Wise Counsel for Christian Citizens, Part 2

You honor all people love the brotherhood your God right of your margin the words or the fear of God is the it is to prioritize God if you're not sure when you're feeding the floor in the morning in your day comes first God for you, you're going to be in trouble is going to be amazing how quickly the day model job is to reflect him. With that in mind, how are we to live as citizens of our earthly nation. While honoring our commitment to Christ. What we do when those two kingdoms come in conflict with each other. How is the faithful Christian to respond last time Stephen David began a message called wise counsel for Christian citizens today unwisdom for the heart.

We bring you the conclusion to that message. Let's get started. This is actually the paradox of of all of life. When you think about it. Everyone is on the mastery of some everyone is a slave to whatever it is, it demands of them the highest allegiance and loyalty. The question is are you a slave. The question is who slave are you asked the question you are either a slave to your own will. Your own life your own career your own plans your own desires your own body your own intellect or you have handed the Christ, as it were, your will so that he will have mastery over your life and your career and your plans and your desires and your body and your intellect.

So here's the question who's slave are you today what's Masters you and in this context I think Peter is implying the slaves of Christ make the best citizen over servants of the kingdom of God produce the greatest service to the kingdoms of earth. Listen the best citizens who contribute the best of what can be contributed ought to be the Christians was that when the first century if they begin to change the world. It ought to be true today. Now that Peter really picks up speed and delivers for very short quick commands that adds to his wise counsel for Christian citizens and is number four in our list for this study. Here's the paraphrase, no matter what show respect for everyone. Notice what he writes in verse 17 honor all people can understand that honor every human being. Now isn't telling us to honor every thing human beings do. Isn't telling us to respect everything human beings to. He's not saying that he is saying to respect the very fact that there are a living human being should deference and compassion, even though in conviction you may disagree to the nth degree. Why because we happen to believe that every human being is a creation of God within their value center not to be discarded not to be used not to be mistreated, why they're created in his image. James chapter 3 verse nine expands on that affect the verb to honor, honor would be helpful. Understand, you could render it to treat as valuable.

That's what that means to treat as valuable with a sense of respect, knowing that God has created them according to his purposes, and they have eternal value. By the way, this is the same verb Jesus usually preach to the Jewish audience and he said to them, honor your mother and your father savor. In other words, don't treat them selfishly. Don't treat them as objects don't discard care for their needs. Don't use them for financial gain. Treat them with respect to the simple fact they are your mother and your father even though you may disagree with the way they live, treat her position with respect out. You need to understand that the idea of honoring every human being was a staggering concept to these original readers. Their world had an incredibly callused view of human beings you think we got Stratus in our society move back to the first century and hold your breath. I'm telling you life was she didn't want your baby leave them on the doorstep. While dogs can carve them away. No legal repercussions from there were 16 million slaves in the Roman Empire.

When Peter was writing this letter writing life was she gospel comes along and it changes the price tag on everything that women are no longer be some bird embedded in the gospel is true that dissolves slavery. So you're Paul writing a slave owner think, by the way, you're right always like bring it back in. Is your brother's to our might matter what someone station was in life, their ethnicity.

There color honor. Every human being the mockery. The slander the Jedi's off-color conversation. None of it is befitting a Christian world.

In Peter's day and in our day on another when they meet a Christian. They all apologize for the French have that happen to you if I need your Christian is all forgive my friend she wasn't French and I've never had friends but another was in French but you notice immediately that these were all there ought to be that sent the things come to clean up. When a Christian comes around that they can expect you to be respectful of every human being little to give me an illustration I came across. There's a debate going on between an evangelical and atheist AA scholar and professor from Oxford by the name of Jonathan Glover and and and the believer pose this question to him in the debate I think is a wonderful testament to what Peter is saying here. He said this he pose this to Prof. Glover.

He said if you Prof. Glover were stranded at midnight in a desolate downtown street labor and if as you step out of your broken down car with fear and trembling, dark, it's midnight here in the inner-city and you were suddenly to hear the sounds of pounding footsteps and conversation coming up behind you and you turned and you saw the dozen early young just stepped out of a nearby apartment they were coming directly toward you.

What it or what not make a difference to you to know they were just leaving a Bible study.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow right there carrying Bibles in argument wins the day should not make a difference even to an atheist and ought to make a world of difference in at this point, the reputation of the Christian is that they are specked full of everyone working to do this a little later on only go back to the idea of slavery. I've appreciated the Hebert's wonderful commentary I've been following along with the 25 others, but he made the comment at that particular command honor every human being. He made the comment that if this were followed. This would deal a mortal blow to any kind of racial conflict, we would treat no one with scorn.

