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This is part two of a two part sermon, preached during the 9:45am and 11:00am services Sunday 11/2/08.

G. K. Chesterton retells a famous story from church history in a work titled, “Christendom in Dublin,” “St. Dominic…when he was shown the Byzantine glories of the old Vatican, with its gold and mosaic and metalwork, the Pope half humorously recalled the story of St. Peter granting a miracle because he had no money to give to a beggar.  ‘You see,’ said the Pope, laughing, ‘Peter can now no longer say, “Silver and gold have I none.”‘ ‘No,’ said the priest, ‘and neither can he now say, “Rise and walk.”‘”  The church had lost the power of the Spirit to the power and temptation of money.

Today I think the church is in another similar crisis, although instead of losing our power to a lust for money it has been lost in a lust for power or influence.  I’m afraid that we have thought that the real power of the church lies in us moving as a political unit instead of a spiritual force.  What determines our prophetic voice?  What keeps our relationship with the state healthy?

Luke 20:20-26 gives us some very clear ideas about our relationship with the state.

True obedience to the law (as the Pharisees practiced it) would prevent the faithful from dealing with Roman coinage. Caesar’s likeness stamped on these coins would violate the law against “graven images” (Exodus 20:4). Our best understanding of this specific coin for this tax would have displayed the image of the emperor’s head on one side, and the reverse would contain the ruler’s title and divine status: “Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus.”  These coins were not just money or propaganda but portable idols.  Notice Jesus does not have a coin, but has to ask for one from the Pharisees, which reveals where they already stand.

• What things belong to Caesar?
  • Tax (Luke 20:20-26)
  • Obedience in accordance with civil law (Romans 13)
  • 1 Peter 2:17 sums these all up in one word, “Honor.”  We should honor the government, pay the government and it’s servants their dues.
• What things belong to God?
  • Let’s answer this from God’s perspective, Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.”
  • But more specifically and practically, we can answer that with Jesus’ own question, “Whose image do you bear?”  (Genesis 1:26)
  • Our primary identification is Christian, not Democrat, Republican, or Democrican.  We lose our prophetic voice when we give our allegiance to anyone but God. We lose our credibility when we speak from human authority and not God’s.

If we are to maintain a pure and unpolluted voice of truth, we as a church must save our allegiance for God alone – Jesus Christ, the King of Kings.  His solution of radical love and salvation is the solution we need in the world today.  Not a new deal, or a contract with America, or change in politics, or programs in government – the love of Christ, in the body Christ is what we need.

Six Practical Applications:

1. Honor and support the government (1 Peter 2:17, Luke 20:25)
2. Use the government to your advantage (See the examples of Paul demanding trial in Jerusalem, (Acts 22:25-26)
3. Speak truth to power – In the tradition of John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20).  This is not just in politics, but in every arena in life.  If you see power misused you must speak out against it in love.  (Proverbs 20:28)
4. Confess faith in the midst of doubt – evangelism at the highest level confesses faith before complete skepticism.  (See the examples of Jesus at his trial, Luke 22:67-69)
5. Disobey when your allegiance conflicts (Acts 4:19)
6. Never look to the government to solve problems assigned to the church – Only the church can bring salvation.

This is part one of a two part sermon, preached during the 8:30am service Sunday, 11/2/08.

We live as people with dual-citizenship. Members of the Kingdom of God first and members of the country second. We have many demands on us – to both kingdoms and sometimes kingdom values and country values collide.

Very simply stated the church does not exist: for, from, or against government – rather it exists “to” government. This is attested to and explored more deeply by H. Richard Nieburh’s book Christ and Culture. He argues along the consistent Biblical witness that the people of God, particularly the church, exists as a prophetic voice speaking truth to power, particularly the government. And if you think about it, he’s right from Nathan and David, to Elijah and Ahab, to latter prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. They all function outside of government as prophets to the establishment.

We get confused because we think prophecy is about the future, when if you read the Bible prophecy is about right now. Prophecy says get right with God, repent, fall in line with God’s love and compassion or the future looks bleak.

1. Balaam’s Story

• Balaam is summoned by Balak King of the Moabites to curse the Israelites. He is summoned because he obviously is in tune with God and reality so much that he is known for being successful at blessing and cursing people.
• Numbers 22:8-14, This story would be fine if it stopped there, because here Balaam has enough sense to say, “I have nothing of my own power worth seeking, let’s wait on the Lord.” After they wait, God says, “No,” so Balaam dismisses them.
• The problem is that Balaam again entertains them, asks God again, and then goes. He should have accepted God’s word as final – he doesn’t and God isn’t pleased.
• Later Balaam goes and blesses the Israelites instead of cursing them and the King of Moab is displeased with Balaam. Why? Because Balaam has come at a price, he was bought to curse in God’s name but couldn’t do it because God wouldn’t do it.
  • Does this sound familiar? We invoke God’s name for a lot of things, the beginning of civil proceedings, oaths of office, marriages that are formed without God are blessed in his name – some destined for failure.
  • Is God pleased with the loose use of his name and the endorsements we give on his behalf? Have we sold God out?
• Balaam doesn’t stop there, he doesn’t want to leave empty handed, doesn’t want to suffer for his failure, doesn’t want his name to be tarnished. So we know from other sources that Balaam (Numbers 31:16) that Balaam suggests to the Moabite King that he tempt the Israelites through foreign women who worship idols. Balaam sold out God and God’s people for a price, for fame…we dare not do the same.

2. John the Baptist’s Story

• We know more about John the Baptist than Balaam. Luke 1:80, tells us that John the Baptist lived in the wilderness until his public ministry. Completely untainted and influenced by the political forces or desire for gain, John grows up in the sanctuary of solitude – dedicated to God alone.
• Luke 3:1-20, we see that John, an unimportant character, is a popular character. He is not sold out to the nation, but he is sought out by the nation – why? Because he preaches the gospel, a gospel of repentance, a gospel unadulterated by special interest or sordid gain.
• John is clearly led by the Spirit of God – what God says, John says. Where God leads, John goes. John doesn’t ask twice, John doesn’t seek to compromise, John seeks to please God regardless of people.

Which one will we be Balaam or John the Baptist? A sellout to society or sold out to the king of heaven? Which reward are we striving for?

I love preaching, I love to preach and love good preachers. One of my favorite preachers is Erwin McManus and he preaches almost weekly at Mosaic. His podcast is available on their podcast page in both video and audio. McManus has led a very interesting life immigrating to America as a young man and working among urban poor for years before coming to Mosaic. While I might not agree with everything he says, I learn every time I listen. He has a great style of preaching with a great view of looking at life and scripture. While McManus is well known nationally, it seems that in Bowling Green he is a little less familiar. I recommend you taking a listen to him or picking up one of his books.