Serving Christ While a Slave

Mala scriber Bibles let's go to first Timothy chapter 6 your visiting today were going through the book of first Timothy on Sunday mornings.

First John on Sunday nights and we are getting down to brass tacks about structuring and functioning biblically in the local church and I hope as a church family were not just starting there but Paul, in effect, is pastoring the church at Ephesus through Timothy.

So he writes this letter giving Timothy instruction on what to do how to do it, how to organize how to function as a sound, local church, and as he's doing this. He's correcting errors that were already at occurring in the church there as a pastor that never Ian's and we pointed out as we go through the text. All the times Paul tells Timothy correct this heresy are correct.

This false teacher are this false teaching that never stops now as a church matures and becomes a minor issue, but it never stops away the text with wonderful, wonderful truth. Let's look at it together.

First Timothy chapter 6 verses one into all who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken again. Those who have believers absent their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more because those who partake of the benefits are believers and beloved, teach and preach these principles I'm entitled this exposition serving Christ while a slave.

That's the wonderful thing about the power and the wisdom of Christianity that there's no social setting where you cannot be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

Christianity is not primarily about social revolution.

Christianity is not fundamentally about changing your circumstance. Christianity is about changing you in your circumstance, you can honor Christ wherever you are. You can be a good disciple wherever you are and know that God may allow you it may be right to change your circumstance, but if he does not, you can be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

Because God in his sovereignty has placed you where you are. Some of you right now if I could just get out of this marriage. You can't use it. I do use it for better for worse it got worse with there you go.

If I could just get these kids right stuff I could just change my employment if I could just this or that and that's not all wrong but you got to learn to joyously honor Christ where you are and that's the point of this text. Let's look at it this way I.

Let's look at some background on slavery, some background on slavery a couple words that the apostle uses here for those who are slaves. The first word is the word yoke the word yoke. He distorted this way all who are under the yoke. It was a very common word. Of course, literally the word means to join our two couple together. That's why we speak of a yoke of oxen there locked in together.

It was used metaphorically in this day for anybody who is under a burden. He was in bondage, therefore, was commonly a metaphor for those who were slaves. Interestingly also the word yoke is used to refer to those who are under the law, Paul would Savior trying to achieve a right standing before God by keeping the Lord your under a yoke.

Your drug burden during bondage also is used in the New Testament of those who have received Jesus Christ and are following Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Matthew 1129 and 30. Our Lord said take my yoke upon you under my burden. Get connected to me connect to me and I'll be your master.

That's what that means. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

So it's used in a lot of different ways but primarily the two picture in your mind a confinement by joining together a burden please all of you Christians who are now under the yoke of slaves. I have some instruction for you. When that's the next word slaves look at it there in verse one, all who are the yoke as slaves. Now most likely verse one is referring to how your to respond if your master is an unbeliever. We knows for sure.

Verse 10 refers to how to respond if your master is a believer.

Let's talk about this word slaves will spend little time here. The word slave do loss literally means bond man hereby owned under them, so to speak.

Now it's interesting that in the Bible, the same Greek word is used in a lot of different ways in a lot of different context. For example, skews me in the Greek Septuagint when the Old Testament was first translated from Hebrew into Greek, and they use this Greek word do loss often in the Old Testament it's used of voluntary service to other people. For example, when David said he wanted to be the bondslave of Saul, the king, he voluntarily placed himself as the servant of the slave of Saul as first Samuel 19 for then over the New Testament. Paul told the Corinthians that he was there bondslave.

He had found himself to serve them.

For Christ's sake, so choose often of voluntary service devotion even becoming the slave of another is also used of those who would be managers are. You might say in a higher class of slavery will talk about that in a moment in in my upbringing and in my general understanding before studying things as I've been able to study the last 25, 30 years, while the auto slavery I thought a bullwhip on the back and change in living in a dungeon -like setting and unfortunately that's all too common in history but in the ancient world.

It was very common for slaves to be managers, superintendents, if you will, and they were not in that menial level. If you will.

