Feb. 12, 2009
Submission vs. Rebellion -- St. Valentine
Introduction
A. Valentine’s Day poem, “Our Classroom Has a Mailbox”
Our classroom has a mailbox
that we painted red and gold,
we stuffed it with more valentines
than it was made to hold.
When we opened it this morning
I was nervous as could be,
I wondered if a single one
had been addressed to me.
But when they’d been delivered
I felt twenty stories tall,
I got so many valentines
I couldn’t hold them all.
See pic at
http://scrapbooking.com/cgi-bin/Phase_2/archive_designer.pl?author=Alice%20Golden%20for%20Karen%20Foster%20Design
B. February is the month associated with Valentine's Day celebrations.
I. The Business of Valentine's Day
Consumers were expected to show a lot of love this Valentine’s Day. Total spending this year was estimated to top $16.90 billion, with the average consumer spending nearly $120 on the holiday.
1. It is not romantic spending alone that makes the holiday so profitable for retailers. People also shop for family, friends, children’s classmates and teachers and coworkers.
2. A guy thing: Men are the top spenders for Valentine’s Day. The average man spent more than $156 on the holiday. The average woman -- more than $85.
3. Love through the years: The top shoppers for this season are between 25-34 years of age, and spent nearly $164 on average this Valentine’s Day. Those in the 45-54 year-old age group were once the biggest shoppers for Valentine’s. They still know how to celebrate, though. They spent, on average, nearly $108 each on the holiday.
4. Tokens of affection: No matter the recipient, greeting cards are still the most popular way to say Happy Valentine’s Day. Candy and flowers are just behind.
II. The History of Valentine’s Day
A. Annual holiday honoring lovers, but just who is this St. Valentine?
1. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
a. Ancient Roman tradition
1. festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration celebrated on February 15.
b. As Christianity came to dominance in Europe, pagan holidays were renamed for early Christian martyrs. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day, declaring February 14 to be the feast day of Saint Valentine, who lived in the 3rd century, and who was martyred on Feb. 14, 269 A.D.
See pic of Claudius II Gothicus at
http://www.livius.org/cg-cm/claudius_ii/claudius_gothicus.html
B. Forbidding marriage
1. At that time of history (268-270 A.D.), the Roman Emperor Claudius II (“Claudius the Goth” or “Claudius the Cruel”) had issued an edict forbidding marriage. This was around the time when the heyday of Roman empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, trade slumped to a low, precarious level, and homosexuality was popular. (Sound familiar?) And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the empire's boundaries. (I hope that is not what will come next for us.) The empire had grown too large to be defended, and internal chaos made the situation worse. There was a great need for quality men for the military. Claudius felt married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, would not make good soldiers. He believed marriage made the men weak. So to assure quality soldiers, he outlawed marriage.
I Timothy 4:1, 3a
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
3 They forbid people to marry. . .
Matthew 19:4-5
4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female',
5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?
2. Marriage is God’s plan. Valentine defied Claudius. He continued to perform marriages in secret, but Claudius soon learned what Valentine was doing, and had him arrested.
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with the jailer’s daughter, who was blind. Some accounts say God used Valentine to heal this young woman.
Just before his execution, Valentine asked for a pen and paper from his jailer, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after. The first valentine was really a Christian witness.
The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods, in order to save him from execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman gods and attempted to convert the emperor.
On February 14, 269 AD, Valentine was executed, beaten to death with clubs and his head cut off.
III. Obedience/submission to authority
A. Rebellion is a serious matter. Satan fell because he rebelled against God’s authority. In serving God, we must not rebel against authority, because to do so is a principle of Satan. Satan is not afraid of our preaching. He fears our subjection to Christ. Instances of rebellion in the O.T.:
1. Adam and Eve. Ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Evicted from the Garden of Eden.
2. Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons who served as priests in the tabernacle, offered “strange fire” to the Lord. They served God in their own way. They did not follow the rules given by God through Moses. This was disobedience, rebellion.
3. Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses in rebellion to God. God’s response was to strike Miriam with leprosy.
4. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Numbers 16 records their complaint to, and disrespect of, Moses. Moses did not become angry. He fell on his face before God. They had rebelled against God. This instance of rebellion shows the fact that rebellion is contagious. In verses 1-40, the leaders rebelled. Verses 41-50 describe the rebellion of the whole congregation. The leaders influenced the congregation for evil. People can be influenced for good or for evil. It is much easier to influence others for evil than for good. Surround yourself with people who are obedient to God.
B. Governmental authorities are instituted by God
Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
I Peter 2:13-14
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,
14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
1. God is the source of all authority. We must be subject to delegated authority as well as to God’s direct authority. Jesus paid taxes and taught us to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Matt. 22:21) Insubordination to authority is rebellion against God. It is mutiny.