No one in any kind of setting any kind of strata any kind of ethnicity to me. One of the most wonderful declarations of the gospel is that we have in the assembly. People from all walks of life back to my left sitting in the last hours Dr. Israel Indian who is teaching a Telugu Bible study that meets our campus with those of matriculated into our congregation and in the audience is Filipino couple who started a Bible study and are integrating into this church, so they have their Bible study for Filipinos and in that language and the food that goes along with it, enjoying that together that's wonderful. We are having. Frankly the nations moved to our community.

You notice that right I think is a wonderful opportunity because you not travel the world and now I see you the world coming here I can tell you how many ethnicities nations are playing sports and our sports outreach and visiting part of the reason why were doing it.

It's interesting to me that wake County happens to be the fastest growing Hispanic community population in America, not Texas or California North Carolina wake County, the fastest growing Hispanic community in America. In fact I read only recently another magazine survey declared that Raleigh is the number one place to live in America. We know there's no truth to carry got it wrong but you. The point living in my neighborhood. A family from India. I turned the neighborhood as a block away. I can smell the curry is clear. My sinuses right up. As I drove past exactly I'd been there. I've been to that world I was talking to a friend of mine in our congregation too long ago from Taiwan and I was kinda kidding with the rest of you probably you guys if you all look alike. I can tell you part and he said we see the same thing about you guys. You all look alike. Well, I do look like Brad Pitt, Robert Redford explains it come back come back your imagination nevermind I the truth is just like for any other culture for any other social economic standing. Any other ethnic group is traceable not matter what you hear the governments of our world say is not traced back to get a good education with a lived in the wrong neighborhood or they didn't have enough money growing up with a limited demographic weighted culture.

That's the problem goes back to a sinful heart for the gospel is the solution maybe one other illustration just try to explain the hatred of Jewish people explain that hatred can only be explained by the human heart of disbelief found by Satan to be pliable ground to attempt to wipe out that people group. You know why, so that God's promises to reconstitute them as a nation in the kingdom. One day will be all and void because God doesn't keep his one of the most powerful testimonies to the promises of God is that you know Jewish people. They still exist, none of you have ever met. A full listing. None of you have ever met an Amorite or a Jebusite or a Hittite long, long, not that you did a World War II. After the atrocities of the Holocaust, just the most recent attempt to wipe this people group off the face of your son until her lieutenants were found and brought to trial for their crimes, primarily the murder of millions of Jews. As you know, one of them by the name of that off. I said this under oath, and I quote he said I shall leave in my grave over the thought.

I have 5 million lives on my conscience. That is, to me, a source of inordinate satisfaction cure for that will never be.

He just didn't have a good job. We needed more education as a matter of salvation and a new heart and what Peter is saying it ought to be so much a part of the reputation of person the entity that when you show up to matter who people are, they know you're gonna respect them.

You can demonstrate this new heart by showing respect for every five don't forget to love your church deeply. You might've thought this command would be higher on the list. Pastors would put her garden. Here is 17 again. Honor all people love on the part of the deepest love.

Love the brotherhood like the term Peter is the only one he uses it. He never uses the word likely seal or church uses the word brotherhood uses it twice in his letters, Peter views all believers as a collective unity and is a very affectionate idea that you're part of a brotherhood is what Peter is doing. He knows that we will naturally show respect to people in our community to show us respect you like the neighbors who like us swig broadens this idea that we should show respect and deference and kindness to every human being we encounter.

Why simply for the fact that there created by God.

They have inherent value and now with this command he knows were naturally going to love people that love us to pander to people in the body. The parent was like those we find lovely swig broadens it simply because of the fact that they are part of your family love everybody in the body, as Christ loves them and paid the ultimate sacrifice in purchasing them as his bride, so we are commanded to love deeply.

The ones love deeply by Christ and if, by the way, as we get through this list your findings. More and more impossible. They are it will require that we become master. I got how in the world can you ever love this way.

Well, it's going to require reference and that's why he moves quickly here to number six in all you do. Put it this way in all do live in all of God. Peter writes in verse 17 honor all people love the brotherhood, fear God by writing your margin the words or the verb fear tests fear God is to revere God is to prioritize God if you're not sure when your feet hit the floor in the morning as you begin your day who comes first, God or you your to be in trouble is going to be amazing how quickly the day gets model James writes I believe is writing to believers in chapter 1 verse seven says the double minded man, the one who hasn't made up his mind that they is going to come first is stable in all his ways take long for the farm to come in without reverential awe and a prioritization of God comes first. None of these things will ever make sense. In fact, it would just be one muddled mess.

In fact, Peter uses the present tense. He's writing to believers is saying don't stop revering God with the implication that you could today don't stop prioritizing God, don't slip back from placing him first. Don't stop prioritizing him that that relationship then isn't first. That desire isn't first goal is first and if that relationship or that desire or that goal means that you sidelined God make him number two, three, four, 10, 12, whatever that relationship needs to be ended. That desire needs to be put away. Goal pursuit.