Being a slave in this same word was used often of those in that position. Like in Matthew 1823 Moses, for example, is considered he considered himself a bondslave of God. All Christians also Romans 616 are to consider themselves Christ bondslave than all gospel ministers in Matthew 2027 are considered bondslave's and servant. The false concept that we carry around in its I guess you might say, socially or secularly is not false but spiritually and truly it is false, and that is that there are some who are free and there are some who are slaves not true were all slaves, all of us are slaves of someone all of us get on this in a moment, but that's the key to understanding what Paul saying here. Now let's listen you little cultural context. Under this background on slavery here. Scholars estimate that during the Roman Empire of the first century, which is when Paul is writing that as many as 50% of the citizens were slave. There were some cities in the Roman Empire where you walk down the road. Every other person you saw was someone's slave. It was wholly common is not considered strange, unfair, demeaning, just the way the culture was structured. Matter fact in the international standard Bible encyclopedia which is I think a good and reliable source for historical things concerning biblical days they said, this slavery existed in all known human society as far back as records have been filed.

If you study history at all, you'll find that practically speak there may be a rare exception here and there but practically speaking, all societies of all generations up until about the middle part of the 19th century embraced and practiced slavery. I have 10 pages of notes to substantiate that not going to use him case of brief comfortably not going there might go there tonight because I was shocked. Honestly, I was shocked at how many people's through the ages had embraced practice and defended the practice of human slavery. Matter fact it's the rule not the exception that both societies did indeed do this will back to the Roman Empire the first century. So you ask yourself there's all the slaves and certainly I think it's likely the majority of church members. In the early church were slave somewhere they come from what's gonna say that most likely the majority came as war captives role was conquering the known world and when they conquered an enemy that would bring their peoples back as their slave. The course as time went on, they just bread slaves.

They in for many peoples that's all they knew their children would be slaves and their children's children would be's slaves and there was what. There's a Greek word for this.

They were man Steelers that were very common in this day. These band of pirates is such that would invade and raid places and lands and bring back everybody they couldn't sell the mislaid matter fact the Arab world, particularly the northern coast of Africa in the 17th and 18th part of the 19th century. They bawled and sold about 17 million slave is been common throughout the decades really common in this day.

You know how the Arabs Islamic kings of northern Africa typically got there for slaves. I got of the Pirates that capture ships and everybody they capture on the shipment and really capture the ship primarily for the treasure they been captured and for the people as I can make a lot more money selling those people. Slaves, the British Empire in one year law 644 ships to the Barbary Coast pirates Islamic kings of northern Africa. Well, I'm getting off track and monotonous. Get back to the verse in Romans.

A large percentage of the slaves of this they were people who voluntarily sold themselves into slavery. The my Savior. So how in the world who would sell themselves into slavery folks.

It hadn't always been like it is right now most of history records at the majority of people on earth throughout antiquity thought it was a good year when I literally had enough to eat.

Poverty was severe.

People struggle just to survive. Having basic clothing in a basically safe place to lay your head and enough food to feed your wife and your babies was almost a luxury in time so it was very advantageous to sell yourself as a slave where that master who had well-being could read you well.

Enclosed you and your family well at least give you place to rest, so a good percentage of slaves in this day voluntarily sold themselves into slavery because it was better than the life that they had. Here's another thing is very interesting because it's very well documented history. Slaves were often well educated, they are often skilled people, and they were often paid well slaves became doctors and nurses, and educators, and managers and ship captains and accountant sometime slaves on their own property are realistic and sometimes though slaves had their own slaves. They did such a good job for their masters and helped his company that make good money and he blessed them, and they had enough money to hire themselves some slaves it just the way it were slave rebellions historians tell us in this day were common, but it's interesting the slave rebellions of the first century are around that time were not mainly about the dignity of human beings and that men should be slaves. It was mainly that they not be free and then they would get their own slaves.

We see it commonly in history, not the historian Alden B. Though I do read a lot of history but I think you would find it clear if you read accurate history, but the concept of all men should be out from under slavery because there created by God with equal dignity and sanctity as a Christian concept. It took Christian doctrine being spread for that to finally be embraced in the world now. One interesting thing that I found out was that Roman law in the first century was set up so that likely.

