Biblical Teaching on Church and State

Karl Marx was once asked in an interview what his intentions were. Remember, Karl Marx was the person credited for inventing Communism.
Marx said his main goals was to dethrone God and to take down capitalism.
Notice the order – Dethroning God and then taking down the capitalistic system.
Now this last week you probably heard about the little controversy that we have had in the school that I am teaching in.
At Arab High School they have always had prayer before every football game over the PA system.
This last Friday we played Guntersville for the 80th meeting between the schools.
On that night things would be different. On this night there would be no prayer over the public address system.
A group based in Wisconsin informed our school district and school lawyer that they were going to take legal action against our school if we continued to pray.
This group is known as Americans for the Separation of Church and State.
This is a group that believes the myth that our Government should be totally free of any influence of religion.
They take a letter written by Thomas Jefferson that mentions a clause called the Wall of Separation and project that into our Constitution even though the constitution never mentions such a thing.
Most of us here know that our Constitution was based on and was influenced by Biblical Principles.
As a matter of fact constitutional experts will tell you that many of our principles come from the book of Deuteronomy. Much of modern case law is based on Hebrew case law.
Today’s sermon may seem a little odd or different but here is my contention.
The Bible tells us everything that we need to know about history, science, government and culture.
I believe like many of the Protestant Reformers and Reformers inside the Roman Catholic Church of the 1500’s that government and economics must be ruled by Biblical principles.
Views of the 1500’s that would influence our government:
1) Luther – believed that the King had complete rule over the church and this would be the system used In England for many years.

2) The Anabaptists- these are the folks that gave us the Mennonites and Amish believed that Christians had no role to play in government.
The felt that only non-Christians should serve in government and Christians should have nothing to do with voting or running for office.
3) Calvin the other great historical character in the Reformation believed that the Church and State should be separate
The state or civil government should govern the civil affairs of the church but stopped short of the pulpit.
The Pulpit was to inform Christian magistrates what a just and civil government should behave.
Calvin had no problem seeing a government that was separate from the civil government or in other words the government could not sponsor a state church and induce people to go to that church.
But what he did not propose was a Christ-less government – to the contrary – the Church and Scripture would teach government officials on how to rule.
The Church and Scripture would inform the government on what are good and just laws.
I guess you can see that it was Calvin that most influenced our founding Fathers.
John Quincy Adams said that the genius of the American Revolution was that we united the genius of civil government with the genius of Christianity in one indissoluble bond.
We as Christians need to be informed about these contemporary issues and what the Bible teaches about.
Today I want to share with you with what the Bible says about a national economy.
Does God endorse Socialism or Communism?
Part of this answer is found in that Communism is based on the premise that God does not exist.
Many are saying today that the bible teaches Socialism.
Lets go back to our early history here in America.
Back in the 1600’s those from Europe, who colonized America, had different visions of what kind of nation this was to be.
To the south, one of the first settlements by Europeans was in what is now known as Jamestown, Virginia. You can still visit that settlement today, and it is a beautiful and well kept memorial to the experience of those first few settlers.
A few years ago we went to Richmond, VA to meet Allison’s brother when he came home from Africa.
We went to Jamestown to see the famous sites there and we got to see the church at Jamestown.
But what few people know is that the settlement in failed for years.
For 40 years the settlers there were almost entirely dependent upon England for their survival.
There were two very basic reasons for this:
1st - God wasn’t that important to them.
There was ONLY one church and it was rarely well attended.
And 2nd - work was considered beneath many of those settlers.
The Europe of that day held to the idea that work was degrading.
The rich and powerful rarely stooped to dirtying their hands with common tasks because it just wasn’t done - those duties were reserved for the lower classes.
In fact, this idea was reinforced by the teachings of the church of that day.
Now many of the original settlers at Jamestown were Aristocrats of favored classes, thus they were accustomed to expecting others to do work for them.
