Greetings once again and welcome   to Heritage Reform Presbyterian Church on this Lord's Day, June   22nd, 2025. It's good to be here to worship   the Lord with you all once again. Just a reminder, we will not   meet this week. God willing, we can meet next, the following   week, that Tuesday for group again. And also this coming Sunday,   we will be with Faith Bible Church, 11 a.m. at their facilities at   their church to worship together. And then the following Sunday,   we should be back here. That'll be the first Sunday of the month.   And at this time, I believe we're planning to do the first Sundays   also at 930. I haven't really brought that   up. Everyone will push it to 10,   but I think for the sake of just everybody remembering the same   time, we'll just do it at 930. course we'll have the Lord's   Supper and then a fellowship meal after that as well so looking   forward to that next two Sundays from now also. I believe that's   all the announcements and so if there are no other announcements   let us prepare our hearts and minds for worship with a moment   of silent prayer and meditation. Brothers and sisters, please   stand to receive God's call to worship, taken from Psalm 37. The Lord knows the days of the   upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall   not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they   shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish,   and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows,   shall vanish, and to smoke they shall vanish away. Let us now   confess our need for God's grace together. Our soul waits for   the Lord. He is our help and our shield. Beloved, now receive God's greeting.   Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus   Christ. As God has welcomed us yet again   to worship him, let us do so now. We'll sing 230, holy, holy,   holy, 230. And we'll sing all four verses   together of 2.30. Holy, holy, holy. Everybody ready? Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty   Early in the morning Our song shall rise to Thee Holy, holy,   holy, merciful and mighty, God in three Persons, blessed Trinity. Holy, holy, holy, all the saints   adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy   sea. Cherubim and seraphim, Falling   down before Thee, Who words and arms and evermore shall be. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,   Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see, Only Thou   art holy, there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love   and purity. Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty   All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea   Holy, holy, holy Merciful and mighty God in three persons,   blessed Trinity. Let us come before the Lord in   prayer. Heavenly Father, indeed you are   the thrice holy God who dwells in inapproachable light, and   into your very presence by your Spirit through your Son we now   come to worship you once again, Lord. in spirit and in truth   to honor and glorify you and to be blessed and edified in   your holy presence. God, help us to do that now. Lord, we do confess that we are   sinners in need of your grace, redeemed by your son. Lord, help   us to grow in you, to follow you, to walk in your will, to   put off sin and to put on righteousness according to the new man in which   we are created in Christ Jesus. Lord, we have many needs and   burdens that we have prayed for, some in the first service, and   again, some particular requests that I'm sure are needed as well. God, we pray for each family   and each individual here, each ailment and difficulty that is   being dealt with. Lord, that you supply every need,   body and soul, that we would bear one another's burdens and   serve one another in honor and glorify you above all. and bless   us now in this time of worship again. We ask all this in Jesus   name. Amen. Please be seated. I do apologize. I do want to take   prayer requests. Ordinarily I'd forgotten to do   that, but anytime anybody has something that they would like   prayer for you, feel free between the services or whenever to come   up and let me know. And I'll, I'll, I'll certainly pray for   that. Let's continue now in our worship.   confessing the faith together as God's people. You'll see there   in your bulletin. We're looking at the Shorter   Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism together, and particularly   with the Ten Commandments I've been doing that, in part because   I really do think, at least when it comes to this section, the   Shorter Catechism is superior. There's more details a lot of   times in the Shorter Catechism than what you get in the Heidelberg.   I think the Heidelberg is more, I don't know, warm, personal   and pastoral in some ways. But there's more detail in the   shorter and certainly the larger catechism as well. But I think   looking at the shorter and the Heidelberg together through these,   they complement each other well. And so let's look at that together.   And I'll read the questions. Please respond aloud with the   answers. Question one, sorry, question   63. Which is the fifth commandment? The fifth commandment is, Honor   thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the   land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Question 64. What is required in the fifth   commandment? The Fifth Commandment requireth   the preserving the honor and performing the duties belonging   to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors,   inferiors, or equals. What is forbidden in the Fifth   Commandment? The Fifth Commandment forbideth   the neglecting of or doing anything against the honor and duty which   belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations. Question 66, what is the reason   annexed to the fifth commandment? The reason annexed to the fifth   commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity as far as   it shall serve for God's glory and their own good to all such   as keep this commandment. And in the Heidelberg Catechism,   question 104, what does God require in the fifth commandment? that   I show all honor, love, and faithfulness to my father and mother, and   to all those in authority over me, submit myself with due obedience   to their good instruction and discipline, and also have patience   with their weaknesses and shortcomings, since it is God's will to govern   us by their hand. And so, to look at that from   the scriptures together, let us turn our Bibles now to Exodus   chapter 20. I'm going to go ahead and read   from verse 1 down to verse 12, the fifth commandment, since   we've been going through the first four already, just to kind   of keep that in mind and read through it together once again.   