June 20, 2004
Service Theme - "Our God Is Lord"
1 Peter 2:13-25
I Have to Respect and Submit to Who?!
I. Introduction
A. Illustration - The Enhanced Strong's Lexicon (hupotasso) defines submission as (NEW SLIDE) A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".
B. Context - While that definition might seem a little strong to us, that's exactly the term Paul used in Ephesians 5:21 and the same term that Peter used in the passage we're looking at today. So let's read 1 Peter 2:13-25, and I'm reading from The Message.
II. Scripture Passage
A. 1 Peter 2:13-25 (from the The Message) - (NEW SLIDE) Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. (NEW SLIDE) Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. 18 (NEW SLIDE) You who are servants, be good ones to your masters - not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason. There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. (NEW SLIDE) But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. 21 This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. (NEW SLIDE) He never did one thing wrong, not once said something amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. (NEW SLIDE) His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
III. Respect and Submission Come from Our Love of Christ
A. Peter's talking about respecting and submitting to a few different kinds of people. He starts out by talking about submission to the government. I have a friend in Maupin who will argue with you until you're blue in the face about how bad our government is. He'll talk about the fact that our government is so corrupt that we as Christians don't have to submit to it in any way, shape or form. So he doesn't vote, doesn't register his business, and doesn't pay taxes - of course, if he gets caught for the last one, he, his wife and their three little ones will be in a world of hurt. My friend is wrong. He believes that submission and respect depend on circumstances, on behavior, rather than on God's Word. Peter plainly tells us in verses 13-17 that God placed the government in authority over us, and we are to obey it. Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. (NEW SLIDE) God placed the government in authority over us for our own good. And our attitudes and behaviors toward our government will show the world around us either that we're a bunch of dangerous fanatics, or that we are submitting to those authorities because we love God.
B. Bible commentator Matthew Henry writes (on 1 Peter 2:13-25), Christians were not only reputed innovators in religion, but disturbers of the state; it was highly necessary, therefore, that the apostle should settle the rules and measures of obedience to the civil magistrate, which he does here, where, The duty required is submission, which comprises loyalty and reverence to their persons, obedience to their just laws and commands, and subjection to legal penalties. I've got to confess that I really wish Matthew Henry was wrong. Whenever we have a Christian in the White House, I find it a bit easier to have a better attitude toward the whole system and I'm much more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. I still sign initiative petitions and contact legislators because I believe in being part of the solution rather than the problem, but I tend to be less critical of the government when a Christian is in charge. Maybe that's not such a bad thing, but the problem is that the opposite is true. When the president is a non-Christian, it's almost like the gloves of my attitudes come off. They can do nothing right, even when they actually do something right. But my attitude is totally contrary to what God has commanded. I'm supposed to make God proud by being a good, respectful, submissive citizen, fighting against moral decay in society, but treating all elected officials with dignity and respect. That's what we're all called to, no matter how tough it is. (NEW SLIDE) Our submission and respect aren't supposed to rely on who is in the White House or the governor's mansion or city hall or anywhere else. Our submission and respect rely on our love of God. Period.
C. Then after that little wake up call, Peter really hits us where we live. Verse 18: You who are servants, be good ones to your masters - not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason. There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. Now it's easy for us to argue that there are no slaves in our society so this stuff doesn't apply to us. Wrong! It applies to us as employees too. It'd probably be safe to guess that all of us who've been working for any length of time have had at least one really bad boss. One in particular I had was a little runt named Bob, and just about every time I'd see him I wanted to grab him and squash him like a bug. He was abusive, played favorites like nobody's business, blamed everybody but himself for his foul-ups. The only ones who liked him were those who used him. And I have to confess that because my walk with Christ wasn't anywhere near close to where it should have been, I wasn't salt in that situation. I even rejoiced greatly the day Bob got fired. I really liked working for Gene, his assistant who took over for him. Gene was a pretty good guy and a good boss. But now that I'm much older I wonder if Bob would have acted any differently had I been salt and light to him. Peter writes, be good ones to your masters - not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. Was I good to Bob? Probably in actions because I valued my job. But in my heart, no. But what does God want to see in all this? God is calling all of us to be good employees no matter whether our bosses are good or bad. (NEW SLIDE) God is calling us to be good employees where it matters most - in our hearts. The same applies to all our working relationships, because then His light will shine through. How they treat us won't matter so much, because we know that we'll ultimately get our reward from Him and because we know He'll make good come from it. Frank Peretti, in The Wounded Spirit, wrote, (NEW SLIDE) God does not waste an ounce of our pain or a drop of our tears; suffering doesn't come our way for no reason, and He seems especially efficient at using what we endure to mold our character. If we are malleable, He takes our bumps and bruises and shapes them into something beautiful" (as cited on PreachingToday.com).
