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

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 in 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. Amen 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

Lord 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 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 Son kiss the Son 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 Yes You alone are holy

Matchless in your glory Holy Come to save us when we turned away

Oh to the king on the throne

Was it is to come and to the lamb who was slain be glory

Now to the king on the throne Is to come into the land who was slain be glory

Oh You alone are holy

Matchless in your glory My heart grows faint with When the darkness

And my fears are pressing I will trust in you

In the silence I will wait I will stand

Upon your word You're my solid rock and my

Salvation my steadfast hope that won't be shaken my soul will wait

My soul will wait for you Yes My strong Oh They will vanish

Yes, I know the outcome sure Satan's evil

In your Yes This is love

I can't explain This is mercy unreserved through your sacrifice so great

I have peace that's undeserved for the battle has been won yes and I fear no shame or loss now the sting of death is gone my solid rock and my salvation my steadfast hope that won't be shaken my soul will wait my soul will wait for you my solid rock and my salvation my steadfast hope that won't be shaken my soul will wait my soul will wait for you our 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 the

Lord Christ 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 trying to accomplish things in the strength and power of our own might

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

I could never keep my hope through life's fearful path for my love is often cold he must hold me he will hold me fast for my

Savior loves me so he will

Christ will hold me fast justice has been satisfied here it is raised with him to my

Savior will hold me fast he will hold me fast

Consider all the world's items

I've made I see the stars this evening

And seize my soul, my

Savior God, to Thee How great

Thou art, how great

Thou art And seize my soul, my

Savior God, to Thee How great

Thou art, how great

Thou art His arm not sparing, sent here to die

I scarce can take it in He bled to take away my sin

And seize my soul, my

Savior God, to Thee How great

Thou art, how great

Thou art And seize my soul, my

Savior God, to Thee How great

Thou art With shoutation, and take me home

What joy shall fill my eyes, shall bow in adoration

And it proclaims, my God, how great

Thou art And seize my soul, my

Savior God, to Thee How great

Thou art, how great

Thou art And seize my soul, my

Savior God, to Thee And seize my soul, my

Savior God, to Thee How great

Thou art, my

Savior God, to Thee How great

Thou art, how great

Thou art

So undeserving, but so grateful, Lord Jesus Lord, I pray this morning,

Lord, that You would just be with Pastor Nathan as he comes and proclaims

Your Word and preaches Your Word and boldly, Lord, I just pray that You would give him the words to speak,

Lord just clear out any distractions we may have, Lord and just open our hearts and our ears and our minds,

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

Lord, and give back to You, Lord we love You, we praise You, ask all these things in Jesus' precious and holy name in all of God's people's said,

Amen And when

I think, God, His Son not sparing boy, how great our

God is 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

Ephesians chapter 6, we're going to be looking at verses 5 through 9 today

Last week we wrapped up our series, God's Design for the Family specifically last week, verse 4 talking about fathers, disciplining well, not provoking your children to anger but raising them up in the fear and knowledge of God and instruction

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 of 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 pointiness to the latter, to live in Christ So, let's look at the text,

Ephesians chapter 6 starting in verse 5, it says Bondservants, 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 bondservants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart rendering service with a good will as to the

Lord and not to man knowing that whatever good anyone does this he will receive back from the

Lord whether he is a bondservant 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 and let's ask that the

Holy Spirit would illuminate our hearts and minds to this great truth we come to you now and we ask that you would help us to have clarity this particular text is one that I think we have a difficult time with in our culture in 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 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 going to 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 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 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 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 singing to one another in 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 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 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, hupotasso, y 'all remember that word?

it's a military term, 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 design for the family, right? if you are being filled with the

Spirit a wife who is filled with the Spirit will submit to her husband a husband who is filled with the

Spirit will submit to Christ and it will show in 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 believe that Paul is just simply giving us examples of submission from all spheres of life and 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 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 in order to do so I think it's going to require us to get some historical context 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 regulations regarding 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 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 the people that were to be set apart sinful man is always going to treat other image bearers in a wicked way always 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 in the

Old Testament law they were not allowed to just go steal someone and then make them a slave it didn't work like that like all the other pagan nations did so you remember the story of Joseph even his brothers took their own brother and sold him to a group of travelers as a slave 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 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 however Paul is not is not specifically 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 it you can go study that yourself and see how

God 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 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 you see nothing until you look back at Rome Rome was far beyond debauchery 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 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 the strong ate the weak the strong conquered and the weak just were overtaken and they were sold as property but there were some that were considered more indentured servitude right somebody that owes a debt and they're serving until that debt was paid many of whom actually we can see historically agreed to a forever service they would finish their service pay their debt and they were like man life is better here than it was before like I'm just going to 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 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 in 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 2nd century, it's interesting about the 2nd century when

Christianity permeated the city all of a sudden slaves began to be treated as human according to the laws and they had very good protection by 2nd century but at this point, no time he's writing this there's no such protection and I find it interesting 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, there's 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 and the relationship okay he addresses the perspective and 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 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 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 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 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?

