The Mysterious Witness of Submission and Suffering

MetLife talks about the authority you most of you did not put yourself in the same level of more serious it was to our check for minute for many of you.

Your problem was submission to earthly authorities is a problem with authority in general like anybody tell you what to do including God. Whether that's your parental authority about that work for the government.

But what about when their morally corrupt with their mistreating you or denying justice.

Pastor Judy Greer deals with the sticky questions of authority today on some MetLife and he continues our series called I am an alien for nearing the end of this series. So to catch up on the current series with us.

You can find the previous messages@jdgreer.com Pastor Jay titled this message the mysterious witness of submission and suffering submission. I just want to show you that both of these are valuable. Both of these are the part of the plan of God for your life and they are part of how God intends to use you in the world. I realize that to this audience that I'm speaking to a particular talking about submission is like rubbing the cats for the wrong way the devil does not set well with you and there's ample reason for that, you should realize one is your sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. The original rub in their genes are and you there blood is in you and so that's just what you are by nature your rub always is. That way, but second of all you are Americans in our nation was born in rebellion. We were rebellious people.

If you don't believe that just as the British and so which part of our identity. We like to rebel against things because that's where we got all of our clean rights from and after our nation was born we rebel against everything because you want to stay in practice. In case of the British come back or somebody we want to be ready to rebel again. That's what you're Americans are present that you guys are distorted.

Naturally this way as we value and place value on the freedom of speech and it seems to foster rebellion ever notices I received your latest blog talk radio side effects all the collective wisdom of the universe gathers your talk radio and listen to how they talk about anybody authority.

Talk about parents, teachers, boss politicians everybody is above us right people talk about while Pres. Obama would do this he could fix the economy on my Dell boundaries never follow that what you just said you thought that up in the back woods in a place where you live but but he's never thought of that. You it just isn't part of what we ought. Sometimes it is hard for us to realize because were inside. This culture you get outside his culture realize that this is not something that few people enjoy everywhere in the world. When I lived in Indonesia. I remember whenever somebody would talk about the government. Indonesia, because if I was listening to talk about the government openly like that Waddell are our Spanish campus pastors from Cuba and he says to this day.

His grandmother, who now lives here. Also, whenever she talks about the government even the United States lowers her voice. Waddell said when he first got here to America. The first thing he did as he threw open his apartment window where he was living in downtown Raleigh yells at the top of his lungs. Several expletives about Castro is in a separate window but welcome to America nights a week, we will realize sometimes and I'm grateful for the freedom of speech, please hear. But this was that foster sometimes in us a sense of rebellion. Another reason is that you are a post-1960s generation were rebellion was enshrined as a civic Valley course are a lot of good things that came out of that rebellious civil rights that's good news. Not so good things that came out of the you know like rebellion drop acid mobility gives deodorant. That's not so good okay but if that's who you are that makes rebellion part of her cultural ethos for the air we breathe. I'm talking to a group of American post-1960s sons and daughters of Adam and Eve rebels you are the most rebellious people on the planet to realize that yes what Peter is about talking about should be very offensive to you and if it's not that I'm not explaining it right. You're not listening.

I excels at for an introduction. I get your Bible look at verse 13 for this these subjects for the Lord's sake to read his words because you make sure you get the to what messy like a 30 day that this is exactly what I'm talking about you ever okay look be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, how many of them every human institution that means bosses that means. Let me teachers.

That means government leaders. You are to be subject to every human institution, even leaders in places like when you work in your church where they have rightful authority.

