Appreciation service for our police, fire and EMT personnel
Romans 13:1-7
We are living in a society in which violence is increasing and respect for authority is decreasing. Our public service personnel are on the front line in carrying out their task on our behalf. So this service is for them to let them know of our appreciation and support for what they do.
Because of our sin nature God has given mankind three institutions to keep society under control. The home, civil government and the church. Civil government and the church has similar responsibilities but in differnet realms. The civil government operates in the temporal area of life while the church deals with issues concerning one’s eternal destiny.
In our text, we learn that the men and wonen in civil government are considered as “God’s servants†(v4) and “ministers of God†(v6) as they perform their duties and as such we are admonished to be “subject unto their authority†by showing “respect and giving them honor†(v6). These local heros are commissioned to carry out their responsibility of protecting us and punishing the wrong doer as God’s respresentatives (Gen 9:1-7) , by sertting examples of justice and righteousness, protecting us from oppressors and by keeping our courts honest and just (Jer 22:1-3).
On the other hand, we as born again believers have and additional responsibilty of being submissive and obedient to our Lord and His kingdom. It is not our task to clean up civil government but to proclaim the good new of the gospel, Christ death, burial and resurrrection, to all. In Luke 4:18-19, Christ stated His purpose of proclaiming good news to the lost, to those who are captive to sin, to those who are spiritually dead and to the hopeless. Just before His departure to heaven He gives us the command to do the same (Matt 28:20), and this we must do.
To our local authorities, police, fire and EMT personnel, we here at LBC, take this time to thank you for your service to us and for the freedom we have in proclaiming God’s message of salvation to you.