By the time you were 30 years of age as a slave he would be released, you'd be freed, that you would you do, you have earned your manumission, so to speak, so it was very rare that you went into old age.

As a slave, so you can see a young man growing up in abject poverty and realizing this is what my father did in my father's father did I want out of this.

I'll sell myself.

I'll join myself to this well what the master I work hard. I'll be obedient and by the time I'm 30 I can have my own freedom was understandable how they lived with that kind of mindset may be foreign to us, but in that context it wasn't foreign or illogical at all. My fact, at one point so many slaves were being set free that Caesar Augustus audit thought it was upsetting the stability of the culture, and Caesar Augustus pass new laws to restrict the numbers in the ages of people who could be released out of slavery. Now coming back to Jesus statement. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Take my yoke upon you Jeep make major master. I'll be honest with you early as a Christian when I read that I thought it's not really encouraging hospitals to take the yoke of a slave could see my mindset was only the worst possible setting with oppression and beatings and horrific environments to have to live in, and unfortunately history records below that happened, but it would been common in this error. For some slaves to look at other slaves and say hey man, he's got it made. He wears nice clothes he gets good money is his masters nice to him. So when Jesus said, take my yoke upon you, it's easy, a slave of this they could grasp what that means follow Jesus is like those good masters who are wealthy and take good care of their phone. If we honor Christ if we come to Christ. It's not like the cruel taskmaster who beats his slaves. He's a good master all the sudden that text came alive to me when I realize that there are folks who again were doctors and lawyers and accountants and well educated and some of them well-paid, yet they were another man's property.

They were considered slight now. So as we look at this text and you see what it says let me make something emphatically clear to you and that is that the New Testament does not teach slavery.

The New Testament does not teach slavery. It teaches Christians how to honor Christ if they found themselves within such a system.

That's what it teaches in the ancient world.

There was no other system, but that everyone was around accustomed to it. I would most of the early church members probably at some level were slaves you see if Christian truth is fully embraced and if Christian truth is fully practiced, not to the external force of law but we support that. But through the internal force of the indwelling spirit. Christianity will augment rather slavery will always be absolved. Christianity will always write fully embraced fully embraced and practiced Christianity will always remove the practice of human slavery. William Wilberforce was a member of British Parliament. The early part of the 19th century is a member of Parliament for 30 years and a very godly man read some about William Wilberforce. Read about his doctor and his convictions and he worked for 30 years to have slavery abolished in the Empire, and in those early years he was completely rejected and scoffed at me just didn't quit. Why because it is Christian gives me his Christian principal said this is not right and finally, remember I 1833 Great Britain past the laws of emancipation for slaves.

Christian principles fully embraced and practiced will always given some time.

Remove the practice of human slavery. I think that's what you find in our founding documents is a country there are statements in our founding document documents about all men being created equally equally. You can't embrace that truth and embrace human slavery. So you have a pastor. Some of our signers of the conduct of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were indeed slaveowners.

Yes, they were also hypocrites. They were good men and godly men and men who got to be honored and remembered for their goodness. But all that point they knew they were wrong.

But before you surround in your self-righteousness.

Remember the culture of the day was permeated with slavery permeated the make it right. We can understand how men can be fallen and weak and rotted document based on the signers of our Constitution, vectors of independence were not all individual Christians, but they were of a strong Christian consensus they knew for this new nation to survive. It had to be built on Christian principles and even though it was a reputation and a correction to their own practice. They knew it was right to put that statement in the Constitution, which eventually working itself out unraveled the evils of slavery in this country.

Well, that's just a little bit on background of slavery in the Roman Empire and even some about us that I've got a lot more about slavery in America and the world that I think illustrates a powerful biblical truth and off the side with an item to go there tonight.

All right.

Well, actually was going II, the Christian should duty if saved, while a slave Christian's duty if saved while asleep. So if you're living in this day the cultures immersed in this practice, you become a Christian. What you supposed to do if what Paul tells them to do here in this text. Look at it again in verse one, all who are under the yoke of slaves are to regard their own masters is worthy of all honor so that the name of our God and our doctrine will not be spoken against, so first of all, either to honor their masters there to honor their masters. The interesting uses the same word honor that we been saying already.