C. Authority in the Family
1. The husband is the delegated authority of Christ. The wife is representative of the church.
D. Authority in the Church
1. Paul speaks of the “elders that rule well” in I Timothy 5 and the importance of subjection to authority in I Cor. 16.
2. Wherever any of us go, our first question should be, “Whom should I obey,” and “To whom should I listen?”
IV. Submission is Absolute, but Obedience is Relative
A. Submission is a matter of attitude, while obedience is a matter of conduct. When the apostles were on trial in the Jewish council, they did not disobey with shouting and quarrels. They quietly and softly dissented. There should be no slander or attitude of insubordination; that is rebellion. One who is submissive will be soft and tender. In summary:
1. Obedience is related to conduct or actions; it is relative. Submission is related to heart attitude; it is absolute.
2. God alone receives unqualified obedience without measure; any person lower than God can only receive qualified obedience.
3. Should the delegated authority issue an order clearly contradicting God’s command, he will be given submission but not obedience. We should submit to the person who has received delegated authority from God, but disobey the order which offends God, and then submit to any punishment meted out.
B. Examples in the Bible
1. The midwives and Moses’ mother
Hebrews 11:23
By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
Exodus 1:17
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
Both the midwives and the mother of Moses disobeyed the decree of Pharaoh by preserving Moses alive. Yet they were considered to be women of faith.
2. Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego
Daniel 3:17-18
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
The 3 friends of Daniel refused to bow to the golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar. They disobeyed the king’s order, yet they submitted to the king’s fire.
3. Daniel
Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
In disregard of the royal decree Daniel prayed to God, but he submitted to the king’s judgment by being thrown into the lions’ den.
4. Joseph
Matthew 2:13
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
Joseph could have submitted to Herod’s decree, but he obeyed God, and took baby Jesus and Mary, and fled to Egypt to avoid having Jesus killed by King Herod.
5. Peter
Acts 5:29
Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!
Peter preached the gospel though it was against the command of the ruling council, for he said it was right to obey God rather than men. Yet he submitted to the punishment, and allowed himself to be taken into prison.
C. Signs which indicate if a person is obedient to authority
1. He will try to find authority wherever he goes. The church is the place where obedience can be learned, and he will look for and find authority everywhere.
2. He is soft and tender. He is afraid of being wrong and so is tender-hearted.
3. He never likes to be in authority. He does not take delight in giving advice or in controlling others. He knows he could be wrong. He knows that as God’s representative authority, he could lead others astray, and be responsible for that error to God.
4. He keeps his mouth closed. He does not speak carelessly. He knows he is responsible for his words before God.
5. He is sensitive to rebellion around him. He does not listen to slander. He encourages others when they attack him.
Conclusion
Poem, “Jesus is My Valentine“ by Susan Nikitenko
http://www.faithreaders.com/article-details.php?article=9146
A. Valentine’s Day poem, “Our Classroom Has a Mailbox”
Our classroom has a mailbox
that we painted red and gold,
we stuffed it with more valentines
than it was made to hold.
When we opened it this morning
I was nervous as could be,
I wondered if a single one
had been addressed to me.
But when they’d been delivered
I felt twenty stories tall,
I got so many valentines
I couldn’t hold them all.
See pic at
http://scrapbooking.com/cgi-bin/Phase_2/archive_designer.pl?author=Alice%20Golden%20for%20Karen%20Foster%20Design
B. February is the month associated with Valentine's Day celebrations.
I. The Business of Valentine's Day
Consumers were expected to show a lot of love this Valentine’s Day. Total spending this year was estimated to top $16.90 billion, with the average consumer spending nearly $120 on the holiday.
1. It is not romantic spending alone that makes the holiday so profitable for retailers. People also shop for family, friends, children’s classmates and teachers and coworkers.
2. A guy thing: Men are the top spenders for Valentine’s Day. The average man spent more than $156 on the holiday. The average woman -- more than $85.
3. Love through the years: The top shoppers for this season are between 25-34 years of age, and spent nearly $164 on average this Valentine’s Day. Those in the 45-54 year-old age group were once the biggest shoppers for Valentine’s. They still know how to celebrate, though. They spent, on average, nearly $108 each on the holiday.
4. Tokens of affection: No matter the recipient, greeting cards are still the most popular way to say Happy Valentine’s Day. Candy and flowers are just behind.
II. The History of Valentine’s Day
A. Annual holiday honoring lovers, but just who is this St. Valentine?
1. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
a. Ancient Roman tradition
1. festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration celebrated on February 15.
b. As Christianity came to dominance in Europe, pagan holidays were renamed for early Christian martyrs. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day, declaring February 14 to be the feast day of Saint Valentine, who lived in the 3rd century, and who was martyred on Feb. 14, 269 A.D.
See pic of Claudius II Gothicus at
http://www.livius.org/cg-cm/claudius_ii/claudius_gothicus.html
B. Forbidding marriage
1. At that time of history (268-270 A.D.), the Roman Emperor Claudius II (“Claudius the Goth” or “Claudius the Cruel”) had issued an edict forbidding marriage. This was around the time when the heyday of Roman empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, trade slumped to a low, precarious level, and homosexuality was popular. (Sound familiar?) And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the empire's boundaries. (I hope that is not what will come next for us.) The empire had grown too large to be defended, and internal chaos made the situation worse. There was a great need for quality men for the military. Claudius felt married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, would not make good soldiers. He believed marriage made the men weak. So to assure quality soldiers, he outlawed marriage.
