Sound Doctrine: Christians and Government

Take your Bibles if you would please and turn with me to First Timothy. First Timothy is where we're going to be here to start off today's subject, First Timothy chapter 2, and I'll be speaking to you today on this subject, Christians and Government. And as we have voted in our new constitution and bylaws, our statement of faith reads, "Of civil government." And so, "Of civil government." What is it for us as Christians to interact and participate in our civil government?

Well, this historic statement that we have voted in as our standard of confessing what we believe the Bible says, it has a historic word in here that we need to kind of understand. Like any historical documents, there are words that need to be looked up. Have you read historical documents before? It seems like in our day, education is getting dumber and dumber. We're not getting smarter and smarter, we're dumbing things down. And I looked at this word, "magistrates," and I thought, "Hmm, I want to look that up and make sure I know what this word means." And so the definition of magistrates is, "Those entrusted with an office of administration of the laws with governmental power." It's basically those who are in civil office.

And I want to read to you now in 1 Timothy 2, verses 1–3, and give you the first point for which how we should interact with our civil magistrates. In 1 Timothy 2, verses 1–3, it says this, "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior." And so point number one is we must pray for our magistrates. We must pray for them in entreaties of all kinds. And so praying that our authorities would know God and embrace God's ways is beneficial for us because prayer is effective. Amen? We must pray. Can you imagine if one of our public authorities got saved?

Can you imagine? Because when you get saved, there's a change, and that would be on display. It's almost like their countenance changes when you truly get saved. You used to be taken by sin, and now that sin is gone, and you can be free in Christ. People would notice. America could really, truly experience revival if the right person got saved. And so we must pray for salvation for those who are in authority. Pray that they believe in God's ways and His authoritative Word, His unchanging perfect standard is how we must pray for them to make laws and to make judgment calls and to influence and to vote and to participate in the endless meetings that magistrates have.

Now I also pray that their heart would be in perfect alignment with God. There is so much that goes on with one who is a magistrate or works in civil duties that perhaps they don't even know. Pray that they would realize that God's sovereign control is working through them whether they realize it or not. Proof of that is Proverbs 21:1. It says this, "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He will." Did you know that? That the king's heart, all of these magistrates, they are literally in God's hand and He is guiding them. So essentially you would say, "Hmm, is it their decision or God's decision for which they are making?" It's really a good question and it's almost as if God has allowed the authorities for which we have to reward that which we have done in America. The authorities that we have and the laws that are being made are almost like as if God perhaps is handing America over to what we have lusted after.

And so I'm making a call for Christians to rise up and to be vocal with their faith, to live out loud, to say what the Bible says, to participate in civil government as the Bible says for us to. We're going to learn more about that. Number one is that we would pray for our magistrates. We must pray for them. We must pray for them not only in the federal but also in the state and in the local areas. First Timothy 2 says that, "First of all, then I urge that prayers and petitions and thanksgivings be made for all kings and authority."

Now at this time, perhaps you would be realizing I have been lacking in my prayers for perhaps the president. So let's pause if you don't mind and let's pray for our president and put into practice what the Bible says for us to do. Let's pray. Father, as we open up this message today and we study what it is to interact as a Christian with our civil governments, I too am convicted that I have not prayed enough for our president. And I ask You for forgiveness about that and that You would utilize today in this message to prod us forward to pray more for our president and to pray more for our governor and to pray more for our local magistrates as well. I pray, Lord, that they would be pleasing to You and obedient to You. I pray for President Biden especially, Lord, that You would remind him that he placed his hand upon a holy Bible and that now he is making unholy decisions and he will give an account for that to You for eternity. God I pray that You would bring not only President Biden but those who are not living in subjection to You to repentance and faith. And I pray, Lord, that this would be a demonstration of Your power, that You would save souls for Your glory and that You would redeem America, help us to experience perhaps another great awakening, revive us, oh Lord, that we may be truly a nation under God and that we may be a light for the world.

Lord, we live in a day now where other countries are sending missionaries to America. Rather than America sending missionaries to third-world countries and abroad, we need You to recognize that. And it starts, Lord, by us being obedient Christians and not living in a cave or reclusing back and shrinking back but living truly like You did, dear Jesus, and interacting with civil authorities and interacting with religious authorities and interacting with the people and spreading the gospel of making disciples. And so I pray, Lord, humbly that You would grant our authorities the ability to make decisions based upon Your holy standard. And if in doing so, they need to repent, Lord, bring them to repentance and faith in Christ and experience the best life that is designed by You. We pray this in Christ's name, amen.

