Increasingly people say they want to be ‘Spiritual’ but don’t believe in organised religion. We are not saved by organised religion, but we do need it to help us in our discipleship. In Exodus 18, Moses is given advice on how to organise the people of God.

Do you believe in Organised Religion?

It’s increasingly popular for people to say that they believe there is some kind of Spiritual force, but they don’t believe in organised religion. People don’t want to let go of the idea that there is some kind of force bigger than themselves, but they don’t want to have to be part of something, committed to something or in some way controlled by something outside themselves.

We are increasingly private, individualised people, valuing freedom above all else. Being blessed by some spiritual force is great, allowing your life to be guided by it is increasingly unacceptable. Having a religious experience is fantastic, belonging to a religious community is scary.

Part of this stems from the failures of religious institutions. So often, churches fail to live out the truths of the gospel and the news and social media love to emphasise the church’s failures whilst staying silent about its successes. When the church’s reputation is at such a low ebb, it’s no wonder that people want to avoid it.

But is it really possible to know God and not be a part of his church? Can you really separate spirituality from any form of community and can you have an effective community without it being organised in some way?

God’s Good News is not about an Institution

It has to be said, first of all that God’s good news, that his salvation does not come through any institution. The Bible makes it clear throughout. It is not the church that saves us, but God.

So, in the Old Testament, the Bible makes clear that the people of Israel were not saved from slavery in Egypt by any institution or organisation, but by God acting.

The first 17 chapters of the book of Acts, relate how God heard the people crying out because they were being treated so badly as slaves in Egypt. God sent Moses and God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians, until finally, Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, agreed to let God’s people go. The people did nothing. Even Moses was just God’s spokesperson to Pharaoh and the people.

When after leaving Egypt, the people were trapped by the Red Sea and pursued by the Egyptian army, it was God who did the impossible and created a crossing on dry land for His people, but drowned the Egyptian army when they tried to follow.

It was God who provided them with water in the wilderness and food to eat, when it looked like they would starve. Again and again in the first 17 chapters of Exodus, it is God’s actions that save the people – not any clever organisation or institution.

All this is summed up in chapter 18, when Moses says to his visiting father-in-law, Jethro:

“Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.” (Exodus 18:8)

The New Testament also emphasises that we are saved not by the church or any religious organisation, but we are saved by Jesus. In fact Jesus’s name means, “God saves…” The New Testament makes it clear that we are forgiven and gain eternal life not through anything the church does or we do, but by Jesus’s once and for all sacrificial death on the cross.

So in baptism we ask: “Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?” Not do you come to the church for salvation. Institutional religion does not save, God does. That is indeed, Good News!

God’s Good News calls us to be Disciples

God saves us from our sin, from his judgement for our sin and so from death itself. But he doesn’t just save us from things, he saves us for things.

In the next part of Exodus, in chapters 19-24, the emphasis switches from God’s saving work to God giving a Law for his people. In chapter 20 he gives the 10 commandments, but before that he explains why he wants the people to obey his commands. If you look at 19:5-6:

“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ “” (Exodus 19:5-6)

Israel were not saved from being slaves in Egypt by following rules and regulations, but they were saved to become a people who lived by God’s laws, to show the rest of the world how good a thing it is when you do that!!

Similarly, Jesus did everything necessary to save us, but he saves us so that we can become his disciples. His last words at the end of Matthew’s gospel are:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

This is reflected in the baptism service: “Fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ…” Disciples are those who are eager to learn how to live to follow Jesus and to put that learning into practice in their lives.

Growing Disciples needs Organised Community

So if Jesus saves us to become his disciples, what has this to do with organised religion? The answer is I think that in practice without organised religion we cannot grow in our discipleship. We cannot become the kind of people God wants us to be.

Exodus 18 sits between Exodus 1-17 and Exodus 19-24. It is a bridge between God’s salvation and God’s law-giving and it is all about organising God’s people to enable their growth as disciples.

At first glance, Exodus 18 is a family re-union. Moses is in the wilderness with the people of Israel and Jethro his father-in-law comes to visit. One the first day, Moses shares all that God has done and they celebrate God’s great salvation.

Then the next day, Moses gets back to work and Jethro watches.

Moses takes a seat and the people come to him one to one, with their disputes and issues wanting to know what God thinks. That in itself was great, they wanted to follow God’s ways and Moses was God’s spokesman, so this seemed like a way to grow in discipleship.