You understand the distinction right? We live in a world where there are the haves and the have nots we all know that right?

We 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. 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 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 has 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 and his brothers go oh man we sold our brother into slavery like we man he's definitely going to put us to death now that he's the second in command in all of Egypt like he knows what we did and he looks at him and 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 did he say next?

But God meant it for good doesn't say God used it for good doesn't mean that God is just reacting to all of it it means that God had ordained purposes in it and he was actually going to 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 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 is 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 straight up no matter what category of slavery you're in he says slaves 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've been saved

Paul's been telling them of their freedom in Christ 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 will tell these masters hey you better free us because we don't belong to you we belong to Jesus and Jesus alone but Paul doesn't do that instead what does he tell them to do it's right there in the text guys come on what does he tell them to do obey in the

Greek this word for obey is in the present tense what does that mean it means 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 placed you under the earthly master for a moment 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 whose 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 two 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 them 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 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 in 1st Corinthians 2 -3 he says and I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling uses the same language here what is he speaking of he's 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 in Philippians 2 -12

Philippians 2 -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?

there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus why do we have fear and trembling? verse 13 he says for it is

God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure because you are 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 just rubs us the wrong way doesn't it?

and he's telling them with 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 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 1

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 if that master is a good

Christian man I can serve him with all respect the problem with that is as Peter goes on in verse 18 he says be subject to masters with all respect not only the good and gentle but also the unjust guys this

I'm sorry but when you read scripture and you get into the context of that time and you read passages like this to me in my western world view perspective of fairness and justice that blows my circuits and I have no category for it am

I alone? this is difficult why would God require this because because he's ordained their circumstances we forget in our time in our minds just how overwhelmingly sovereign our

God is that nothing catches him off guard I'm going to continue to go back to that guys because this is key to us understanding he does all things well everything that he has designed he has done well and all of it is for our good if we belong to Christ he promised that everything works out for the good of those who love him are called according to his purposes right?

either Paul lied or that's true and it's to show his power the power of the gospel to a lost and dying world because only

Christians have the capacity to do what he's calling these slaves to do over in Ephesians that's it no other slave has the ability to do that and we'll see that as we go on as a matter of fact actually turn with me to 1

Peter 2 I want you to see this I want to see 1 Peter 2 18

I want to read on with that text because I want to get y 'all's eyes on this 1

Peter 2 18 we don't like suffering we hate it but the gospel has always flourished and gone forth through suffering from the very beginning 1

Peter 2 verse 18 let's read that verse again servants be subject to your masters with all respect not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust man that's hard verse 19 for because of this this is a gracious thing right?

this is a gracious thing for you to have respect even for the unjust master is a gracious thing when mindful of God one endures sorrow while suffering unjustly now what's a one thing a

Christian is promised in this world suffering it's the only thing you're not guaranteed position power money happiness all that you are only promised in scripture suffering because we only are molded into the image of our savior through suffering you realize that you are not sanctified through the good times you are only sanctified through suffering period right?

let's look at why now verse 20 for what credit is it if when you sin and you are beaten for it you endure right?

if you're a servant if you're a slave and your master beats you because you did something wicked what good is that?

that's of no value right there right? but here's what Peter's point here but if when you do good and suffer for it you endure this is a gracious thing in the sight of God he's using it in your life and others verse 21 for to this you have been called to what?

what have we been called to? suffer and endure because Christ also suffered for you here's the kicker leaving you an example why would he leave us an example if that wasn't the expectation for us there'd be no reason for him to be an example to us if he was just the one that was going to suffer for us and then we were going to go on and just live happy lives no he does it as an example of how to live how to suffer so that you might follow in his steps he committed no sin neither was deceit found in his mouth when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly who?