Point number two is that we must obey our magistrates. And Romans chapter 13 makes it explicitly clear, so clear it probably will shake you to your bones. Romans 13 and verse 1, I'll read it to you. See just how we should be in subjection to our governmental authorities.

Romans 13:1, "Every person is to be in subjection to governing authorities."

Can you imagine hearing that living in the day when Nero was persecuting Christians and putting them on crosses just to produce light for his garden parties in the evenings? When the Apostle Paul tells the Christians in Rome that you must obey Caesar.

Listen in first person because this is exactly some of the things that typify what's happening in America today. In verse 1 it says, continuing, "For there is no authority except from God." Now what a weighty understanding it is to realize that the authorities that are in place have been placed there by God, and it gets even heavier. "And those which exist are established by God." Verse 2, "Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God."

That is weighty, folks, that we must obey God by obeying the authorities that He has established.

This poses a huge problem if you're thinking. "And they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves." So there's punishment if we do not obey our established governing authorities, our magistrates. And then in verse 3, "For rulers are not a cause for fear for good behavior but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will have praise in the same." One of the roles of government is to praise what is good. In verse 4, "For it is a minister" — the government that is established is a servant, a minister — "of God to you for good." There's purpose there in government.

It also says, "But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword for nothing." Think of this, folks. God has given governmental authorities the sword. What is the sword for? Not just punishment, it's executions.

God has given governmental authorities the right to execute an image-bearer. That is no light responsibility. But this is God's divine ordination here. Government is a serious thing. And we need to know as Christians how to interact in this. The government bears the sword. They don't bear it for nothing. "For it is a minister of God to avenge who brings wrath on the one who practices evil."

If we pause there and just think about this, our government is not God. They don't determine what's right and wrong. But the church interprets God's Word and then therefore is the pillar of truth and we must continuously project truth so that laws and our influence dominate the land. But otherwise it goes upside down and then the government presumes to be God. But when Christians speak up and utilize our influence, then there's balance in place. That's the way God designed it. It's incredible.

Verse 5, "Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for the conscience's sake." So you see that you'd know inwardly in your conscience that if you rebel against the government, your conscience goes underneath conviction. The Holy Spirit says, "Shame, shame, shame. You should not be thinking that. You should not be doing that. Do not oppose the government." There are ways, there is a system for which we can operate, but for conscience's sake, you'd know that. In verse 6 it says, "For because of this, you also pay taxes." Hmm. Yes, they have the right to tax us in order to be able to accomplish the will of God. They need to execute these duties and they have the right to tax us. They can do that. And so we pay ever-increasing taxes, especially those of you like our family just got an increase.

But the Bible says here we must obey our magistrates. But Paul is not just telling this to the Romans. He also communicated this through Titus. In Titus chapter 3 verse 1, he says, "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, and to be obedient." And then again, Peter reminds his audience of persecuted Christians the same in 1 Peter 2:13–17. The Bible says, "Submit to every human institution, kings, governors, and honor the king."

Now you have to ask yourself why. Well, the Bible is very clear here in Romans chapter 13 that there is no authority except from God. And so by resisting this authority, you're actually resisting God. And God has given these authorities the sword. They have the right to be able to justly punish the rebellion. And so your conscience verifies this and there's nothing outside of our conscience that you should be yielding to. If your conscience bears witness, it's a very good indication that you, having the Holy Spirit of God dwelling inside of you, it's leading you in the right direction.

Now, sometimes obeying authorities seems trivial. Sometimes it even seems backward and very inefficient. If you want something to get done, don't make it a governmental contract. Nah, it's not going to get done. It'll take forever. Hey, but we must obey humbly and not only submit, but we should also show our support. The system that is in place is a product of the government that God has given that country, and that is the system in which we operate. And so we utilize that. We participate in that because God gave it to us.