This is, whether it be to the emperor as supreme governor's significant about that verse 14 emperor at this time Claudius by anybody decimation was an absolute moron maybe literally maybe literally every major and he had always got a special interest group around him that cost him two dozen rack room to Caesar after him that Peter would've lived under was Nero. We know about him, his first act of literacy was to deify Claudius literally deify which means declare him to be a God and himself to be a God. After that, Nero developed his theory that his mom was trying to assassinate him so he poison her in several of his cousins, bashing himself, Nero fastened himself to be a musician you promising somebody and he thought he was just awesome to play music so he would make his entire court hundreds of people, listen to this concert for hours on historians like Sue Tony Astellas. It was so bad that it would go going for so long that women would fake going into labor to be able to get out of the concerts they would think it was one guy said that actually fake so they could be carried out not go through this summer not talking about paradigms of justice and equity and respectability and godliness. But Peter says you be subject to them. Even when those positions are occupied by ungodly people not disappoint everybody want to say will wait a minute, what about civil disobedience and bring up some example what Corrie 10 boom never she could use applause when the Nazis came Martin Luther King like a civil disobedience civil rights was a good thing right right and I appreciate those examples I really do. But let's be honest most of you are in those situations choose at home in her closet right now pleasure anybody. Last I checked Nazi party was really you don't empower here anymore or ever in America for that matter you know Eminem in any Martin Luther King yacht letter from a Birmingham Jail explained that they tried to obey every single all they could and they disobey peaceably the ones that were egregiously unjust. Yeah, I don't really know you are in the position of the court to boom or Martin Luther King was being understood civil disobedience. He would ultimately be crucified by the state you were talking. He understands civil disobedience, but he's not talking to many of you that are in that situation going on look at us more of these is obey the laws respecting authorities pay your taxes.

Every once in a while talk to some young graduate student know it all who manage to find a website explaining why we shouldn't have to pay taxes. No notes.

Civil disobedience does not apply to you. That's not a Corrie 10 boom situation Borat some college.

He explains to me very eloquent terms why we should legalize marijuana.

They always know to verses by the way, Genesis 112 every seed bearing plant of the Lord God made is good. That's one virtually no amendment, Matthew 73 Judge not lest you be judged like there's more the Bible than those not all, but no it's totally be legalized and you know what maybe you're right. I don't think so but maybe you're right. Maybe you're like the point is, it's not legal and you have no place in Peter's view of reject the law that is not directly against the law of God.

Well, I don't agree with the policy on underage drinking.my country, but not old enough to drink a Margarita chilis know you're not right. And until you can show me chapter and verse one that shouldn't be a law in our country, then got no grandstand, not this is exactly the kind of situation. Peter was talking about when he wrote this little phrase for the Lord's sake. The Lord's sake means when you disobeyed authority. God views it is disobedience to him. That means that some of you are out of fellowship with God because you are in rebellion to God ordained authorities in your life. This is a popular computer understood civil disobedience.

I'm just suggesting you that most of you did not a straight face. Put yourself on the same level of Martin Luther King and chord symbols was be serious most of our check for minute for many of you.

Your problem was submission to earthly authorities is a problem with authority in general like anybody telling you what to do including God, and to tell you guys never to be known that way. God is not only down the path of absolute surrender and submission so if you want to know God, you come to church to sit on you, take notes, but you're not willing to do what God says God is the Almighty God is not a life coach is not a spiritual advisor which means you'll come to him and negotiate about what you want to do what you don't want to do.

God is not only through submission and surrender. And if you don't come that way and I do know a little more more because I know some of you have questions about this. Parents yes there is a time in our life and we are to be submitted to our parents, as unto the Lord Jesus.

61 children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right now as you grow older that changes the Bible never tells adults to obey their parents. It tells adults to honor their parents. See for a while. Our parents stay in the place of God.

We go live in their house as you go up when you move out of the house.

You are becoming a man or woman, God intended you to be your parents like training wheels for a while teaching you to relate to and obey God. After you have learned to relate to and obey God, and you have moved out at that point you honor your parents by becoming the person God intended you to become so collocated.

For example, will tell me. I graduated from college. I thought guys call me to go to missions. My parents are saying no and I supposed to obey them all obey God. It's obey God.

Right because that your parents by becoming who God intended you to be.

That's what it means to honor them. You are honoring God's authority was mediated through them. Now when I say that I'm not talking you guys are six right out there I met my daughter's medicine tracers in the previous service under this crystal clear when you're in your parents house.

Yes, they do stay in the place of God. It's a huge order to obey them and disobedience of them is disobedience to God ordained authorities to Peter says be subject to every human institution, submit to them. Usually two reasons why you should verse 14, because governors and authorities are sent by him to punish those who do evil to praise those who do good for taking notes right is now number one. These are institutions ordained by God.