But before we read it, let's ask God to bless his word to   us in prayer. Let's pray. Father, again, we   pray that you would open our hearts and minds to be fed from   your holy word and to receive it as your word and to be guided,   especially as we come to consider the fifth commandment to honor   all those in authority over us, all of our fathers and mothers   in that sense. May we see that and the good   of that and glorify you in it. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.   Exodus chapter 20, verses 1 through 12. Hear now the word of the   Lord. And God spoke all these words,   saying, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land   of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other   gods before me. You shall not make for yourself   a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven   above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water   under the earth. You shall not bow down to them,   nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am   a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children,   to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, bestowing   mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not take the name of   the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless   who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep   it holy. Six days you shall labor and   do all your work, but the Sabbath day is the Sabbath of the Lord   your God. In it you shall do no work, you   nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your   female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within   your gates. For in six days the Lord made   the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them,   and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the   Sabbath day and hallowed it. And now for our text today, this   morning, verse 12. Honor your father and your mother,   that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your   God is giving you. Let's start the reading of God's   holy word and may he add his blessing to it. Well, this is the fifth commandment   of the Decalogue. And I'm not sure if the bulletin   still says part one in there or not. This will probably be   the only part. I hope this is thorough. But we want to look together   at really the relationships in which we exist, in which this   commandment is given to us. As you saw there in the shorter   catechism, This extends beyond just our earthly, those in our   homes who have authority over us, our father, our mother, our   guardians, or whoever it may be that raised us. It certainly   begins there, but it extends outward from there to all different   authority structures that exist. And that will become more apparent   as we go through different verses together, if it's not apparent   already. But this is important. If we   don't understand how to show honor to whom honor is due, when   to give it, how to give it, who gives it to who, if we don't   understand the duties also of superiors or those in authority   to those under their authority, the inferiors, how to relate   to fellow workmen, our equals and so on, Well, there's going   to be a breakdown, whether it's the home or the church or the   state or whatever the case may be, whatever sphere or realm   in which this authority structure exists. And of course, we see   that oftentimes in our world today where this is broken. There's   a lot of dishonoring and disobeying and disrespecting of one another. It's bad for everybody involved   and so our sermon theme then is we are to honor everyone beginning   with our parents as we relate to them as superiors, inferiors,   or equals. I have two points from that and   really I'm taking the Heidelberg Catechism questionnaire And the   first half of it is the first point. We have a direct duty   to submit to those in authority over us, beginning with our parents. And then the latter part of the   Heidelberg Catechism question, we see that, number two, we must   bear up with the weaknesses of authorities over us, for God   governs us through them. So let's look at this together   here. We are in Exodus chapter 20 for   the Ten Commandments, but one chapter over in Exodus 21 verse   17, it tells us that he who curses his father or his mother shall   surely be put to death. And so, protracted disobedience   of a flagrant nature over a period of time was even a capital punishment   under the theocracy that was there in Israel. Why? Why was   it such a serious sin that it was criminalized to the point   of the one, the disobedient child being put to death? Well, I think   we have to begin there to think about authority and honoring   whom we should honor. all together. Who more than our parents, whether   they were our biological parents who raised us or our adopted   parents or guardians, whoever it may be, that fulfilled that   function for us in our homes as children growing up, who has   spent more time in our lives for us and for our good, our   earthly good in this life, and hopefully in a Christian home,   our spiritual good, our heavenly good, for salvation. Who has   spent more time praying for us, working for us, feeding and clothing   and sheltering us than our parents, our father and our mother? If we cannot give honor there,   despite the sins of our parents, despite the shortcomings of them,   despite possibly their neglecting of us in certain ways, If they   at least birthed us and raised us and didn't starve us and took   care of us in our tender years, that's more than virtually anybody's   ever going to do for us in this life, say, perhaps, between the   union of husband and wife. We see that our duties begin   there, of showing honor, of showing piety there with our parents. Parents are to raise their children   in the nurtured admonition of the Lord, to take care of them   body and soul. And then children are to return   that favor in the old age of our parents, when they are in   a state of need, to care for them as we're able to do so as   well. And so that generational piety   and faithfulness that 1st Sympathy 5 and other places talk about,   It's something that is often neglected and lacking today because   we don't have the proper respect that we should have for each   other in the household, in the home, and that most intimate   bond between parents and child. Well, we see in Proverbs 1.8,   it opens by saying, and this, of course, is the wisdom of Solomon   to his sons and so on. My son, hear the instruction   of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother, for they   will be a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your   neck. So think about that as well. I mean, that's, of course, specific   here to what Solomon, to what in Proverbs is being said. But   isn't it true, I trust, that even if we did