D. Suffering is tough for us, especially when it comes at the hands of our critics and detractors. We can take it when somebody we don't care too much about gets after us, but when somebody we really respect gets after us - that hurts! (NEW SLIDE) God has a plan to use all of our suffering for His glory and honor. Verse 21: This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. He never did one thing wrong, not once said something amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls. Jesus knows and understands every bit of pain and suffering we go through because He went through it too. He was insulted, criticized, abused, beaten, had his reputation shredded, and eventually killed. He had one of the closest people on earth turn their back on Him and betray Him to His death. He had one of His best friends on earth deny that he even knew Jesus three times. All of His friends and closest companions abandoned Him. And all that after a life of being constantly criticized and nit-picked and second-guessed. (NEW SLIDE) Jesus understands everything difficult trial we've gone through and ever will go through. He understands.
E. But more importantly is the fact that He showed us how to endure. How to keep from responding to insults and innuendoes and criticisms and nit-pickings and second-guesses. Jesus showed us that we all have to silently endure, crying out to our God for strength and support, and trusting Him to make things right in His time. And that's the tough part, because His time isn't our time. When I've been hurt and I'm suffering like that, I want to lash out, to get the retribution over and done with, to get things taken care of now. But God wants to convict and transform hearts and lives, not destroy them. (NEW SLIDE) God wants to use those times when we are least Christ-like to point out our flaws and weaknesses to us so that He can transform us into His likeness. And when we jump the gun in making sure somebody gets their just desserts, we circumvent God's whole process. If Jesus had gotten immediate justice for the desertion of Peter and the rest of the disciples on the night He was betrayed, where would the Church be now? What would we use for a New Testament? How would we find out about the Savior of our souls? God uses even those times when we innocently face an onslaught of unjust attacks for His glory and honor, both in our lives and in the lives of those attacking us.
F. Illustration - Missionary Hudson Taylor wrote, (NEW SLIDE) "It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies - whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart" (as cited on SermonCentral.com). Taylor hit the point of this passage right on. (NEW SLIDE) It doesn't matter whether the suffering comes from the government, or from our employers or work relationships, or from those we regard very highly. God uses suffering to draw us nearer to Him, and we can still respect and submit to those people because of His love for us. As Ignatius Loyola wrote, Teach us, Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will (as cited on PreachingToday.com). That is the attitude God is calling us to have no matter what we are suffering through. The only question is whether or not we will obey.
IV. Conclusion
A. Please bow your heads and close your eyes out of respect for God and for each other's privacy. As F. W. Faber wrote, Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming, which God has been so good as to fasten with His own hand upon our shoulders (as cited on SermonCentral.com). What burden are you struggling with that seems like it's being pounded on you by the hands of man? Where do you need God to touch your heart and help you respect and submit to those in authority over you, no matter how much you might disagree with them? How are you doing at showing the love of God in these situations? Let's all spend a few quiet moments allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.
B. What's God been speaking to your heart? If you need to be more submissive to those in authority over you, and you'd like to begin right now, go ahead and spend a moment committing yourself to God to do it with His help. And circle the "S" at the bottom of your communication card, and I will pray for you this week. Let's pray together.
