Government of Man

Transcript

so uh the topic for tonight is going to be Christadelphian views on our involvement with the government of man and their politics and what you'll see on the screen there is the depiction of the Tower of Babel that's where the kingdom of man got its beginning and it was based on

um not following God's ways but in defiance of God and his ways

and that has continued right through the course of the history of the kingdom of men right up until this present time

they do not go together they are separate the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man are completely completely separate from one another they don't work together

so when we when we look at the landscape

um today of the kingdoms of man the different nations it certainly seems to be a lot of Chaos in the governments it seems one gets elected and then there's a big protest and they're removed

um I I don't follow a lot of it uh with all the nations a few of them like maybe the UK who uh they seem to elect someone and then they're in the front door and they're they're headed out the back door and someone else is coming in to replace them pretty quickly or in Israel I'll see those and follow that and it was just a few years ago that they were screaming for uh Mr Netanyahu to be imprisoned and now he's back in power

and we see it in our own country here in the U.S it's um it's really a divided a divided nation

um and there seems to be there's a lot of anger and there's a lot of hatred from one side to the other I'm on a uh group text with a bunch of my uh High School Buddies and and uh most of them are Trump supporters and there's uh one Biden guy and uh they just lambaste each other they're still friends however it a few times a mediator has had to step in and say let's cool it because it was getting pretty ugly uh but I caused it in mind she had a similar story with a childhood friend of his who they no longer speak because he was supporting Trump and my cousin was not and because every time we talked it just turned into a fight and he would get angry and um

so you know we um you know I and I saw in the last election I would go on some of the I don't spend a lot of time on social media but a few times you know I would go on there and I would see a lot of discussion from christadelphians

um picking one side or another

um bashing this guy or the other guy and for me I think it was a little it was a little too involved and even though some you know would step in and say hey you know what Crystal Dolphins we don't really get tied up in this and that would stop for a little while then pick up steam in it it's a little bit tough to keep out of because it's it's heavily in the news it's what people are talking about and you know in 2024 there's going to be another election so I thought you know maybe let's just review our position and where we stand

uh on our involvement or a lack of involvement in the government of man and their politics now this is this is nothing new to us

oh it's really not a statement of faith uh we reject the teaching we're at Liberty to serve in the Army Navy police force any service whatsoever requiring an oath of Allegiance or a use of force we reject the teaching that we're at Liberty to take part in politics an opposition has been given to Caesar what does ceases unto God what is God so we follow the laws of the land unless they conflict with God's ways now you know maybe um you know maybe you've changed your view on this and if you want you can certainly express your concerns about this at the end of the class you can uh as I think the class is only like a half an hour long so we'll have plenty of time for discussion you can bring up your points then if you want and if you're only going to stay for half of the class you do not get any Kingdom points by the way

um so with that said um but this is nothing new you would have you would have agreed to this at baptism uh yeah baptismal interview they would have went over this and you would have said yeah this is the the stand that we have

taken

now in this country if you come from another country and you want to live in the United States you can apply for your green card or what you could be called a permanent resident but you can live in the U.S and it's uh you know you can own your own home it's a pretty good life you can own your own home you can be employed here you can go to school and you can enjoy many of the same rights as a natural citizen as someone who was born here of course you've got to pay your taxes and you're going to pay the laws of the land

um however they're not allowed to vote or hold political office they can't be part of the police force or serve in the armed forces and there's no uh sitting on a jury so this is kind of you know that's kind of who we are right we're kind of green card holders

um because we would agree that um you know it's kind of a statement of faith this is scriptural

um then we got you know we have the words of of Jesus here uh speaking of pilate my kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world then my servants would fight

um you know my time is not now is what he's saying and we will fight we're not pacifists but we're not taking any orders

from man to go out and fight we have uh chosen our King and when he comes we will fight and we'll we'll go over that a little bit later

and in prayer to his heavenly father he says I've given them Thy word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world right this is where we get we live in the world but we're not of it right we've got a high a calling brothers and sisters

um there's a better life to come uh we shouldn't be settling so this world many I'm afraid are in doctors and they don't know of the life that is to come the promise life the promised world that is to come and so they say well this is it so we'll just make the best of it but we know better there is something much much greater to come and that's what we're looking for we're not settling right when you settle right you say oh you know I like to sell my car and get four thousand dollars but I will settle for less at three thousand well we're not going to settle so this life is something much much greater is on the horizon and that's what where that's what we're looking to do

you know um you know brother brother was doing his classes on uh the the coming into Babylon right and

you know they get there and Babylon is like hey enjoy the Babylonian way of life make yourselves comfortable you'll be very prosperous here this is a great country enjoy our culture enjoy our religion the way of life is good here

