Godly Government (Raising Giant Killers, Part 3, Notes)

Leadership is best accomplished by people who know when and how to rule and when and how to serve.

The basic purpose of government is to protect and empower.

The pastors who lead the church well should be paid well. They should receive double honor for faithfully preaching and teaching the revelation of the Word of God.

18 For the Scriptures have taught us: “Do not muzzle an ox or forbid it to eat while it grinds the grain.” And also, “The one who labors deserves his wages.”
We rule with the heart of a servant and serve with the heart of a King.

1 Timothy 5:17-18 (TPT)

I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

Genesis 17:6 (NIV)

13 In order to honor the Lord, you must respect and defer to the authority of every human institution, whether it be the highest ruler

14 or the governors he puts in place to punish lawbreakers and to praise those who do what’s right.

15 For it is God’s will for you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right.

1 Peter 2:13-15 (TPT)

3 For civil authorities don’t intimidate those who are doing good, but those who are doing evil. So do what is right and you’ll never need to fear those in authority. They will commend you for your good citizenship. 

4 Those in authority are God’s servants for the good of society. But if you break the law, you have reason to be alarmed, for they are God’s agents of punishment to bring criminals to justice. Why do you think they carry weapons?

5 You are compelled to obey them, not just to avoid punishment, but because you want to live with a clean conscience.

Romans 13:3-5. (TPT) 

Praise and punishment.

16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah

17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,

18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

Nehemiah 4:16-18 (NIV)

We protect AND empower to move the work forward.