not have the best   of parents, they gave us gold nuggets of wisdom. Maybe sometimes   we learn by their bad examples, but they instruct us, they've   taught us. We should not forget what they've taught us and instructed   us in, that it's good and well. Later on, Proverbs 4.1, Solomon   repeats for his children, to heed the instruction of a father,   to gain understanding, quote, for I give you good doctrine   or good teaching. This especially is true for those   who've had good Christian parents, guardians who've taught us. We   should not forget that. We should be thankful for that   and remember what they have said for us so that it will go well   for us. Again, if your parents taught   you to read and write and tie your shoes and brush your teeth   and get sleep and so on and so forth, they have done a great   good for you even in just that. Well, what about the word honor   itself in the text in Exodus 20 verse 12? Honor your father   and mother. What does that word honor actually   mean? Well, that word has the idea   of giving weight or a heaviness or a gravity to it. It's a respect. You're putting   emphasis on that. You're holding it in high esteem,   in high regard. That's how we should consider   our parents, beginning, of course, of our father and mother, the   earthly parents in our home. Yes, parents have a solemn duty   to their children, and children also, in turn, have a solemn   duty to their parents. So we see in this relationship   that the children here, as the Westminster Shorter Catechism   puts it in the terms of superiors, equals, and inferiors, The children   are inferiors to their parents. That is, they're under their   authority, and the parents are the superiors. Superiors have   duties to their inferiors, inferiors to their superiors. And children,   if you have siblings, brothers or sisters, those would be your   equals in that language, so to speak, and you have duties to   one another as well. And so the parents are the superiors   in rank or office or authority over their children. Whether   or not they are as godly as their children are or their children   may come to be is a different question. This is not a superiority   of innate holiness, much less whether or not everybody's made   in the image of God or something like that. Everybody's made in   the image of God. It's a question of position and structure and   who's called to what function there. Now from this, we also learn   that all authority is, in a sense, parental. There's a care, a nurture   that should be there in any position of authority. Now that's been   messed up in our nation, our world today as well. Many exercise   authority in a brute way for their own good and not the good   of those under them. But there should be a nurturing   care of anybody in authority. I don't care if it's a work situation,   a war situation, whatever it may be, a school situation. There should be care, a parental   function and the headship and the leadership that is there   to those under their care, under them. But of course, that's all   the more all the it's most intimately seen with the father and mother   to their flesh and blood children And so no wonder that God urges   and impresses the duties of parents to raise their children in the   nurture and admonition of the Lord so strongly, and for children   to heed their godly parents so strongly. If we can't do it right   in the home, are we going to do it right anywhere? If you   can't love your own flesh and blood, whether that's parents   to children or children to parents, the ones who sired you and birthed   you, then how likely is it that you're going to love outside   of that bond, right? Many marriages are not ruined,   greatly hampered because of hang-ups that existed in the home when   you were children and your relationships to your parents. That's the most   intimate relationship we have before we are married and the   difficulties we may have had there can get carried over into   our marriage and so on. I think we all know that intuitively   whether we think about it directly or not. We have to work through   those issues Why do people call it having daddy issues or mommy   issues, right? It's a very important thing,   and we have to break out of bad cycles sometimes. But again,   just the same, we can be thankful for our parents, even the ones   that, in certain ways, were not so good to us and for us. The   importance of parenting takes the chief place. That's why the   fifth commandment is put in those terms. It doesn't say, at this   place, in the Ten Commandments, it doesn't say honor all those   in authority over you. It does put it in the concrete   of honoring your father and mother because authority and structures   begin there. That's the root. All other authority   structures stem out from that. You have Adam and Eve, and then   you have the children, that first bond there of the household,   the family, and the garden. Of course, it went bad there as   well with Cain and Abel. Now we can think about God himself.   We know God in terms of his person, father and son, and then Holy   Spirit. That bond, in a sense, is also,   we could say, primary in how we bear God's image. even in   our own homeland, right? We think of it as the home. Sometimes   this has negative connotations today, but it has also been called   at times throughout history the fatherland, right? Our whole   existence is in terms of home and family and father and mother   and so on and so forth. God is our father. But as fatherhood,   it does not dissolve the honor that we must give to our flesh   and blood fathers and mothers. Of course, we give the highest   and chief honor to God as God. We should never honor anybody,   parents, anyone as a God, right? We're not giving a God honor   to human beings, but there is a humanly honor that we should   give to fellow humans, especially our parents and all those in   authority over us. So there's a distinction that should be   noted there, the honor, the glory that we give to God, and the   honor and respect that we give to other humans, beginning with   our parents. So we see that all in authority   over us, whether equals or peers, subordinates and superiors, we   are to give the respect and honor that is due there. When we lose   this bondedness, this sense of rootedness and duty and respect   to one another, when we don't have an honor culture, in other   words. Everything goes badly. Everything goes poorly. Why?   Well, this is gonna get to stuff later on, but this is the first   commandment given from the promise. That your days may be long upon   the land which the Lord your God is giving you. There's spiritual   reasons for that. There's reasons that your life   will be long, that God will superintend and oversee and providentially   bring about, but there's just natural reasons for that as well.   