Point number three is that we must inform our magistrates. We truly must speak up and inform them. So not only should we pray and obey, but part of our participation in what God has ordained as governments is that we inform our magistrates. Jesus has sole authority. That is one area for which you can regularly remind the magistrates that Jesus has been given all authority. Matthew 28:18, "All authority has been given unto Me," Jesus said. All authority resides with Jesus. He is King. And then from there, He delegates authority. And so their authority has been given to them by God. Jesus is God. John 10:30, "I and the Father are one." God delegates His authority to keep order.

Now, a good point for which you can remind magistrates is found — turn with me to Daniel chapter two. And for those of you who know what is found in Daniel chapter two, you're already drooling and saying, "Yes, you're right on," because Daniel was a bold young man. And he informed his king, his magistrate. Daniel informed Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel chapter 2, verses 20 and 21, it says this, "Daniel said, 'Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever.'" I like that — that's a good way to start when you're addressing a magistrate. Can you imagine someone standing up in a civil meeting and saying that, "Let the name of God be praised." That's a great way to start. And then he says, "For wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs." OK, and here it is. "He removes kings and He establishes kings." Oh, that's a good way to inform your local authorities. Remember, it's God who has authority and it's God who establishes kings and also removes kings. It's in your best interest to obey God. And this, from Daniel's day, told to man — this is great. And then if you continue reading in verse 22, "He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things."

But not only did Daniel inform Nebuchadnezzar there in Babylon, I also see — and there are many other examples — that Jesus informed Pilate where his authority came from. This is so good. Turn to John chapter 19 with me and see it for yourself if you would like. John 19:10, Jesus informs Pilate that he has authority because God has given him the authority.

John 19:10 says, "So Pilate said to Him, 'You do not speak to me? Do you know that I have the authority to release you and I have the authority to crucify you?'" Now here in verse 11, John 19:11, "Jesus answered, 'You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given to you from above.'" Oh, that's a good one. You may find yourself in a position one day to be able to say, "You can sentence me to life in prison for hate speech if you would like, because I'm just simply saying what the Bible says is a true marriage." You may have to say that, but just remember that you have no authority over me unless it was given to you from God above. And so we must inform our authorities that their power is from God and God can take it away.

That they should walk in honor of God and make judgments based upon God's authority, because Daniel chapter 2 verse 21 says that He removes kings and that He raises kings up. So not only them, but Peter also informed persecuted Christians to place themselves under the rank of every human institution, king and authority, and to honor them. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 2, you should see this, because the original Greek language helps you to understand that you should place yourself underneath their rank. They have a higher position in authority than you do.

We should be respectful and honoring as we inform our magistrates. In 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 13 and following, the Bible says "submit." That word is a military term that means to place yourself under the rank. If you're in the military, there are different ranks and you obey the higher-ranked individuals. The same here. This is what they understood "submit" to mean. So place yourself underneath them. "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake" — it's hard to understand "for the Lord's sake" — "but to every human institution." The only way I can understand that is that God is a God of order. And then when you obey what is set by the authorities, then you are aiding the organization of God and that glorifies Him. So submit yourselves to the Lord for the Lord's sake to every human institution, "whether to a king as to the one in authority or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right." If you want to write down in the margin here the role of government — this is a good place to write that — praise and punishment. There are two roles given by God for government: praise and punishment. They are to punish evildoers and to praise those who do right. And we as Christians need to be informing them as to what is right and what is wrong based upon God's unchanging standard.

In verse 15, "For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond slaves for Christ." Verse 17, "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the king."

It is hard, I grant you, to honor dishonorable people. When people act in a dishonoring way, yet you are to respond back in a respectful and reverent and honoring way, you are showing who your Daddy is because you have been bought with a price and you reflect Him and you act in regards to who's you are no matter how someone else acts. If you abandon your Father and act in the ways of the world, then you're acting like those who are living underneath the god of this world, which is Satan. And you don't want to act like that. You don't want to get into a fleshly interaction and fight. You don't want to reduce your character down to the ways of the world. You want to fly high, keep a high view of God and a high view of your personal character. You speak well, act well, respectfully — always do these types of things. It's wonderful.

Jesus really gives us a great example on how we can interact with magistrates and authorities and say the facts in a respectful way. You don't have to degrade them. You don't have to offend the ones whom you're trying to evangelize. You don't have to unnecessarily cause an argument or opposition for those whom you are trying to win over by your character and your conduct and giving them Christianity. It's very important because people will write you off real quick and then your Christianity is null and void right away. So we are to inform, but at the same time be very honoring to the king. We must regularly inform magistrates that their authority is from God and this authority is for praising good and punishing evil, the two main roles for government.

