Relating to Government, pt1
Leadership in Context with Keith Tucci
Episode 089
How do Christians relate to government? In our current season of COVID-19, there are a lot of questions out there.
Philippians 3:20
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
My citizenship and my allegiance is, first of all, to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven (or Kingdom of God, as they are synonymous in Scripture) is not ethereal. It is real. I do believe in the big picture—the better citizen I am of Heaven, the better citizen I am of earth. However, that does not mean compliance. It means a commitment for the best for ALL its citizens, not just some of its citizens or the citizens that are in power.
Comparing: Eternal Government vs. Temporal Government
It’s not righteous government or spiritual government versus civil government. Civil government is temporal; it will change and fade away. God’s government is eternal. It’s the same as Truth versus fact. Facts are accurate, but subject to change. Truth is accurate, but not subject to change and is eternal.
When you have a conflict of values or how to apply wisdom, ask: Which is eternal, and which is temporal? Which is subject to change, and which is not subject to change? A foundation that we have to establish is understanding that first and foremost, it’s God’s government, according to Isaiah 9, and of the increase there will be no end as He continues to expand His rule and His lordship.
Critical Fact to Remember: Jesus was crucified and was deemed a threat, not because He pronounced Himself as a Messiah or a Savior, but because He pronounced that He would be King. Herod went after Jesus not because He was going to come and teach, but because Jesus was going to be king.
Matthew 2:1-3
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Herod was troubled when he heard that there was a king. Jesus wasn’t king over a providence or a piece of land, but king over a group of people who chose to follow Him. Jesus’ kingship is not political. It’s not absent from politics, as politics is defined by geographical boarders. Jesus’ kingship is not defined by geographical borders. Citizenship in the natural is defined by who is inside a geographical realm, whereas citizenship in the eternal is defined by the king inside of your realm.
Can you be part of God’s Kingdom and not have Jesus as your King? If the foundation of kingdom is kingship, can you have Jesus as your Savior and accept someone else as the king of your life, as the Lord of your life?
What does Jesus as King look like?
1. Jesus is the final judge and arbitrator about every area of our life. He is the One who defines good and bad. He is the One who blesses or the One who resists. That takes pragmatism out of the picture and frees us from the dictates of just doing what is right, what’s popular, draws a crowd, or gets a blessing. A lot of times, that determining fact is what is dictating to the Church as to what will work instead of what is eternal and True.
2. Jesus’ jurisdiction is now, not just in the past and not just in the future. It’s both of those, but it is also now. Jesus said to pray “Thy kingdom come.” Live like His eternal Truth is now. Live like Truth is a fact as it relates to us and His Church.
3. Our response in God’s Kingdom is based on our responsibilities, not on our rights. It’s not a right-based Kingdom (although we do have certain privileges), but our Kingdom is based on our responsibility. It is based on how we respond to God.
Those are just three factors that tell us what kingship means. We have to understand that we already have a King. We are not looking for a king. I’m active politically, but I’m not looking for a king.
The Kingdom message is central to the gospel. How much was Jesus talked about as King? When Jesus was telling parables, He referred to Himself or God most often as King. In Matthew 18 and 23, He talked about servants giving an account to the king. In Matthew 22, He talked about a king that would give a wedding feast for his son. In Matthew 25, the parable of the talents tells that we will be judged by the king. Matthew 27 gives the account of Jesus agreeing when Pilot asked Him about being king of the Jews.
Jesus IS King. He is not going to be King. He can be nothing less than King now. He was King, He is King, and He shall be King. We need to be under His Kingship. Jesus wants total allegiance.
When they crucified Jesus, they mocked His kingship. I believe that one of the things that is happening today is that the world is mocking Jesus’ kingship, and He is looking for allegiant followers. If we don’t first settle that in our hearts, we will become proxy for any government, good or bad. If it’s not God’s government, it is idolatry. If we seek the approval of man, rather than the approval of God, it is idolatry. That doesn’t mean that we have to be defiant every time the government tells us to do something. The government is invested with certain powers. (We are going to discuss this more next week.)
Because Jesus is King and we temporarily live in a temporary world, there is going to be conflict. There has never been a generation, a move of God, a revival, a Church age, a generation that has followed King Jesus that has not had conflict with another king (or someone who thought they were king). How we deal with that conflict is critical.
Pray Thy kingdom come. Jesus wants total allegiance. I can only be truly submitted to anything to the degree that I’m submitted to Jesus. JESUS IS KING!
Join us next week as Keith Tucci continues to put leadership truth in the context of the local church. And as always, please like, share, rate/review, and invite others to listen. See you next week!
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