Remember over enough the earlier chapter he said honor widows who are widows indeed literally the word means payment are paid but has the idea of value.

This value to this hold your masters in value the same exact same break word again. He says and over in chapter 5 when he says to show double honor the pastor teachers who work hard in the word and doctrine. It means value or payment is the idea of showing value. The saying slaves now that you're a Christian show value to your masters.

Honor their authority be pleasing to them. Secondly, stay focused on God's glory. Stay focused on God's glory. I cannot back up for just a moment what unpleasant circumstance. Are you and right now, what things in your life, marriage, family home environment work neighborhood.

I don't know what it is relative, friend, you've got something that's bothering you right now we got until you don't sink to change your environment seek to change you sink what God's teaching you in that situation. Sink how you can focus on house God glorified in this situation. He tells them here to honor their masters in verse one, so that the name of our God and our doctrine will not be spoken again.

Christianity is a brand-new religion and the point is if all these Christians immediately say were no longer to be slaves and I started a revolt in a movement the entire Roman cultures going to say Christianity is the worst thing that's ever happened and you will lose your capacity to be a witness for Jesus Christ. You will have jeopardized your whole ability to get a hearing share about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me remind you is I think Paul is in essence reminding them. You are already in bondage to someone you are already yoked to Jesus Christ told you you are free you going to Christ you're not your own.

You have a master key is Lord honey bees not Lord he's not Savior told you, you are free told you you had rights told you you could do as you please. You can.you can mark down here this morning and announce Christ's will. So you're not the obligation of the truth. But if you argue your already under you. You're already someone's bondslave in your opinion didn't matter if it contradicts yes. See all the sudden honoring your master on earth and make that big a deal, because I Marty submitted somebody else fully and if this master tells me to serve that master, I'm all in fully for it to get simple is not Christian wisdom just wonderful.

Are you listening this morning. You can't do this in the flesh. All of the spirit of God's changed your heart can this resonated you walk in it. Only the spirit of God's changed your heart cases folks stay focused on Christ was supportive. I don't want our God in our doctrine to be spoken against the glory of Christ is on the line as to how you behave yourself.

Christ will for you, at least for now is to honor your masters you want to be the best servants in the kingdom. The best example I cannot translate over to us as employees in the workplace should never be remember Bryce live church is ever spoken up what he's lazy when she comes in late what I don't give their best. Their troublesome person at work you have or can it be that Dr. God can be spoken against, if that is our behavior.

I wasn't. I think the best and pull you guys ever have. But I'm telling you, ever, ever job I left I had the balls to say men would love to have you back that's determined to work harder than anybody else because my master told me to tell you he is not your master Jesus is your master. If anything, don't do anything for your employer that might denigrate the reputation of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of God that we hold you young men out there going into the work world. Don't you dare come to make wine and about where they didn't end up will you be Ayo Calle grow up. Be a man do the hard things than the guy next to you at the factor.

The plan of the office of the stuff that maybe they think is a little abusive taken advantage of you. You have any rights. Anyone you're somebody else's bondslave. You honor your master for us to translate to your employer making myself clear, work ethic, will best things you can do as a witness for Jesus Christ I'm preaching to Jeff this morning. Be not deceived. I'm preaching to you to your already somebody's bondslave you're already under someone else's yoke your already listen to me, commissioned, and have voluntarily committed to carry your cross, we sing a song while going to gotta be careful because topical thought in the garbage. I don't do that we sing a song while ago works of Jesus took my cross.

That's okay it's not heresy. He took his cross that was his cross.

He and his father chose to redeem the sheep that he took my wrath, but I've got my cross and you got your cross and we have our crosses, and for these people in this day in this context, if they're saved while a slave they were to be the best slaves in the whole house that God Christian doctrine might not be spoken against, so if you deny this truth, that major taking off the yoke of Christ.

If you deny this truth. That means you refuse to be his bondslave.

If you deny this truth. That means you refuse to carry your cross and Christianity now balance partly talk about balance. Bob just gives us all these balancing truths balancing through first Corinthians 721 through 23.