These are institutions ordained by God for 14 that these institutions are what we are part of what we call common grace, grace are things that God left on the earth. Even after we rebelled against him.

Just keep order and keep things alive. But, for example, assignment that comes up every day that's common grace because God is allowing the sun to shine a believer and unbeliever alike when the same way he's left things like human governments on the earth which yes can be very unjustly human governments. He said there to punish those who do evil appraisers. You do good. It's a way of keeping order on the earth.

There are different institutions there. The church there is government. There is family and one of they should never do what the other one is designed by God to do church and whatever governments verbally charge governments and play family.

There was never quite all the okay so you got different institutions that God laugh and he says these are there to teach you how to relate to God so that your first reading your second reason verse 15 for this is the will of God by doing good.

You should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people drag us down to his hello, our humble submission to authority in our civic goodness are God's ordained way of putting the silence the ignorance of foolish people. Our humble submission to authority our civic goodness are God ordained way of putting the silence, the aggressive, foolish people. Peter fleshes out an extra versus always keep moving your for 60 is as live as people who are free not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God greater thing with me because this is a little bitty, why, why is it that most people obey the government but was peopled by the government and what the government can do to write so you obey because you're afraid of the threats of punishment or you obey because you know that obeying your boss or obeying the government is a way to get from them the things that you want from now peters talking to people who should be free of both of those motivations you no longer fear anybody that can take your life back here will say that that when you have to lose your life. When the government takes away your life for obeying God in you face it boldly, like he did.

He was crucified upside down is that I'm no longer captive to the government because they can take away my life. Also no longer depend on what you can give to me to survive because God takes care of me.

I'm no longer a captive to what you can do to me or what you give me does that make sense so I'm free but I'm not going to use that freedom as a cover-up for evil, but I'm going to live as a servant of God. I am now going to obey because I'm tapped into the things that everybody else is captive to but I'm going to obey for God's sake. I'm going to obey for the gospel sake. So we continues verse 17 you should honor everyone not who is the world on the world honors people that can honor them and return example there are there certain organizations that just really get the whole idea of customer service and I love this place Disney World hotels may really go down there and I feel so important.

Never call me Mr. Greer they're doing this to me stressing you get one of the nice packages down there this but but but in my heart always know there's a reason they're doing this and what is the reason because they want my money. They don't want me to give my money to competitors so they honor me, Peter is saying your honor is totally different because is given to everyone for example woman pulls on our church campus and she is a single mother and unwed mother with three kids. Our first impressions team is trained to do her and help her, not because we think she can write us a big fat check in the offering, but because she is made in the image of God.

She's precious to God and we want to honor her for those reasons and not for the world's reasons we don't honor people any longer because of what they can do for us.

We honor people because of what Jesus has already done for us and so we extend that honor to them. We honor everyone that's totally different. Next phrase he says love the brotherhood the needs of special love you have for your brothers and sisters in here third phrase he said fear God out of the little iron in this one right here got on the vehicle. Do you notice your yard that uses the same word for the Emperor that he used for everybody else is the Army in those days the Romans thought that Emperor was God.

So Peter is cut up.

You know will lower cut jab is actually a verse like everybody else. So honor him yes is the Emperor but not of God because he's a subdued, don't fear him. Dear God, because God is God over the Emperor because the embers of the got you out of your work is he's a person like everybody else that's that's that's only read the context so honor the Emperor but I don't want to lose the points because this is especially important considering the awful 12 months that we were about to go through this election season. You need to honor those that God has put in authority over us. This is an honor list generation will honor anybody. I met you I vote for Obama. It doesn't. That is your Emperor you speak about him with respect I not tell you to disagree.

You can even argue that under say that you speak with a certain on some of you the way that you talk about your president is simple for some you the way you spoke about President Bush when he was president is simple and you honor them as authorities that God has placed no dear, I'm not saying not saying you can't disagree about anything criticized.