If you're listening to good instruction from those who love you and following   it and walking in it, and you're returning that honor to whom   it is due, and that's extending throughout society, then things   are going to go better and well for everybody. When it doesn't   happen, it goes badly for everybody. I can think about, I won't be   specific, but just, you know, the comments that I can hear   not from people here, but in other places about, yeah, I'm   glad my son didn't have to face this difficulty the other day   because then he would have a bad attitude and I didn't want to   have to deal with that. You know, little remarks like that. And   there's an avoidance of wanting to have to shepherd your own   children. to have to deal with them adequately. And there's also in that a sign   of disrespect and dishonoring your parents because you've already   grieved them to that extent that they don't want to have to deal   with you. So we should teach honoring and   giving honor to whom honor is due. When that is lost, everything,   whatever connections we have, becomes more transactional rather   than relational, we could say. When that happens, sex itself,   the marital act, becomes transactional. It's not bounded and rooted in   marriage and the one flesh union of husband and wife any longer. People begin only to have children   if it gratifies themselves, if they want to have a child or   two, or maybe for some sort of financial break or tax break   or something like that. It doesn't become a duty any   longer. It becomes an option, an add-on. And of course, some go even further   and murder and abort their own children. Children sometimes   only pay lip service to their parents, but do not love them   from heart. We know what Christ said in Matthew   15 on that and it uses the very language of honor. He's speaking   here to the Pharisees and their failure to love who? Their own   flesh and blood parents. And so here's what Jesus said.   Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of   your tradition? For God commanded, saying, honor   your father and your mother. And he who curses father or mother,   let him be put to death. So he echoes what we just read   in Exodus 20 and then later in 21. But you say, whoever says   to his father or mother, whatever profit you might have received   from me is a gift to God, then he need not honor his father   or mother. That's what the Pharisees were   doing. showing piety at home. They weren't returning that honor   to their parents in their old age or need or whatever to provide   and take care of them. Instead, they were saying, I   gave this as a gift to God. See, I should give glory to God.   And therefore, because I'm serving God, I don't have to show piety   to you. Jesus says that's evil. That's wickedness. We know what   Paul says as well. He who does not provide for his   own household is worse than an unbeliever. And so Jesus goes   on. Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying, These   people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their   lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship   me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. So they   added God's law, and they would leave God's actual law undone,   all in the name of serving God, and giving a little extra tithe   in the tithe box, or whatever the case may be. You see, that   failure to honor your parents was considered by God, by Jesus,   as a failure to honor Him, because it's His command. You honor God   by honoring your parents. You honor God by honoring those   in authority over you because He has put them in authority   over us to govern us and to guide us. It's not an either or. And   you can't absorb all other duties that you have under I'm serving   God. No, we have duties to one another   as well as duties to God. do what we are called to do for   one another, we're also serving God and honoring Him. So, when   that is lacking, bonds, rootedness, or hollowed out, they're made   artificial, they're made hypocritical, and they become merely transactional.   There's no longer a love for our neighbor as ourselves, but   using our neighbor to advance ourselves only. This passage   in Matthew 15 that I had just read, it also shows that to dishonor   our parents by neglecting our duties to them is to dishonor   the Lord himself and his clear commands. When you honor one   another well, you honor God. When you dishonor one another,   especially your parents, you dishonor God who gave you your   parents and gave you life, created your soul and body through them.   Now that should be obvious, but I think when we put it that way,   It should convict us. It should convict us and humble   us and cause us to be all the more grateful, despite what issues   or baggage, as it's often called, may be there. Now, regarding   authority extending beyond our parents or the home, the household   there, we know what Romans 13 says. It says, 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. Therefore, whoever resists the   authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist   will bring judgment on themselves. So notice the authorities are   from God, for your good, don't sinfully resist them. For rulers   are not a terror to good works, but to evil. You are to be unafraid   of the authority. Do what is good, and you will   have praise from the same. 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   and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject."   So you must be subject because he's put there by God to punish   evil, to promote what is good. To be subject, it's God's minister.   You must be subject for that reason, it says, not only because   of wrath and the judgment, but also for conscience sake, to   have a good conscience before God and obedience to him by submitting   to all those in authority over you. It goes on, for because   of this, you also pay taxes. We don't like it, but we're called   to it. For they are God's ministers   attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore   to all their due, taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom   customs, fear to whom fear. There's that word, honor to whom   honor. There is a broad honor that we   owe to all those in authority over us, including our civil   government and magistrates. Honor must be given to them as   well. It is amazing that Reformed churches   today are disciplining people for believing the Bible when   it comes to this sort of civic engagement and crying out against   it. They may come up with terms to   call this out, but oftentimes they can't even define these   terms. And so they use that as a cudgel, as a weapon, ultimately,   to dishonor those in authority over them, to dishonor their   own nation, and to dishonor the duties that we have to God, to   one another, and to our nation. We have to be able to recognize   this and address that. For example, who are you to give   honor to? Who do we owe honor to? Well,   questions of nationality, questions of race, questions of citizenship   are inextricable from who you owe honor to as your superiors.   