Here in America, we are privileged to live in a representative republic as a democracy. It's a privilege to be able to live underneath this form of government. And we have a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people. And so this is one of the main reasons why we must participate in selecting magistrates.

Point number four, we must select our magistrates. We have a system in place that we can vote and we can participate and we can help select the right magistrates. Romans 13, Titus 3, 1 Peter — they all say that we are to submit to the governing authorities and that these authorities want us now to participate. They are candidating for your support. They want your support. Authorities who are underneath God's authority are asking you to do something.

If you don't do that, I'm making a case that Christian silence is sin. If you do not participate in the governmental ways that we have been given, then you get what you deserve when this nation continues to decline. But if those who are underneath God's authority are asking you to vote for them, then you either have to vote for them or not vote for them. You've got to go. You've got to show up and you've got to participate. You have to do that responsibly. Not only that, our God has instituted this government that we have as a process and a system that we are to utilize. It's there for us. So we must not only pray, but also participate. It's our duty to participate. This is a case for Christian participation in civil authorities.

You say to yourself, "Okay, well, I didn't vote last time because none of the presidential candidates met my standard of criteria." Folks, let me tell you, I interacted with a lot of pastors who did not vote simply because the candidate's character didn't match to what they felt like it should be. And I'm like, "We're not voting for a pastor. The president of the United States is not a pastor of a local church. He's a president." So let's look and search for some biblical criteria for which we should vote for a local president or a governor or a magistrate.

Turn way back with me to Exodus 18 and see from what would be perhaps one of the first examples of a democracy or a republic, as the 12 tribes operated underneath the law, the Torah. So in Exodus 18 verse 21, there is a selection here and the selection has qualifications. In Exodus 18:21, it gives us a basic list of qualifications for governmental leaders. "Furthermore, you shall select out of all of the people able men," number one, "who fear God," number two, "men of truth," number three, "and those who hate dishonest gain," number four. "And you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands and hundreds and fifties and of tens and let them judge the people." There you have it, four qualifications for which you can vote.

Now, I know that number four disqualifies the majority of them. I know, right? Haters of dishonest gain. Where have they gone? It's almost as if as soon as they get an office, the money sways their allegiance. But number one, we are to select able men. And so look at their records, see what they've done, and see if they're actually capable of holding that office. Number two, "Do you fear God?" I recommend going to your local meetings and asking these questions straight up. When I came to be the pastor, there was one deacon who came alongside of me, and he looked me straight in the eyes through the corner of his eyes, and he asked, "Are you faithful to your wife?"

I knew right then that how I answer is going to weigh whether or not he votes for or against me. If I give him a reason to doubt, you too can go to a local leader and ask them, "Do you fear God?"

And see what they say. That's a great question. And then number three, "Men of truth." And then number four, "Haters of dishonest gain." "You let these judge the people at all times." And this word "judge" means to act as a lawgiver in verse 22, to govern, to vindicate, to punish, to rule, to judge. This is a system that is in place that is perhaps one of the earliest systems of governing and selecting men.

Point number five, we must disobey God-opposing magistrates. Here's the balance. Here's the good part. Here's what you've been waiting for. Where do we draw the line when it comes to evil making laws and trying to rule over us? Well, Jesus affirmed the principle that we must disobey God-opposing magistrates in Mark 12:17, when He said, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." God owns and He delivers authority and He rules, and so we must first of all submit to God, render to Him first what is His.

And then in 1 Peter 5:2, there is also some area where we see that we may in the future have to rebel against governing authorities. In 1 Peter 5:2, God delegates authority to pastors to shepherd the flock. He does not delegate the authority to governing authorities to determine whether or not a church can meet or not or shut down or not. And so we've already made a commitment here that we're not going to shut down again, and that is per God. Now, if our elders pray and we determine that it is safe for our congregation to withhold for just a short amount of time, then that is per our elders, our pastoral leadership, to be able to say what needs to be done for this local congregation. Because God is giving the pastors the authority to make the decisions and to lead the flock, not the government. But if the pastors do not lead, the government will step in and presume to be God.