Were you called while a slave girl 21 through 23. If you invited to model I might've gotten out of order.

There first Corinthians 7 2123 I knew I here's what's is where you called while a slave. Do not worry about it.

But if you're able to become free rather than some pulses this moment, your Savior, not just change everything you're likely the best Christian you are right where you are but if there's a possibility of getting your frame go direct did it just not your first priority. Why because your first priority is to glorify Christ.

It may be the guy would leave you in that oppressive position longer because he's going to use you as a witness to that whole household could be pulses if the doors open up if it's right for you to go. Forget your freedom, for he was called in the Lord while a slave is verse 22 is the Lord's freeman. Likewise, he was called while free is Christ slave you were bought with a price. Do not become the slaves of men would set me in that context, he just said don't worry about leaving slavery.

Then he sits at the end. Don't be the slave in your swimming. Don't be the slave to worldly men's thinking men would say you're nothing. If you're the slave of another man, Mark Fletcher integrated that's like. That's the most important thing in life. The most important thing of life is being out from under the yoke of bondage of sin and freed by the blood of Jesus Christ in a witness for him in the third habit is your home.

That's the most important thing in life, but if God allows it certainly get your freedom policy so it balances out. You see, our first priority in any circumstance is to honor Christ and be his witness in the world that's either get our first priority in any circumstance. This first honor Christ and be his witness in the world. The New Testament does not teach slavery does teach us how to honor Christ and be a good disciple.

If that's the circumstance we are in our goal is never first to seek changes in our outward circumstances, but be consistent in our outward witness for Christ. But as Paul said to the Corinthians.

If you can change them change don't make it your priority. Here's here's the thing that's hard to learn. If God has you in a difficult circumstance. He's more interested in building Christ's character in you through the difficulty, then he is getting you out of the difficulty if you sneak out of that difficulty. He just has to get another difficulty you remember the old hammer and chisel illustration. This does not represent the relationship of of husbands and wives are mobbed in death by the way, this like the dad is the hammer and the wife is the chisel and the young person is the on finish diamond. Sometimes young people say I thought I could just get out from under this model, like all these rules at home we got singly wise I'm I'm chiseling on you to make you more like Christ. Your mom and dad what I tell you what I did not from under dad get out from under the rules try get out from under mom and all the negative mob will even go to join the Marine big hammer big chisel. God is more concerned in you being like Christ and he is getting you out of bed place. Many of you would remove your pastor Jeff Knoblauch from some of the bad places I've been in over the last 40 years, and I would've loved it. If you had put many of you were praying to have a good pastor. Now you don't have the best one but you are pregnant, have a good pastor so got to know Campbell had take some hammers and some chisels on this guy and I go putting in some bad places help fashion him into a better Christian. That's basically a where Paul's coming from here. Well let me back up and talk just for moment here about the situation in the Roman Empire in the first century and what it would have been like if the Christian church had immediately said this is our main issued mission in life.

This is our main mission of trust Christchurch to read a society of injustices anything about that lately. If one of our main causes of social justice. Then one of our main causes must be to rid the world of slavery again. That would been a weird concept because all those people have ever ever known as slavery. It was just woven into the fabric of life for say they thought that. Here's what scholars tell us would've happened if Christianity had immediately taken the approach of the culture. First of all, they say that Rome would immediately ban Christianity. If you know anything about the ancient Roman civilization.

It is this they did not tolerate insurrection. All we read in the Gospels about how they tried to work with the Jewish religious leaders and keep them past. Everything was so that peace and harmony and structure. No uprisings no insurrections no problems and if they had to Rome had no mercy. So if it became known that there's a new religion called Christianity in their movement is to rid the world of slavery. They would been crushed by the Roman Empire almost immediately. At the least, slaves would've been forbidden to belong to any Christian churches being considered as insurrectionist. The culture at large would not have given the gospel a hearing. Slaves would be thrown out of their Masters dwellings only to find that lock on the other side was three times harder than what they had under their Masters they been casted to abject poverty. Really, with no way to support themselves and plus, as I said earlier Roman law held out the hope of freedom if they would conduct themselves properly and if a man is a Christian. He begins to view his master and honoring his master a service to Christ. He most likely would earn his freedom before anyone else.