We don't owe honor, for example, to the president in, you know,   whatever, Timbuktu or some other country. We do owe honor to our   current president and our current rulers and our current leaders,   and they have a duty as our superiors to us. So, what is a nation? Who belongs to a nation? Who   is to give honor to whom? Who is to submit to whom? Who   are our leaders supposed to govern? If we can't answer that question   because we're afraid of being called racist or something like   that, then we can't properly give honor. We can't have properly   leaders giving their duties to us. to care for us in the calling   that God has given them, to be a servant, the same word deacon   is used in Romans 13, of those in leadership in government.   So we have to be able to address those questions to be able to   keep the fifth commandment faithfully and righteously. Well, we know,   Paul, we've been seeing this in the book of Acts and our sermons   on Acts. He's used his Roman citizenship to this very end. He's given respect where it is   due. When he spoke out of turn one time, it seems like he sort   of recognized that this was more in terms of the high priest,   but he realizes he has to show respect and honor even when that   person was acting dishonorably and had him struck in the face,   slapped in the face and so on. Well, we know Paul uses his Roman   citizenship and the whole system that is there for his good and   for God's glory. And as a Roman citizen, these   Roman rulers, also God's magistrates, had a duty and, as we've been   seeing, somewhat upheld that duty to protect him and provide   for him. And so sometimes when you pray,   Lord, deliver us from evil, God really does use his magistrates,   his governing authorities to do that. And Paul, of course,   was delivered in order to testify the grace of God in Jesus Christ. He's going to do that in Rome,   as we'll see in the last chapter of the book of Acts. And so Paul's   logic in Romans 13 is clear. All authority comes from God   and all authority must be honored. You show honor to your parents.   You don't show honor to other parents, at least not in the   same way. You show general respect for the elderly, for the older   people. But you submit to your parents as your parents. You   submit to your government as your government. You submit to   your church and your elders as your church and your elders and   so on and so forth. That's the way that God has designed   it. We must be subject to the authorities,   in particular, the ones that actually govern us and not others. To resist such authorities, again,   is to resist God himself, who ordained them and empowered them   with authority. We are honoring God by honoring   our rulers and obeying their righteous commandments. If we   do not do that, as I said, we bring judgment upon our own heads,   just like disobedient children do when they disobey their parents. Now, it's clear that Paul in   Romans 13, he says we're to submit to the righteous decrees of rulers.   Obviously, anything that is commanded, whoever the authority is, that   is sinful, we must not obey that. We must disobey a sinful command   to actually obey God. God is that highest authority.   So if children, your parents tell you to rob the bank, should   you do that? No. You should not. You should   not rob the bank even if you are broke and have no money and   you're hungry. You should trust God and not   listen to me if I tell you to do that. You should honor and   follow the Lord in that. God never calls us to sin by   honoring a lesser authority. And we know in this fallen world   that those in authority do sin. There is no sinless authority.   And some will try to use their authority in dishonorable ways,   in sinful ways, to get you to do bad things and even tell you,   you should listen to me. Now, the test is when you're   told you must do something that you don't like, or maybe you   don't even think is wise, but isn't sinful. And that's where   it's more challenging. We might have a right, depending   on what relationship we're talking about, maybe it's a child to   a parent, maybe it's an employee to an employer, whatever it may   be, to petition, to say, hey, here's something for, you know,   food for thought. That can certainly be permissible. But at the end   of the day, Sometimes, a lot of times, and we're all under   authority of different people in different ways, we have to   submit to things that we don't like. We might think, this is   going to go badly. But it's not in itself sin. It's not in itself wrong. That's   the challenge. That's the challenge of submission   of children to parents, of wives to husbands, of men to their   bosses, their superiors, or whatever the case may be. And that's where it takes a lot   of wisdom, because sometimes something's not clear if it's right or wrong,   or something's not clear if this is something we should broach   or bring up or not. And it takes a great deal of   wisdom to work through those sorts of matters as well. But   again, when you appeal or petition with respect to those in authority   over you, it goes a long way. Certainly, even if they don't   ultimately take the counsel or the advice, they respect the   willingness to submit, but also to give their own counsel or   their own concern of whatever the case may be. And that's how   we should approach our superiors, is with respect. And of course,   if they outright are saying to do something sinful, we should   not do that and should, if we can, talk to that person and   say, no, we can't do this. You should not command this.   This is wicked and this is wrong. So we have to work through those   things with wisdom and care and discretion and know God's word   well to do so. It's easy to say this, it's hard   to apply this, but that's what we're called to do. There's a   point where a parent or a pastor or elders or rulers of nations   have turned from rulers to tyrants, from leaders to lording over   the people to their harm and to their detriment or even to   their destruction. Now, we know that's a high bar   and a high standard. If you think of the high standard of the only   exceptions for divorce, essentially adultery or desertion, abuse   can be tied into that, but it's a high bar. It's a high bar. Likewise, we shouldn't flippantly   leave or disregard parental authority, pastoral authority, or whatever.   