Worship | Sunday, September 6, 2026 11:00am | But I Don't Want To

Paul begins with the hard word from Romans: “Do not avenge yourselves.” God claims vengeance as his own because God is the ultimate authority, the one who sees every wrong and judges rightly. The desire to get even says, “But God, I really don’t want to,” because taking matters into human hands feels better than trusting God to sort it out.

Paul then calls Christians to submit to governing authorities because God has instituted authority in the world. Government, parents, teachers, bosses, police officers, and other authorities are not perfect, but God uses authority to punish evil and commend good. The refusal to submit usually does not begin with some huge moral crisis. The refusal often starts with small things: stop talking in class, clean the room, stand in line, pay the toll, slow down.

Submission does not mean mindlessly following whatever an authority says. Submission means recognizing that someone else has been given responsibility and that the individual is not the one in control. Most of the time, that recognition leads to obedience because most commands are morally neutral and even helpful. But God remains above every earthly authority, and an authority cannot become God.

Acts gives the clear boundary through Peter and John: “We must obey God rather than men.” Earthly authority must be resisted when it commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands. Christian resistance does not grab for vengeance or demand control. Christian resistance does the right thing, speaks with respect where possible, and accepts the consequences rather than denying Christ.

Jesus stands as the greatest example of submission. Jesus faced the Father’s wrath in Gethsemane and prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Christ, the authority over all things, submitted to the cross and even submitted himself for sinners in order to save them. His obedience makes every “I don’t want to” ring pretty hollow.

Politics cannot carry Christian hope. Christian authority should be shaped by God’s Word rather than captured by party platforms, personal pride, or the need to win. Hope rests in Jesus, whose forgiveness changes lives even under bad governments, difficult leaders, and frustrating circumstances.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God alone owns final vengeance God does not hand ultimate judgment over to wounded pride or personal anger. The desire to make someone pay can feel righteous while actually revealing distrust in God’s justice. God sees what human courts, leaders, and relationships may never fully see, and God will not judge wrongly. [42:46]
• 2. Submission admits limited personal control Submission is difficult because it forces the heart to admit that it is not the decision maker in every situation. Ordinary obedience often becomes a real test of faith precisely because the command seems small and inconvenient. God uses these everyday moments to expose the old instinct to say, “I know best.” [49:01]
• 3. Earthly authority never replaces God Earthly authorities are good gifts from God, but they remain earthly and limited. Submission does not require participation in sin or silence when God’s clear command is being rejected. Obedience to God may cost something, but faithfulness refuses to make comfort the highest authority. [56:19]
• 4. Jesus submitted to save sinners Jesus did not submit because the cross was easy or because suffering was good in itself. Jesus submitted to the Father’s will while carrying the wrath that sinners deserved. Christ’s “not my will, but yours be done” becomes both the source of forgiveness and the pattern for a life of trust.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [38:59] - A Middle School “I Don’t Want To”
• [41:09] - God’s Hard Commands
• [41:51] - Leave Vengeance to God
• [43:34] - Submit to Governing Authorities
• [45:38] - Small Acts of Disobedience
• [49:01] - What Submission Means
• [50:35] - Vocation and Political Responsibility
• [52:18] - Submission Is Not Mindless Obedience
• [55:19] - When Authority Commands Wrong
• [56:32] - Obey God Rather Than Men
• [57:52] - Responsibility Toward Fellow Christians
• [59:48] - Jesus, the Greatest Example of Submission
• [62:04] - Christian Authority and Politics
• [63:22] - Hope Is in Jesus

Bible Reading

Romans 13:1-2
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” [45:09]

Acts 5:29
“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” [57:01]

Luke 22:42
“Saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’” [01:00:28]

Romans 12:19
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” [41:51]

Observation questions

1. In Romans 12:19, what does Paul tell believers not to do, and what does he tell them to leave in God’s hands? [42:10]
2. According to Romans 13:1-2, where does earthly authority ultimately come from, and what is the result of resisting it?
3. What ordinary examples of resisting authority are given: at school, at home, and on the road? What do these examples have in common? [45:44]
4. In Acts 5:29, what specific command were Peter and John refusing to follow, and why did they continue speaking about Jesus? [56:32]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is the desire to get even often more than anger? How can it reveal a struggle to trust that God sees wrongdoing and will judge rightly? [42:51]
2. Romans 13 calls Christians to submit to authorities, while Acts 5:29 calls Christians to obey God rather than people. How can a Christian tell the difference between a command that is merely inconvenient and a command that would require sin? [52:18]
3. Submission does not mean that a person stops thinking or pretending that every authority is always right. What does it mean to recognize that someone else has been given responsibility and that the individual is not the one in control? [52:38]
4. When an authority commands what God forbids, why is accepting consequences part of faithful Christian resistance rather than taking revenge or trying to seize control? [56:06]

Application questions

1. Think of a recent situation where someone wronged, embarrassed, or disappointed you. What did you want to do to “make them pay”? What would it look like to place that situation in God’s hands without pretending the wrong did not matter? [43:08]
2. Where do you most often say, “I don’t want to,” toward ordinary authority: at home, work, school, in traffic, or elsewhere? What is beneath that response—convenience, pride, frustration, or a desire to be in control? [49:12]
3. Is there a small act of obedience you have been treating as optional simply because you dislike the rule or dislike the person in authority? What could respectful obedience look like this week? [53:52]
4. When an instruction from an authority makes you uneasy but does not clearly contradict God’s Word, how could you ask questions respectfully rather than responding with immediate resistance or complaint? [54:40]
5. Have you ever faced, or might you face, a situation where obedience to God could bring a real cost at work, school, in family relationships, or in public life? What would it mean to do what is right while remaining respectful and willing to accept consequences? [55:19]
6. How do political disagreements affect your attitude, speech, and relationships with others? What would change if hope were placed not in a party, leader, or election result, but in Jesus Christ? [01:03:22]
7. Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but yours, be done,” and went to the cross to save sinners. In what current area of life do you need Christ’s forgiveness for resisting God’s will, and how can his willing submission give you courage to trust the Father? [01:04:12]