Folks, I don't care how loud they shout it and how often they say it. The church is not about social revolution. We affect society for good, but that's the overflow it's not our main purpose. My job is not to fix the world. My job is to build his church in the world and it will do that right will have more good effect on the world. That is, if we got out in the world to try to fix it specially through the political processes I'll just let you know little something the Republicans are not the solution. I'll let you know something else. The Democrat sure ain't in the trap is not is an egomaniac narcissist.

I will vote for him.

Regretfully, because the alternative is unthinkable when our task in our job and our priority is not fixed. Culture is to build the church to be a witness for Jesus Christ. So, if called to Christianity. While a slave. We will from the heart, serve and honor our earthly masters because we do it for Christ and for our witness in the world. The labor that before our conversion was a toil now because of Christ is a sacred service. First Corinthians 722 again reminds us, for he was called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's free man. Likewise, he was called while free is Christ slave III and I'll be quicker here. The Christian slaves duty if their Masters say that you're not my thing is it's a forest best we can tell us if you have an unsafe master. What is it different is evidently there were some problems in the church which slaves honoring their Masters when both the more converted I thought it would insert this all changed now. Usual policy is a don't get out of balance on liberty don't get out of balance on liberty that is inevitably what was happening here. He says in verse to those who have believers as their Masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, so evidently a number of slaves or Christians were disrespectful to their believing masters thesis you're missing something.

You know we've already seen illustration of this. In chapter 2 were some of the ladies in the church at Ephesus were beginning to disregard their husbands authority and church elders authority because they had enjoyed the liberation that women are that they did enjoy.

They were co-equals with the man before God through Jesus Christ our menu bar applies rides a white timeout. Yes, that's true. But God structure and the culture for the home and the church has not changed, the headship a man is still in effect.

So he reproves these ladies to get back in line. Now God meant for things to function think there were an evil feminist. They just were out of balance with what Christian liberty main now we have Willis go to another example, the Corinthian church. The Cretans had the idea, but now that they were converted they could only give full devotion to Christ if they were single and some of the Corinthians were thinking to divorce their spouses so they can devote more energy to serving God and pauses timeout.

No no no no you keep your marriage vows and honor and serve God by being a good spouse two euros but her life now we come to slaves in our text here who probably were sent out this master. He's a Christian I'm a Christian were equal before God through Jesus Christ. Of course you are the structure for society to function has not gone away, but we had no way for us either about system work for your employer lot working unto the Lord is still true even though your equal him before God got structure for the same function and decent function.

Society does not change the think is basically telling these guys don't get out of balance on Christian liberty again in first Corinthians 721 he says it this way if you're called while a slave, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Keep serving God right there if you can become free do that course now be what's a Christian slaves duty.

If your master Sadie says you must be faithful to them out of Christian love you most honor them because love requires you to honor them. That's interesting how he words it here. Notice it there in verse two.

The second part, but must serve them notice the phrase all the more that you get site not doing not only do you not back up from honoring and serving your Christian master you know you been more why because those who partake of the benefit of the benefit you're giving them are believers and beloved the word beloved got a toss a copy toss, how you been talking about that some special Sunday nights when you're safe you have agape you and you and all who are saved have agape in unit, but it bonds as it draws us to each other, different than any love we have for folks who are outside of the Christian faith is either part of your one with him. First John 316 reminds us we know love by this that he lay down his life for us a will to lay down our lives for the brethren. Here's I got news for you even if you're the slave to a brother and he's your master, you still lay down your life for him even though he's your master, but didn't change, and by the way he should lay down his life for you even though you're his slave plus Christian doctrine requires that Masters are to view their slaves as brothers in Christ.

Don't don't don't get restless on the listener will have to go over it again. Ephesians 6 I did not know that whatever good thing. Each one does this he received back from the Lord, whether slave or free, and masters do the same things to the M and give up, threatening not only the Lasher physical beatings you even give up threatening to you youngsters of this was revolutionary for the day. This is radical, the master would be told he can't discipline and punish a slave what he wants to.

