as I do, many governments do not follow God's directive. Their goal is not to protect society from corruption and criminal behavior, because there are those governments that are themselves corrupt.

You know it as well as I do. But what Paul is showing the church here is we have to live with the reality even when those who are over us are not doing what's right. What he's implying here is God's going to deal with them. Don't you become lawless just because others aren't right. Don't you get wrong because other folk are wrong. You live as best you can, as wisely as you can, within the parameters of the law, so that you can be in the place to be blessed of God. He says, "You don't have to worry about anything coming down on you, because if government is doing their job, they will not mess with law-abiding people. They're out to get the criminals and those who are corrupt."

You say, "Well, if the government's corrupt, we don't have any hope." Well, you pray and you walk in wisdom. Certainly, the church at Rome had to do that. And obviously, they had much success, because there were saints who worked in Caesar's house. I mean, talk about walking in wisdom. When Paul wrote the letter to the church at Philippi, as he was wrapping it up, he said, "Greet various ones." And then he said, "Oh yeah, and greet the saints who are in Caesar's household." You mean to tell me God had some folk who were living under not only the rule, but the roof of a corrupt man who called himself God, who defied the God of Heaven and Earth?

Yet they were wise enough to be there, sweeping his floor, cooking his food, washing his clothes, saying, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Folks, that's what we have to learn to do. We have to learn to be in this world, but not of this world.

You got to work for people who are sometimes corrupt. But God will give you wisdom for how to do it. You work on a job sometimes where the only way to get promoted is to do what's wrong. You ever been there? Where you see the folk succeeding, and you sit there, here I am, keeping my nose clean, doing what I'm supposed to do, morally and ethically, and everybody else is getting promoted because they're doing the underhanded stuff. You keep on doing what pleases God. And you'll find that sooner or later, the God who sees in secret will reward you openly. And look, even if you don't get a promotion on that job, God hasn't guaranteed you a promotion on every job.

Sometimes he'll take you off a corrupt job and put you into another place. But God sees you in secret, and he's going to bless you if you'll be faithful unto him. And so we know this was possible and the saints lived by this because there were saints even in Caesar's house. And it's wonderful to know that God can give us the wisdom.

So we obey authorities because they're ordained of God, and secondly, because they exist, when they do their job, to protect society from corruption and criminal behavior. And so you don't want to become a criminal along with the others just because wrong seems right in certain settings. You ever been in a setting where it looked like wrong is just the normal thing? Where you don't jump in and say, all right, well, then I'm just going to, you know, I'll start stealing stuff. Everybody on the job is stealing stuff. I'll just join in with them. I'll do whatever is normal around here. I'll, you know, I'll do pay-offs because everybody else is doing pay-offs.

But instead, you say, "Lord, help me to do that which is honorable. Keep me away from corruption and criminal behavior, that I might truly reflect the fact that I'm the citizen of another kingdom, a higher kingdom."

Guest (Male): So glad you stopped by for today's Destined for Victory message, Citizens of Two Kingdoms. If you joined us late or if you want to hear the full message one more time, stop by pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. When Jesus was here with us, his was a life of service to his heavenly Father and also to us. He gave his life away long before he hung on that cross. And we want to help you follow in his steps by sharing this month's thank you gift, our brand new booklet, Improving Your Serve.

What are the keys to developing a lifestyle of service? What does it look like in day-to-day life? Pastor Paul's booklet, Improving Your Serve, will help you understand the answers to these and other questions. Improving Your Serve is our gift to you today for your generous donation to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. Or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. And you can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory. Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538.

We don't have to agree with our nation's leaders, but we are called to respect them and to pray for them.

Paul Sheppard: Here's Pastor Paul. Pray for your leaders. Don't just pray for the ones you like. In fact, I suggest you pray harder for the ones you don't like. Pray harder for them. Oh, God, save them. Do something with them, Jesus.

Guest (Male): That's next time in our continuing Destined for Victory message, Citizens of Two Kingdoms. Until then, remember, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are Destined for Victory.