If you can't be first as you attempt to live for him. Let me let me review with covered a lot number one no matter how it feels. You're actually free. Number two never use your freedom to run while number three you been freed, only to be mastered by Christ for us no matter what show respect for everyone fifth.

Don't forget to love the church deeply.

Six. In all you do live in all of God one more number seven no matter who it is. Show respect for those in authority and with this. Now he comes back full circle doesn't notice. He writes that the honor became the highest position of authority is a little irony here, like I think there's little humor in the mind of Peter CM first Kings in his they thought that they were the offspring of deity, and it's interesting that Peter uses the same verb for honoring the king as he did to honor every human being. It's as if his Peter writes he smiles saying you know it, even though the Emperor thinks he's divine. He's really just another human being like, but only him out because of his position of authority. Be careful, be respectful, is not an object to satisfy you.

He is not a thing to just give you what you want is God's appointed commission ordained ruler who under the hand of God accomplishes the purposes of God. So today me saying Nero that's who they're hearing but is he's really saying in this perspective, as he takes our elevator perspective above politics EE saying yes Nero might be rolling. Just don't forget God is overruled. So also respect to his office. How are we doing.

Let me give you an illustration and with this. I'm almost going to close Paula standing before Ananias the high priest and Ananias, if you're old enough in the faith already knows this calendar always wicked. He's a hypocrite is hiding behind you know like the whitewashed walls painted looks clean but it's the dead men's bones more than something to say about them. He planned to kill Paul he wants to get rid of Paul's testimony and so he sort he's arranged it put a hit out on you know for his on on Paul's head and and and Paul is almost assassinated, but at the last second. Roman authorities are informed and and and brought together they rescue them because the Roman authorities know this is religious matter to arrange a meeting between Paul and the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin is the Supreme Court of Israel. So Paul is now standing is going to provide his own defense because nobody's come to defendant's, we can speak for himself, and here's what he says. By the way Friday that there are many that believe and I would agree with them that Paul's thorn in the flesh was a physical disability could be off of Molly disease that causes eyesight to be damaged in some way he he refers to writing with large letters, one of his epistles.

This event is where most believe Jesse had trouble seeing and for what it's worth, it helps a little bit of an understanding as I read this, but here we go brethren pulses.

I've lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God. Up to this day. In other words, what I've been doing a been doing with God's pleasure, the high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to slap him on the mouth. Strike and Paul said to him, God is going to strike you. You whitewashed wall and about that you like this.

I like the way this text is going to use it and try me.

According to the law and in violation of the law, order me to be struck I was. How dare you violate the law in the courtroom law says we are pulling the law and in your ordering me to be slapped which is a violation but the bystander said to Paul do you refile God's high priest. Evidently Paul didn't recognize Amanda gave the order of the could see that well what you might think.

Now knowing this is that Paul will dig in his heels and let loose a barrage of tirade that will become legend instead.

He immediately apologizes and says this I was not aware brethren, that he was the high priest for you shall not speak evil of the ruler. How we doing see his response gives a volume of implications he didn't yell louder. Threaten you and say will now, really unseat you study apologizes and offers respect and deference for the simple fact of the position of authority. This man help. So, consider that she think of how to respond is one other illustration and that I will get to the under Daniel. Daniel will serve having been abducted by a foreign power will serve for 80 years faithfully in the political environment is a political leader and at the end of 80 years what happens is front of the lines that have that for gold watch farewell party, yet he always addressed the three kings. He served with respect to address Nebuchadnezzar always giving him the title that his rank afforded as King later on. Daniel even referred to the wicked king Belshazzar with the same respect given for his office and then finally Daniel treated with respect. Darius even now, don't overlook the fact that Darius capitulated to political pressure and throwing Daniel to the lion's den. The next day I would've had words for Darius. Daniel treated him with respect because of his office is telling Nebuchadnezzar and Darius both came to acknowledge the glory and majesty of Yahweh is the true and living God. So what we do as citizens of the country and we act toward those in our culture church in positions of authority well once more hear the word of the Lord.

Act as free men, you're really free, no matter how you feel but don't use your freedom as a covering evil using as slaves mastered by Christ. Honor everything love deeply.

The brotherhood be in all of God on have something in your world so be so marked by a different spirit in your different attitude.

The watch your reactions and they may join they just might join in worship. Your this is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen is in a series called above politics and parliaments. He calls this message wise counsel for Christian citizens if you missed a portion of this lesson. It's available on our website which you can find wisdom online.please take some time and explore our website.

You'll find us@wisdomonline.org. That site contains the archive of Stephen's teaching ministry. Stephen is pastored the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina for over 35 years all of those sermons are available sure are grateful you are with us today.

Join us again next time. For more