Station 4: Authority of the Law

Objective

• A greater appreciation for the law of the land
• A greater appreciation for our law enforcement officer
• To know that you are not alone in the temptations you are dealing with, but that you can overcome them

Key Verse

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities" (Romans 13:1)

Location

This station will be outside at Deputy Youssef's patrol vehicle

Body

• Read Romans 13:1-7
  • ¹ Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. ⁴ For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. ⁵ Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. ⁷ Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
    
    
• The Scripture is clear about obeying the authority of the government. 
  
  • The authorities are allowed to govern by God
  • It is God's commandment to obey them
  • The people who usually fear the authorities are those who do something bad (see epistle to Romans above), but Christians don't do bad things...
    
    
• Christ subjected Himself to the Roman Empire's rule and followed their laws and paid their taxes
  • Read Mark 12:13-17

    • ¹³ Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. ¹⁴ When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵ Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”

      But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” ¹⁶ So they brought it.

      And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

      ¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

      And they marveled at Him.
      
      

  • Read Matthew 17:24-27

    • ²⁴ When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

      ²⁵ He said, “Yes.”

      And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”

      ²⁶ Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

      Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. ²⁷ Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
      
      

• The Scripture does not give details about our social behavior (i.e. there is no Bible verse that says to wear a seat belt while driving) but specifies that we abide by the law of the land
  
  
• We have a guest speaker with us today for this station, Deputy Andrew Youssef. He's with the Titusville Sherrif's department and as you can clearly see, he's a Law Enforcement Officer. His job is to enforce the law and keep our communities safe. I asked him to come here today to speak to us about some of the common pitfalls that High School Boys are falling into and how to avoid them.