and Daniel and his friends were able to remain separate from that right they were in the world but not of it when there was a conflict with the ways of God well that's who they obeyed God and not man right and remember that what did they try to do they tried to change their names

right you know who changes the names of people kidnappers do that

uh they want to take away the person's identity they change the name they change the way they looked the way they dress they want to take away their identity and it's the same thing with us real business this is the world is calling us come into the darkness Children of the light all right don't forget who we are we've got a very high calling the children of God all right let's not lose that identity to the world because they're calling for us to and you know what they don't like it when you don't agree with them and don't agree with the way that they live well they don't like you for people mostly don't uh really agree or like you if you don't agree with them right so we're not of this world and we're following price wage

right we've got this choice to make do you want to be a citizen of the world or citizen of heaven and we've got these very familiar verses for us we uh citizens uh for our citizenship is in heaven from which we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God that's what we are we're part of a household of God we look to heaven right we look to God for our instruction for our guidance

and then in Hebrews it talks about Abraham by faith he journeyed in the land of promises in a foreign country dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob Ayers with him of the same promise for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose Builder and maker is God right they were looking forward to that day to a greater day to come a better life to come and they confess now we're not going to take part in this life we're not going to accept this life as our reward we're strangers we're pilgrims in the Earth we're looking for that better day they didn't settle they took God at his word and said that's that's where I want to live

that's where I get my instruction from

right we don't look to man's opinions well governments or organizations

we do not put our trust in princes nor in the son of man

whom there is no help we're told right we trust in the Lord with all yaha and lean not into your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make you a path straight this is what we do I think a few years ago I was watching a YouTube video and it was um

it was about this he's a famous atheist I think his name is Hitchens if I'm not mistaken and he was on like this he was like a talk show type thing that was host and he was the guest and there was an audience and the hosts said to him they were speaking about the Bible and and the host said uh you know but you know people go to the Bible for comfort and instruction and you know that's good and and he didn't he didn't bash the Bible and say oh it's just a bunch of myths he just said um he said that's fine and he goes but why does it only have to be the Bible you know we have great writings from all types of philosophers all these ancient writings we can go to we've got Brilliant Minds right and we should take all these writings into consideration and the crowd went yeah you know they're backing them up but we know that it's gone we see the wise wisdom of God right but it that's the that's the conceited nature of mankind we're lies in our own eyes yeah it's the same thing I'll write something the Bible show other the same thing but we know better brothers and sisters way to get our counsel and instruction from

so this is also a very you know familiar passage that we love right but truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord

um this is God's plan right he's told us this this is his plan and this is not a um well this is my plan and I think it'll work I hope it works out if this and this come together this is a statement of facts this is ashore God says as truly as I live hey you know that I exist well yeah that's pretty obvious well guess what as surely as I live as truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord so we know this this is a statement of fact

and you know God is not against uh government uh he created one right he he's going to build up a great nation he tells Abraham out of you right he gets this nation and it's Israel and he's going to be the one who Reigns over them right and you know we're in Deuteronomy here and these are the blessings and he's going to you know bless them with uh great blessings prosperity and peace right and I think that's you know if you're going to Define what a government is and what what their politics and policies are supposed to do for the people of the nation is to provide a nation that you can uh uh have peace and prosper and I you know I don't know if that's the official terminology or not but I think that kind of sums it up in a nutshell and so God says you know I'm going to do all that for you you're going to be so prosperous in everything you do and I'm gonna be there to defend you from your enemies and he goes on to say that's if you know you shall Hawken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe and to do all his Commandments which I command thee this day but the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if

thou shalhaken unto the voice of the Lord thy God and the Lord shall make Thee the head and not the tale and thou shalt be above only

if thou harken unto the Commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day to do to observe and to do them

so this is God setting it up and of course you know we've got a promise like this right to look forward to that day this day is going to be great but sometimes

we kind of want to settle for this world we struggle with that because you know the kingdom of man is created by man to entice man right that they're appealing to what lust and I desire so it's a Temptation I mean that's the reason we lose Brethren right that might be hidden in some other thing so someone offended me that's my it's it's because they left hey they couldn't wait for the kingdom to come and they they took the here and now and it looked okay and it's a struggle for us and it was a struggle of course for Israel

and we know what they did right they go to Samuel and we want a King Samuel

and Samuel prays to God and the Lord says in verse 7 and the Lord said unto Samuel Hawking unto the voice of the people and all that they say unto me for they have not rejected thee

they've rejected me that I should not Reign Over them

and he says but tell them what that King that they want is going to be like so I'm going to read from first Samuel chapter eight starting in verse 11. uh Samuel's going to tell the people what their King's going to be like and he said this will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you

