To Whom Do We Report?
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Birthdays and Anniversaries
Our sermon will be in Luke 20 9-18
We have a website: https://tahlequahworshipcenter.com/
Service this Wednesday Night - We are in the book of John
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Gerald
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Cristy’s Grandparents
Sandra
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Kevin Black
I want to welcome all that are joining us online.
Thank you for being here with us.
Cristy has some songs picked out for us.
Songs
Send The Light - Eb
He Looked Beyond My Fault - G
First - Bb
To Whom Do We Report?
To Whom Do We Report?
Monday was my first day at my new job.
In a lot of organizations, there are hierarchies and divisions of power.
Previously, I was just a few slots below the president or CEO or chief.
At my new job, I’m several managers down.
We see this type of hierarchies in government as well
Our nation has the most power and authority.
Below that are states and tribes.
With some of the changes that came about in the McGirt decision, tribes have jurisdiction over their citizens within a state.
However, generally speaking, below states are county, city, and other divisions.
We are subject to these areas depending on where we live, if we are tribal citizens, if we are active military, and then within any organizations that we work at.
The point is that we are subject to multiple governments.
So let’s look at the Bible and see what it says about dealing with governments and authority.
19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.
20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:
22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me?
24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”
25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
Jesus Submits to the powers that be.
Jesus Submits to the powers that be.
I want you to notice something: Jesus never questions legitimate authority.
He stands up to the Pharisees and Scribes, but he doesn’t question their authority.
In Matthew 23:2-3
2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
He recognizes their authority, but he also shows them to be hypocrites.
We have that same issue today.
We have politicians that pass laws that effect us all, but they don’t follow them.
Many of them think they are above the law.
Jesus even when he knows that the government is unfair or wrong, he still submits to it.
Look at the cross.
God took their symbol of authority, punishment, and death and turned it to a symbol of his people, forgiveness, and life.
Even though any powers of this world had no power over him, he submitted to it anyway.
11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
When he was being questioned by the priests, he didn’t speak a word until they gave him no choice.
Look at Matthew 26:62-64
62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”
63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Even though they were being unfair, Jesus still submitted to them.
So here, Jesus establishes the rule of Rome and of the Jews.
He does that by asking for a coin
Jesus is Shown a coin
Jesus is Shown a coin
This is one of the sayings of Jesus which even non-christians point to.
It’s one of drop the mic moments.
25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
I don’t think it could be put more eloquently.
There are a few of these moments in his ministry.
Let’s talk about this for a bit.
What is Jesus doing here?
First, he’s shifting the conversation from him being caught in the moment to them being caught.
A denarius is worth about a day’s wage for a normal person back then.
So it was a fairly common amount of money.
That means that many of the people around Jesus may have had one.
They could have taken it out and looked at it while he was saying this.
Jesus was a master of taking complex subjects and explaining it in a way that everyone understood.
The thing is that we need this lesson today.
Jesus Separates the different realms.
Jesus Separates the different realms.
Right now, abortion is a hot topic.
You can hear one side saying don’t force your religion on me.
Or they will say, this is a violation of church and state.
Or they will say this is taking away my constitutional right to abortion.
First of all, they need to read the constitution.
Nowhere in there is the right to abortion.
They will say it was violation of my privacy.
I’m sorry, but privacy is not in there either.
Neither is separation of church and state.
The first amendment gives us the right that protects us from a governmental religious system.
It doesn’t mean that we can’t vote on issues that have religious meaning.
So let’s give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
I appose abortion because it takes the life of an innocent human being.
My religion informs me that human life is important.
I mean, God loved us som much that he sent his Son to die for us.
I can make an airtight case scientifically, that the unborn are valuable humans.
They need to be protected.
The law is the best way to do that.
So how do we right these wrongs.
Well, we need to address them publically.
Jesus spoke up for things that were wrong.
Some Christians withdraw from society to make themselves distinct.
The problem is that we can’t tell others about Jesus unless we are somehow in that world.
When a missionary goes to a place to reach people, they learn the language, dress like them, and approach them on their terms.
We need to do the same.
Even in the government.
Jesus told us to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. That means we need to bring God into politics.
Jesus told us to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. That means we need to bring God into politics.
Listen, the abortion battle isn’t over.
There are several states with almost no restrictions or very little.
Who is going to stand up for the babies?
Who is going to help right the wrongs that are in our society?
Who are going to stand up for those that are in danger?
We need to be in politics in order to help others.
Are you ready to stand up?
This is not a left or right thing.
It is a right and wrong thing.