Are You Done with All the Political Hate? The Simple and Refreshing Truth about Faith and Politics

1 Kings 16:12-13 (NASU) 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols.
BONUS CONTENT!!! NOT INCLUDED IN THE SERMON!
Did you know the Bible tells us the precise purpose and function of governmental leaders?
Read this and see my comments below:
Romans 13:1-7 (ESV) 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
6 TRUTHS ABOUT GOVERNMENT LEADERS FROM THE VERSES ABOVE:
Government Leaders are Appointed by God: Paul said it clearly, “…there is no authority except from God.” And by the way, this same sentiment is repeated numerous times throughout Scripture.
Government Leaders are Instituted by God: Paul used this phrase in the verses above. Someone who has been instituted has been placed under the control of another and must remain there until released. Governing authorities are placed by God and they fulfill God’s plan.
Government Leaders are 'Chess Pieces': Verse 2 above says, “…whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed…”. Did you catch how the Bible says that resistance is against a ‘what’ and not a ‘who’? More than a personality, governing leaders are a chess piece in God’s plans. Those who resist governing authorities do not resist the person, they resist God's plan.
Government Leaders are Servants: The Greek word is the same word used to identify the deacons in a church, except in this case it’s being applied to the government arena. The Greek word means 'those who kick up dust.' It implies urgency of service. Governing authorities are appointed and instituted by God to serve God’s purposes, even if they don’t realize it.
Government Leaders are Avengers: The original hearers of these Bible verses would have understood this word to mean that government leaders are special advocates that exact just judgment. God uses governing leaders to accomplish his acts of justice.
Government Leaders are Ministers: Called to serve in official capacities, governing leaders work for the good of the community.
Does subjection to government leaders mean that we cannot rise up against evil? Absolutely not! We should always seek to exert our Christian witness in everything we do, especially in the political arena.
Paul's admonition for us to be in subjection to governing authorities means obedience to governing authorities first, followed by any legal method allowed for the expression of our Christian witness.