The message begins by building on the practical teaching of Romans 12, emphasizing that many of a Christian’s biggest struggles are “people problems.” People can be some of the greatest blessings in life and also some of the hardest relationships to navigate, yet believers were never called to isolate themselves. The pastor rejects the idea of withdrawing from people like a monk, because God designed believers for fellowship. Since life will always involve relationships, the Christian must learn to handle people biblically—both inside the church and outside it—and recognize that spiritual growth is often revealed in how we treat others.

From Romans 12, the pastor highlights the command to be “kindly affectionate” with “brotherly love.” He presents this as a weak area in many churches because believers often keep others at arm’s length. This distance may feel comfortable, but it prevents real fellowship and results in spiritual stagnation. True church life requires stepping outside one’s personal bubble. The pastor connects this with the phrase “in honour preferring one another,” explaining that the root struggle is self-preference: many believers evaluate church involvement by whether it benefits them personally. When Christians become inward-focused, other people’s needs stop mattering, and ministry suffers.

He contrasts immaturity and maturity through a simple picture: babies live by “I have a need—meet my need.” In the same way, immature Christians approach church and ministry with “What can I get out of this?” If the answer is “nothing,” they withdraw. Mature believers, however, may recognize they will gain little personally, yet still choose to participate because their service might help someone else grow. In that choice, they learn the deeper reward: serving God through serving others. The pastor warns that isolation often leads to unhealthy outcomes—discouragement, depression, and even unnecessary drama—because the Christian life was not meant to be lived alone.

The pastor then points to Romans 12:18 and 12:21 to show that biblical relationships require intentional effort: “If it be possible…live peaceably with all men,” and “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” He notes that Paul almost seems to offer an “escape” with the phrase “if it be possible,” but then removes it with “as much as lieth in you.” The believer does not get to excuse themselves by saying peace is impossible, because God has placed within them the Holy Spirit. Without God, people naturally default to selfishness, but with God’s Spirit, Christians can live differently—refusing to be conquered by evil and instead overcoming it with good. This sets the stage for the next subject: how Christians relate not only to people around them, but also to people over them.

Moving into Romans 13:1, the pastor introduces the theme of submission to authority, acknowledging it is not an enjoyable topic for most people. He explains that submission is essentially “laying down arms,” meaning to stop fighting and resisting. He especially addresses young people, urging them to learn submission early with visible authorities like parents. His reasoning is direct: if someone cannot submit to an authority they can see, they will struggle to submit to God whom they cannot see. The message repeatedly frames submission not as weakness, but as a spiritual discipline that reveals whether pride is ruling the heart.

The pastor identifies “the higher powers” in Romans 13 as government authority, following the flow from Romans 12 (relationships in the church, relationships outside the church) into Romans 13 (relationships with authority). He recognizes that Christians often resist government because they disagree with decisions or feel leadership is foolish. Yet he insists Scripture does not make obedience dependent on agreement. The believer is called to obey because authority exists under God’s permission: “there is no power but of God… the powers that be are ordained of God.” From this, the pastor teaches that even when a leader is disliked, the position still deserves respect because God has allowed that authority to exist.

However, he carefully marks a boundary: obedience to government is not absolute in the sense that it overrides biblical convictions. He uses the example of church restrictions during 2020, explaining that the church sought to follow government authority, yet he asks: when does that obedience stop? His answer is that it stops when government begins to encroach on convictions—non-negotiables that a believer cannot violate without betraying who they are and, more importantly, what God commands. He distinguishes convictions from preferences: it is one thing to dislike a law; it is another thing if obeying it would require disobedience to God. He illustrates this boundary through Daniel: Daniel found ways to cooperate when compromise was possible (seeking an alternative arrangement rather than resisting outright), but when the law directly forbade prayer and no compromise remained, Daniel continued to pray as he always had, accepting the consequences. The principle emphasized is that the Christian should not be rebellious by nature, but must remain faithful when obedience to God is at stake.

