Slaves and Masters are both slaves to THE MASTER - Ephesians 6:5-9

Lord’s Day Gathering, Prayer, and New Member Recognition

Thank you. So, you know and with today being Father's Day like this is a wonderful time to celebrate family. But I want us to always remember that it's the Lord's Day. This is where we get to come together as a covenant body and celebrate our Lord's Resurrection.

Amen. Well, thank you so much for everyone that's here today, especially our covenant members we are doing the one and others in Scripture and we're being obedient to all that Christ has commanded us and The book of Hebrews we are encouraged not to neglect the gathering together of the body to spur one another on to love and the good Work, so thank you members of 12 five for your faithfulness.

We know that it's all to the praise of God's glorious grace. And and if you're a guest we want to thank you for being here. And we just would love to encourage you to fill out one of our connect cards.

If you have any questions about our church, we'd love to answer those and if you have any prayer requests. We would love to pray for you and we just would love to invite you to stay after the sermon for our Fellowship meal just so we can get to know you and so that our aim this morning is just to worship God the triune God Father Son and Spirit and I pray that we would grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and so before we start our service officially we pray for a local church.

I say local we pray for for churches that we are in partnership with and we want to lift up Christ the Redeemer in Pine Bluff. Where we know the pastor Creston Thomas and this is their five-year Anniversary that they are celebrating a five-year church plant where we've been me and Nathan talking to Creston.

He's even come to 12 five and just shared so many wonderful things that God is doing over there in Pine Bluff. And they recently just had a baby. Isn't that right? So exciting times. So if you would join me as we pray for Christ Redeemer Church in Pine Bluff Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your mercies that are new every morning God.

We go through so much ups and downs in this life. But God you were consistent and so Lord we lift up a sister church Christ Redeemer in Pine Bluff. We just pray that you would Continue to raise up godly men and women pursuing the kingdom of God Lord.

We just pray that you bless their congregation that they would speak the truth boldly. And God that many would be saved all to the praise of your glorious grace pray these things in your name Jesus. Amen.

Okay. Well today is also a special service where we have two people that I would like to introduce to y 'all Hunter and Kayla Durham if y 'all would please come stand right here.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

So I've had the honor of getting to meet y 'all over the past couple months and y 'all survived the membership class. And so they've been praying where God would have them. Come to church and get plugged into and so they've been prayerfully considering 12 five and they met with the the leadership.

They went through membership class and said hey, this is where God would have us and so y 'all have not done this in haste. Y 'all have been prayerful about this and We realized that we are getting y 'all's giftings to the body and it's not just one way.

But we get to share all of our giftings with this family. And so with that being said the final step is members of 12 five church. If you would please stand an affirmation of Hunter and Kayla Durham. Praise God.

Yes.

Yes.

All right, I think it's safe to say that you're in. All right, you may be seated. So what we do every time with the new member of recognition is we would love to commission y 'all with the Word of God.

This is a commissioning. This is saying hey go forth. Share the gospel be renewed by God's truth and his word and we're gonna do this together as as members. So let me pray for you. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this new family here at 12 five.

God. You're building your church the way that you see fit and I pray that We would be able to encourage the Durham family. God. We already know that they've have giftings that they will be able to pour into this this body.

God, I just pray that if anybody doesn't know them that that they would come alongside of them and just live life together as. A family adopted family and you. Jesus. Lord, we love you and pray all this in your name.

Call to Worship from Psalm 119

Amen. All right. All right. If you would please stand as we now start our call to worship. Our call to worship is an opportunity. We have to declare the truths of God's Word together. So our call to worship comes from Psalm 119.

That begins and says you have dealt well with your servant. To your word teach me good judgment and knowledge before I was afflicted. I went astray. You are good and do good. The insolence smear me with lies.

Their heart is unfeeling like fat. It is good for me that I was afflicted.

Your statues.

The law of your mouth is better to me. Amen. Let's go to the Lord in a prayer of adoration. Heavenly Father you are holy. Your name is set on high and we look at all of creation how it testifies to your majesty.