I Timothy 4:1, 3a
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
3 They forbid people to marry. . .
Matthew 19:4-5
4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female',
5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?
2. Marriage is God’s plan. Valentine defied Claudius. He continued to perform marriages in secret, but Claudius soon learned what Valentine was doing, and had him arrested.
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with the jailer’s daughter, who was blind. Some accounts say God used Valentine to heal this young woman.
Just before his execution, Valentine asked for a pen and paper from his jailer, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after. The first valentine was really a Christian witness.
The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods, in order to save him from execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman gods and attempted to convert the emperor.
On February 14, 269 AD, Valentine was executed, beaten to death with clubs and his head cut off.
III. Obedience/submission to authority
A. Rebellion is a serious matter. Satan fell because he rebelled against God’s authority. In serving God, we must not rebel against authority, because to do so is a principle of Satan. Satan is not afraid of our preaching. He fears our subjection to Christ. Instances of rebellion in the O.T.:
1. Adam and Eve. Ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Evicted from the Garden of Eden.
2. Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons who served as priests in the tabernacle, offered “strange fire” to the Lord. They served God in their own way. They did not follow the rules given by God through Moses. This was disobedience, rebellion.
3. Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses in rebellion to God. God’s response was to strike Miriam with leprosy.
4. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Numbers 16 records their complaint to, and disrespect of, Moses. Moses did not become angry. He fell on his face before God. They had rebelled against God. This instance of rebellion shows the fact that rebellion is contagious. In verses 1-40, the leaders rebelled. Verses 41-50 describe the rebellion of the whole congregation. The leaders influenced the congregation for evil. People can be influenced for good or for evil. It is much easier to influence others for evil than for good. Surround yourself with people who are obedient to God.
B. Governmental authorities are instituted by God
Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
I Peter 2:13-14
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,
14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
1. God is the source of all authority. We must be subject to delegated authority as well as to God’s direct authority. Jesus paid taxes and taught us to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Matt. 22:21) Insubordination to authority is rebellion against God. It is mutiny.
C. Authority in the Family
1. The husband is the delegated authority of Christ. The wife is representative of the church.
D. Authority in the Church
1. Paul speaks of the “elders that rule well” in I Timothy 5 and the importance of subjection to authority in I Cor. 16.
2. Wherever any of us go, our first question should be, “Whom should I obey,” and “To whom should I listen?”
IV. Submission is Absolute, but Obedience is Relative
A. Submission is a matter of attitude, while obedience is a matter of conduct. When the apostles were on trial in the Jewish council, they did not disobey with shouting and quarrels. They quietly and softly dissented. There should be no slander or attitude of insubordination; that is rebellion. One who is submissive will be soft and tender. In summary:
1. Obedience is related to conduct or actions; it is relative. Submission is related to heart attitude; it is absolute.
2. God alone receives unqualified obedience without measure; any person lower than God can only receive qualified obedience.
3. Should the delegated authority issue an order clearly contradicting God’s command, he will be given submission but not obedience. We should submit to the person who has received delegated authority from God, but disobey the order which offends God, and then submit to any punishment meted out.
B. Examples in the Bible
1. The midwives and Moses’ mother
Hebrews 11:23
By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
Exodus 1:17
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
Both the midwives and the mother of Moses disobeyed the decree of Pharaoh by preserving Moses alive. Yet they were considered to be women of faith.
2. Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego
Daniel 3:17-18
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
The 3 friends of Daniel refused to bow to the golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar. They disobeyed the king’s order, yet they submitted to the king’s fire.
3. Daniel
Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
In disregard of the royal decree Daniel prayed to God, but he submitted to the king’s judgment by being thrown into the lions’ den.
4. Joseph
Matthew 2:13
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
Joseph could have submitted to Herod’s decree, but he obeyed God, and took baby Jesus and Mary, and fled to Egypt to avoid having Jesus killed by King Herod.
5. Peter
Acts 5:29
Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!
Peter preached the gospel though it was against the command of the ruling council, for he said it was right to obey God rather than men. Yet he submitted to the punishment, and allowed himself to be taken into prison.
C. Signs which indicate if a person is obedient to authority
1. He will try to find authority wherever he goes. The church is the place where obedience can be learned, and he will look for and find authority everywhere.
2. He is soft and tender. He is afraid of being wrong and so is tender-hearted.
3. He never likes to be in authority. He does not take delight in giving advice or in controlling others. He knows he could be wrong. He knows that as God’s representative authority, he could lead others astray, and be responsible for that error to God.
4. He keeps his mouth closed. He does not speak carelessly. He knows he is responsible for his words before God.
5. He is sensitive to rebellion around him. He does not listen to slander. He encourages others when they attack him.
Conclusion
Poem, “Jesus is My Valentine“ by Susan Nikitenko
http://www.faithreaders.com/article-details.php?article=9146