And the second reading is from Romans 13 verses 1 to 7 and that's on page 1140.
So that's Romans 13 verses 1 to 7.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except
that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted
and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.
Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority?
Then do what is right and he will commend you.
For he is God's servant to do you good.
But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.
He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment,
but also because of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes.
For the authorities are God's servants who give their full time to governing.
Give everyone what you owe him.
If you owe taxes, pay taxes.
If revenue, then revenue.
If respect, then respect.
If honour, then honour.
Thanks very much.
Well, please keep Bibles open there at Romans chapter 13.
And for those who want to take notes.
So as Peter's doing that, just to remind you, this is a short series we've been doing on leading,
learning to lead, and we've been looking at leaders within marriage, leaders within home,
leaders within the church, and this morning we're looking at leaders within our community.
And I recognise that in preparation, part of this, particularly the last part of it, is a lot of application.
And I hope that it will provoke conversation, discussion amongst us,
but also that that discussion would also lead into action as well.
And just to encourage you as well, if you've missed out on any of these talks,
you can listen to them online.
And they're there for our encouragement as well.
So, Romans 13, 1-7, leaders in our community.
Let's pray.
Our Father, we thank you for people in the past,
for leaders like the Apostle Paul,
who were given the task and responsibility of writing your word down.
And we thank you that we now have that word,
preserved for us in our own language,
that we can learn from ourselves.
And we pray that you would help us today as a church to understand
what it is for us to be leaders within our community
and how we should respond to those who are leaders in our community.
Encourage us, and may it be used by you,
to further your gospel
and the building up of your kingdom.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, we start with a question.
Who will lead?
Well, a little over a year ago,
we were calling for the removal of our past government.
We wanted them out.
But now that we've got a new government,
a coalition,
it seems that we're still not happy.
According to a recent survey,
which was just conducted just after the referendum,
75% of the country are now dissatisfied with the government's performance.
Being a leader is not easy,
as Enda Kenny is discovering.
And despite winning the referendum,
getting the yes vote as they campaigned,
his popularity and his party have all lost significant points in recent weeks.
But who would you want to take his place?
What party would you choose to be in their place?
Who could do any better?
For most of us,
we rather like to sit on the sidelines with the majority of the country,
point fingers and complain.
But I want to encourage us this morning to think about,
what about us?
People like us getting involved and making a difference.
I'm not promoting any particular political party that you should be signing up to,
but what I am encouraging is active involvement,
locally and nationally.
Some people have perhaps been brought up on the view that
the church should remain separate from the state.
Others say that the church should rule the state.
Not sure what your views are on that,
but I think the Bible is somewhere in the middle.
And it's saying that as far as Christians are concerned,
our country and our community needs leadership
and Christians ought to play their part in it.
And that's what we want to encourage this morning.
So we're going to look at two main things.
First of all, leadership is a wonderful gift from God.
Look at chapter 13, verse 1.
We'll read there.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,
for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority
is rebelling against what God has instituted.
So I think it's quite clear that the governing authorities,
the government that we have today in our country
and within our community,
have been put in place by God.
Jesus himself recognised this fact
when he was brought before Pilate on trial.
And he turns to Pilate and he says to him,
you would have no power over me
if it were not given to you from above.
So any political party,
any authority that is in place
is only there because God has allowed it.
Now while we recognise,
and we're going to look at this in more detail in a minute,
that many who are leaders
abuse their position and power,
the institution,
the idea of governing authority
is something good from God.
It is good for us
and it is good for our society.
I know the Leaving Cert is on at the minute
and I don't want to draw too much attention to it,
but when I did my Leaving Cert a few years ago,
the book that we had to read and study
on the English syllabus was
William Golding's Lord of the Flies.
I don't know if any of you ever read that one.
Well, for me it was a bit of a haze
as I just looked out the window
for most of the classes
and wondered what it was all about.
But I did remember something about the big idea.
The ringleader, I think, was a guy called Ralph.
But no associations there anyway.
But I do remember this,
that it was all about a group of these
well-educated British boys
who were on the plane
and they crash-landed on an island.
And without supervision of adults
or any other kind of leadership,
disorder and chaos
began to reign amongst these children.
The eldest was only 13.
And they all began to fight
and bully and form different rival groups.
