Principles for Life- Respect Those in Authority

September 28, 2003, 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 AM

Rev. Ronald Burcham

Typed from audio transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Well, this morning we continue on with our series on the Ten Commandments. Really God giving to us some principles for life because inherent in the Ten Commandments is God providing for us and God protecting us.

This morning, we come to the Fourth Commandment. This is the commandment that all the parents in the congregation have been waiting for. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you had pen in hand, notepad out, and going to take just tedious notes about what God has to say about honoring Mom and Dad. And you'll pull it out just at the right moment when the kids are misbehaving and say, "See, God says you have to honor and obey me."

Go ahead. Take your notes. Take them copiously if you'd like, but just be warned. The Fourth Commandment isn't just for kids. The Fourth Commandment is for all people. Luther points out to us in his explanation, "We should fear, love, and trust God so that we do not despise or anger our parents or others in authority." In the Fourth Commandment, God provides for us and He protects us by giving to us people in authority that are over us. Our lesson from Romans pointed to us that all people who are in authority, whether they are in the government or whether they are leaders or they are bosses, they are teachers, they are coaches, whoever they are, God uses them to provide for us and to protect us. So young and old alike, each of us, is supposed to honor those who are in authority. We are to show respect for those who have authority over us.

We show respect to people of authority over us really in two ways. We do it by what we say and also by what we do. We show respect in what we say. In fact, I think that's probably the most important way that we show respect for someone who has authority over us. It's through the words that we use or even sometimes the non-verbal communication that we have for them. For instance, children are supposed to honor their parents. They are supposed to honor and respect their mother and their father. What do you suppose would be the Number 1 complaint from parents about their children? I'm going to venture a guess, and I'm going to say it's being disrespectful in what they say. Haven't you said, as a parent, or haven't you heard a parent say, "Now don't you sass me." "Now don't talk back to me." Or even the non-verbal one, "Don't go rolling those eyes at me." Children are supposed to respect their parents. They're supposed to honor them so that they are not supposed to talk back to them. They're not supposed to roll their eyes at them. They're not supposed to cop an attitude. But, you know, children seem to do that normally. In fact, it's not just to parents that they do that. Have you ever eavesdropped on maybe one of your child's conversations? Or, well I have one kid here, plug your ears. Or go behind them as they're instant messaging and see what they're writing? Oh, my goodness. They can be vicious. They can just rip into people. They can talk about the obvious lack of intelligence of their parents because of some decision, and then they can start talking about a teacher and a coach and they can just really light into them. Everything about the way they were dressed or something that they said. And we as parents step back and say, "Where in the world did they get that from? Where did that attitude come from? How could they talk about another person that way? How could they have such words in their vocabulary?"

Have you ever eavesdropped on an adult's conversation? Eavesdropped on a group of adults talking about work? And talking about the obvious lack of intelligence of their boss demonstrated by the project that he just gave to them or talking about politics, someone who doesn't agree with, complaining about everything, what the guy wore on TV last night to what he said about the position that he holds. I wonder where the kids get it from, don't you? You see, the Fourth Commandment isn't just for kids anymore. God says that we are to show respect for all people who are in authority over us, whether it's Mother and Father, whether it's Grandma and Grandpa, whether it's our boss at work, whether it's elected officials, whether it's leaders of our organization, whether it's the coach on the team, whoever is put in authority over us, we are to show respect for them, we are to honor them, and we do that, most importantly, by the words we say or the attitudes we have towards them.

Now would you think for just a moment, though, why God would want that? Could you imagine if, through our words and through our attitudes, we showed respect for one another? Kids, could you imagine what would happen if you showed respect to Mom and Dad and you didn't sass them and you didn't talk back to them? Could you image what life would be like if you didn't roll your eyes anymore when they asked you to do something? Could you imagine, after they have the shock of it not happening anymore, the kind of relationship you could have with them?

How about we as adults? Could you imagine what life would be like if we respected one another, if we honored those who had authority over us? What an example we could be for our children that if we didn't agree with someone, we could still respect them? Even if we didn't agree with the elected official and the policy that he or she is advocating that we could still respect the position they hold, we could still respect them as a person? We show respect and honor to those who have authority over us in the words we speak and also the attitude we have towards them.

We also show respect to those in authority by what we do or by what we don't do. In other words, the actions we have of those who are in authority over us when they ask us to do something. If I were to ask and identify the second biggest complaint that parents have about children because children are supposed to honor and respect their parents, I would guess it would be something along the lines of, "They never do what I ask them to do. Why do I have to tell them time and time again to clean their room? Why do I need to repeat myself about doing their homework? Why do I always have to ride them about doing their chores? Why couldn't I just say it once and have them do it?" Isn't that the complaint of parents? Kids just simply don't do what Mom and Dad ask them to do. But remember, the Fourth Commandment isn't just for kids. It's for adults, too. How do you react when somebody says, "Just do it. Don't question it. Don't ask. Just do what you're told." I think most of us would probably bristle a little bit. Just do what I'm told? And we would even ask, "And who are you to tell me what to do?" Even, in fact, if they have authority to tell you what to do. We don't like it when somebody just tells us this is what you're supposed to do and, yet, God tells us in the Fourth Commandment we are still supposed to honor and respect them. And we do that by doing the things we're told to do, even if we don't understand, even if we don't like it. Unless it goes against what God tells us to do, if someone in authority tells us to do it, we're supposed to do it. That means when the boss, who you claim doesn't have a brain in his head, gives you a project to do, you're supposed to do it. It means that when you're joining an organization or you're part of a group, you don't just simply ignore all the rules, ignore all the policies that place has and just simply do what you want to do; but you follow the rules and you follow the policies and you follow the procedures because that's how we show honor and respect for those in authority over us. We do that by our actions.

