I was thinking, believe it or
not, what are the most famous statements of the Lord to the
world at large? And the first one that I thought
of probably would be judge not. People love that statement. Judge
not. Whenever they're engaging in
something that's wrong, don't judge me. And then the next scripture
that came to my mind is John 3.16. God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And the third thing that came
to my mind is this scripture that we just read. The Lord's
famous for this statement. People use this, render to Caesar
the things that are Caesar's and render to God the things
that are God's. Now, I don't know if those are
the most famous statements, but they're the ones that come to
my mind at any rate. I've entitled this message, Render
What Is Due. Now, I found this message helpful
and I hope you will too. render what is due. Verse 13, and they, well, who
are they? Look in verse 12, and they sought
to lay hold upon him, but feared the people. This is Mark chapter
12, verse 12. They sought to lay hold on him,
but feared the people for they knew that he had spoken the parable
against them. And they left him and went their
way and they sinned unto him. They plotted and chose this direction
in their hatred of him. And they sinned unto him certain
of the Pharisees and of the Herodians. Why? To catch him in his words. Matthew's account says they sought
to entangle him in his talk. Luke says they watched him and
sent forth spies, which would feign themselves just men, that
they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him
to the power and the authority of the government. These men
hated Jesus Christ. and they wanted to do whatever
they could to destroy him. Now, that is what is going on
at this time. Now, look at verse 14. Now, we
know these men had a wicked motive, but truer words have never been
spoken. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we
know that thou art true and carest for no man. Now that doesn't
mean he doesn't care about men. It means he's not going to mold
his speech to please men. He's going to give the truth
at all times. He's not a man-placer. He doesn't
care for men's opinion. He's going to give the truth. For thou regardest not the person
of men, but teaches the way of God in truth." Now, that's absolutely
true, but it was pure flattery. That's all it was, pure flattery. They had an evil motive behind
what they were saying, and it was pure flattery. True, but
flattery. Somebody says, what is flattery?
Excessive and insincere praise given to further one's own interests. When you're flattered, you know
you're being manipulated. That's the purpose behind flattery. Some of us are vain enough to
like it anyway, but it's an unclean thing. And while what they said
was true, what they said was unclean. They had a wicked motive
behind it, and here's what they said. Is it lawful to give tribute
to Caesar or not? Shall we give or shall we not
give? Now, this was a carefully crafted
question, very much like the men that brought the woman taken
in adultery. This woman was taken in the very
act. Now Moses in the law said that such should be stoned. What
do you say? And they thought that whatever
answer he gave would condemn him. If he says stoner, they
can say, where's your mercy? And if he says, let her go, they
can say, where's your respect for the law? They thought they
had him. And I love his answer, a brilliant
answer that they couldn't say anything about. He that's without
sin among you wrote the first of them. And every one of them left him.
This is similar. If he says pay it, pay that tribute
money, You know, this coin actually said Caesar, the Most High Priest. It actually said that on the
coin. It was something everybody was required to give and they
resented it. They were required to give to
a corrupt government. They were required to give something
that was idolatry in the very first place, and they were required
to give it, and they hated and resented giving this to this
corrupt government, this oppressive government with their thumb on
them. And if he says, pay it, he would have lost the popular
applause of the people. If he said, don't pay it, What's
gonna happen? He'll get arrested. He's trying
to stir up rebellion. He'll get arrested. They thought
we've got him trapped. That is, I find it so amusing
how these idiots thought they could entrap omniscience. They
thought they had him trapped. Any answer he gives will be bad. And then, I love the way the
Lord says, but he knowing their hypocrisy. As a matter of fact, when he
said, why tempt ye me? He said in Matthew's account,
why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? And you can be sure that galled
them. when he said that to them. But what they were doing was
purely hypocritical, trying to entrap the Lord in his words. And then he said, bring me a
penny that I may see it, this Roman coin that everybody was
required to give. that seemed unright, unfair. It was an unjust government.
It was an oppressive government. EVERYONE resented giving it.
And look what he said. Whose is the image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesars. And then he gives, and I said
this last week, I hesitate to use the word brilliant because
this is the Lord we're speaking of. He's omniscient. Him dealing
with these people, but this was a brilliant answer in the sense
that they couldn't answer back. He said, render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar's. Whose images on this? Caesar's. You render to Caesar. the things
that are Caesar's, and you render to God the things that are God's."