God you are so wonderful and you have displayed your love to the world by sending your one and only son. That we may be saved that we may look upon the Sun kiss the Sun in faith and submit to his Lordship.

God I pray that this morning that we would not be distracted with the things of this world. I said it a moment ago. But we go through so much hurt and pain and affliction and turmoil and persecution. God we are together with the Saints this morning.

We get a foretaste of the age to come eternal glory with you. God I prayed that we would lean in that that we would long for that and that we would long to see your face Jesus. Pray these things in your name.

Scripture Reading and Confession

Scripture reading comes from Colossians chapter 3 starting in verse 23.

Paul says whatever you do work hardly as for the Lord and not for men. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving. We wait upon the Lord. We're waiting for our inheritance because of what Jesus has accomplished.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer of confession and assurance looking to our blessed hope in Christ. Heavenly Father we come to you as a corporate body. We confess that we are sinful people week in and week out day by day.

We constantly Fall short of your glory. God we sin in the secret place of our heart. God. We grumble and complain in our circumstances and ultimately that is to grumble and complain against you. Lord, please forgive us.

God we rest in the fact that you are always faithful and just to forgive God. We confess as a church that we need you moment by moment. God, please protect us from looking to ourselves and in trying to accomplish things in the strength and power of our own mind.

God. We've we've already lost God if that is our mentality, but oh we have sweet victory in you Christ. Lord that is where we gain our assurances is looking to the author and the perfecter of our faith.

God, please help us to be steadfast and movable always looking to you King Jesus. Lord as as we are tempted to sin against you with our surrounding circumstances. God. We just pray for the Spirit's protection.

God, please guard us from looking to the left or to the right. God. Please help us to lock arms with our church family and resting in you Christ Lord. We love you pray this in your name.

Song, Offering, and Preparation for the Sermon

He saves our hands.

Just send his home my soul as we sing how great thou art.

Thank you so much Lord for going to the cross Paying the ultimate sacrifice Shed your blood to cover my sins Lord. Lord, I thank you for that. Praise you for that so undeserving But so grateful Lord Jesus.

Lord, I pray this morning Lord that you would just be with pastor Nathan as he comes Proclaimed your word Preaches your word and boldly Lord. I just pray that you would give him the words to speak just clear out any distractions We may have Lord and just open our hearts and our ears and our minds.

Lord, I pray that you would bless this offering this morning as we prepare to take up.

Lord.

Give back to you Lord. We love you. We praise you ask all these things and Jesus precious and holy name and all of God's people said.

Think God his son not sparing boy. How great our God is I. I love that song. It just gets me pumped. It gets me very excited to be able to get up here. So open your copy of God's Word to Ephesians chapter 6.

Slaves and Masters Under the Lordship of Christ

Ephesians chapter 6 and we're going to be looking at verses 5 through 9 today last week. We wrapped up our our series God's design for the family with specifically last week verse 4 Talking about fathers disciplining.

Well, not provoking your children to anger. But raising them up and the fear and knowledge of God and instruction. And so today we're going to continue our original series Going through Ephesians that brought us to that series and this series has been entitled in Christ as I've mentioned the last couple weeks.

We've been in it for over a year now. But we're getting close. We just have a few more weeks left in Ephesians for this in Christ is the overarching theme of This letter from Paul to the church in Ephesus.

It's really all about the Significance of life in Christ. If you've seen that phrase in the first three chapters in Christ is just repeated over and over again so we are positionally in Christ and we are also subsequently to live in Christ and that's what we've been dealing with in today's text is Pointing us to the ladder to live in Christ.

So let's look at the text. Ephesians chapter 6. Starting in verse 5 says bond servants. Obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling with a sincere heart as you would Christ. Not by the way of eye service as people pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ.

Doing the will of God from the heart rendering service with a goodwill as to the Lord and and not to man. Knowing that whatever good anyone does this he will receive back from the Lord. Whether he is a bond servant or is free.

Masters do the same to them and stop your threatening. Knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven and there is no partiality with him. This is the reading of God's Word. Please bow with me.

