1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,100 As we know, we are living in challenging times. 2 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:11,000 And there are freedoms that have been taken from us in our life 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,800 that we've never experienced before. 4 00:00:13,900 --> 00:00:18,300 In my 53 years of living, I have lived a life free to do whatever 5 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:22,200 I wanted to do. And worshipping God in the way 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:27,300 that we have done. So all my life and freedoms have 7 00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:31,400 not been taken from me. In fact, persecution, really has 8 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:36,100 avoided me and persecution really from the standpoint of 9 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,400 what the Bible declares. As people that really suffered 10 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,700 for their faith really. In my life. 11 00:00:41,700 --> 00:00:43,900 The greatest thing that ever happened to me or the worst 12 00:00:43,900 --> 00:00:47,000 thing that ever happened to me is perhaps somebody made fun of 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:52,000 me because of what I believed. But there are challenging times 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,900 around us, I get that, I know that. 15 00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:58,000 And I know also that it may be that in the future. 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,700 It may get worse in our country, in our world, we may be looking 17 00:01:02,700 --> 00:01:06,200 to war someday, I don't know. There may be some difficult 18 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,900 things that lie ahead. So, in this very short little 19 00:01:09,900 --> 00:01:13,800 sermon this morning, I want to talk about one aspect or one 20 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,800 idea. And that is this in the midst of 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,200 trials in the midst of persecution, in the midst of 22 00:01:20,300 --> 00:01:22,900 Whatever comes our way, please understand. 23 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:30,700 God is still in control. Focus on that focus on that and 24 00:01:30,700 --> 00:01:33,700 not all the individual things that are standing in our way 25 00:01:34,300 --> 00:01:37,200 focus on the fact that God is still in control. 26 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,300 What about the government's that are around us? 27 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:43,100 Very familiar passage of scripture in Romans 13:1. 28 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:48,700 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities for there 29 00:01:48,700 --> 00:01:53,000 is no Authority except from God and the authorities that exist 30 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,900 are appointed by God. In other words, God is Still 31 00:01:57,900 --> 00:02:01,400 ultimately in control and the governmental structure that is 32 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:05,900 around us is ordained of God. In verse 1, there is no 33 00:02:05,900 --> 00:02:09,500 Authority except from God and notice where it says and the 34 00:02:09,500 --> 00:02:13,700 authorities plural. Are appointed by God. 35 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,600 You know, there are three institutions that God gave for 36 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,700 the benefit of man. Number one, goes all the way 37 00:02:20,700 --> 00:02:25,400 back in the garden, when God ordained or God instituted 38 00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:28,400 marriage. Marriage was the first 39 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,800 institution given to man for the benefit of man? 40 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,300 Personally, by God, secondly, we find. 41 00:02:35,300 --> 00:02:39,800 Also there's the church and that is for the benefit spiritually 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,200 of, man. And number three, Is government. 43 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,600 And that's for the public well-being of man. 44 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,000 So marriage, personal well-being Church, spiritual well-being, 45 00:02:51,100 --> 00:02:56,600 government, public well-being, and God has ordained them all to 46 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,500 carry out his purpose. And for the benefit of man, in 47 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:07,100 Psalm 62 and verse 11, the Bible says God has spoken once twice. 48 00:03:07,100 --> 00:03:11,200 I have heard this that power belongs to God. 49 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,800 I think we give too much power to people. 50 00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:21,800 And forget that God is ultimately in control the 51 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:27,800 psalmist, David recorded in Psalm 62 and 11 power belongs to 52 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,300 God. God is also determined the times 53 00:03:31,300 --> 00:03:32,800 of Nations. You know? 54 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,000 I've heard that all of my life, but wrap your head around that, 55 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,800 for just a minute, God has determined the length of 56 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,700 Nations. He determines the beginning and 57 00:03:43,700 --> 00:03:46,900 the ending of that. In fact, in Acts chapter 7, In 58 00:03:46,900 --> 00:03:49,800 verse 26, get a notice to passages here. 59 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:56,800 Acts chapter 17 and verse 26. He has made from one blood every 60 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,500 nation of men to dwell on the face of the Earth and has 61 00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:05,900 determined their pre appointed times and boundaries of their 62 00:04:05,900 --> 00:04:10,200 dwellings now, who did that the one that did that was God 63 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,200 himself. Another passage Daniel chapter 4 64 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,900 and verse 17. Listen to this. 65 00:04:16,700 --> 00:04:21,100 The decision is by the decree of Watchers and the sentence by the 66 00:04:21,100 --> 00:04:25,500 word of the Holy ones in order that The living may know get 67 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:32,100 this that the most high rules in the Kingdom of men and get this 68 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,900 and gives to it whomever he will and sets over it. 69 00:04:36,900 --> 00:04:41,500 The lowest of men. If you don't think God is 70 00:04:41,500 --> 00:04:45,800 involved in the governmental structure or those in authority 71 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,200 over us. Please consider that passage. 