A lot of times, we have to deal with and bear up under, not only   imperfect rule, but greatly difficult rule and care over us, because   it's the best situation that we have in our present time.   But we see from this the reason the Shorter Catechism extends   the Fifth Commandment to all authorities, not just father   and mothers, because Scripture itself does this, as we see here   in Romans 13, to give honor to whom honor is due, honor to all   authorities. The root of authority, of course,   is God himself, and God in his triune being, his Father, Son,   and Holy Spirit, and so our earthly authority, then, is rooted in   our parents. Our father is the head of the   home, in particular. But scripture also speaks, for   example, of the care, and again, this goes back to what I said   earlier about the parental care of all authority, even in our   civil government. Consider Isaiah 49, and this   is quoted in our, it's a proof text in both versions of the   Westminster Confession of Faith, it's quoted, or at least referred   to in the American revision explicitly. Isaiah 49, 22 through 23, it   says, Thus says the Lord God, behold, I will lift my hand in   an oath to the nations and set up my standard for the peoples.   They shall bring your sons in their arms and your daughters   shall be carried on their shoulders. This is the deliverance of God's   people. Kings shall be your foster fathers and their queens your   nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you with   their faces to the earth and lick up the dust of your feet.   Then you will know that I am the Lord for they shall not be   ashamed who wait for me. Are the kings, the rulers of   this world, even have that kind of care for the church, for the   people of God? At least they are supposed to   do that. There's a parental stewardship   that is there in their calling as a magistrate, bearing the   sword of justice. As we said, the confession references   this in chapter 23 and its duties. And it says it's to see that   unity and peace is preserved in the church. The truth of God   is kept pure and entire and blasphemies and heresies are suppressed and   so on. And even in the Americanized   revision of that, it quotes that passage or almost word for word   refers to it. And it says, quote, civil magistrates   may not assume to themselves the administration of the word   and sacraments or the power of the kingdom heaven or in the   least interfere in matters of faith yet as nursing fathers   there's the language it is the duty of civil magistrates to   protect the church of our common Lord so our civil rulers do have   a fatherly care for us and for the church in particular now   we've been misled about this in our churches for a long time   until the government just needs to stay out or be neutral as   if it's possible. I mean, imagine a parent being   neutral to their children. I'm going to be neutral towards   you. I'm not going to favor you. I'm not going to protect and   provide for you. I'm going to do just the same that I do for everybody   else's children. It would be evil. And yet, we   have Christians contending for a neutral public square in a   government that doesn't really favor Christians or anybody else.   It's just somehow magically, you know, neutral. Well, that's   wickedness, and that's contrary to God's Word, and we have to   be able to say that because it's abundantly clear, and it's desperately   needed to be heard. We owe honor to our superiors,   including our magistrates, precisely because, as Romans 13 said, they're   punishing evil and promoting what is good. And so we honor   them for that function. We don't honor them for being   neutral. We honor them for doing what is right. So we better start   teaching and preaching and living like that. And if we want good   and godly rulers, then we better be engaged in that. Voting for   ones or even serving as such men in that capacity, if the   Lord would call you, do something like that. So we must recognize   that and see that. Well, then our second and our   final point, we must bear up and we've been mixing this in   already in our in our sermon here. We must bear up with the   weaknesses of authorities over us for God governs us through   them. With the Heidelberg Catechism,   it references Ephesians 5 and 6 and authority and submission   as it is related there. This includes everyone submitting   to one another as the Lord orders it, such as wives to husband,   children to parents, slaves to masters, and so on. We know that   text, I'm sure, in Ephesians 5 through 6. I won't take the   time to read it. Of course, the duties of husbands to wives,   parents to children, and even masters to slaves are listed   as well. And then it's repeated in Colossians   3. where we are instructed to submit to our superiors from   the heart, and as unto the Lord, and not men. Remember the passage   of Jesus, their heart is far from me. It's not lip service,   it's heart affection that we owe, and it's true honoring of   those over us. And notice, well you don't have   it open before you, but Colossians 3, 24, the reward that God promises is eternal   life in Jesus Christ when we obey and submit in this way from   the heart. And it says, for you serve the Lord Christ. In other   words, again, you're serving the Lord by submitting to the   authorities over you. Don't think otherwise. And that   should be an encouragement to serve God. You are serving to   show honor to others because you're serving Christ through   that. Calvin says, this one thing ought to be considered by children,   that whoever may be their parents, they have been allotted to them   by the providence of God, who by his appointment makes children   subject to their parents. And of course, that extends out   to all authorities. Though parents, pastors, civil   rulers, bosses, and employers, and all the rest may be weak   or even cruel in various ways, we must remember that God has   appointed them over us for our good. Some things are more temporary   than others. We know that. We know that. A   slave, at least in the old sense of the word, was owned by his   master, whereas today an employee is not owned by his employer.   And so seeking another job is not the same thing as shirking,   you know, a slave as part of the household of the master.   So understand there's different relations and different duties   that we owe to one another depending on the nature of those relationships   and so on. And even then, if slaves could   seek their freedom, that was certainly permitted as well. Parents and children, or husband   and wife, at odds with one another, nonetheless, they are still bone   of bone and flesh of flesh. And so you see people grow up,   and they grow distant from their parents or their siblings, or   God forbid there's a divorce, and they grow apart. Yes, it   breaks the one flesh union, but that wound is still there. And   with parents especially, that flesh bond is always there, even   when the relationship is torn apart. There's always going to   be that internal pain in your heart because that's a real thing.   