And very quickly,
one of the children
actually gets killed.
Ironically, the one who is killed,
he seems to be the weakest one,
his name was Piggy,
had asked all the rest of the boys this question.
Which is better,
to have rules and agree
or to go hunting and breaking things up?
They had him removed.
I think the book is a social comment
on what happens
when we remove leadership
from society.
Anarchy.
All hell breaks loose.
There's disorder and chaos
all around us.
So we must not reject leadership.
Instead, we must recognise
that leadership
is actually a good thing
from God
to bring stability
and order
to our lives
and to our country.
And because leadership
is from God,
we must learn
to submit
to those
who are in leadership.
Look at verse 1.
That's how it starts.
Everyone
must submit himself
to the governing authorities.
What?
I have to submit myself
to end a Kenny?
Yes, you do.
Submission
to our leaders
is actually
an expression
of our ultimate
submission to God.
And we've come across
this idea of submission
as we've worked through
the whole idea
of learning to lead.
It means,
submission simply means
to live under God's
good order
and God's
good design.
So we looked at
wives having to submit
to husbands,
children having to submit
to parents.
All of us
have to submit
to those
who are in
positions of authority,
in governance.
And submission
isn't a sign of weakness,
but a willingness
to live God's way.
So all of us
are called
to submit
to the governing
authorities
in our country
and community.
Now before we move on,
let me just
have a sidetrack here.
Do you remember
our reading in Acts?
Peter
had just
brought about
this healing
and the authorities
told Peter
to stop preaching,
to stop teaching
in the name of Jesus.
And what did Peter say?
He says,
we cannot help
but preach.
We must obey God
rather than men.
So when it talks
about submission
to authorities,
yes we must
submit to our
authorities,
but when
what the authorities
say come
into contradiction
with what God
has to say,
then we must
choose to obey
God
over our leaders.
But on the whole
the point here
is that we should
submit
to those
who are in authority.
And this point
is made stronger
in verse 2.
Consequently,
he who rebels
against the authority
is rebelling
against what
God has instituted.
And those who do so
will bring judgment
on themselves.
So to rebel
against your leaders
is actually
to rebel
against God.
That's how
closely knit
they are.
Not to submit
to your government
and to the decisions
and the policies
they make
is actually
a willful expression
of I'm not
submitting to God.
Because that's
how law and order
happen.
breaks down.
Verse 6
is a good example.
This is also
why you pay taxes.
For the authorities
are God's servants
who give their time,
their full time
to governing.
And we all know
and we all complain
about it
and we all give off
about it
how we all have
to pay tax.
And we're going
to have to pay
more tax.
Not least
the recent
household tax.
How many of you
like me
thought
I'm not going
to pay that.
I'm not going
to sign up.
Did you?
Well,
we mightn't agree
with it
but our governing
authorities
have decided
that this is
what is good
for us.
This is what is
right and best
for our country.
So in an expression
of our submission
to God
we register,
we put our names
and our addresses
and we will
pay our household
tax.
So leadership
is a good gift
from God
and as an expression
of our love
and our commitment
and our obedience
to God
we submit to those
in authority.
It's good for us
and it's good
for our society.
So that's the first
thing,
that leadership
is a good gift
from God.
Secondly,
leadership
is an exercise
of grace.
It's a gift
of grace.
Look at verse 3.
For rulers
hold no terror
for those
who do right
but for those
who do wrong.
Do you want
to be free
from fear
of the one
in authority?
Then do
what is right
and he will
commend you.
For he is
God's servant
to do you good
but if you do
wrong be afraid
for he does not
bear the sword
for nothing.
He is God's
servant
an agent
of wrath
to bring punishment
on the wrongdoer.
So those
in position
of power
and authority
the governing
authorities
as they're
called here
are not only
put in place
by God
they are actually
called servants
of God.
In other words
they are to act
on behalf
of God.
So leadership
doesn't mean
you do as you
choose
and you do
whatever you like
to the people
under you.
No it means
that we are to
exercise
God's character.
Leaders
are to be
people
who lead
with grace.
So the decisions
that they make
are to be good
for the people
and to be good
for society.
And we've already
mentioned that
many who do
get into positions
of leadership
abuse their
position and power
and they bring
a lot of harm
to people.