That might have worked out, had their been enough “others” to do those common tasks, but as it was there weren’t enough workers to plant sufficient crops to support everyone who lived there.
As a result, little got done… and food was scarce.
So, if there wasn’t enough food from what they planted, where would these Europeans get enough to live one?
From the Indians. The settlers at Jamestown would often steal from the Indians, and sometimes even kill to get what they needed.
As you can imagine, this didn’t make them real popular with the surrounding tribes.
Now to the North, there was another colony at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.
This one was made up of pilgrims that had been forced out of Europe because they refused to accept the teachings of many of the churches there.
You would think that this northern settlement would have faired better than the one at Jamestown, but actually it didn’t.
Initially the Pilgrim settlement nearly failed as well.
The first two years, their contract as a colony called for a socialist form of government.
• There was no private property.
• Everyone was required to work together for the common good.
• All goods and food were shared by everybody.
Because of the social makeup of Plymouth, many of these colonists began to realize they didn’t have to work very hard in order to be eligible for sharing from the common stocks… and so they didn’t work very hard. And sometimes they didn’t work at all.
After two years of socialism, their little community was on the verge of collapse.
Food was scarce, hunger was common, and moral was low.
Several years later, the Pilgrims began a custom that is still carried out to this day by their descendents (during the Thanksgiving holiday). They would put 5 kernels of corn on empty plates at the dinner table. They did this because that was often all the early Pilgrims had to eat for those first couple of years.
By the 3rd year, Governor Bradford began to realize things weren’t working, and so he ordered a change in the rules:
• Each colonist was given their own plot of land to work (private property)
• They could keep what they grew, or sell to others.
• And if a colonist didn’t work… they didn’t eat.
Almost immediately the Pilgrim colony began to prosper because unlike the aristocrats at Jamestown to the south, the Pilgrims were willing to work.
But the Pilgrims had another advantage over Jamestown.
Unlike the citizens of Jamestown, God was at the center of Pilgrim society.
And because God was at the center of their theology so was the Bible.
And the Bible taught that labor was NOT “common.”
Work was a good thing… and something that honored and pleased God.
The Protestant Reformation – from which the Pilgrims came – had long before discovered that the Scriptures approved of manual labor. By just going back to the Bible and asking questions… they discovered that:
1. God ordained that man should have personal possessions.
The Pilgrims realized this and championed the idea of stewardship of what little you had been given.
Some people falsely state that the Bible teaches that we should not have personal possessions but this is not true.
I think that we would all agree this morning that the very backbone of Scriptural Law is the 10 commandments.
We see in the 10 commandments the command – Thou shalt not steal.
For over 3000 years Jewish and Christian scholars agree that this shows that God meant for man to have personal possessions. Not to hoard or build up ridiculous treasures- but nonetheless – possessions to be stewards over.
Also we are told not to covet other people’s possessions. This shows that we are not to want what other people have so much that we would go out and get it.
Many liberal preachers and liberal politicians are telling us today that we need to go out and take what others have and give it to other people forcefully.
Basically there is a rising mindset where people covet what others have and want the government to go in and steal it for them and redistribute hard earned wages many times to give to people that don’t want to work or are leeching off of the system.
The other problem that we are dealing with and this is the Church’s fault is the government had taken over the responsibility of helping the poor.
This is the work of the Church – just as the Church would do a terrible job at providing for the national defense of this country, equally the government does a terrible job providing for the needy by empowering bad behavior.
In England in the 1500 Henry the VIII started this idea of social welfare when he confiscated property from the Church to redistribute to the civil government. Since that time governments have wrested the role of benevolence from the Church.
We are to take care of the needy and would do a much better job the the federal government.
Once recent study says that 1/3 of what the U.S government spends on welfare programs is wasted and goes into the cofers of special interest groups like ACORN and other corrupt beauracrats.
2. Work was ordained by God.
The pilgrims realized that word was from God.