to the father he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness that slave master poor rich everyone that is in Christ by his wounds we've been healed for you were strained like sheep but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls you are to emulate imitate that savior that good shepherd when you suffer for good meaning you obey your earthly master with fear and trembling with honor and respect you are declaring the significance of your position in Christ and declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a watching world including your wicked master that is of utmost importance we've got to move on the second thing he lists here there in our passage in Ephesians is to do so with a sincere heart this is tied to what he says next look at verse 6 there in our passage in Ephesians again not by way of eye service as people pleasers but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart

I'm sure there were slaves who deep down inside just hated their earthly master right just despised that person either for their wickedness or even just for the simple fact that they were enslaved hated them but then gave them eye service what does that mean?

what's eye service? in the Greek this phrase is actually referring to service performed only under the master's eye okay to services performed only under the master's eye meaning they only did their duty if the master is watching right people do this today in the workplace thankfully we're not slaves to our employer there's a whole nother

Greek word Paul could have been addressing he's not addressing employee employers in this text but we can see some application of what we deal with today the people in the workplace do this they slack off when their boss isn't around they don't work quite as hard when boss isn't looking maybe milk the clock a little bit oh but when the boss shows up what do they do?

they start acting super busy like they're doing something like they have everything going on what's that called?

theft you milk the clock and you don't work as you do as you should when the boss isn't looking and the boss isn't around that's theft you're straight up a thief you're stealing from someone you realize that right?

we have that and that's what Paul's telling these slaves I'm sure this was a major problem with the slaves in that day that when the master isn't around man maybe we can just take our time we don't have to work quite as hard let's just pace ourselves guys slow down and Paul is saying hey if you're a follower of Christ there is never a moment in your life when the boss's eyes aren't on you you realize that right?

Christian today when your employer isn't watching you your boss is still watching you even when your earthly boss isn't around your heavenly boss is always watching and he's the one that has sovereignly placed you in whatever position you were in Paul said in Colossians 3 .23

he said whatever you do whatever you do whether you build furniture whether you work in finance whether you are a stay at home mom whether you are a student no matter what it is that you do period, work heartily why?

ask for the Lord ask for the Lord and not for man you're not doing this for man as those slaves would for eye service when the master's around oh man we're going to make him think we're good slaves maybe we can get some extra rations tonight or maybe he'll look good it'll look good on me if I work hard for him in this moment when he's watching but we are to do everything as unto the

Lord knowing that from the Lord who received inheritance as a reward you're not working for someone else that's why he says there in verse 6 not by way of eye service as people pleasers you're not here to please man your service to that earthly master is not for the sake of that earthly master that's where we get confused we think that man has enslaved that person he has no right to this and this slave is looking at it going he has no right to me like I am free,

I have freedom I have an innate God given reality of the pursuit of happiness and freedom no you don't that's not

God given you don't have that in this slave owner that owns this person this person is not trying to please him because that is an impossibility it's not by way of eye service as people pleasers you're not here to please man you're not here for the sake of your earthly master look at the passage though, he says but as slaves of Christ that man is not your master

Christ is and it says doing the will of God from the heart, what's the will of God?

what is the will of God? he's telling you right here it's to obey your earthly master that's his will not for the sake of that master but for the sake of obedience to him and him alone the one that has sovereignly placed you there and he's speaking of this to do this from the heart and from a heart of worship it's for God, it's doing the will of God from the heart it's a worship issue isn't it?

when you're not working hard it's under the Lord, it's your job when you're not building that thing or working on that thing or taking care of children or whatever it is studying your homework, if you're not doing it to the glory of God and out of a heart of worship you're not doing it you're doing it for you you're doing it as a people pleaser you're doing it for eye service for selfish purposes but everything from slave to master is to be done to the will of God and for his good pleasure and look at verse 7 it says rendering service whatever the master requires this has no limits on it other than ungodliness going directly against God and sin but rendering service your work for that master with a good will as to the

Lord and not to man how could they do this?

how could a person in this position with no freedom, no rights obey every command of his earthly master with a sincere good will that seems like a big ask doesn't it?

that's what Paul's asking here but he goes on look at verse 8 he gives them a how he gives them a why he says knowing look at the word there, knowing that whatever good anyone does that obedience to the

Lord whatever good you're doing this he will receive back from the

Lord there's that passage in Colossians we read just a moment ago in chapter 3 whatever you do, right?

work heartily as for the Lord and not for man knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward those slaves rarely, if ever were given any accolades or earthly rewards for their good work you realize that, right?