You really are bone of bone and flesh of flesh of some people   in a way that you're not of other people. And that wound continues. so much better to keep those   relationships strong if at all possible. God sees it all and   calls us to bear up under imperfect and even at times overbearing   authorities. He will sustain us, he will bless us as we serve   him through those difficulties, and he'll ultimately chastise   us or punish those over us who inflict harm on us. So we can   bear up under it, knowing God will do what is right and just   in due time. Whatever means of recourse we   have, we should seek out. Paul did that. Roman citizenship   and so on. But if all of that fails, there   is the ultimate supreme judge who shall not fail, if not in   this life, on that final day of judgment. And so take heart   in that. 1 Peter 2, 17 through 25. Again, a lengthy section,   but worth reading. It begins, honor all people,   right? All people, again, particularly   your superiors that are over you, whatever relations there   are, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Then it   says, servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear,   not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. Now that's   a hard thing, especially since I don't think any of us have   lived in a master-slave sort of relationship. For this is   commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief,   suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when   you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when   you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable   before God. For to this you are called, because   Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you   should follow his steps. who committed no sin, nor was   deceit found in his mouth, who, when he was reviled, did not   revile in return. When he suffered, he did not   threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously,   who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that   we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose   stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going   astray, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer   of your souls. Now again, when we look at all   the scriptures and all the different relations and actions of godly   men and the Word of God, we know this is not saying to be a doormat,   much less seek out suffering, as if suffering itself, if you   can just throw yourself in the feet of somebody who will persecute   you, as if that's a good thing. That's not. But it does mean   that if you must suffer under harsh rules, in other words,   that's the situation that you find yourself in, What are you   called to do in that situation? If that's what you have to face,   you must do it with perseverance, with patience, trusting in the   Lord. Even in that scenario, not despairing   or utterly losing heart. Christ himself was under that   yoke of going to the cross to atone for our sin. And he knew   the Lord would, the Father would bring him to glory with the name   of all names in the end. But the Lord will raise us up   to glory as we suffer under hardship for his name as well. God governs   us even then through wicked and unregenerate men. Now that's   true particularly in the realm of the nation and the world and   even in families with unregenerate parents. In a sense, it's even   true in the church, that is to be the community of the redeemed   and the degenerate. We also know sometimes you might   have a minister who said a lot of good and true things and he   turns out to be an apostate, but yet the Lord still worked   through that. The reality is God has put these   people in authority and by that sheer office. There is a respect   owed to them Not every command not every duty Doesn't mean we   personally like them or agree with them, but there is a respect   there unless or until they turn out to be downright tyrannical   and no longer really in authority, but Seeking to kill you and destroy   you So we know children have cruel parents, harsh parents   at times. Wives have harsh and incompetent   husbands. Churches have ministers, elders   who are negligent or mean or cruel and all these sorts of   things. Husbands have wives that the Proverbs talks about can   be like a leaky faucet saying it's better to be in the desert   than to live with. We have these struggles and they're not hidden   from us in scripture. And yet in all of that, the call   to honor, to show respect, is still repeated and given to us.   In those times of hardship, do not think that God has forgotten   you. He constantly puts his people in hard situations. Again, think   of any figure in scripture, any person, Job, David, you know,   he's on the run from Saul, but later he's on the run from his   son, Absalom, trying to kill him. They were through all kinds   of stuff. He showed honor, David showed   honor, even in the midst of that. To Saul, he could have killed   Saul, and he showed honor. He didn't do it. His son, he   might have showed too much pity, if anything, to his son, who   sought to kill him. They understood those structures,   even in the midst of very, very great degrees of brokenness.   We have brokenness and messed up things in our nation today,   but we can't at root forget the duty and the call to give honor   to whom honor is due. Jesus says in Matthew 22, 21,   render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and   to God the things that are God's. God rules us in Christ, he's   our prophet, priest, and king, and yet God, Christ, rules us   through kings on earth, prophets and preachers, and the pulpit,   and elders and ministers who like priests pray for us and   shepherd us, and so on as well. And so just a couple weeks ago,   I had this sermon prepared for last week, and then we pushed   back to this week, But that was with the No Kings protest and   things like that going on at that time. And some Christians   were saying, and we understand the sentiment, and there's good   truth to this, they were saying, well, there's no king but Christ.   That's what we should say is no king but Christ. There's no   ultimate king and ruler except Christ. He has all authority   in heaven on earth, that's true. However, he's also king of kings   and lord of lords. There absolutely are kings and   rulers and magistrates that we have to give honor to in this   life, on this earth as well. Christ sovereignly exercises   his kingship even through rulers of this world. He is king of   kings and lord of lords. But there's also other kings.   