The Problem of Unworthy Authorities

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Peter 2-3One of the chief weapons that God has given us is the principle of submission; it is the thing that closes the mouths of those who oppose us and allows us to exercise our kingdom authority.However, what if we experience the problem of unworthy authorities? 1 Peter 2-3 reveals how to submit to godless authority figures.Submission is simply getting under the authority that God has established, not for that authority’s sake, but for God’s sake. Being submissive does not demean us, it exalts us; it makes us like Jesus Christ.This passage recognizes three places in which our submission is needed: the government, the job, and the home.“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake...” (1 Peter 2:13).We are called to demonstrate a spirit of submission in our social lives, in our churches, and in our politics, for 1 Peter 2:17 confirms, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”We are also instructed to submit in the workforce. Anyone can gripe and rebel against a bad boss, but Christians are held to a higher standard.Adrian Rogers says, “There is no better place for you to demonstrate the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ if you have an unfair or an ungodly boss.”Third, we’re to submit in the home: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands…” (1 Peter 3:1). Women are not inferior to men; however, when a wife voluntarily places herself under her husband, who is her equal, God is glorified.But we must understand that submission doesn’t always mean obedience. All human authority is limited because our ultimate loyalty belongs to God. If there comes a time when someone commands us to do something antithetical to the Word of God, we must obey God rather than men.Adrian Roger says, “Submission does not embolden tyranny, it destroys it. It was the spirit of these early Christians that brought the Roman Empire crashing down. They turned that world upside down because they learned the strength of submission.”Apply it to your lifeDo you have the spirit of submission? Remember: We will never be over those things that God has put under us, until we get under those things that God has put over us. Submit to the Lordship of Christ, the Word of God, and the institutions that God has put in place.