I might even say you care: talk radio. I'm just saying that you do so when you speak about that but you do with a sense of honor. I think I probably learned this was clearly for my parents. My parents had strong little convictions talk about this convictions with passion and sometimes with anger but at the end of the day they would say. But you know what that's our president, Dr. Sen.org government you speak about them with respect. When I had conflict with the teacher. If there was a teacher that yes harmed me in some way or they were unfair to meet my parents would take out my costs, but there was no in my house. Coming home and just whining and complaining about little more on my future was because they said that is a God ordained authority in your life. And yes, you should speak about injustice when you see it, but you are to honor them as somebody that is there put there in your life by God.

When you live this way. Peter sets when you are submitted for Jesus sake and not just for personal gain.

When you honor people irrespective of whether or not they can pay you back when you are devoted to surveying and blessing and doing good to others.

Verse 15, Peter says you can put the silence, at least a little bit the ignorance of foolish people. Have you ever experienced the ignorance of Polish people because you are a Christian, had you ever experience that anybody did not live in right of course you have something that I hope encourages you release for some things in perspective for you. The church true church in every age has always been the subject of derision THAT'S not new with your generation.

That's not something the New York Times invented the first century that Peter is writing to first enter Chris to the rumor among the Romans was that the Christians were cannibals in their services.

The Roman said they would eat flesh and drink blood if you're new here that is not true. Okay, just so you know that know where they got that from was the fact that we eat bread which symbolizes Jesus body would drink a cop that symbolized Jesus blood but doesn't mean that at the end of her service return one of our members into a buffet that's totally different. That was a rumor that they start the Roman said that that the first Christians were seditious. They were antigovernment that they were haters of mankind that they were atheistic because Christians would worship idols and that they were immoral.

How does Peter tell you to put that silence by overwhelming them with goodness so I don't know if you notice I hope you do, but you are often spoken about derision in our community. Did you know that now how do you put that to rest.

You preach angry sermons and start a blog talking about how dumb they are no no you do this by overwhelming them with kindness to shut everybody up, but at least in some ways omit what they say seem a little silly bundling the city Council responded to this blogger saying that it was because of how much our church was doing to serve the poor in this community, that they were inviting me to speak on your behalf city Council said in a summarized you cannot argue with the fact that everywhere, the city has a need. There seems to be somebody from the summit church there meeting that need. This person responds on the blog quote just because the church spends countless hours helping the community doesn't mean we should let them speak thoughts. Maybe if you'd spend more time serving the poor and less time blogging in your mom's basement. You would be invited to speak, which is probably not in the spirit of what first Peter is talking about but you okay you're listening to Pastor Arthur and theologian Jeannie Greer as he continues his series called I am an alien on summit light on this Mother's Day week. It's been special to have Janie and his mom together on the show. There's nothing as special as encouraging as hearing first-hand account of how God is using this program to change lives for eternity. And we love to share a couple of them with you today. While we have Mrs. Greer with that yellow in here that will encourage me from a listener name Stevie said I so appreciate your ministry have been blessed to us so richly since cancer for me has been scary and the potential for my girls to be six and 10-year-old without a father just pierced my heart apart God use this experience to reveal so much of himself to me in his grace. Thank you for your ministry because it's given me ways to nourish my soul to be at peace with whatever happens. Cancer otherwise in the speak that courage to others.

Steve we want to say thank you to you for this be a part of the ministry and you are the reason that we do what we do. This is one of the favorite parts of volunteering, getting to hear the stories and set them have some really good stories. But here's another one says dear Pastor Greer I have spent time missionaries in the past two years to be very hard. We will burn out. I'm married to start late and we need help exactly how I found your nasty but I started listening to your podcast and then I got my has been listening.issues Jesus transform our lives. We are forever grateful this past week we into one of the hardest weeks as our son was suicidal that he listen to me talk about you and what you are teaching me and he told me one night he couldn't sleep. So he's Mr. T, you have planes or maybe throw in our lives.

Happiness left Jesus never adapt your impact as he continued to serve the Lord hear. Thank you for being vulnerable, relatable, funny, transparent and honest praying God blesses you and she has so graciously and well.

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