Except there were a lot of people. Moses had to sit there making judgements from noon to dusk and all the people stood around waiting to be seen.

Jethro takes one look at this and says, “What you are doing is not good.” He says you are going to wear yourself out and all the people out. This will just end in disaster!!

But, Jethro was a constructive guy. So, he gives Moses a solution, which has three prongs to it:

1. Teach God’s Ways

Firstly, Jethro can see that Moses is God’s spokesperson. That he is the one with the direct access to God, who can bring the people’s problems to God and God’s solutions to the people.

The problem is that Moses is doing that one on one. One person at a time. Rather than respond to each individual issue, he needs to teach the people God’s commands and instructions. In other words, he needs to show the people as a whole the key ideas of how to live for God.

In the next few chapters, we learn what Moses taught the people and it is focussed on the 10 commandments given by God.

But, the same principle extends into the New Testament. Jesus taught his disciples and the people. He did so with memorable and profound sayings and parables. He wanted to ensure we could all understand how we were to live to follow him, how to obey his commands.

These teachings of God are in the Bible and so today, we encourage all Christians to read them for themselves and we teach from the Bible Sunday by Sunday. It is only by reading and hearing from God’s word, that we can grow to be true disciples of Jesus, to become the people God wants us to be.

1. Together not Alone

Secondly, Jethro, sees that what Moses is doing is ‘not good’ because he is doing it alone.

The only other time the phrase, ‘not good’ is used in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible is in Genesis 2, when God says that it is not good that Adam is alone. He needs a helper!

Jethro is kind of saying the same thing to Moses, “You can’t do this alone. It is too much for you and so it is bad for you and for the people! You’re going to get overworked and they’re going to be frustrated that they cannot get the answers they want.

So, Jethro tells Moses he needs to appoint other leaders to deal with the simple cases and so that he only has to deal with the difficult ones. That way he won’t be overburdened and the people will not be frustrated.

One of the things that puts people off organised religion is that very quickly some people who take on official roles within the church can be overburdened, either because they take on too much alone and don’t encourage others to help or because others just leave them to do it without offering to support.

I think this is a particular problem when the church is in a situation of decline. We need to be constantly thinking about how we can overcome this issue. How we can spread the load, so that people are not left to do things alone.

That’s one of the reasons we are having volunteer Sunday today. We have teams in place, but most of the teams could do with a few more people, so that a few are not overwhelmed. If you are a regular at St. Luke’s do go around after the service and talk to people who are representing their teams and see if there is a place where you can serve in a small way and so help make sure that others are not overburdened!

1. Appoint God-fearing leaders

But, the people he appoints need to be God-fearing leaders. If they are to be trusted to tell people what God says, then they need to be people who care about what God wants and are eager to do what God wants. They need to be trustworthy, motivated by a fear of God and not a desire to get things for themselves.

The church today may have a bad reputation, but it is not because organised religion is bad, it is usually because the appointed leaders are not the kind of God-fearing people that  should have been given the role in the first place.

Let’s pray for God to raise up really God-fearing and trustworthy leaders at every level of leadership in our churches from small group leaders and Sunday School leaders up to Bishops and Archbishops.

We also need to take seriously the need to check and carefully discern who should be given leadership roles within the church.

Do you believe in organised religion?

If you have accepted and grasped the salvation that God has won for you in Jesus Christ, then you will surely want to be serious about growing as a disciple of Jesus.

And if you are serious about growing as a disciple of Jesus, you will want to be part of his organised people. Learning from the Bible, God’s teaching for his people and part of an organised structure that spreads the load and ensures everyone is given the support they need to grow as a Christian.

With the Coronation of King Charles, it is worth reflecting on the Christian understanding of political authority. If Christians see God as the ultimate authority, how are we to relate to earthly rulers? Both the good and the bad? Claire explores the Biblical teaching in Romans 13.

Preacher: Claire Coleman

Whose law is it?

Introduction

Our title slide asked the question whose law is it? 

This week has seen significant political events take place . We’ve had the local elections and we celebrated the coronation of our king. 

Whatever your political standing or views on monarchy. These events took place. And there are a variety of opinions and engagement with these ruling authorities and powers. 

