Allegiance to Christ (?)

While mowing the lawn today, I heard a sermon that wonderfully summarizes the message that has been burning hotter and hotter in my heart. The message that our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus Christ. When our allegiance to Christ contradicts any other allegiance, we must go with Christ.

The message can be heard by going here, then scroll down to 9/6 "Turning Jesus over to Caesar" and listen, read, or watch the sermon.

The message is powerful, counter-cultural, a prophetic voice to American Christianity, biblicly sound and contains coth relevant and accurate church history.

Basically, Christians living in a particular culture face the constant temptation to mistake their way of life for the Kingdom of Jesus. We're like fish, who can't see the water in which they're swimming. This has been happening for over 1500 years in church history, ever since Constantine was converted to Christianity. When we make this mistake of perspective, Jesus is reduced to a "cheerleader for our way of life." Whether it be democracy, capitalism, socialism or even nazism (yes, most churches in Germany supported Hitler because they believed he was restoring the "Christian" nation of Germany to it's rightful place and defending the Fatherland from their enemies).

But when the values of that particular culture contradicts the values of Jesus' Kingdom, we have to make a choice - Jesus or Caesar. With the exception of a few distinct groups, most Christians through Christendom have chosen Caesar. Church history teaches that it's possible to sincerely believe you're following Jesus while you're actually confusing a commitment to Caesar for a commitment to Jesus.

I'm trying to discern God's leadership in how TFC can consistently choose Jesus.