72 00:04:48,700 --> 00:04:51,600 It says the most high. The who is the most high, the 73 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:57,400 most high is God, the most high Reigns and rules and dwells in 74 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,400 the kingdoms of men. He gives it to whoever he will 75 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,400 and he sets the lowest of men over it. 76 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,500 That's what God does governments and the men that will power in 77 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:13,300 it are chosen by God. In fact, government was an 78 00:05:13,300 --> 00:05:16,800 institution that's ordained by. God is well it was God 79 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,000 appointed. Now, may I just add this though 80 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:25,000 and I got to tell you I'm a positive person by Nature. 81 00:05:26,100 --> 00:05:28,200 And I love the country that we live in. 82 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,900 I do. And I appreciate those that have 83 00:05:32,900 --> 00:05:35,600 died for our freedom. Those that have fought and died 84 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,100 in our country for our freedoms. And we enjoy those freedoms and 85 00:05:39,100 --> 00:05:43,900 I'm appreciative of that. And I do enjoy being an 86 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:48,000 American. But all of that being said, I 87 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,700 got to tell you, contrary to what some people think, God is 88 00:05:52,700 --> 00:05:57,800 not American. God is a spirit and they that 89 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,900 worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. 90 00:06:01,300 --> 00:06:04,900 So dot God does not love Americans more than he loves 91 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:10,500 Filipinos or Africans. In the mind of God, we are all 92 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:13,500 the same. There's no difference between 93 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:15,900 all of us and I guess I would say and I hope it's not 94 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:20,500 disrespectful to God, but in that God is colorblind, it 95 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:23,500 doesn't matter. All that matters is The Souls of 96 00:06:23,500 --> 00:06:27,200 men and God, Everyone to turn to him. 97 00:06:27,300 --> 00:06:32,100 So, all that being said, the Bible does not uphold a specific 98 00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:36,200 theory of government or various type of government. 99 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,200 In fact, you cannot find a democratic social civil 100 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,400 structure in the Bible can't find it. 101 00:06:43,700 --> 00:06:48,000 So, however, the rulers come to power, whether it's by dynastic 102 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,600 descent inherited, whether it's by aristocratic family 103 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,400 connection, or even a democratic election. 104 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:02,800 All of it is ordained of God. But I have to make this point 105 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:07,400 because maybe you're thinking this What about the evil rulers? 106 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,400 What about the evil rulers in days? 107 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,800 Gone by in history. What about immoral leaders? 108 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,500 What about them? Is God over them to? 109 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:23,800 What about the unjust? Well, first of all, cruel abuses 110 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:28,000 in government, Are no reflection on God's nature. 111 00:07:28,100 --> 00:07:30,800 They don't taint, his Purity, you know. 112 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,500 Just make this little illustration about marriage. 113 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,900 In the very beginning, when God brought the woman to the man 114 00:07:37,900 --> 00:07:41,300 after she he created the woman because it was not good for him 115 00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:45,000 to be alone. He said, she's now bone of my 116 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,300 bones Flesh of My Flesh. She shall be called woman for, 117 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,300 she was taken out of man. And then the institution of 118 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:53,200 marriage. He said a man shall leave his 119 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,600 father and mother and be joined to his wife. 120 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,200 And the two of them would be one flesh. 121 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,200 We get that. That is the marriage 122 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,500 relationship and Union that God has established. 123 00:08:04,100 --> 00:08:08,000 And yet people have abused the marriage relationship, going all 124 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,300 the way back through history and time. 125 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,600 But if somebody abuses the marriage relationship, it 126 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,900 doesn't mean it's an indictment on God. 127 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,100 And marriage is still what God has said that. 128 00:08:22,100 --> 00:08:26,400 It always should be. Sometimes churches congregations 129 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,300 of the body of Christ digress, and go the way of the world. 130 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,700 That's not a reflection on God. And when a ruler decides to go 131 00:08:34,700 --> 00:08:37,600 and be Wicked, it's not a reflection on God either. 