he will take your sons and appoint them for himself for his chariots and to be his Horsemen and some shall run before his chariots and he will appoint for himself captains over thousands captains of the 50s and we'll set them to plow his ground to reap his Harvest to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots and he'll take your daughters to be perfumers and to be cooks and to be Bakers and he'll take your fields and your Vineyards and your Olive yards even the best of them and give them to his servants and he will take a tenth of your seed and of your Vineyards and give them to his offices and to his servants then he'll take your man's servants and your maidservants and your choices young men in your asses and put them to his work

he will take the tenth of your sheep

and you shall be his servants

boy is that the government of man or what nothing's changed that's what that's what happens right put our young people to war right they take and take it's corruption

and God says don't come crying to me either when it happens

and still the people said that's okay we want a king over us then we'll be like all the other nations

and we'll have a king who'll lead us and go out before us and fight our battles they had God who was fighting their battles

right how foolish what a foolish decision they've made

but we know brothers and sisters that it's you know this is Chris Adelphia 101 isn't it right it's the most high of that rule is in the Kingdom of man and give it to whomever he will he removes Kings he sets up Kings

God is incomplete

control

even when Israel comes and says give us a king God doesn't say well okay pick someone up he's the one who chooses Saul doesn't he

um and in the Gentile Nations Isaiah 45 and 1. let's say it the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have held to subdued Nations before him uh God put Cyrus in charge he refers to King Nebuchadnezzar as my servant God has put them in charge to perform his will uh whatever that may be

and you know sometimes we don't know I remember a friend of mine who said why wouldn't you just vote for Mitt Romney he's a Christian man whenever that whenever Mitt Romney ran and I said well I I don't know if that's who God wants and he goes well he's a Christian man so of course that would be who who God would want and you know without going into any further with that I said listen is that who God wants it that particular maybe he wants a crew Lord I don't know uh we don't we don't always know why did God choose this one sometimes you know we can play Monday you know Monday Morning Quarterback and you might say geez why did he select Donald Trump and now he can look back and go you know he's pretty influential in the uh abrahamic Accords bringing peace with Israel and some of its Arab neighbors and we know from scripture that is supposed to happen so maybe that was the reason but typically we don't know

um but what we do know is it's furthering God's plan so we just leave it up to him

um my brother

Jim Sullivan told me that I had to stop quoting Harry Tennant more

so here's a here's a Harry tenet quote from uh the book what Christian Dolphins believe and preach

he says the disciples thrust of life

is in seeking first the kingdom of God in his righteousness first and foremost right he's not directed by Christ to be a social reformer or a Christian political campaigner

or a leader of a protest movement of any kind

right so that's that that is the Christadelphian stand right that's not our job

uh Paul and Roman says let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God powers that we are ordained of God right that's like another way of saying God is in control God rules in the kingdoms of men right and I think he's saying this at a time you know under Roman oppression right was narrow the leader in Rome at this time I'm not positive but you know your subject unto him uh whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves judgment so again who whoever is in power whoever is elected it's God's doing

um you know and he guess what he doesn't need our help right if you're thinking well I'll just I'll just choose the righteous one well guess what their own honey and God doesn't need help doesn't need our help and oh wow Jim Boyka is going to vote for this guy Jesus I was going to get the other guy in there but maybe I should uh rethink that uh he doesn't need our help okay

and I know uh you know I I grew up in a christophing household there was no talk of politics uh I consider it a blessing that we don't have to be bothered with it but I know some of you that came from the outside maybe you grew up in the house that was pretty political maybe you enjoyed the politics and wanted to vote and you know maybe it's a little bit of uh pulls at you a little bit but you know we we've got you you now have a better hope uh you know all these passages that we've looked at you know we trust not in man right we'll look into that Kingdom to come

um another very um you know a verse we're very familiar with in the days of those kings or governments the god of heaven will set up a kingdom and it will crush and put an end to all these man-made kingdoms right and it will stand forever right so why do we waste our time with the kingdom of man right and if you think you're going to make a change well you're not going to make a change you were never meant to make a change because even Christ doesn't make a change in the Kingdom of man he destroys it right that's the image uh you know Nebuchadnezzar's dream right he's the stone that destroys it he crushes it the wind wipes it away and he replaces it with the kingdom of God

and it's not your job but it's not my job to destroy the kingdom of man or to try to change it it's well beyond what we can do it's Christ's job that's what he's coming to do

so something that can be a little bit difficult for us when it comes to these rules because everyone's talking about it you know you got uh you know people at work you've got friends you've got family members and you know politics is a it's a Hot Topic

um

maybe we want to throw out two cents in and you know what we probably shouldn't we should probably just

maybe keep you know don't speak poorly of of either one whoever whoever it might be that gets in I know that with uh uh Mr Trump and Mr Biden that they make um a lot of material for the crew on Saturday Night Live and uh you know you laugh at a lot of it but uh you know we should probably just stay on the stay on the sidelines all together and and here um here Paul he's you know he's being mistreated by