In our passage from Romans 13, Paul is writing to the early church. Before this passage in ch12,  He’s been writing about the churches conduct in the world. In ch 12v9 he writes ‘love must be sincere, hate what is evil cling to what is good.’ And in v21’ do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’. Then following on from this verse Paul writes the passage we’ve just heard read about their relationship to the governing authorities.

As we look at these verses my prayer is that we discover more about how God wants us living in the world, about how we react to and engage with the governing authorities in our world and that we discover more about our God who greatly loves us.

After the local elections this week many news articles are pointing out how people are not taking advantage of their political vote, they’re  not engaging with having their voice heard or even believing their voice can be heard, with only 18-32% of people who can vote actually voting in the local elections.

 In relation to the coronation  A poll was done earlier this year on March 17, and of 5,133 brits surveyed -7% said they were very likely to watch the coronation, 13% said they were fairly likely, 20% said it was fairly unlikely, 38% it was very unlikely and  22% said they had no plans to watch the coronation at all. Might give some indication of people’s views on monarchy.

I wonder if we went back in time and this was repeated in the times of the early church, and in Rome, what voter turnout would’ve been like, or how many would’ve watched the crowning of the Emperor?

Whatever our political standing may be or our view on the monarchy, or whether we engage or not it is a fact that we are earthly citizens and that there are governing authorities and laws in existence. 

Paul thought how the early Christian’s viewed governing authorities was important enough to write about in his letter.

God establishes rulers

The early Christians were living under Roman rule. At the time, Paul was writing the atmosphere was actually quite stable. It was Neroes early reign before he turned against the Christians and persecuted them. And yet here we have Paul talking about the Christian’s relationship to the governing authorities following on from his discourse about interacting with the world in a way that has love pitched against evil.

Paul’s opener is – submit to the governing authorities . And why? because he says there is no authority except that which God has established.

This seems to have been a common Jewish teaching and as we look back into the old Testament, we see evidence of this:

In Proverbs 8 we read – by me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just , by me, Princes govern and nobles – all who rule on Earth

Daniel chapter 2 we read ‘he changes times and seasons he deposes Kings and raises up others 

And in chapter 4. ‘The most high is sovereign over the kingdoms on Earth and gives them to anyone He wishes’. 

In job chapter 12 Job says about God ‘he makes nations great and destroys them, he enlarges nations and disperses them.’

There seems to be a clear understanding in Old Testament thinking that all in power have been given that gift by God. And all can have that power removed by him too.

Jesus himself before Pilate in Johns gospel says: ‘you would have no power over me, if it were not given to you from above’ (19:11).

So Paul’s conversation about the early churches relationship with governing authorities, comes from the belief and assumption that they’ve been established and put in power by God.

(Do we believe that God is our creator God who establishes and deposes leaders?)

Therefore submit to authorities 

It’s because Paul views the governing authorities as being established by God that he calls the early church to submit to them. He calls them to submit Because God has entrusted them to maintain order.

Whether we think this or not laws, are often established to maintain order to prevent chaos to have structures and boundaries. 

God gave the 10 commandments to his chosen people the Israelites, and the Levitical laws as ways of establishing order for the good of his people, systems that maintained fairness and justice for all. Systems that looked out for the widow and orphan, those on the margins.

In verse 3 of our passage from Romans Paul says rulers hold no terror for those who do right, meaning following the rules of the governing authorities.  he goes on to say if you want to be free from fear of those in authority do what is right.

Paul says if you follow the laws of the ruling authorities, then all will be well. And punishment will come if you don’t. What do we make of that?//

It’s interesting that he says submit to the governing authorities and not obey. Submit means to give over or yield to the authority of another. Whereas Obey means to comply with or follow the commands of another. There is a difference in the two.

Paul doesn’t say obey everything that your governing authorities say but he does say submit. He summarises this sentiment in verse seven, when he writes if you owe taxes, pay taxes, if revenue than revenue, if respect than respect, if honour then honour, and this is in the context of giving to everyone what you owe them

It has a ring about it  of Jesus’s own words in the gospels. When he was asked about paying taxes, and he responded with these words, ‘give to Caesar, what is Caesars and God what is gods.’

What about Russia, Hitler, Polpot?

This saying of Jesus’ may help in the difficulties that we might have had when first hearing this reading. I wonder when you heard the passage read whether  questions like these entered your mind – what about Putin, Hitler, PolPot or any other regime that has an example of governing authorities that can be viewed as oppressive and evil? What about Nero later on in his reign when he persecuted the early church severely? What are we to do when people clearly abuse their power?