132 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,299 It's not a reflection on God's Purity. 133 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,700 Okay, one writer noted this though. 134 00:08:44,700 --> 00:08:50,100 Listen to this. Wicked rulers are part of God's 135 00:08:50,100 --> 00:08:55,200 plan to punish Wicked Nations and to allow evil to run the 136 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,400 course toward destruction. But you know what, in the 137 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:02,100 beginning, in the beginning God ordained government to protect 138 00:09:02,100 --> 00:09:05,600 and preserve man, for the protection of life and property. 139 00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:10,000 It was for two reasons, one for the repression of evil and crime 140 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,100 and two for the rewarding of virtue and good. 141 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,300 That's the reason for the Structure of government. 142 00:09:18,500 --> 00:09:20,300 Now, maybe you're sitting there and you're saying this. 143 00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:23,100 Yeah. But Frank, I don't like what's 144 00:09:23,100 --> 00:09:26,000 going on in our country. I just don't like it. 145 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:29,900 You know, God doesn't like it either. 146 00:09:32,300 --> 00:09:35,000 When things happen that are ungodly. 147 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:40,100 You think God likes that? You might say, well, I just 148 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:41,500 don't like what's happening in our country. 149 00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:43,100 You know what? God had neither. 150 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:47,400 But isn't it entirely possible though? 151 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:53,200 As one man wrote it this way? Just maybe God will choose a 152 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,800 form of government that suits. His purpose for a country that 153 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:06,300 has turned their back on him. God did in the Old Testament. 154 00:10:08,100 --> 00:10:11,000 How many times do we read about those things that happen? 155 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,300 I don't have time to go into it. And when we go back to normal, 156 00:10:14,300 --> 00:10:16,400 length of services, I'm going to preach on habakkuk. 157 00:10:17,500 --> 00:10:21,000 But in that specific sense, God raised up horrible, people 158 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:27,600 called the Chaldeans to do some damage and to inflict 159 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,500 punishment. God did that. 160 00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:33,300 So just maybe if things are getting more difficult in our 161 00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:37,800 life just maybe it's because we are a nation that has turned 162 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,700 their back on him. But may I say this from a 163 00:10:40,708 --> 00:10:45,000 spiritual perspective, please get this from a spiritual 164 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,300 perspective no matter what happens. 165 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:53,500 God's people will be just fine. Even if we suffer. 166 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,700 Even if we're persecuted, even if we have terrible things 167 00:10:57,700 --> 00:11:00,200 happen, around us. Even if terrible things happen 168 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:04,100 to us in life, from a spiritual perspective, God is still in 169 00:11:04,100 --> 00:11:08,100 control and God's people will be just fine. 170 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,400 So what should be our mindset moving forward? 171 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:14,900 And really this is a lesson of encouragement, remember God 172 00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:17,600 still in control, what should be our mindset? 173 00:11:17,900 --> 00:11:20,800 We got all these rulers that have to make decisions that 174 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,000 affect all of us. What should we do? 175 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,900 And I'll tell you it's really easy to bad-mouth a ruler. 176 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,000 It's easy to bad-mouth the governor. 177 00:11:31,100 --> 00:11:33,300 It's easy to bad-mouth the president. 178 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:35,300 Let's notice what the word of God says. 179 00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:38,100 Very briefly in Exodus. 22 and 28. 180 00:11:38,100 --> 00:11:42,400 You shall not revile. God nor curse a ruler of your 181 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,100 people. What did Paul say? 182 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:49,700 Paul told Timothy pray for those in Authority, pray for them. 183 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,300 Pray that they'll have wisdom. You know, I'm going to tell you 184 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:55,800 in our lifetime. We've heard people pray prayer 185 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,000 after prayer. After prayer in the assembly 186 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,800 that God would never allow a law. 187 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,700 That would be enacted, that would take away our freedom of 188 00:12:03,700 --> 00:12:05,900 worship. We've always said that do those 189 00:12:05,900 --> 00:12:09,000 are those words that we meet, or do we just say them and are they 190 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:15,700 just words? Pray for those that are over us. 191 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,400 Pray for them. There are ordained of God and I 192 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,000 don't care if it's the president, the governor. 