very little if any but for a Christian slave that doesn't matter

Christian that goes for you, maybe you do not get the the accolades and the notice that you're supposed to get at home as a stay at home mom from your husband or your children maybe, man your workplace has just overlooked you time and time again no matter how hard you've worked and all the things you've accomplished for them maybe they haven't even noticed you, but it doesn't matter everything we do in the here and now is purely solely because of our glorious inheritance we don't need position we don't need accolades in this raindrop of a life with the ocean of eternity in mind it's mind blowing that we we fixate on the raindrop of life knowing that there's a whole ocean this is just a blip on the radar

God's not impressed with our earthly position whether we're a lowly slave or a king he's not impressed the end of verse 8 whether he is a bond servant or is free over in 2nd

Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10 Paul says for we must all appear before the judge or the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body whether good or evil

I don't know about you but I would rather have been a fruitful slave than a mighty pagan king at the judgment seat of Christ you get that right we become so consumed with our circumstances of life today maybe

I was overlooked at work I've been held down financially just things haven't worked out for me

I don't have the respect that maybe other men may have I'm not looked at in the community the way that some of these powerful wealthy men are

I wish I had more money, I wish I was better looking I wish I was stronger I wish I had a better boss and a better circumstance all the while forgetting that a sovereign

God has placed me right where he wants me and he's called me to be faithful and thankful and obedient and diligent right here, right now and it has eternal kingdom benefit no matter how insignificant it may seem from me because that's where he has placed me

I'm not meant to fight for my rights and demand respect from everyone and say I have to have my freedoms

I'll fight for my freedom our savior didn't do that did he? our savior didn't fight for his freedom he humbled himself, he became like the creature he himself created as our example guys this life is but a moment why do we put so much stock into it?

let's just live for him even if you are an earthly slave over in Titus 2 matter of fact turn there with me

Titus 2 verse 11 through 14 in the previous verses before this

Paul is telling Titus he's calling slaves to obey their masters same ideas over here in Ephesians and he gives us he gives us our perspective that we should have after he tells these slaves to obey their masters in verse 11 he says for the grace of God has appeared who has appeared?

what's the grace of God? we've seen we have seen the father now because we've seen the son the glory of God has appeared as the

God man bringing salvation for all people does that mean every single human being on the planet?

no we have to deal in context with the original language he's speaking to Christians slave, free, male, female,

Jew, Greek all it's people from all people groups and statuses training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self -controlled upright and godly lives in the present age this present age is hard guys we're called to suffer in the present age right?

waiting for our blessed hope this is the perspective

Paul wants us to have right now what are you doing in your suffering? you're waiting you're waiting for the blessed hope the appearing of the glory of the great

God and savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from the lawlessness and to purify himself as a people for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works this is the perspective that we are waiting in this moment this isn't life now this isn't life we've been given life we'll get an inheritance he's been the first three chapters telling you all about that you've been adopted and brought in and you've been sealed by the promised

Holy Spirit as a guarantee he will not take it away, he can't take it away it's a guarantee and now you've been given that guarantee and you're getting the inheritance and you just get this little blip on the radar of this life right now to serve him and to suffer and to imitate your savior who did the same thing for actual life coming before us this is perspective but it's not just slaves that are called to live for him right we think in these terms, oh man it's going to be really hard for the slaves to live for him well, look at verse 9 of our passage in Ephesians we'll finish it up guys

I know I'm going to get through it he says, masters you realize no one in this world is happy right

I've known some of the wealthiest people on this planet I've seen their lives they're some of the most unhappy people you will ever meet in your life they're not fulfilled and they know something's missing they're not content and happy in their position so this isn't just a slave thing like I said a moment ago, everyone's a slave to something and someone the master is too right he says, masters, do the same to them treat them in the same way treat them in the same way what does that mean treat them in the same way that we just laid out for the slaves to respond to their masters in humility in respect in honor and the master now is called as a

Christian to treat the slave in the same way he says, and stop your threatening that's what the world does the world thinks, in order to subjugate this person into submission

I'm going to have to threaten I'm going to have to bring about some serious consequence and he's saying, masters, you don't have to do that if you're dealing with a

Christian slave, I've already told them they're going to work as under the Lord they're not working for you anyways stop your threatening and he says, knowing that he, who is both their master and yours is in heaven and that there is no partiality with him

Paul's obviously speaking to Christian masters, and again he doesn't tell them to free the slaves he tells them to use their