There are other areas. In the Old Testament, the king of Egypt tried to force midwives to abort Hebrew boys, to murder them. In Exodus chapter 1 verse 15, there is a very clear instruction for abortion here, to kill babies. It's awful.

Can you imagine we get to a day when our government says, "We're going to test this unborn baby to see whether it has Down syndrome or not, and if it does, you must abort it." Can you imagine that happening in our country? It's right around the corner as a possibility.

They already test before the baby is born to see whether it has Down syndrome or not. By the way, women, you can reject that test. You don't have to get that test. There's nothing saying that you have to. At that point, it is your body.

Exodus chapter 1 verse 15, "Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah, and the other's name was Puah."

"And he said, 'When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death. But if it is a daughter, then she shall live.'"

Verse 17 says this, "But the midwives feared God." Amen. Isn't that good? "And did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, and they let the boys live." We should make this a very highlighted portion in our Bible to be able to stand up and say, "I will not abort my baby." We will not abort Down syndrome kids if it comes to that point. We will not support abortion. In fact, we should stand up and speak in regards to other areas of personal conviction as well, when it says, "I will not over-medicate my kids. I will not suppress their personalities because you think they're wild." They're not wild. They're being boys. They're being girls. Let them run. You were a kid once, right?

One guy said it like this — he feels that neighborhoods are a crime against boyhood. I kind of agree. Boys need to run and play and fall and kick and have a great time and just be able to run wild and do that outside, not inside.

Then when they're worn slap out, they come in and eat and go to sleep.

But guys, we've got to stand up for what is right. Our government wants to keep Americans sick. And by over-medicating people, they're just going to dumb down the conscience and dull the mind and lull them into complacency and control the population, eventually perhaps even leading to population control. We've got to be wary of these types of things and speak against that so that our governmental authorities say, "Wait a minute, they're wising up here." And they would not then partner so strongly with the pharmaceutical companies. We should also say, "Hey, I'm not going to over-vaccinate my baby or even myself." Be wary of these types of things. Do your own research and make these judgment calls.

Also, you should say, "I will not let the state say that it's okay to be gay to my children. It's my duty as a parent to educate my children." And if our local schools are saying it's okay to be gay and putting all this stuff into practice, then it's your duty as a parent under God to stand up for what is right and fear God and not the government, not man. Acts 5:29. You know, you should say, "I won't be shunned or shamed into silence." You should be able to stand on your own two feet as a Christian. And even if it means being ostracized, if you're the only one, welcome to the club. It's the narrow road. We should be able to stand up for the right education for our children and stand up for these things. And then you should also say, "I won't support social justice. I won't support this intersectionality stuff. I won't concern myself with all of these areas, and nor will I consent to governmental overreach."

There are three spheres of influence in this life that we must know clearly. God has ordained government, church, and the family. And when the government operates in its due areas, we are to obey. And when we have the institution of the family, then we must do what the family is supposed to do. We have the institution of the church. The church is the pillar and the support of truth, according to 1 Timothy 3:15. "We stand for truth. Thy word is truth," John 17:17. And so Christians must speak, or you'll lose that First Amendment right. You must say what is true and right. You must go to the meetings and say, "The Bible says thou shalt not kill. What is abortion?" Right? Does age matter? Does location matter? It doesn't matter. Does size matter? No, it's a life. We must stand up for truth and articulate truth in all of these areas.

In the area, the sphere of life for family, God created the male and female, and He said to multiply in Genesis 1:27–28. The family is very specific, and by the way, that is the first area of disciple making. Fathers, recognize that. And then you have not only the church and the family, but the government, and the government is a minister of God, according to Romans chapter 13. These three spheres have authority from God to operate. And we have in our country a government that is overreaching into family and church and trying to dictate in areas that it does not have authority. And if we roll over and submit, then we will get what they determine is right and true. They will presume to be God. And so we must say, "Mm-mm, here's what truth is."

You know, Martin Luther on April 18th in 1521 stood before the legal law of the land, and he pushed back, and he said this, "Unless I am convinced by Scripture, and plain reason, I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe." Now, that was easily a death sentence. He could have been disemboweled or hung or killed at that. But you know what? We need Christians who are willing to stand up and fight for what is right. And God has always worked through ways that are not our own ways. Think of martyrs through history and how much the gospel has spread through the dying of a Christian on behalf of Christ.