In fact, in Genesis chapters 1 & 2 they found that God Himself worked. He created the world in 6 days… and on the 7th He rested. And on the basis of this, God taught that His people should also work 6 days… and rest on the 7th. Thus, if God worked at creating the world then work had to be a good thing.
2. They also found that the Bible taught that work was not a punishment.
Pilgrims also understood that work was not punishment
Granted, God brought punishment on Adam (and all mankind) by saying that – because of his sin - our work would often be harsh and fraught with difficulty. Fruitless labor is the curse NOT LABOR. But Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 taught that
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” KJV
Lesson: When God works in a person’s life, work can be/ and should be enjoyed!
3. God believed work was so important that He even instructed us HOW we could serve our employers so that we honored Him. Ephesians 6: 5-7
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men”
Once the Biblical view of manual labor was put into practice by the Pilgrims they developed what became known as “The Protestant Work Ethic”.
The Protestant Work Ethic was a dedication to work that was based on their theology. And that Work Ethic – in turn – led to what we now call “Capitalism.”
It’s hard to understand now, but back in that day the concept of Capitalism was virtually unknown.
Granted, there were those who could make money (as they do today), but it was a much rarer phenomenon.
The middle class (such as it was) was a fledgling concept, and the poor rarely had the opportunity to dig their way out of their poverty.
But once capitalism took root, the middle class grew rapidly and wealth was easier for the lower classes to create wealth for themselves and their families.
ILLUS: Just to understand the distinctiveness of Capitalism, it’s helpful to compare it with other world concepts of dealing with money:
For example, there’s socialism. In Socialism you have 2 cows, the government takes 1 cow and gives it to your neighbor.
Then there’s Communism. In communism you have 2 cows, the government takes both and gives you part of the milk.
With Nazism (in Nazi Germany under Hitler) you have 2 cows, the government takes both of them… and then shoots you.
In a Bureaucracy you have 2 cows, the government takes both, shoots one, milks one and pours milk down the drain.
Capitalism: (Of course we understand this one) you have 2 cows, you sell one, and buy a bull.
A German sociologist named Max Weber concluded that:
“Societies having more Protestants are those that have a more developed capitalist economy.” That’s because the Christian concept of work is the foundation of capitalism. Capitalism, and the Protestant Work Ethic which spawned it, were instrumental in making America into a powerful industrial nation.
And capitalism started out being based in the Protestant view of the Biblical notion that the work of the common laborer was a noble thing.
WORK IS GOOD and WORK IS GODLY.
And that Protestant Work Ethic was based on the Bible teaching us that God loved Labor/ and laborers.
Now this important, because:
Pure Capitalism - that exists without a Christian influence - can become an empty shell.
When Christianity is taken out of the picture of Capitalism… greed and selfishness take over.
Capitalism without Christianity can result in all kinds or evils.
You can end up with crooks like Bernie Madoff who steal vast amounts of money from investors, because they believe in Capitalism… but not in Christ.
You end up with large companies who misuse their workers and the environment because money is more important than anything. Capitalism is their god… not Christ.
You can end up with labor unions that care more about money and power… than the workers they represent because they often believe in Capitalism rather than Christ.
You end up with workers who care nothing for whether their company they work for. They don’t care if it makes any money, or if it even survives - just so long as they get their large raises and better benefits they feel they deserve. They deserve the advantages of capitalism, but rarely want the restraints of Christ.
And you end up with politicians who see successful businesses, businessmen, and workers as a constant source of bigger and more intrusive taxes which in turn results in fewer jobs for the unemployed, because they feel government has a right to its share of capitalist pie.
You could go on and on and on complaining about the weaknesses of capitalism.
But when you get right down to it, Capitalism’s greatest weaknesses are the same things that plague every aspect of our lives: Greed and selfishness.
That’s because greed and selfishness are powerful motivators.
If there’s money or power to be had someone will find a way to cheat, or steal, or sue to get at it.
