Theological term
Civil Government
6 sermons · All terms
The Seventh Commandment, Part 1
The seventh commandment — 'You shall not commit adultery' (Deuteronomy 5:18) — presupposes and protects the divinely ordained institution of marriage, which Scripture grounds in three purposes: the mutual help of husband and wife, the increase of mankind through procreation, and the prevention of uncleanness. This study examines the basis of the commandment in the creation ordinance of Genesis 2, the law of God in the Decalogue and apostolic teaching, and the sanctions attached to its violation in Leviticus and Proverbs. The prohibition extends beyond adultery to fornication, incest, rape, and related sexual sins, with particular attention given to the difficult case legislation of Deuteronomy 22 and the critical difference between seduction and rape in that text.
The Wisdom of Little Things
Proverbs 30:24–28 presents four creatures — ants, rock badgers, locusts, and spiders — that are little on the earth yet exceedingly wise, each compensating for weakness through a distinct form of wisdom. The sermon argues that these creatures function as divinely appointed patterns for human imitation, both temporally (in diligence, self-defense, unity, and perseverance) and spiritually (in preparing for the day of judgment, fleeing to Christ as refuge, advancing together as the church, and persisting in heavenly ambition). Self-awareness of one's own weakness is the prerequisite to each form of compensatory wisdom, and pride is its chief enemy. The great spiritual application is that the weak and feeble, who have no righteousness of their own, find their only refuge in Christ — the rock of salvation who hides them from the torrent of God's just wrath.
The Wisdom of Little Things
Proverbs 30:24–28 presents four creatures — ants, conies, locusts, and a spider or lizard — each marked by inherent weakness yet possessing a compensatory wisdom that enables them to thrive. Expounding Agur's numerical proverb, this sermon draws out four corresponding virtues for the people of God: industry in preparation, caution before danger, unity in cooperation, and persistence under adversity. Both temporal and spiritual dimensions of each lesson are developed — from Sabbatarian labor ethics and self-defense to readiness for the day of judgment and the endurance of the Christian race. The whole is gathered under a call to honest self-awareness: to know one's limitations, refuse indolence and complaint, and by grace overcome through wisdom.
The Second Missionary Journey, Part 4
Acts 16:35–17:9 records Paul's departure from Philippi and his gospel ministry in Thessalonica on the second missionary journey. The passage presents two interlocking lessons: Paul's principled invocation of his Roman citizenship to protect the integrity of gospel ministry, and his rigorous expository method of reasoning, explaining, and demonstrating from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ who had to suffer and rise. The sermon draws out three grounds on which a Christian may lawfully invoke civil rights — innocence, governmental accountability, and future precedent — while insisting that the efficient power behind every conversion is the sovereign grace of God through the Holy Spirit, not the eloquence of the preacher. Hearers are called to imitate the relentless faithfulness of Paul, Silas, and Jason, and to proclaim the kingship of Jesus regardless of civil hostility.
The Deliberation of the Council
Acts 4:13–22 records the Sanhedrin's deliberation over Peter and John following the healing of a lame man and the apostolic proclamation of Christ's resurrection. The council faces an insoluble dilemma: the miracle is undeniable and publicly known, yet to leave the apostles unchallenged is to permit the gospel to spread unchecked. This sermon traces two broad movements — the deliberation of the council (vv. 13–17) and the attempt to silence the apostles (vv. 18–22) — and draws out the benefits of being with Jesus as seen in the apostles' boldness and wisdom, alongside the liabilities that attend any attempt to suppress the word of God. The application presses believers to pray for men of gospel courage and to resist every pressure, civil or ecclesiastical, to silence the name of Christ.
Principles Governing Kings
Deuteronomy 17:14–20 sets out divinely ordered principles for Israelite kingship: the king must be chosen by God, must refrain from multiplying military power, wives, and wealth, and must govern with the written law of God as his supreme and daily authority. The sermon traces how Israel's kings mostly failed these standards, how the judicial system of Deuteronomy 17 anticipates New Testament church discipline and the teaching of Romans 13, and how the entire institution of Israelite monarchy typologically points forward to the Lord Jesus Christ, the ideal and eternal king enthroned at his resurrection and ascension. Hearers are called to receive the gospel plea of Psalm 2 — to kiss the Son, to trust in him, and to pattern their own lives after the king's posture of submission to the Word of God.