There's other nations and peoples and so on. Christ is prophet,   priest, and king, and yet he has his prophets, priests, and   kings mediating, in a sense, his authority and rule to us   in this life still. And we owe them honor. And again,   to honor them is therefore to honor Christ, the King of kings   and Lord of lords also. Well, finally, we already touched   on it, but briefly, as we come to a conclusion, in the Shorter   Catechism, question 66, the promise is there of long life and prosperity,   insofar as it gives God glory and is for our good. Sometimes   God takes away his people earlier in life to bring them to glory.   So, of course, we're not saying that anybody who dies young was   therefore disobeying and dishonoring God. That's not the case, but   the general pattern that we see in scripture and that God promises   is that you will have a long life that's repeating in Ephesians   6 as well for children of the new covenant it wasn't restricted   to the old testament or something like that that blessing in this   life wherever you dwell on the earth will be given to you as   you obey your superiors as you give them honor according to   God and His Word, keeping His commandments through them, and   so on. It naturally is going to lead   to blessing, and God will orchestrate things together for your good   and His glory as you serve Him and praise Him in those ways. So, honor your father and mother,   all of them, all your superiors, and do so as an act of honoring   and serving God Christ. All authority is ordained by   God and given to Christ. And submission to such God-ordained   authorities is submission, obedience, love, and loyalty, not only to   those earthly authorities, but to God Himself. And then, and   we didn't spend as much time on this, but when you are the   one in authority, When you are the one in the place of having   to help serve others by your leadership and guidance and so   on, exercise it well and do so in love as Christ loves the church   and gave himself for her. The rulers, the leaders, the   teachers, they are held to a stricter judgment. You have those under   you, and probably all of us in certain relations have those   under us that we're to care for in certain ways. And sometimes   it just happens naturally. Somebody's gifted and skilled   in this area, they're organizing something, and everybody comes   under their authority to listen to them to get things done. Do   good in your positions of authority as well. We all exist in an extensive   network of being an authority in some areas over some people,   perhaps under the authority of those same people in other areas.   So it shouldn't be an ego thing. It shouldn't be I'm over you,   I'm under you kind of thing as a boast. It's just the way that   God has designed it so that we can help serve one another. Whether   you are an authority, whether you are in submission, or whether   you are basically a co-worker, a co-equal, a sibling, whatever   the case may be. And there's different duties   that we have in those differing relations. Now we could do another   sermon, but I certainly won't do that right now, don't worry.   But next time we could do another sermon going through the larger   catechism on the fifth commandment, but I think instead of doing   that, I would simply encourage you, look at the larger catechism   on the fifth commandment and the things that are commanded   to do and the things that are commanded not to do related to   the fifth commandment and really think about that and pray about   that and ask God to help you through that. There's much that   is there. This is really just scratching the surface here.   But when you see that, and you see the good design of God in   this, you'll see how much he blesses us as we obey him, as   we obey our superiors, and when we are the superiors, when we   help others under us and under our care. And so in conclusion,   you exist in both, in all these relationships, to do good in   both, and God will bless you and your children with prosperity   in this life, and above all, the Lord's favor and delight   in you as his faithful children. So take heart, and honor your   father and mother. Let's pray. Father, again, we thank you for   your word and its truth. Lord, we are a nation and culture   that is really almost built on dishonor or flatness, egalitarianism,   and not really wanting to give honor to anyone or to see that.   We want to erase that or minimize that and dilute that as much   as possible. We think if we emphasize it, it's an inherent demeaning   of an inferior and inherent boasting of a superior. But it isn't that,   or at least it should not be that, Lord. We should judge with   righteous judgment. We should see the order and structure   and hierarchies that you have ordained for our good. We need   help from others at times, and we, at times, are used by you   to be that help to others. So Lord, help us to learn our   place and our callings as man and woman and parent and child   and our stations in this life, as the Shorter Catechism calls   it, to do what you call us to do and to be content with where   we are. And if we can improve our lot and our station and advance   among our equals, be strong and surpassing them, if it's your   will, and to do it all for your glory, Lord, then help us to   do that. The Lord, help us to see that   honoring father and mother beginning in the home, that root, duty,   and authority is so needed today. Help parents to raise their children   in the Lord. Help children to heed and obey their parents and   to give them honor. And of course, as adult sons and daughters,   let us show that piety that we owe to our parents and our grandparents   and so on as well. to have that culture of honor,   to have that heart to honor you above all by honoring those you   put in our lives who have done so much good for us despite their   sin and shortcomings. Lord, we thank you again for   your mercy and grace to build up your church and kingdom. And   we ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen. Let us stand together as   we close our service. You'll see in your bulletin there,   we'll respond in song by singing the Gloria Patri. Everybody ready? Glory to the Father, and to the   Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now,   and ever shall be. World without end. Amen. Amen. Beloved congregation, once again   lift up your hearts unto the Lord and receive his parting   word of blessing. The Lord bless you and keep you.   The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.   The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. Praise the Lord.