Although Nero was fairly stable at this point when Paul was writing Romans, Surely Paul wasn’t naive to the reality of bad, leadership, bad rulers, bad powers and authorities. Rulers that abuse their power? He himself had encountered beatings even at the hand of the state. Is he asking the early church to submit to these type of rulers? 

 One commentator says that there are two prongs to Paul’s argument about submitting to the governing authorities. He writes that 1st  believers are to willingly submit to the authorities on the assumption that they are just, and secondly, if a rulers authority derives from God, they must rule in a way that is consistent with God’s justice.

It can probably be well argued that Putin, Hitler Polpot have not lead with Gods justice.

One commentator wrote on this subject – ‘perhaps our submission to government is compatible with disobedience to government in certain exceptional circumstances, for heading the hierarchy of relations, in which Christians find themselves, is God, and all subordinate submissions must always be measured in relationship to our all embracing submission to him.’

Remember what I said at the beginning that this passage on submitting to governing authorities follows on from ch 12 – v 21 which says ‘do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’

In verse 4 of Romans 13 Paul says that the governing authorities are God’s servants for your good. And repeats this sentiment in verse six saying that they are Gods servants. 

Paul is clear that those in governing authority are established by God and are also therefore servants of God. And should be governing for the good of their people.  And as servants of God their rule is to be in line with God’s rule. We are to overcome evil structures with good. 

There’s a phrase that gets bandied around ‘ be the change you want to see.’ As Christian’s we can respect those in authority. We can get engaged. We can submit but not obey if it’s contrary to Gods will, we can respect authority but oppose policies and regimes. Importantly we can pray that those in governing authority do lead with Gods rule of justice.

God’s law – the law of Christ 

In yesterday’s coronation service the gospel reading was about Jesus, standing up and declaring what he’d come to do from Luke’s gospel and the fourth chapter. Jesus reading from the prophet Isaiah declared that he had come to give sight to the blind to set the prisoners free to care for the orphan and widow, in other words, to see justice being done. 

When King Charles was given the Bible in yesterdays service, he was told that this is the Royal law, the lively oracles of God, and was commanded in his rule to maintain the laws of God. King Charles was given Spurs, and told to be an advocate for those in need and the sword he was given was to represent justice and mercy. There was a theme of being strong and keeping gods commandments walking in his ways as his reign as Monarch throughout the service and a strong sense of his authority being one of service just like Jesus.

Our title slide asked the question whose law is it? And from yesterdays coronation and from Paul’s letter to the Romans, law and rule was established by God. But Paul doesn’t just tell us who established it but also what has fulfilled it.

Love fulfils God’s law 

In his conversation about governing authorities, Paul writes in verse seven, ‘give to everyone what you owe them if you owe taxes pay taxes, if revenue then revenue, if respect then respect, if honour then honour’, he goes on to say in verse eight, ‘let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.’ And then in v 10 he says ‘love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.’

One commentator writes ‘ by continuing to pay their debt of love to one another believers will give expression in their lives and behaviour to what the law of Moses sought to produce.’

Paul sites off some of the Ten Commandments saying in v9 that commands can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

 The command to love your neighbour as yourself comes from Leviticus, chapter 19 verse 18, where it says, do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but Love your neighbour, as yourself, I am the Lord.’

  And Jesus in the new Testament summed up the law in this way when he said Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. On these two hang all the law and the prophets.’ Suggesting that it’s love that fulfills all that has come before.

Looking out for the neighbour, treating them as precious as yourself. Ensuring justice for them, is an outward sign of Gods law. 

In Jesus teaching, in the parable of the good Samaritan he showed that a neighbour is any person we encounter in need.

What are we doing that shows sincere love for one another ? That seeks to address injustices we see around us?

Conclusion

Whose law is it? Well, according to Paul, true law is from God, and seeks  justice and fairness. He is the one that establishes governing authorities and can tear them down. 

Gods law is fulfilled by love as Christian’s that we can show one another – sacrificial serving love. This is how our governing authorities should be serving and how we should be serving one another. 

So let’s keep praying for our governing authorities here in our town and country and also worldwide, that whether they know God or not they will govern with sincere love. May we also seek, to see where we can challenge Unjust systems and serve where there is need, and in our interactions with each other have sincere love for one another.