As Paul is
writing this
we know
that it's
not too far
off
when Nero
becomes
leader
over Rome.
He was the one
who would
persecute
Christians
who would
blame Christians
for the burning
of Rome.
He would do
terrible things
to the people
but yet he is
still saying
to the believers
submit yourself
to those
who are in
authority.
We saw
it last year
in Libya
with the brutal
regime of
Colonel Gaddafi.
We see it
right now
in Syria
as we watch
the news
of President
Bashir Assad
as he watched
the indiscriminate
killing of his
own people
women and
children.
So we recognise
there are many
people who are
in positions
of leadership
who abuse
their authority
and cause a lot
of harm.
That does happen.
And we don't
need to look
outside our own
country for example
we've got our
own gangsters
and villains.
They may wear
collars and
ties but
they still
cause damage
and they've
brought our
own country
into a terrible
mess.
But again
I think the
general principle
and we shouldn't
lose this here
is that it is
God's intention
God's desire
that those
who are in
leadership
would express
God's character
character in
their decisions
and in their
policy making.
They are God's
servants
to do good.
They are to be
as we might
call them
servants
of God's
grace.
They are to see
that God's
grace gets
worked out
in society.
We see this
in two ways.
Look at verse
4.
For he is
God's servant
to do you
good.
But if you
do wrong
be afraid
for he does
not bear the
sword for
nothing.
He is God's
servant, an
agent of wrath
to bring punishment
on the wrongdoer.
Now whether
there's an
argument here
for corporal
punishment
you can discuss
that afterwards.
I'm not bringing
that into this
now but what
I want us to
see here
is that
governing
authorities
have a
dual role.
They are both
to protect
the people
and they are
to punish
the people.
They are to
protect the
people from
injustice
and they are
to punish
those who
are unjust.
That is why
there are
leaders in
society.
Leaders are
put in place
by God
to stand up
for the weak
for the
vulnerable
and for
the marginalized
and leaders
have been
put in place
by God
to deal
with the
greedy
the unjust
and those
who exploit.
And all
of this
when it
begins to
work as
it should
do
is actually
an expression
of God's
greater
and general
grace
in action.
It's a
working out
of God's
character
in society.
So for
example today
the most
vulnerable
in our
society
within our
community
are those
who are
on low
incomes
single
parent
families
and
immigrants.
And so
we should
expect that
our leaders
are working
towards their
protection and
care and
that they
should be
seeking to
bring justice
on those
who exploit
and those
who pay
below minimum
wages.
And we get
an example
of this
in verse
7.
So he
says give
everyone
what you
owe him.
If you
owe taxes
pay taxes.
If revenue
then revenue.
If respect
then respect.
If honour
then honour.
Because we
know that
part of our
tax system
and our
revenue is
to help
those who
are for
whatever
reason
are unable
to provide
for themselves.
It's a
good system
that we
have within
our country.
And the
governing
authorities
are to
be responsible
to ensure
that those
who can
pay do
pay and
we should
support them.
But they
should also
punish those
who abuse
the system
and milk
the system
and that
they are
equally
dealt with.
So leadership
is not
something to
kind of
point fingers
and complain
about and
give off
about.
Leadership
is a
gift of
grace.
It's a
working out
of God's
character
within society.
So leadership
is a good
gift from
God and
it is a
gift of
grace.
But what
does that
mean for
you and
for I?
Well I
think it's
this.
Third, that
we should
be leaders
in our
community.
It's a
calling for
Christian
leadership
locally
and nationally.
if leadership
is a gift
from God
to society
and if
leadership
is a
gift of
grace
for society
then we
ought to
see many
Christians
in positions
of leadership.
We need
to be people
who take
the step
that take
the initiative
and that
we become
conduits
or channels
of God's
grace
into our
community.
That might
be starting
a local
action group
who are
seeking better
resources
for young
people.
It might
be joining
a board
who are
seeking better
education
facilities
for our
children.
And these
are the
kinds of
areas we
ought to be
immersed at
within local
levels and I
know that some
of you are
and that's
great to see
and we
ought to
encourage it
more and
more.
But let me
suggest two
areas that
are of
particular need
within our
wider community
that perhaps
we can have
an input
or something
that we should
certainly be
raising and
thinking and
wanting to
implement.
Here's the
first.
Protect the
vulnerable.