That’s just the way it is in this world – because this world is filled with Sin.
But God says: I called you to be different.
I’ve called you to be salt and light in a world that is often foul tasting and dark. God calls us out of selfishness and greed to be His people
And that means He calls us to live in such a way that these sins don’t control us.
Of course, the most obvious people to have problems with selfishness and greed would seem to be the rich. So God tells rich people
1 Timothy 6:17-19
“…not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” What God tells the rich is this: Use your money for ME.
After all wealth comes from Him anyway… it’s His.
1 Chronicles 29:12 tells us that “Wealth and honor come from (God)…”
Use your money for ME (says God to the rich) and you can control your selfishness/greed.
Money isn’t the problem. It’s the love of money.
So if money is causing you to stumble in greediness and selfishness: get rid of it! Give it away!
But dealing with selfishness and greed isn’t just a problem for the rich.
Ephesians 4:28 says:
“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”
A thief is the ultimate example of greed.
If you have something valuable – he wants it
But then – that thief becomes a Christian. How can he change a lifetime of selfishness? How can he overcome the power of greed that has controlled him for so long?
Well… he should go out and get a job.
But why should he get a job? so he can SHARE.
John Wesley once said: Make the Most you can in your job, save the most you can, and give the most you can to the work of the Church.
The remedy is always the same.
Because the problem is always the same.
It doesn’t make any difference who you are… God calls you to live your life differently. And one of the most significant areas of your life you can do that in is where you work.
Are you an employee?
Then work for your employer like you were working for God.
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men” Ephesians 6:7
ILLUS: One minister told about a young man named John who had just become a new Christian. Shortly afterward, John went to work for a local department store and greatly enjoyed the opportunities he saw there.
In time, however, John shared with the minister that he was afraid that he would soon be fired.
He couldn't understand it, but it seemed his boss was growing increasingly upset with him, and he thought it might be because of his Christian witness.
So the minister went to speak with the owner.
The owner however, gave an entirely different story. John had been an excellent worker to begin with, but after awhile he got too good at meeting with the customers - especially his friends. John was spending so much time with them that he was neglecting paying customers.
So the preacher went back to John, and wisely asked "John, if you were working for that department store and Jesus Christ himself were your employer, would you work any differently?"
"I sure would!" exclaimed John, "I'd work a lot harder."
Ephesians 6:9 tells employers how to treat their employees:
“…. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”
But what if I’m neither an employee nor an employer?
Colossians 3:23 says: “WHATEVER YOU DO, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
The difference between Christians and non-Christian workers boils down to who they work for.
If you’re a Christian – you work for God, if not you’re working for yourself.
As a Christian you should be working for God.
• whether you’re an employer
• an employee • or self-employed • or you are retired
If you belong to Jesus Christ - you are called to do - whatever you do with all your heart working for the Lord.
Now, there are many good Christians who don’t understand this principle. They really don’t THINK about God as being their employer in the jobs they have and – as a result - their lives can become boring.
Have you ever heard of someone saying their job was boring? (Of course you have).
If you were to ask these same people WHY they work at the jobs that bore them - they would probably reply:
* To pay the bills. * To keep a roof over their head.
* To earn enough from something they hate so that someday they can do what you really want to do
They have no higher reason for their work.
Their work has no little inherent value for them.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
The problem isn’t the job… it’s how they view why they work.
If they were change their focus, their jobs would suddenly take on greater value.
CLOSE: My point is this: God made America great, and He made it great because Americans learned the value of Godly labor.
And God can do same thing in our lives IF we make HIM our employer - and IF we do everything we do FOR HIM.
When we do that… others pay attention because they realize God has done something powerful in our lives. And they may want that for themselves as well.
But all of this began with the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the Pilgrims and others that wanted to form a City set on a Hill – this great American Experiment did so because their lives were changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel transformed them and Christians over the centuries and it can transform you too.