Dharius Daniels - RESET - Part 9

Here’s my first point tonight: we’re going through Romans 13, 14, 15, and 16, covering four chapters. Here it is: Romans 13. Here’s my first point: we need to reset many of our understandings of submission. Yes, I told you, you better share this because I cannot properly execute what I don’t properly understand. If I misinterpret or misunderstand something, I’m going to make some missteps and mistakes. Now, watch this: we cannot objectively read Scripture and not come to the conclusion that submission is a part of living the King’s way. There are three ways you can live your life: culture’s way, church’s way, and King’s way. These are three ways to live your life; these are three lanes of living, and the three lanes of living lead to three levels of living. Every lane is not created equal. Culture’s way leads to sinking, church’s way leads to surviving, and the King’s way, which is Jesus’s way, is often different from the church that bears His name. That way leads to thriving. Jesus said if you want to thrive, you must learn how to get under the mission. My goodness, did you hear what I just said? «Sub-mission» is a synthesis of two words: «sub,» like submarine, means «under,» and «mission» refers to God’s mission for your life. So, submission is not control. Come here; submission is protective custody. When God says «submit,» He’s saying, «Come on, parents, let me use earthly parents as an example. Let me see if y’all are following me in this chat.» Okay, I see you; I see you. All right, now catch this: let me use earthly parents. When you give your children instructions, when you give them admonitions, such as «do this,» or prohibitions, such as «you can’t do that,» are you trying to control their lives? Come on, you’ve got work, responsibility, bills, relationship responsibilities, spiritual growth, personal growth, financial management, and dreams you’re trying to birth. You’re not concerned or consumed with controlling their lives. They’re thinking, «You’re trying to control me?» No! You think I don’t have anything else to do but control you? No, this isn’t control; this is protective custody. This is covering; this is not a lid; this is an umbrella to keep you from being exposed to unnecessary elements. So when God says things like relationally, «don’t be unequally yoked,» He’s not trying to control; He’s trying to cover. He’s not trying to restrict your freedom; He’s trying to protect it. He’s saying, «I’d rather you be alone and whole than together and broken with somebody.» Are you hearing me? Jesus says this: «If any man is going to follow me, let him deny himself.» Come on, I’m not backing away from this, family; I love us too much. He says, «Let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.» God says, «I’m not trying to control; I’m not just a loving God.» Listen to this. Listen to this—come get me! Somebody drop this in the chat to edify one another. Just in case someone had to take a call or missed this, I want the chat to be flooded with this. Even those of you who never put anything in the chat, I’m asking you to edify your brother or sister and put this in the chat so that it fills their brain: «God is smarter than me.» Drop that in the chat. Yes, God is not only righteous; He is wise. Submission must believe not only in the righteousness of God but also be grounded in a revelation of the wisdom of God. So if you tell me not to do it, you’re smarter than me. If you tell me not to go there, you’re smarter than me. If you tell me to forgive my enemies, you’re smarter than me. See, watch this: submission is getting under the mission. And the bridge from rebellion to submission is a bridge called trust. You cannot submit where you don’t trust, and the reason some of us won’t forgive our enemies is that we don’t trust that it’s in our best interest. Come here, Holy Spirit! The reason some of us will not give generously with our resources is that we don’t trust we’ll live under an open heaven if we do. We don’t trust that sowing and reaping really works. We don’t trust that if I lay down my agenda and make what is important to God important to me, God will make what is important to me important to Him. But here it is: the enemy knows the importance of submission because God wants to do more than save our lives; He wants to lead them. And He can’t lead us to the next level if we don’t allow Him to actually be the leader. Now, when we study Romans 8, we talked about this when we discussed salvation and how salvation is tied and tethered to the confession that Jesus is Lord, right? Not just «Jesus is Savior,» but «Jesus is Lord.» Our salvation is tied and tethered to that reality; that’s what the Apostle Paul declares. So God wants to do more than save my life; He wants to lead it. He can’t really lead it until He saves it. Many of us, if you grew up in church like I did, were taught to quote the 23rd Psalm, but we haven’t been taught to live it. How can I say, «The Lord’s my shepherd,» and I won’t let Him lead? Boy, if I had a podium, I’d stand up here and say, «God said you let me lead; I’ll get you to green pastures and still waters if you let me.»