God ordained position to show the significance of life in Christ that slave is an image bearer and specifically as he speaks, that slave is one of my children treat them as such that slave is a brother a total complete equal the world doesn't have categories for that no matter what position in life rich, poor, no matter it's equal in the eyes of God if you're a child of him you are his child that's what's so different about what

Paul's pointing out here there are those as I said at the beginning like I just mentioned a moment ago weaker, not privileged, not given the same opportunities in this broken world and when that person, being a slave under a

Christian master is no longer thought of as chattel is no longer thought of as a tool, but is considered more family

I mentioned a moment ago at the beginning that Paul adds this into the context of a household and so what

Paul's calling for is he's saying those that are less fortunate in life in their circumstances who've been brought into slavery that don't have all the privileges that you have had in your life you're to treat them as a brother and equal and those that would serve you, they're not serving you as a slave they're serving you as a family member as a child would in your home he took something that the world had made ugly and gross and disgusting and wicked and he turned it into something life -giving and beautiful in the midst of a broken world a slave is like a wife, like a child under the patriarchal care of the leader of that family there's safety there this is the type of relationship that Paul is calling for in the church now here's the thing we don't live in that type of culture any longer don't go out trying to get slaves don't try and become slaves to somebody else, that's not the point our laws are different, our structure is very different,

Christianity has permeated the western culture enough to help eliminate much of that so how does this principle apply to us?

I'm gonna leave you with something practical I don't always do that, but today I'd like to I'm sure there are many ways that we could do this but one comes to mind some of us in here have been privileged matter of fact, if you're the poorest person in America, you're in,

I think, what, the top the top, like, 6 % wealthiest person in the whole of the world we forget that we are privileged people much like the masters of those days are we using that position to tear down use and divide feeling superior to those less fortunate or do we truly believe that there is no partiality with God and do we care for those who are less fortunate after all, that's what our savior did, didn't he is that the example he gave us?

he was of the utmost highest position, and unlike us, he deserved that position however as we mentioned a moment ago he condescended from his rightful throne to humbly become the lowest so that he may represent us he represented us in our destitute, hopeless estate and he took the curse for us that's what, that's what must resonate with us as Christians today that's what we want to leave you with on the

Lord's day not just rules and things to do and to be better, do better our savior here who is our example, as Paul said is the one who condescended to the lowest position to redeem us how do we live out our lives as those who have been privileged do we look at the broken and the weak of this world with disgust and superiority or are we to be like the masters that Paul has called to no, no, no, you do the same same thing

I just told them to respond to you with honor, respect so that you may show the significance of life in Christ and what your savior has done for you

I know this is a hard topic today as I said at the beginning there is um it's hard for us to categorize this because contextually we just don't live in the same type of world but I hope and pray that the application here has has been fruitful for you and that it is applicable to the text in light of that let us gaze upon our savior once again this morning as he has given us the ordinance of the

Lord's supper for that very purpose where we come and we partake of the wine and the bread representing his blood spilt for us and his body given over for us us who are who are far less than less fortunate, we were destitute and hopeless and he redeemed us and he's brought us into glory, or he will bring us into glory, he's guaranteed our glory is what he's done through his sacrifice so guys

Pastor Jeremiah and Pastor Keith will be up at these tables, if you need to talk or pray with any of us, we're here we would love to spend a moment with you and pray with you, but we ask that you would in this moment confess your sins before the

Lord, lay them at the foot of the cross knowing there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and come boldly to the table and partake together as a family you can take of the elements, come back to your seats through these middle aisles guys, if I could ask that maybe some of some of y 'all in the very back maybe come over to this side so we can even out the lines and then you go back to your seats you can take of the elements as a family individually with the

Lord and then we will join back together and close out with the doxology, let's pray that God will be honored in our time at the table today dear

Heavenly Father we thank you for your grace and mercy in our lives we thank you that you are sovereign that you have ordained all things to be would help us to rest in that,

Father I pray that we would serve serve you well in whatever area and sphere of life that you've placed us in with grateful hearts

Lord I pray that we would lean on each other Lord that we would confess our sins one to another and encourage each other all the more as we see the day drawing near of your great return and Lord we pray for this table we thank you for this ordinance we thank you for the sanctifying work that it is in our hearts and lives,

Lord search our hearts Lord if any of us have unconfessed sin I pray that we would lay it before you that we would not come to the table in an unworthy manner

Father we we pray that we would experience the love of Christ in a unique way as we come together be honored in our worship in Christ's name,