193 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:31,100 Or the police. Verse 2 of our text. 194 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:33,800 And I'm just about finished verse 2 says this. 195 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,400 So number one. Why would we submit to them? 196 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:37,500 Well, because there are date of God. 197 00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:40,600 Number 2 verse 2. Therefore whoever resists The 198 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,800 Authority resist, the ordinance of God, you know, that word 199 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:44,500 resist, there's very interesting word. 200 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,100 You know what it means. It means to literally stand a 201 00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:51,600 post. If we resist, the authoritative 202 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,600 structure that is over us. We are literally lining, our 203 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,400 self up against God. That's why. 204 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,300 Now, if the laws of the land said, no, you can't worship God. 205 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:06,300 What do we do? We worship God. 206 00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:09,300 Anyway, if the law says, we cannot be a Christian. 207 00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:11,100 What are we going to do? We're going to be a Christian. 208 00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:14,600 Anyway, if the law states stipulated, those things we 209 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:18,500 would serve God, rather than man, but until that happens, we 210 00:13:18,500 --> 00:13:23,200 have to submit to those ordinances that are around us. 211 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,200 So let's remember please in these challenging times. 212 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:31,100 That God is still in control. From a spiritual perspective, 213 00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:36,100 it, it doesn't matter. God's people will be just fine. 214 00:13:36,100 --> 00:13:38,600 I'm gonna read you a couple verses and I'm finished Romans 215 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:43,000 chapter 8. In verse 28. 216 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,300 And we know that all things work together for good to those who 217 00:13:47,300 --> 00:13:50,800 love God to those, who are called according to his purpose. 218 00:13:51,300 --> 00:13:53,800 One of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. 219 00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:56,300 People think that means you know what? 220 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,100 This terrible thing that's happening to me is going to work 221 00:13:59,100 --> 00:14:01,300 for good. It's going to work out. 222 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,600 I got news for you sometimes it doesn't work out and that's not 223 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,300 what Paul meant. Paul was not saying every little 224 00:14:08,300 --> 00:14:10,300 thing that's terrible in your life's going to work out. 225 00:14:10,300 --> 00:14:12,400 If you love God, it's not what he meant. 226 00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:16,000 What he's talking about is the structure of all that God has 227 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,500 promised. All of that God's plan. 228 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,600 All of that will work together for good, even if you suffer in 229 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:28,500 life, and even if it doesn't work out, Beginning in verse 35, 230 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:29,900 here's what's going to work together. 231 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:34,500 For good, in conclusion, who shall separate us from the love 232 00:14:34,500 --> 00:14:39,800 of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress or persecution or 233 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:46,000 famine or nakedness or Peril or sword as it is written for your 234 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,100 sake. We are killed all day long. 235 00:14:49,100 --> 00:14:51,400 We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 236 00:14:51,500 --> 00:14:56,200 Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through him who 237 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,800 loved us. But I am persuaded that neither 238 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:04,600 death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers nor 239 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:09,000 things present, nor things to come nor height nor depth, nor 240 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:12,600 any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the 241 00:15:12,608 --> 00:15:18,700 love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our lord that will work 242 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:23,600 together for good. So, let's focus on who's really 243 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:28,100 in control who's got the power. God is ultimately in control 244 00:15:28,100 --> 00:15:30,900 regardless of what's happening in the circumstances of our 245 00:15:30,900 --> 00:15:33,300 life, put our faith and trust in him. 246 00:15:33,300 --> 00:15:35,100 And let's pray for those rulers that are over us. 247 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:38,300 They've got some real decisions to make very very soon. 248 00:15:38,900 --> 00:15:41,200 And also pray to God that he'll give us the strength and the 249 00:15:41,208 --> 00:15:44,800 courage to be the Christians. We should be regardless of the 250 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:49,400 circumstances in life. We thank you for listening to 251 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:54,200 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 252 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,800 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 253 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,100 information or you would like to receive a free Bible 254 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:06,500 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True 255 00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:09,000 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 256 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,800 Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 257 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,300 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 258 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,000 We would love for you to be our honored guest.