Truth be told, many Christians are just as indifferent toward church government as Americans are toward civil government. One reason for this coldness is because man is sinful. The nature of sin is to resist authority and go our own way. Sin pushes us along from the inside to be our own authority, our own government. “Prone to wander / Lord I feel it / Prone to leave the God I love.”

In a 1986 speech President Ronald Reagan said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’”

A lot of Americans appreciated Reagan’s humorous point because sometimes government does more to harm than to help. Many Americans, however, appreciated Reagan’s point for another reason. Many just do not believe they need government. They think government only makes citizens weaker.

I am not writing to argue the merits or limits of civil government. The scriptures do speak to these things. But today the Lord would have us think about another kind of government – church government, the government of the highest and best of monarchs, King Jesus. His kingdom.

Truth be told, many Christians are just as indifferent toward church government as Americans are toward civil government. One reason for this coldness is because man is sinful. The nature of sin is to resist authority and go our own way. Sin pushes us along from the inside to be our own authority, our own government. “Prone to wander / Lord I feel it / Prone to leave the God I love.”

But ingrained sin is not the only reason Christians resist church government. We also resist because of the sin we have seen in those who govern. It is a sad truth, but the church of Jesus Christ over the years has had too many crooks, charlatans, clowns, bullies and unregenerate men in positions of governance. This is exactly what Jesus confronted in the leaders of Israel (Matthew 23). But praise be God, the Head of the kingdom is without fault and his Word is without corruption.

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