Once again Let's ask that the Holy Spirit would illuminate our hearts and minds to this great truth. Well, we come to you now and we ask that you would help us to have clarity this is. This particular text is one that I think we have a difficult time with in our culture and our day.

It's hard to contextualize what exactly Paul is speaking to. So give us wisdom. Give us clarity and discernment. Lord, I pray that we could take these truths and apply them to our lives so that we may be Doers of the word and not hearers only.

Mold us help us to see the glory of Christ in the midst of it. We thank you in Christ's name. Amen. Well, I have initially two observations that I want to point out that I think are going to be helpful in laying the groundwork of understanding the context of what Paul is is saying here before we really kind of dive into the text and The first observation that I want you to see is is that this is still Tied into what Paul had said back in chapter 5.

I'm gonna refresh your memory here back in verse 18. What did Paul tell us to do not be drunk with wine for that's debauchery. But he gave us the positive command which is to be filled with the Spirit.

That has has set the groundwork for Building into all that we've been talking about over the last few weeks to be filled with the Spirit and as I pointed out It's be being filled with the Spirit. It's a continual action of being filled with the Spirit to be dominated Essentially by the Holy Spirit in your life not by other things not by the flesh not by alcohol not by Habits or any other thing but to be dominated by the Spirit and does anyone remember what the evidence of being?

Filled with the Spirit are we spent a week on each one. I think yep. All right. Satisfaction is one of those and thankfulness, right? One of them is singing, right? We sing to one another that's what we just did whenever you see the Saints Declaring truth to one another saying to one another Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and making melody in your heart.

That is an outworking and an evidence of being filled with the Spirit. That is as Dalton just pointed out thankfulness, right? We are to be thankful to the Lord and a thankfulness comes from being filled with the Spirit and then thirdly we saw in verse 21 submission, okay.

Submission submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ but remember if you're with us, you'll remember this word here is is. It'll kind of throw you off when we read it in the English because it's not some vague Idea without hierarchy.

It's not just I submit to you. You submit to me. Everybody submits to each other equally. Remember in the Greek who potaso y 'all remember that word? It's a military term. It's it's to rank in order. It's to rank Submission in order and that's what led Paul into what we talked about the last seven weeks.

God's designed for the family, right? If you were being filled with the Spirit a wife who is filled with the Spirit will submit to her husband. A husband who's filled with the Spirit will submit to Christ and it was showing his love and leadership in the home.

A child if filled with the Spirit will obey and honor their parents. A father if filled with the Spirit will discipline his children well. And now this leads us to the second observation that I want to point out and that is Paul adds this relationship between slaves and masters.

Into the context of the family. It's odd, isn't it? It seems interesting that he puts it here. Some some believe that Paul is just simply giving us examples of submission from all spheres of life. That's possible.

However, it seems odd that if that was his intention he just stopped there. Why didn't he speak of the relationship that we have with governing authorities. Why didn't he speak of the relationships we have between employee and employers?

Why didn't he speak of the relationships and the dynamic we have within the body of the church and the leadership structure within it? Why not in this section? He he merely addresses the household. Now I want to say that doesn't mean That the same principle of submission and that hupotasso doesn't apply in these other spheres of life, okay?

Scripture addresses that clearly elsewhere, but here Paul hones in on the household and he adds to the household slaves and masters. It's an interesting observation, isn't it? It's hard for us to get our brain wrapped around and.

And in order to do so, I think it's going to require us to get some historical context. Okay, because remember this letter is written in a specific time to a specific people. But it applies to us here and we want to see how that is.

In order to do that a lot of people will go all the way back to the Old Testament the children of Israel. They were given regulations.

Regarding.

Slaves. Having slaves for the Jewish people in the Old Testament law. Had had regulations regarding but but you must understand these regulations for Israel were by no means the ideal standard. The Old Testament law is not the ideal standard that we are to try and recreate today.