um he stands before the Sanhedrin and he says my brothers I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day at this the high priest ananias ordered those standing there Paul to strike him on the mouth then Paul said to him God will strike you you whitewashed wall you sit there to judge me according to the law yet you yourselves violate the law by commanding that I be struck

those who are standing near Paul said you dare insult the high priest and Paul replied and did not realize that he was the high priest as far it is written do not speak evil about the rulers of your people right and he's quoting from that Exodus quote do not revile the judges no curse the ruler of thy people so you know it's something you know even if you know we're gonna if our taxes go up or whatever it might be we might you know not like a policy that they've implemented well again we're looking for the bigger picture God's put him there for a reason to further his purpose

so we I want to be careful what we say unless you want to say well let me tell you about the life to come let me tell you about my king you can say that

so again you know let's try to live a separate life from it

um I was having a conversation with a friend of mine once and he said you know but no one really knows who's going to be in again how do you know you're right and my church is wrong maybe and he was um he was a Baptist at the time

and he said maybe we're right and you're wrong and we'll be in the kingdom and you won't so we had a little conversation about that I told him well you know Salvation it's not a guessing game and now you better get it squared away beforehand uh but I said let's look at this passage and he said this is the words of Jesus he says I say auntie that many will come from the East and the west and will take their places at the feast

with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God I said well they know three people that are going to be in the Kingdom Abraham Isaac and Jacob that it would make sense to find out what those guys believed and then believe it

he agreed

but brothers and sisters we do believe in those great and precious promises we believe what Abraham Isaac and Jacob believed now what we have to do is live like them

and they all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off right they looked forward to that same great life to come and they were persuaded and embrace them and confess that they were strangers pilgrims on the earth living in the world but not part of the kingdom of man and that's what we've got to remember to do

so I know that this is all very 101 very basic it is something important to remind ourselves not that we really forget but

you know God had to remind has to remind Israel a lot doesn't he that uh I'm the one that brought you out of Egypt you know did they really forget such a major event

I mean they remember it on Passover did they really forget that uh Jesus tells us to do this in remembrance of me could we really forget what Jesus has done for us I don't think we do I don't think Israel for God you know what happens it gets pushed to the back of your mind right I mean we get a lot a lot of things Ryan for our attention I mean we you know we've got jobs we've got families we've got problems right and and there are a lot of things vying for our attention and sometimes these things can get pushed to the back and we can get wrapped up in things and you can get wrapped up in the things of the world pretty quickly so I think it's important for us to uh sit back and and just remember these things and think about them bring them to the Forefront of our minds so that they guide us through our lives

okay so that's the basic stuff now something that we might not always think of is that we are going to be part of a government we're going to be part of Christ's government

this is what the psalmist writes

let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Nations and punishments upon the people combine their kings with chains and their nobles with feathers of iron to execute judgment upon them to execute upon them the Judgment written this ought to have all his Saints

praise ye the Lord that's us in the Kingdom age with Christ's ruling under the instructions of Christ will we be going to subdue the Nations that don't submit to his rulership we're going to have a big role in establishing the kingdom

Christ says in Revelations and who he who overcomes and who keeps my works until the end to him

well I give Authority over the Nations

so big role we're looking for we're being trained now I can get trained in the Kingdom of God in the Kingdom of man we have a greater calling bigger plans

will serve our King and his government

a few other passages behold a king shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in Justice right we're those princes

in Matthew he says verily I say unto you now he's speaking to the disciples say you have followed me in the Regeneration when the son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory

shall also sit upon 12 Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel

from the parable of the talents well done good and faithful servant thou has been Faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things right in some form or fashion we're going to have roles in the government of Christ

but I was slain and has redeemed us to God by the blood out of every Kindred tongue people and Nation and has made us unto our God a kingdom of priests and we shall reign on the Earth right we'll be the ones teaching we'll be making sure that the laws that come out of Zion are follow right uh Christ isn't going to tolerate false religion during the kingdom age our job will be to teach and and squash out any rebellions so we're going to have a very important role right we're too good we're too good for this Kingdom now

our eyes have got to be set to the Future

so just in closing here just a little summary here we we are subject to authorities ordained of God whatever that might be we just okay God's in charge his plan is moving forward we are to obey God rather than man we obey the laws of the land until they come into conflict with God

we have to remember that friendship with the world is enmity with God we love not the world and we can't serve two masses though we try don't we all right it can't be you know voting for our president a leader in this country and then saying no Christ is my I can't serve two masters our Allegiance is to God and His anointed and Jesus is the future king of the world for eternity

and lastly in Revelation 11 15 the kingdoms of this world

become

the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever and that's what we're looking for brothers and sisters to have set our hearts and Minds on the eternal and not the temporary things