One of the
most vulnerable
groups in our
society today
are immigrants,
people who've
moved to
this country
for all
kinds of
reasons.
And the
survey that
I looked
online at
has just
been published
this week
reported
and it
showed that
unemployment
among
immigrants
rose by
40%
in the
last three
years
compared to
only 10%
among Irish
nationals.
Now I know
that's still a
big figure but
just there's
40%
unemployment
has risen
with immigrants
and 10%
among Irish
nationals.
And the
knock-on
effects upon
people is
what they
term consistent
poverty.
Consistent
poverty means
a low income
which lacks
basic needs
such as
adequate clothing,
warmth and
food.
And they're
saying now that
there are
many people
because of
unemployment
that they
do not
have access
to this.
They're put
into a
bracket of
consistent
poverty.
What do
we do?
What's our
role within
this?
Well maybe
it's people
having to
stand up and
take initiative
to find out
where these
people live
and start an
action or
support group
to do
something about
it.
maybe it's
already joining
an existing
group as
a Christian
and using
your God
given Christian
principles and
applying them
and seeing
them worked
out for the
common good
of people.
Joining and
getting alongside
the weak and
the helpless
assisting them
and pleading
their case.
I talked to
a lady
recently in
another church
who has been
helping somebody
in that
situation.
Who has been
going with
them to
the local
court to
plead their
case, to
work with
them, to
stand with
them to
try and
improve their
situation because
simply they
hadn't the
resources to
do it on
their own.
It requires
leaders who
will do
that even
just on a
friendship level.
I give you
one example
from history.
I'm sure
you've all
heard of
John Wesley.
a very
famous
preacher
connected
with the
Methodists.
I actually
think he
preached in
Kinsale on
one occasion.
He's well
known as
an evangelist.
But he
wasn't just
an evangelist.
He was
somebody who
took local
action,
locally and
nationally,
to change
much of
what was
going on.
And I
read here
how Britain
was at
that time.
This is a
quote.
It was
characterised
by wanton
torture of
animals for
sport,
the bestial
drunkenness
of the
populace,
the inhuman
traffic in
African
Negroes,
the kidnapping
of fellow
countrymen for
exportation and
sale as
slaves,
the mortality
of parish
children,
the universal
gambling
obsession,
the savagery
of the
prison system
and penal
code,
the political
bribery and
corruption,
nothing's
changed,
the ecclesiastical
arrogance,
the shallow
pretensions,
and it goes
on and on
and on.
And it says
it was really,
really bad.
Life was bad
for people.
But people
like John
Wesley did
something about
it.
And this
is what he
did,
amongst others,
and we'll
come back
to one of
these in a
minute.
He saw
the slave
trade being
abolished,
the prison
system was
humanised,
conditions in
factory and
mine were
improved,
there was
no longer
child labour,
and education
became available
to the poor
for the first
time.
Here was a
Christian man
campaigning
and driven
by his
Christian
convictions,
making a
change locally
and nationally.
If he
could do it,
then I'm
sure people
like us
could do
the same,
just on a
very basic
level.
So protect
the vulnerable
is one way
we begin to
lead within
our community.
The second
is this,
confront the
unjust.
It's a
known fact
that the
poorest in
our community
are the
most exploited
and because
people are
desperate for
money,
we know
what happens.
People work
for below
the minimum
wage and
without basic
employment rights,
so if the
employer wants
to get rid
of them,
they just
dismiss them
and they've
got nothing
to show
for it.
And what's
happening is
that many
parents are
having to
go and
work longer,
they're having
to take two
or three
jobs,
and their
little children
are just
having to
stay at
home and
fend for
themselves.
Maybe an
older brother
or sister
is to look
after them
and they
might only
be ten.
And this
is what's
happening
within our
own
neighbourhoods.
Again,
what are we
to do in
this situation?
Well,
I think it
can mean
raising the
issue with
our local
politicians,
campaigning
for tougher
penalties,
seeking that
employers who
are abusing
the weak
and the
vulnerable
are brought
to justice.
And we
should stand
with those
who are in
those difficult
situations.
It takes
leaders to
do it.
Another
example of
this, and
again it's
in the past
and maybe
this is
something we
need to
see happen
again, but
William
Wilberforce.