That's not what we're getting at here. God took a cultural reality. Okay, that was inevitable in a broken world and he placed parameters of justice around it. Don't you hear me? God took a cultural reality that was inevitable in a broken world and he placed parameters of Justice for the people of Israel of people that were to be set apart.

Sinful man is Always going to treat other image-bearers in a wicked way always Right, they're a slave to sin. They have no capacity to do. Otherwise, they will always enslave others. But the children of Israel were given regulations that treated slaves fairly and humanely.

And how they were to obtain them Right in the Old Testament law. They were not allowed to just go steal someone and then make them a slave. Didn't work like that. Like all the other pagan nations did so right?

You remember the story of Joseph even even his brothers took their own brother and sold him to a group of travelers as a slave. This this was common practice, but the people of Israel were not allowed to do that.

They had parameters of how they could Discipline them and not discipline them and even opportunities for their freedom. These things were were Unheard of in the world of that time there in the Old Testament.

The other nations did not practice such humane ways of dealing with it, but God did with the people. Now I tell you all this but but however, Paul is not is not specifically And specifying merely Jewish practices of slavery here in Ephesians.

This isn't Paul's Specific address. He's actually writing this letter to the church in a Roman province. So I'm not going to spend time dissecting Old Testament law on this matter. I just wanted to whet your appetite for you can go study that yourself and see how God had prescribed it.

I simply want to give us a snapshot of the practice of slavery in that particular place and time. You see historians believe that there in in the city of Ephesus at that particular time there is estimated roughly 60 ,000 slaves.

60 ,000 people in that single city were enslaved and serving a master. Rome was a pagan and brutal culture. For us we think that the American culture and the Western culture has gotten bad. And you you've seen nothing until you look back at Rome.

Rome was far beyond debauchery and and brutality than anything We could ever fathom in our current culture. Trust me. Slaves were usually treated as chattel as a matter of fact one philosopher There claimed that you have as a master.

You have three tools at your disposal. Three tools you have man-made tools like gardening tools. You have Construction tools you have farming and all these types of man-made tools. You have livestock you have your animals and you have a slave.

And all three were of equal value and you could use them as you see fit and you could dispose of them at will.

A.

Human slave in that culture was not even considered higher than a man-made tool for gardening. Okay, that's shocking for our culture, isn't it? We don't understand this type of concept, but this is this is the world in which Paul is writing this letter to the church in Ephesus.

Most slaves at that time were conquered peoples. The peoples that Rome would go in and conquer they would take whoever they thought would make a good slave and then they would sell.

Them or.

They would simply kidnap people you could just go and just as I mentioned Joseph a moment ago you could just take whatever you wanted and kidnap them and and and the the strong ate the weak the strong conquered and the Weak just were overtaken and they were sold as property.

But there were there were some that were considered more indentured servitude. Right somebody that has to that owes a debt and they're they're serving until that debt was paid. Many of whom. Actually, we can see historically agreed to a forever service, right?

They would finish their service pay their debt and they were like man life is better here than it was before. Like I want to I'm just gonna become this person's servant forever and they would do this because it was better for them.

But they had no rights they were solely at the mercy of their master either for the good or for the bad and We know historically there were some good masters, even though those those slaves had no rights.

There were some that would treat them. Well, otherwise they wouldn't have tied themselves to them and lived life, but there were those that were terribly wicked. They still had no rights. But the laws were very sparse and protecting them.

During this time. Remember I'm giving you a historical Snapshot of Paul writing this letter into a specific time and place. They had no protection according to the law or very little I should say that is until about the second century.

It's interesting about the second century when Christianity permeated the city all the sudden slaves Began to be treated as human according to the laws and they had very good protection by second century.

But at this point no time he's writing this there's no such protection and I find it interesting. That that here Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit directly addressing slaves and masters and He's not condemning the practice.

What's Paul doing here. He's not writing to the slaves and saying hey slaves or 60 ,000 of you you need to rise up and revolt. You need to take up arms and you need to fight for your freedom. He doesn't do that.

He doesn't tell the Christian masters to release the slaves either. Don't you find that odd? Instead He tells them not to release. Instead he addresses the perspective in the relationship. Okay, I mean he addresses the perspective in the relationship now that being said.