And they marveled at him. They thought, We're defeated
again. All this man does is make us
look bad. As a matter of fact, as you go
on down to the end of this chapter, after another couple of things,
no man dares to ask him any more questions. They have had it with
this. Render to Caesar The things that
are Caesar render to God the things that are God. Now the
word render means give what is due. Give what is due. We have the passage of scripture
in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 where the husband is called on to render
to the wife due benevolence. The goodwill owed her. The kindness
owed her. And the wife is called upon to
render to her husband due benevolence. A husband and wife owe each other
being a helpmate, helping one another. I hope in every marriage,
I want to be careful when I say this, But I hope in every marriage
the wife can correct her husband and the husband can correct her
wife because you're missing out on a lot of things if that can't
be done. You owe that to your spouse.
Render unto the husband due benevolence. Render unto the wife due benevolence. Let's look at how this word is
used in Romans chapter 13. Would you turn there? Romans chapter 13. Let every soul, that's me and
you, be subject unto the higher powers. Now that's talking about
positions of authority, police officers, teachers, government
officials, It's not just talking about authority in the Church,
it's talking about the authorities that God has put in place. Four,
there is no power but of God. Whoever's been put into a position
of authority, you know who put them there? God did. There's
no power but of God. The powers that be are ORDAINED
of God. resists the power, resisteth
the ordinance of God. And they that resist shall receive
to themselves damnation. Now that's not talking about
eternal damnation. You break the law, you're going
to pay the consequences. That's what that's talking about.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.
Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power or respect for that
authority that God has put in place? Do that which is good,
and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister
of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is
evil, be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain. This is
talking about the punishment of the law for he is the minister
of God, a revenger. to execute wrath upon him that
doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject,
not only for wrath, not only to avoid being punished, but
also for consensate, doing the right thing. For this cause pay
ye tribute also." This is the issue here. For they are God's
ministers attending continually upon this very thing. Render
therefore, there's the word, render therefore to all their
dues. Tribute to whom tribute is due,
custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Now, a believer should be the
best, most respectful, most diligent, most obedient citizen. Pay your bills. Treat men as
you want to be treated. And remember this, the powers
that be are ordained of God. And as long as that power doesn't
tell you to do something that God forbids you to do, and as
long as that power doesn't forbid you to do something God tells
you to do, you're to obey that authority. That's God's authority,
even if you don't agree with everything. You're to obey that
authority. Scripture says it's God's minister. So, render to Caesar the things
that are Caesar's. That's God's command to me and
you. And then next, he says, render
to God the things that are God's. You render to Caesar the things
that are Caesar. And we know Caesar's God's pawn. That's all he is. I love that
passage of scripture in Acts chapter 17 when they heard Paul
and Barnabas preach and here was their conclusion. They're
saying there's another king. One who's Caesar's king. King
Jesus. I hope people get that implication
when they hear us preach. We're saying there's another
king. Caesar is his pawn doing his will. Now you render to Caesar
the things that are Caesar's, but you render to God the things
that are due him. Now there's so much due him,
isn't there? Were the whole realm of nature
mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so
divine. demands my soul, my life, my
all. Now I got a question for you.
Does anyone feel as though they rendered to God his proper due? Do you love him as he ought to
be loved? Do you trust him as he ought
to be trusted? Do you serve Him as He ought
to be served? You know, every one of us blush
with embarrassment at how short we fall of rendering to Him what
is His due. We're like David. I love what
David said. In Psalm 17, 15, he said, I'll be satisfied when
I awaken thy likeness. Not until then. As long as I'm
still in this sinful body, being so far short of what I ought
to be, I'm not gonna be satisfied. I'm gonna be satisfied when I
awake in his likeness. As long as we're still sinners,
and we are, there is a dreadful inadequacy with regard to us
rendering to God the things that are God's. Now, what I'd like
us to remember before we go on with this, there's only one,
only one, to ever render to God what he's due. Perfect obedience. And who is that? Jesus Christ,
the Lord. Nobody ever presented his body
a living sacrifice as he did. Nobody ever feared God as he
did. He was heard in that he feared. He trusted his father perfectly. He said, though he slay me. And
he said that from the cross, though he slay me. And he was
cut off with no communication from his father in absolute darkness,
though he slay me. Yet will I trust him. How he glorified the Father. He said, I've glorified thee
on the earth. I've finished the work thou gavest
me to do. Now listen to this. When he was
made sin, when he took the sins of his people in his own body
on the tree, They became his sins. Now, I don't know how to
explain that except to believe it. Now, think about when you
confess your sin. Is there not a measure of insincerity
in it? You may be confessing some sin
that you're planning on committing again. What about your sorrow for sin?