And so I say to you today, intrusion of government into the church or family's rightful area of authority nullifies our compliance. And it fires up our defiance, which exclusively makes Christ our only reliance. We truly must see these areas of life clearly and be able to articulate at the moment, because the time is short and oftentimes the moment will pass and you will say, "I wish I would have spoken up later that day." And so it's our duty right now to think through these areas so that we can stand when it really counts. Three areas of life: church, family, and government.

By the way, biblical convictions will give you courage. If you study these things out and you know where you stand, internal convictions and resolve seem to become solidified and rock solid. How do you think Martin Luther was able to stand up at that day? He thought it through, prayed it through, and knew what he had to do. Now, we need to think through these things because there is perhaps — some of you would say, "Nope, yes, there is" — another pandemic coming, even rumblings out of Canada now. Another pandemic. What are we going to do when the government says, "Not only do you have to wear masks, but you have to wear goggles too, because there's some type of aerial virus in here." You're going to walk around with goggles and masks all the time? And what's going to be next? A whole hazmat suit? And what's going to be next? Next and next. You know, we've got to think through these things as to where these lines are for you. But I'm telling you this, church is essential. We must meet in order to have fellowship, the preaching of the Word, to help us to serve God together. We must do these things. It's non-negotiable. We will meet. That is a non-negotiable thing. And at that time, when they perhaps try to close down churches and leave grocery stores and bars open, we're going to have our doors open. And if they lock the whole place up, we'll meet outside underneath the tree. And if they arrest me, Caleb, you're up, buddy.

They arrest Caleb, David, you're up, buddy. We have another David. He's up, buddy.

We're just going to keep on going and going and going. How do you think the local church operated in the first three centuries?

Did they have tax exemptions and freedom of religion?

Not at all. So it will not be a strange thing for us as New Testament believers to lose our tax exemption and to lose our freedom of expression and religion. It's not going to be a strange thing because we study the New Testament and we are New Testament believers. Now, I'm going to fight to keep it because I like it, right? I want to do everything that I can so that our children can live in this land the way we have lived. We're going to do everything we can to protect our Christian rights and do these things.

And it perhaps will look like maybe even Old Testament Christianity, like Elijah opposing King Ahab when he was labeled a troublemaker. Are you willing to be called a troublemaker in the land like Elijah was labeled? I'm willing to be labeled. People can call me whatever they want. I'm going to continue in the Word of God, no matter what that looks like. It looks like Elijah opposing King Ahab sometimes, 1 Kings 18:17. I hope it doesn't look like John the Baptist when he opposed and rebuked King Herod. He lost his head for that. But if it comes to that, that's just fine, because the cause of Christ will be forwarded like none other.

So we must disobey God-opposing magistrates — point number five. For Christians, our end goal should not be political action, but we must be active politically. I fabricated that sentence carefully, so listen again. As Christians, our goal is not political action, but we must be active politically. If you look at Jesus and simply observe His life, Jesus did not do a governmental takeover in Jerusalem and rule the Sanhedrin, rally up the troops and march to Rome and oust Caesar, convert Rome to vote Jesus in instead of Caesar, and then take over the whole world. Jesus did not do that.

Our strange ways of doing things is to try and get Christians and keep Christians alive here in church. But the New Testament model is quite the opposite — it is to send Christians to die, not get Christians and keep them alive. Jesus did the exact opposite of what the church growth movement does today. He sends His disciples to be martyrs, to sacrifice their life for the cause of Christ, to give everything. That is the highest form of worship. We don't need to try and take over local governments and take over the world because Christ is already King. He already rules. We are already underneath His governing care.

And so there is coming a day, however, I believe, when Christians will be strictly commanded not to teach in the name of Jesus. You know that there's nothing new underneath the sun. Let me read to you what happened already in Acts 5:28. "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine." That's our goal, is to fill Orlando and Florida and America with this doctrine. Turn the place upside down and right side up for Christ. But here in Acts 5:28, Paul's being rebuked because he was preaching Jesus and he was strictly forbidden not to teach in the name of Jesus. Did he consent?

Did he wait to reply?