Okay, scripture is very clear that things like man-stealing are unacceptable. Unequivocally, okay. Unacceptable. We know that from passages like 1st Timothy 1. This is Paul's own writing in verses 9 and 10.

You can jot this down and look at this later. He's talking about understanding the law that was laid down the lawless and disobedient and ungodly sinners. Unholy the profane and those who strike their fathers and mothers.

He said he talks about for murderers the sexually immoral men who practice homosexuality. Enslavers and this is. This is an interesting translation in the Greek it really just better means man-stealers kidnappers people who take someone against their will.

So throughout history. Slave owners have used texts like this passage in Ephesians that we're dealing with today to justify their wickedness. You realize that Even in our own history in this particular country There were slave owners that would use this very text to force their kidnapped stolen subjected victims into compliance.

Time and time again all the while ignoring texts like that in 1st Timothy. And ignoring the the fact that God had even forbidden Israel from obtaining slaves in that way as I said earlier. They were not allowed to take slaves in that fashion by kidnapping.

So that being said what Paul is Not doing in our text in Ephesians here with his lack of condemnation is Declaring that cultural norm of slave master dynamic righteous and good. Okay, this is not what Paul is doing.

His non Condemnation in this text is not Declaring slave master relationship righteous and good you with me. It's not what he's doing. He's calling for righteousness and goodness in the midst of a broken world.

Do you see the distinction? He's not declaring the particular practices of that day as righteous and good. He's saying this is the world we live in. This is how you live righteous and good in the midst of it.

Everybody with me Understand the distinction, right? Okay. We live in a world where there are the haves and the have-nots. We all know that right? Live in a world where there's the poor and the rich the powerful and the weak that is inevitable until Christ returns this is the world that we live in and.

The world.

Outside of Christ prays on this. They pray on the weak. They pray on the poor. You think slavery doesn't exist in our culture today? Look at what our government does to the poor. There everyone's a slave to somebody.

Slavery still exists. Unfortunately, it's the brokenness of this world that cannot do right and good. It's a reality. And here's the thing here's what we know as Christians, here's what Paul knew as he writes this.

None of it catches God off-guard. None of that injustice and unrighteousness catches God off-guard. The fact that there is is Slavery in the world does not catch God off-guard. For our God has ordained all circumstances and In every circumstance of each and every human being alive and has ever lived.

That's what we know about the God of the Bible and God does all things. Well God is not the author of sin. He's not causing it. He's not making someone enslave another person. He's not doing that. But he is sovereignly ordained.

All that comes to pass is what Scripture says. Just as I'll bring back Joseph Joseph is in slavery and his brothers find him at the end. I bring this up all the time, but this gives us a picture of God.

He looks at his brothers his brothers go. Oh, man, we sold our brother into slavery. Like we man he's definitely gonna put us to death now that he's the second in command in all of Egypt. Like he he knows what we did and he looks at him.

He goes he goes. Yeah, you meant it for evil. You meant this for evil. You sold me to slavery as your own brother for evil. Well, what do you say next? But God meant it for good. Doesn't say God used it for good doesn't mean that that that God is just reacting to all of it.

It means that God had ordained purposes in it. And he was actually gonna save and protect his brothers and his whole family and all around from famine. By using that particular means to bring him to where he was.

So we see a sovereign God in all of this. So none of this catches God off guard and For the lost they have self-pity over their circumstances. The poor the weak the broken the enslaved are in self-pity over their circumstances or the weak and or the strong and the powerful and the rich are Prideful with their superiority because of their position.

You have both sides, don't you? And so Paul is writing to Christians and he flips that thinking upside down if You had been privileged to be a master in that day look at what I've done. I'm strong. I did this and if you were a slave you were like woe is me my life is nothing and Paul's saying yeah, we need to think completely differently about all of this.

We need to think more eternal more kingdom-minded. When Paul says there in verse 5 look at it. He says bond servants. That's in the ESV as a matter of fact. I don't like that translation. Most translations have the word slave.