Is your sorrow sufficient? Are you as sorry as you ought
to be with regard to your sin? No, we fall so short. But when he owned our sin as
his own. He said, I acknowledge my transgressions. Like none of us have ever done.
He said, I will be sorry for my sin. Nobody expressed the
sorrow that he did. Here's my point. We're trusting
his rendering to the Father. That's our only hope. I'm not
trusting my faith. I'm trusting his faith. I love
when Paul said, I live yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and
the life that I now live in the flesh. I live by my faith in
the son of God. No, by the faith of the son of
God, we trust him. You see, As inadequate as we
are in ourselves, the scripture still says we are complete. Right now. My service is pleasing
to the Father because I am complete in him and I am trusting who
he is and what he did as all my salvation. So don't lose sight
of that as we consider rendering to God his due. We trust Christ's rendering to
God his due. And that is who and what we're
relying on. But that being said, let me speak
a few moments about me and you rendering to God his due. What's the first thing that comes
to my mind? Fear. Fear. What is due God? The fear of God, which is the
beginning of wisdom. Now, I'm not talking about that
slavish fear that when we sin, we think somehow God's gonna
punish us. and we do something wrong and we think, well, God's
going to take it out in a medical bill or maybe in a hearse, or
we're going to wreck our car, or God's going to smash us. That is not the fear of God. That's a slavish fear. That's
that fear that hath torment. That's not the fear of a child.
That kind of fear is what the old man does. When you have that
kind of fear, that's the old man. That's all it is. I love
what David said. There is forgiveness with thee. Psalm 130. There is forgiveness
with thee that thou mayest be feared. There's no fear of God
without understanding the complete forgiveness one has for Christ's
sake. Only then do I begin to fear
God. The fear of all, the fear of
worship. Now let me tell you where the
fear of God is seen. when you will not look anywhere
but Christ alone as all of your salvation. Now, when you do that,
you fear God. If you have something else, you
don't respect God. You don't have a true reverence
and an all for his person. If you fear God, you're afraid
to look anywhere but Christ. What is due him? Worship. worship. And let me remind you
of something. This is important for us to always
have in our mind. You will only worship an absolute
sovereign. Let me repeat that. You will
only worship a sovereign. You're in his hand and he can
do with you whatever he's pleased to do. Now, as long as you have
some kind of, what if that leper who came and worshiped him said,
Lord, I've been given a bad hand. I've been given leprosy. Now
I'm gonna let you cleanse me. Oh, what happened? There's no
worship in that, is there? There came a leper and worshiped
him saying, Lord, if you will. It's all up to you. Thou canst
make me clean. Now that's worship according
to scripture. Remember that sorrow Phoenician woman? Scripture says,
then came she and worshiped him. When did she do this? When he
said, I'm not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
I've only come for the elect. That's exactly what he says to
her. She says, Lord, help me. I've only come for the elect.
Now she could have said, how could that be fair? She could
have expressed some kind of victim mentality. This is not fair. I'm asking for mercy and you're
turning me away? This is not right. I despise
that victim mentality that thinks I've got this coming and this
is not my fault. She didn't have any, I'm not
saying there isn't true victims. I know there are true victims,
people that suffer horrible abuse, but the victim mentality, I despise. This is not my fault. Yeah, it
is. Yeah, it is. And this woman didn't
come like that. Then came she and worshipped
him. After he said that, then came she and worshipped him.
Now, worship is his due. Does thou believe on the Son
of God? Who is he, Lord, that I might believe? Thou both seen
him, and it's he that speaketh with thee. Lord, I believe. And
he, what? Worshipped. him." The first time
the word worship is used is in Genesis 22 and 5, where Abraham
said, after God said, You go to the mountain, I'm going to
tell you about it, and you go and offer up your son, KILL HIM,
on an altar. And you know what Abraham said
in Genesis 22 and 5? He said to the servants that
were with him, he said, Y'all stay here. I'm the lad, go yonder
and worship and will return to you." He knew that when he killed
that boy, God was going to raise him from the dead. And he, worship
is believing what God says. That's worship. believe. He knew the Messiah was going
to come through Isaac. He knew after he killed him,
God had raised him from the dead. He says, you fellows wait, we're
going to be back. We're going to return after we
go and worship. Well, fears do him, worships
do him. Is not all glory do him? Is that
not his do? All glory were said to be saved to the
praise of the glory of his grace. And every believer without exception
believes themselves to be the biggest trophy of grace in heaven. If you get into heaven, you're
gonna be saying to yourself, I'm the biggest example of grace
here. Oh, how it took the grace of
God to bring me into this place. It was said of Abraham, he staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised,
he was able also to perform. When I stand before thy throne,
dressed in beauty not mine, When I see thee as thou art, love
thee with unsinning heart. Then, Lord, then, Lord, shall
I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. We glorify God when we believe
that which gives him all the glory. Something that gives flesh
any glory is not of God. And is he not due our praise?