Once again, will you imagine with me what the world would be like if we actually respected and honored those who had authority over us? Kids, could you imagine what life would be like if you really honored and respected your parents, if you did what they asked you to do, in fact, you did it and they didn't have to repeat two times or three times? Now that would really be a shock to the system. Be ready with 911 when you clean your room on the first ask. But after you get past that, could you imagine your relationship with Mom and Dad? Could you imagine how much better that would be?

How about us as adults? Could you imagine our relationship with one another if we actually did what was asked of us to do? And all of us would like it if we were asked to do something, if we were given an explanation of why we're being asked to do that. But if we could show equal respect and honor even when that's not given, could you imagine what our world would be like if we disagreed with what they were asking to do, but we did it because they had that position? Could you imagine how our government would act and react and how it would function if all of them respected and honored each other for the positions that they hold and, even though they disagreed, once the decision was made, they could support it and they could work together and honor and respect each other? Could you imagine the organizations that we belong to, what this world could be if we actually did what God asked us to do and that is to honor and respect those who are put in authority over us? You see, God really has a purpose and a point for each one of the commandments He gives to us. He doesn't do it just to make our life miserable. He doesn't do it just because He can't think of anything else for us to do. He has a purpose and a point to it. And God tells us that we are to honor and respect those in authority over us, mothers, fathers, teachers, coaches, bosses, leaders of organizations, because through them, God is providing and protecting us. God tells us that through those leaders He has given to us they are actually gifts from Him.

In the Romans passage we looked at today, St. Paul reveals that to us, that all leaders are a gift from God because God has placed them there so they would do good for us. In other words, God uses all people of authority, whether it's parents, whether it's in the government, or it's leaders of organizations, God will use all of those people for our good and for His purposes. God provides for us and protects us. Can you imagine how God has provided for all of us through our parents? How much our parents have sacrificed for us? I don't know of a parent that hasn't sacrificed for their child, have gone without something so their child can have food and clothing and go to the school they want to or join the sports team or be across town by 5:30 and it's 5:00 at home. Every parent sacrifices for their children so they can provide all that their needs are.

How about those who are in authority over us as adults? I truly believe that they sacrifice also. You know, politicians, those who hold offices in the government, take a lot of jabs from us. They take a lot of criticism. I can't imagine why anybody would want to run for office, whether you agree with their position or don't agree with their position, we certainly can respect the fact that God has put them there; and I believe that at least 90% of them are there to serve our country and to serve us and they make all kinds of sacrifices for that. They put in long hours. Long hours for what? So they can please nobody. There's not one elected official, after he makes a decision, that everybody's happy with it. There's always someone who is going to write him, e-mail, or telephone him that what he did was dumb. They make all kinds of sacrifices. They provide for us. They provide for our government. They provide for us the leadership of this country. And the same could be said of all the other leaders that are in authority over us.

God protects us through this commandment. God protects us through our parents. Parents will do anything for their child. They'd rather sacrifice their life for their child. What parent hasn't run out and saved the child from getting hurt or bandaged them up or made sure they were okay? Parents protect their children. Those in authority over us, they offer us protection whether we realize it or not. Could you imagine a world that had no government, that had no leadership, that had no people in authority? Our world would be in chaos. An example of that is to look at Iraq. As soon as all the major battles were done and there was no government in place, what took place? Chaos. Chaos. Chaos in the streets as people were dying, as people were pillaging, as people were stealing things, there was chaos in that country and, to a certain degree, there still is because there isn't a permanent leadership government in place. God protects us through those whom He puts in leadership ability, whom He puts in authority over us; and we enjoy safety, security, the freedom of this country because God has put people in authority over us. And that's why God says to us, "Respect them. Honor them." Even if you cannot respect or honor the person, respect the position they hold. Because, we need to be honest, there are some people who hold those positions that are not honorable. There are some parents that are not good parents. There are some who are in leadership in our government that are not good. There are some who have a lot of evil intent. But God says even through them He will work, that even through them who have an evil intent, even through them who are poor leaders, God still can use them and shape them and bring about good for us.

The best example of all of this must come from Jesus. Jesus who lived His whole life in perfect communion with the Father, Jesus who was the Son of God, Jesus who knew everything, and yet Jesus who was never disrespectful to another person. When Jesus confronted the Pharisees, the Sadducees, all the religious leaders of the day, he disagreed with them sharply at times because He saw the fallacy. He saw they were leading the people astray but yet when Jesus confronted them, never once was He disrespectful to them. He could disagree with them and still honor and still respect the position they held. Even Jesus with His parents in the gospel reading for today. Jesus stayed behind in the temple court. That's where He should be. He's the Son of God. And yet his parents don't understand, and Mary comes up and chastises Jesus a little bit. "What were you thinking, Son? How could you do this?" And Jesus says, "Where else would I be?" But how does that scripture end? He went back to Nazareth and was obedient to them. He did as His mother and father asked Him to do. He recognized that God the Father had put them in place and that God has put all the officials in place, the religious leaders as well as the political leaders and even though these religious and political leaders would eventually, through their evil, cause the death of Jesus, God the Father would even turn that around, He would use that. Because through their evil intent, as they nailed Jesus to the cross, God the Father turned that around and He provided salvation for each and every one of us. Through what they meant to destroy this man they didn't like, God would take that sacrifice and that would pay the debt of our sin and, through His debt and through His resurrection three days later, all of us would have salvation and a promise of eternal life.

God uses all people in authority, and He uses them for our good. God provides and protects us in the Fourth Commandment. He says honor your mother and your father, your teachers, your leaders, your government officials, all people who are in authority over you. We honor them. We respect them by what we say, with our attitude, and also by what we do. And through them, God provides for us and God protects us. Amen.

Copyright 2003 Gloria Dei Lutheran Church