In the very next verse, Acts 5:29, "We must obey God rather than man." He right away knew what he needed to say. It was in his heart, he had thought it through, and he replied. And then on in Acts 6:4, "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." In different contexts, but I'm saying to you, we all need to be right there when they say to us, "You can't pray in Jesus' name." Well, I'm going to devote myself to prayer like Daniel did. I'm going to open the doors and be public about it and I'm going to pray in Jesus' name. And then the ministry of the Word.

The early church had almost like a Christian soldier mindset. 2 Timothy 2:3 says, "Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." And we too must have a Christian soldier mindset. We're not wimps, we're not doormats. We submit when we need to submit, but we stand when we need to stand. There's a balance here in life and how Christians interact with government.

Now, as I start to land this plane, I want to make a persuasive argument for you. The psalmist said in Psalm 2:11 that kings are to serve the Lord with fear. And when we speak up and we tell kings and we inform them that you are to serve God with fear — fear God, He's the one who ultimately has eternity in His hand and has the sword, and He can remove you or He can keep you in place — I don't fear you, I fear God. We need to be ones who are able to speak those types of things.

And we Christians, we must speak sound doctrine. Titus chapter 2 and verse 1 is a command, not a suggestion, to speak sound doctrine. These are the things that must be spoken. And then at the end of chapter 2 of Titus and verse 15, it says, "And let no one disregard you." And so you must study and think yourself clear and be ready to articulate what you believe and to stand for these types of truths. And so we must not be the silent majority, but now become the loud majority. And if you clap your hands and stand up and speak and say, "This is what the Bible says. This is what we're going to do. This is what's right. And by the way, it's best for you too." I think that we can not only honor Christ, but go down in history as ones who did our dead level best to be able to fight for righteousness.

And I want to be on that roll, especially if things get worse. I want my kids and grandkids to be able to say of their dad or granddad, "He did all he could while he could." I don't want them to be able to say, "Dad, why didn't you go to that meeting or stand up for truth?" Or, "Why didn't you try? At least try now." I can't even keep my kid if it has Down syndrome. I can't even tell my children that they're a boy, they were born a girl. I can't even tell them this without going to jail. And so if we don't speak and say what sound doctrine is and let no one disregard us, our First Amendment rights, our inalienable rights by God, will be strangled or taken away. It's right for us to speak up.

Did you know that God's law does three things? And you need to know this. God's law does three things. First of all, it restrains evil. So when you speak sound doctrine, it's the power of the Word of God that restrains evil. When you say, "Don't lie," the Bible says that lying is a sin. "Thou shalt not lie." Murder, all these different things. When you speak that out, it's almost like you're shining a bright light. And that bright light pushes sin back. It restrains evil. Christian silence is a sin. We need to be speaking more truth, and it restrains evil. Number two, it converts the lost. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And so when you speak the gospel, when you proclaim the gospel, lost people hear and it converts the soul. And so faith comes by hearing. And so the moral law, when it is spoken, it restrains evil, it converts the lost. And then thirdly, it gives us Christian parameters to live inside. When you speak the moral law, when you say what God's law is, you're helping people to know where the boundaries are to live a safe life. "You don't have sex before marriage." If you eat your cake before you get married, you'll have a crummy marriage.

If you say to people, "Don't lie because it becomes a habitual sin," you'll be given to lying over and over and over again. And it's an unhealthy habit. It helps give parameters for Christian living. And so we really desperately need to be projecting the truth. The more you speak God's law, the better society is. And so true Christians do not shrink back, but they speak up. And the truth certainly will set people free, but we must speak the truth. And so in conclusion, Christians must pray, obey, inform, select, and oftentimes disobey magistrates.

Our civil liberties are important to us. I think that we need more men — sons of Issachar. In the Old Testament, the sons of Issachar found in 1 Chronicles 12:32 knew that if they lost their civil liberties, they would also lose their religious liberties as well. And they were wise men, and they knew what they needed to do. And they advised, they informed King David as to what needed to happen. We need more sons of Issachar in our communities, in our state, and in our country.

We've got a battle going on, the battle for the American mind. Pete Hegseth wrote a phenomenal book. I recommend reading "The Battle for the American Mind." The battle that's going on right now is in public schools. It's on television. It's on social media. The battle for the American mind right now is being fought on these platforms, and we should go to these platforms and proclaim the gospel and make disciples. We should go to where the people are. We should go to where the battle is and engage. We can't stay on our couch and participate in the Great Commission. We've got to go. We've got to make. We've got to baptize. We've got to teach.