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised. Ye that fear the Lord, praise
Him. Great is the Lord, and greatly
to be praised. Let the poor and needy praise
Thee." The people that shall be created,
I like that. The people that shall be born
again. shall praise the Lord." From the rising of the sun to
the going down of the same, that means at all times, under all
circumstances, no matter what the event, the Lord is to be
praised. Let everything that hath breath,
the breath of life, praise the Lord. Paul said in 1 Corinthians
chapter 13, Verse 13, now abideth faith,
hope, love, these three, the greatest of these is love. But
let me ask you this, is he not due absolute trust? Is there
anything about him that would cause you to not believe him,
to not trust him completely? Oh, he's faithful, utterly trustworthy. Is HE NOT WORTHY OF ABSOLUTE
HOPE? ABSOLUTE HOPE! HOPE IS A CONFIDENT
EXPECTATION WITH REGARD TO THE FUTURE. NOW LISTEN TO THIS SCRIPTURE,
AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, TO THEM THAT
LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE,
FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW. Then he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his son. Ain't no way you're
not going to be that. It's your predestined calling
to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he called. Then
he also justified, whom he justified. Then he also glorified. What
shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against this? There's nothing to intimidate
us. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not freely give
us all things? There's nothing to prevent him.
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? There's
nothing to be laid to your charge, nothing to accuse you of. It's
God that justifies. Who is he that can condemn? You
can't be condemned. It's Christ that died. Yea, rather
that's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us, who shall separate us from
the love of God. Is that hope? Is that a confident
expectation with regard to the future? What about love? Is he not altogether lovely?
Is he not worthy of your complete love? I have no problem, it's a stupid
thing to say when I say that with regard to the scripture,
but I have no problem with Paul saying, if any man love not the
Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha. Let him be
damned upon the return of the Lord. He's altogether lovely.
What rejoicing is his due? Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice. when we murmur and complain and
act bitter about what's going on, and then we add the disclaimer,
but I believe God is sovereign, that's somewhat of a contradiction
at the time when we do something like that. Rejoice always, again
I say. Rejoice. is do him be content with such
things you have. What do you have? Jesus Christ,
the complete forgiveness of sins, perfect righteousness, acceptance
with God, the promise that everything is working together for your
good. Be content with such things as you have. What about thankfulness? Thankfulness is His due. II Thessalonians
2, verse 13 says we're BOUND to give thanks, not to you, but
to God, for you, brethren and beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth. I Thessalonians 5, verse
18, and EVERYTHING give thanks for this, whatever it is, WHATEVER
THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS CONCERNING YOU. What peace from His people is
due Him! Peace in His providence, be of
good cheer, it's I, whatever it is. That peace that comes
from knowing that all God requires of you, He looks to Christ for,
having been justified by faith we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Now it was said of the Macedonians,
Aaron, you read this last week. It was said of the Macedonians
that they gave themselves to the Lord. Is that as due? They gave themselves to the Lord. You are not your own. You are
bought with a price. That's scripture. I beseech you by the mercies
of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Anything
else is unreasonable. Now, what's that look like? What's
it look like to present yourself to God? I got a good scripture
to tell you exactly what that looks like. God said in Isaiah chapter 6,
WHOM SHALL I SEND? This is not something that begins
with you. WHOM SHALL I SEND? And He doesn't give any description
of what's going to happen when you're sent other than bad stuff.
Everybody's going to hate you. You're gonna, all kinds of bad
stuff. If you read Isaiah 6, he says,
whom shall I send? But you know what he said next? And who shall go for us? Isaiah said, here am I. Send me. That's what it looks like. to
present yourself to God. Not making any promises about
all the good things you're going to do. Not trying to manipulate
what's going to happen. Here am I. Send me. Is that not His due? Render to Caesar the things that
belong to Caesar. You ought to do that. God says
to do it. That's why. Render to God the
things that are God's. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word. We ask that we might be enabled
by your grace to render to Caesar that which
is due him, and to render to all their due.
But, O Lord, enable us to render to Thee that which belongs to
Thee. And, Lord, we thank You that
our Redeemer rendered perfectly to You. And all of our salvation
is found in His rendering to You what was due. We give thanks
for Him. In His name we pray. Amen. Drew,
you gotta close the door.