Citizens of the World
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: The Gospel and the World
Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Sermon Outline
1. The Role of the Government
Governments have been called by God to be his servants
v. 1-2: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed.
v. 4: for he is God's servant for your good… For he is the servant of God
v. 3-4: For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad… For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer
v. 6: For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
2. Our Role as Citizens
To submit to the government
v. 1: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities
3. The Hope To Be Good Citizens
Philippians 3:20–21: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Prayer of Confession
Heavenly Father, we know from your Word that you have instituted the government to be your servant, but we confess that we can be suspicious of our government and struggle to see the good that it does. We also know from your Word that we are to submit to the government, but we need your wisdom to know how to do this well. May we not demonize our government and may we not worship it. By the power of your Spirit, help us to be faithful to our calling as citizens of heaven while we are here on earth. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
Describe your view of the US government. What is your opinion of it? When have you seen it behave faithfully as God’s servant? When have you seen it struggle to do so?
In what ways do you find submitting to the government easy? In what ways is this command difficult to follow?
What correctives do you believe need to be made to the American church in how it submits or does not submit to the government?
If Christians are citizens of heaven, how does that help the church be more faithful to the calling to submit to the government?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?