There are things that are happening right now that will equal a totalitarian government if we do not push back. The 1619 Project, horrid, it's evil. The Common Core curriculum is horrid, it's evil. Evolutionary theory taught as fact, it's horrible, it's evil. Folks, this strips God's truth and morals right from the minds and hearts of our little ones. And as we speak up, then it helps fight against this indoctrination of humanism. We need to speak up. We need Christians that are bold. Proverbs 28:1 says, "The righteous are as bold as a lion." And so those of you who are deemed righteous — you've been saved by the blood of the Lamb, God looks at you through the blood of His Son and He sees a righteous one — truly saved righteous ones are as bold as a lion. I can tell if you're saved because you've got convictions. I can tell if you're saved because you know what is right and wrong. You are under conviction if you don't. I know when people are saved because they have it in them to do what God wants them to do.

We're headed towards the days of Judges. Judges 21:25 says, "Everyone did what was right in their own eyes." And we therefore must see, like sons of Issachar, the times, discern, and know what to do. And so today's message has helped to equip us to be able to interact with our civil magistrates. We know that Christ is our supreme authority, and I ask you, do you have Jesus Christ as your supreme authority?

And I beg you today not to respond to the gospel call like King Agrippa responded to Paul. Paul said to King Agrippa, "Do you believe the prophets? I know you do." And then Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time, do you persuade me to become a Christian?" And Paul said, "I would wish to God that whether in a short time or a long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day might become such as I, a Christian." Don't respond like King Agrippa in his pride, saying to God in the gospel, "You want to persuade me, a king?"

Pride comes before a fall, and in your pride, if you reject the gospel, you will suffer eternity for it. Today is the day of salvation. Don't respond like evil King Agrippa to the gospel. People like Paul are proclaiming it every day, and I proclaim it to you today. Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again for the sins of those who would repent and believe by faith. And I pray today that if you have never truly submitted, first of all, to the authority of God in His gospel, that you would posture yourself in a low position before an almighty God and reverently say, "Forgive me. I recognize that I have broken Your holy law. I'm a sinner. I cannot redeem myself. I can't pay for those sins. I've done too much. Only by Your priceless blood applied to my life can help save me." Submit to the gospel.

I pray if you're not saved today, today should be the day that you receive the gospel and are saved. Let's pray together. Father, we do love You, and we ask You for Your help. For anyone here who has not been saved, that You would draw them closer. Perhaps they have heard this message on how Christians interact with government and they think it's strange. They think that they could never do that. They could never believe these things. I would concur with that, dear God. A lost person could not truly believe and act this way. It takes a supernatural empowerment. And so, Father, I pray that You would, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, save the soul. Only You, according to Ezekiel 36:26, can give a person a new heart. God, I pray that You would change from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh, that You would give them a spirit of obedience, that You would regenerate their heart. God, bring them from darkness and into light. God, give them the ability to see, remove the blinders. Help them to come to You, dear Jesus.

If anyone here is heavy-laden and burdened by the things of the world, I pray that they would be saved, dear Jesus. They would place their faith in You and not in their strength and not what they think they can do. Father, if any of the facts that have been mentioned today is heavy on any of the hearts of the saints, God, I pray that they would cast their concerns to You in prayer right now, like Your Word says in 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all of your cares on Him because He cares for us." Lord, Christians, we don't carry the weight of this world because You're in control. We walk in freedom. We walk as free as a bird. And we pray and we work towards victories, but we don't carry the concerns and the weights. Dear God, You did not design us to do that. Just like putting a heavy saddle on a sheep, it will just simply stay there and sit there and eventually die from not drinking water and eating, because it's not designed to carry a heavy saddle. Neither are we, Lord, designed by You to carry weight. We're designed to cast it to You in prayer.

And so I pray, dear God, as many of us are burdened about our country, about our state, about our communities, about our schools, I pray, Lord, that they would cast their concerns to You and live free, out from underneath the circumstances, but praise You, duly giving You praise. I do love You, dear Jesus, and ask for You to continue to work in a magnificent way here at Beulah Baptist Church. And it's in Christ's name that we ask. Amen.