In Romans 13:2, the pastor underscores the seriousness of resisting lawful authority: those who “resist the power” resist “the ordinance of God” and bring “damnation” on themselves. He interprets this as real consequences that come from refusing to follow the laws of the land. Again, he returns to the question of motive: is the issue truly a conviction, or is it simply personal dislike? If it is only dislike, resisting authority becomes spiritual self-harm, because it positions a person against what God has permitted and can lead to unnecessary trouble and judgment in life.

He then explains Romans 13:3–4 by presenting authority as a God-given structure meant to restrain evil, not punish good conduct. When a person lives with good conduct—following authority appropriately—they experience peace. Conversely, many people miss peace because they continually fight authority in every area of life: in the home, in school, at work, and in government. To make this practical, the pastor shares lessons he learned from authority figures in his own life. A teacher taught him that turning in assignments was not only about schoolwork, but about training obedience for the real world—because a person who cannot follow instruction will struggle as an employee. A coach taught him the same principle in a sharper way: when instructed to make a certain play, he chose his own way instead, hesitated, and failed—hurting the whole team. The pastor’s point is that the problem was not the “jerk coach,” but a heart that would not submit. Peace is connected to order, and order requires learning to follow rightful authority.

The sermon then emphasizes that government officials are described as “ministers of God” in the sense that they are servants used to maintain order and execute consequences against evil. The pastor admits this is hard for many to accept—especially when watching national leaders speak—yet he insists the Bible uses that language. He urges believers to maintain a respectful posture toward the position, even while acknowledging that disagreement with policies can be expressed. He draws a line between criticizing actions and attacking people: when someone attacks the person in authority, they risk showing contempt not only for the individual but for God’s ordination of that role. He gives an example of praying consistently for leaders he does not personally agree with, to guard his own heart from resisting the authority God has allowed.

Romans 13:5 is used to explain that Christians should submit not only to avoid punishment (“wrath”), but also for “conscience sake.” The pastor explains conscience as an inner awareness—an internal check that recognizes right and wrong. He warns that persistent disobedience damages a person internally, because it can harden and “sear” the conscience until the guilt of sin fades. He describes this as a spiritually dangerous condition: when someone no longer feels conviction, they can drift farther and farther without restraint. Obedience, therefore, is not merely about avoiding external consequences; it is also about preserving spiritual sensitivity before God.

From Romans 13:6–7, the pastor applies submission to practical duties: paying tribute, customs, and giving honor. His point is that obedience shows up in ordinary responsibilities like paying taxes, tolls, fines, and required costs of life. These are not presented as optional acts based on mood or opinion, but as part of submitting properly under authority. He links this back to a bigger theme of Romans: God uses the structures and trials of life to strengthen a believer’s relationship with Him. When a Christian says, “I know what God says, but I don’t want to do it,” they are revealing the same root issue seen in authority struggles—resistance to submission. In that sense, learning to submit to legitimate authority becomes training for submitting to God.

The sermon broadens the application by describing how God uses multiple spheres—home, church, and creation itself—to teach spiritual truths. Within the home, the roles of husband, wife, parents, and children are meant to reflect order and relationship. Within the church, leadership and followership are meant to point believers toward Christ, echoing the idea of “follow me as I follow Christ.” Even creation is described as constantly displaying lessons that point upward toward God. The pastor’s repeated conclusion is that nothing in life is spiritually “separate”; every area—relationships, authority, responsibilities, and finances—connects back to faith.

Finally, in Romans 13:8, the pastor transitions into the subject of money and debt: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.” He cautions Christians to be careful with finances because spending and debt can create bondage—what someone invests in becomes what controls them. He warns that when a person’s “treasure” is trapped in obligations, their heart is pulled toward constant pressure: payments, bills, and maintaining comforts. This can even affect faithfulness and priorities, such as commitment to church and spiritual service, because life becomes dominated by what is owed. He closes by tying the entire progression together: Romans 12 calls believers to live as living sacrifices; then Paul applies that sacrifice to how we treat people, how we respond to government authority, and how we handle money—because every part of life is a “God aspect.” The concluding challenge is pointed: each person must ask whose authority they are truly under, because a refusal to obey rightful authority on earth often reveals a deeper struggle to obey God.