Because Paul is not speaking to merely bond servants as if it's someone that has agreed to become a servant. He actually uses the word for slave just straight up. No matter what category of slavery you're in.

So slaves. Oh.

Obey.

Your earthly masters. And think about these slaves put yourself in their shoes. They've been saved. Because remember he's writing to Christians, right? And he's referring to the slaves specifically right now in the church.

They they've been saved. Paul's been telling them of their freedom in Christ over the last over the first three chapters. He's been telling them oh man, I belong to Christ. I'm free in Christ, and I'm sure that many of them were thinking you can't own me.

I belong to Jesus and for sure Paul will confirm this Paul. Paul will tell these masters. Hey, you better free us cuz we don't belong to you. We belong to Jesus and Jesus alone, but Paul doesn't do that.

Instead, what does he tell him to do? It's right there in the text guys. Come on. What's he tell him to do?

Obey.

And the Greek this word for obey is in the present tense. When does that mean it? Meanings continual ongoing obedience. Not a one-time obedience not a few-time obedience. A continuation of an ongoing obedience.

And notice who he's telling them to obey. He doesn't identify just masters he could have said slaves Obey your masters, but he doesn't. He adds a little word in there. Doesn't he? What is it? Earthly.

What's Paul doing here? I think Paul. That's right, he's defining a rank of authority, isn't he? Right, he's defining the structure and the rank of authority. Yes. These Christian slaves were right they belong to Christ and Christ alone.

Christ has bought them they're his they belong to him and they will be his for eternity. And Paul is saying yes and Christ who owns you has sovereignly placed you under that earthly master. For the moment.

Place you under the earthly master for a moment matter. Look at look at the end of verse 5. What does it say as you would Christ? Right obey your earthly master as you would Christ because Christ is your ultimate master.

And Christ who's king has sovereignly ordained you to be in this position ranked under this Particular earthly master in the moment. What does he mean by this as you would Christ? Look at the passage slaves obey your earthly masters one with fear and trembling and to a sincere heart.

And as he says as you would Christ. Let's look at the first one with fear and trembling.

Is.

Paul telling is Paul telling these slaves to be afraid of their masters. Is he telling him hey be fearful of the consequences of that master. Is that what he's getting at here? Be afraid of that earthly master.

I Think we it gives us some insight to see this same phrasing being used elsewhere in Scripture. We see it in passages. Like where Paul is speaking of himself in 1st Corinthians 2 3 and in 1st Corinthians 2 3 says and I I was with you weakness and fear and much trembling uses the same language here.

What is he speaking of speaking of his reliance upon the Holy Spirit as he was communicating with the people there in Corinth? He's relying on the Holy Spirit alone to do the work among them. Not his own strength.

Not his own might. We also see the same phrasing from Paul and Philippians 2 12 Flipping suit 12. He says therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed. So now not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Why?

Why fear and trembling that is a confusing passage often. Why are we in fear and trembling? Aren't we are. There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Why do we have fear and trembling?

Why? Well verse 13. He says for it is God who works in you Both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Because you're at the mercy of God. You have no control. You have no control over your salvation.

You have no control of your position in Christ God and God alone does. That's what Paul is getting at with this phrasing. Paul is telling these slaves here in Ephesians that they are at the mercy of their earthly master and this position demands honor and respect.

Because God has sovereignly placed that master over them. Seems unfair doesn't it? A human being an image-bearer who belongs to Jesus is being told to obey some dude. It seems that's that just rubs us the wrong way, doesn't it?

And he's telling him to a fear and trembling the same language that he uses when he's speaking about God what. This just rubs us the wrong way we can't comprehend what Paul is getting at here. This this earthly master demands honor and respect.

Why he didn't earn honor and respect. Why should I give it to him? Why should I deal with him with fear and trembling? Why? Because As he says as you would Christ First Peter 2 9 Peter deals with slaves again in Verse 18.

He says to servants. Hey be subject to your masters with all respect. Well, okay. If that master is respectable I can serve him with all respect.