Slides:
Slide: Reminder: Our citizenship influences our behavior.
Slide: Rom. 13:1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Slide: Why fight over what you can’t take with you?
Slide: 1 Tim 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Slide: Besides, everything is already waiting for you!
Slide: Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.] 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Slide: 1 John 3:7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
Slide: Grace is the foundation for self-sacrifice.
Slide: Applications:
1. Take your church beef to leadership, not the courts.
2. F̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶ Be careful when prioritizing justice over witness.
3. Practice the golden rule.