You might
remember him
from the
film Amazing
Grace.
He was a
politician in
the 1780s
in Britain,
a member
of parliament.
he fought
against many
different things
and as one
person for
26 years,
along with
the encouragement
of the likes
of John
Wesley,
brought about
the abolition
of the slave
trade in
Britain.
And that
led to the
abolition of
the slave
trade throughout
much of the
British Empire
and at that
stage they
owned half
the world.
He was also
responsible for
freeing Sierra
Leone and
making that
a free colony.
Wilberforce
was a man
of God
who loved
God, who
read the
Bible, who
was a
Christian, but
yet he was
driven by his
Christian principles
to see God's
grace being
channelled and
worked out in
society.
So if he
could make
that huge
big change,
then I'm
sure we
can make
little changes
within our
own community.
So why
should we
do all of
this?
Why should
there be a
call for
Christian
leadership
locally and
nationally?
Well it's
this reason,
that it
makes God's
grace visible
and tangible.
Look back
at Romans
chapter 12
a minute.
Romans
chapter 12
is a
turning point
in the book
of Romans.
Chapters
1 to 11
is a
great big
telling of
God's
amazing grace,
his mercy,
his goodness
of how
Christ gave
his life
for us.
And then we
get this
turning point
at the beginning
of chapter 12
and then he
says,
chapter 12
verse 1,
therefore I
urge you
brothers and
sisters in
view of
God's mercy
because you
have received
so much
grace from
God.
because you
have had
so much
from what
Jesus has
done.
Offer your
bodies as
living sacrifices,
holy and
pleasing to
God.
This is your
spiritual act
of worship.
And chapter
12 then goes
on and chapter
13 goes to
explain some
of the ways
in which we
can begin to
live out that
grace to
others.
And one of
it is being
leaders within
our community
that we've just
been looking
at.
In response
to God's
grace, the
gospel that
has taken
effect in
our lives,
there's a
call for
leadership to
bring God's
grace to
our society.
You see, the
gospel is not
just to be
heard.
The gospel is
to be seen
in action.
If our
community is
going to come
to Christ,
then Christ
must become
visible to
them.
men.
And this
is not to
promote deed
over word
or social
action over
evangelism.
There is an
order and a
priority.
Simply saying
here that the
most needy in
our community,
they need to
hear the gospel
of Christ.
They need
God's grace.
But they've
also got to
see God's
grace in
action.
Now, I
don't know if
there will be
many here who
will make it
into politics,
whether we'll
see your face
on the ballot
sheet one day.
Maybe we will.
I hope we do.
But we are
people who
are to be
leaders in
our community.
Leaders who
seek to
bring God's
grace into
action, to
do us good,
to do us
right.
so that the
gospel and
his kingdom
continues to
grow and be
established.
So I
encourage us
to not just
leave it here
as we close,
but to take
what we've been
looking at and
explore it.
Maybe there's
questions.
Maybe we just
need to rethink
our whole idea
of what leadership
is.
But are there
ways we can
begin to be
leaders in our
community?
Let's pray.
Father, we
thank you for
every person
here, for
every job that
they are in,
for every
position of
influence that
they find
themselves in,
for those who
are on boards
of schools or
on various
committees.
We thank you
for each
person for
where they
are seeking
to be leaders
in their
community.
And we
pray that you
would fill
each one with
your Holy
Spirit, to
be courageous,
to be
strong, to
stand for
what is
right, to
stand for
justice and
seek to
correct that
which is
unjust.
I pray that
for each
person here
that we
would all
be conduits
and channels
of God's
grace to
our communities
and to our
neighbourhood.
May you
use each
one of us
just in
small ways
and may
you even
be pleased
to raise
up
Christians
who will
become
TDs
and local
counsellors,
who can
stand for
truth,
who can
stand for
what is
right,
so that
our country
and our
society
continues to
be good,
where people
are treated
equally and
fairly.
And above
all,
where your
gospel is
able to be
continually
proclaimed
freely,
where we
can continue
to meet
as we do
today and
live out
our faith.
We thank
you for
our country,
we thank
you for the
leaders that
we have,
we pray
for wisdom
for them
and we
pray for
their continued
change of
heart,
that they
would lead
according to
God's
design and
not their
own.
We pray
this in
Jesus'
name,
Amen.