He says if you're a Christian. Not only do you not feature slave you don't even threatened them with while for the context of the day that was radical, knowing that both their Masters and yours is in heaven.

And there's no partiality with him and then always go back to the example of Philemon on an SMS is Philemon's runaway slave, an SMS runs into the apostle Paul becomes converted. Paul sends own estimates back to his master, Philemon, and you send a letter with it. And while Paul didn't jump up on the something safe. Get over this wicked slavery thing Paul didn't handle it that way, you say this, in essence, when own estimates comes back to you. Philemon is no longer a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother's best of me, but now much more to you both in the flesh than the Lord understand something Philemon optional dismiss your slave back but really he's no longer slave. He's your brother in Christ, and so everything starts to change. In Christian love, everything starts to change. Christianity transforms the entire master slave relationship listen to me, it changes the entire master slave relationship from the inside out. See our world things you can change it from the outside you can coerce people into certain practices and there's some good and that, by the way, that has to be done, but you don't really change them.

In this day as I noted earlier, I forced public revolt against slavery would not observe God's purposes or the good of me inspected the good of the slaves.

When a Christian master serves his Christian slave as a brother in Christ and a Christian slave serves his Christian master as a brother in Christ, the demeaning and damaging toil of slavery is removed and Christian love takes its place. Christian doctrine treasured in the heart and practiced in the life will always bring about the removal of the practice of human slavery always. You see, we have these truths that no one else has that all mankind have a common origin were all created by God, by the way, I know the world uses the terminology of this race and that race that's not biblical.

We all descended from Adam and Eve.

There's only one race and that's the human race. Talk about ethnicities. We have our language you have your language where our culture yet, but that's different. All of the world, but were all of the same human rights. We have a common origin God and we all have common dignity and sanctity because God made humans in his own image. She gave it to know the part of creation but mankind. God made us all. He made us all equally in the image of God. No wonder our founding fathers being primarily influenced by Christian truth wrote we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator tour with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In essence, if you're an atheist you can't really be an American.

Really they had no concept of atheism feeding what they were developing these men get this concept one Harvard history professor said, without the preaching of Protestant ministers that would've been no founding of America, Bible preaching that we could all argue that we wish some of them were better Christians, but thank God that founding documents could've been worse brothers and sisters, thank God that God's truth worked even through very flawed and imperfect vessels, you better. Thank God because were flawed and imperfect that God saw Grace a man. This comes from Scripture and one thing is for certain, you cannot wholly embrace those words and embrace slavery.

At the same time holding to these truths.

Given some time and you will see liberty triumph over bondage. So that's kind of the way we sing the Scriptures you don't see this strong denunciation of slavery. You don't see social revolution, but you do see Paul writing in such a way that if you follow Christian truth. Slavery disappears so founding documents of our country if followed fully would have to come to the abolition of slavery. We need change the document. I love the wisdom in that Christianity does not bring liberty through the external force of law. However, Christianity works the other way from the inside out at first the changes unseen but eventually it's unavoidable and it's unstoppable like live in Indo Nellis remind ourselves brothers and sisters that external laws are essential in society we have to have laws and Christians of all people reject lawlessness. Romans 13 commands that the duty of governing authorities is to punish those who do evil. These mayors and these governors of these liberal states and cities that are opening the door and say destroy our cities and take over your anarchy they are abrogating their duty. God gave them that's lawlessness nothing right about that.

There has to be loss. That's the society. The list could now to the church in the church sure we have rules, you could say laws, but the foundation stone for us is not the law is the new heart is the new heart is the changes the new birth inside my heart, then naturally the law is performed out of the new heart love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit in this love this now in us this agape. If you will, is now in us compels us to fulfill the law of the truth and one of the things it compels us to hold tuneful field is that all men are created equally come from the inside out, but cannot just close with this key reminder every single one of you and every single person who's ever lived on this earth has always been under a bondage yoke.

The Bible says in Romans 714, your sold into the bondage of sin.

Jesus said in Matthew 1129 take my yoke upon you, so were all under some bondage for all under some yoke of question is which one are you under which one you under are you under the cruel harsh deceptive burden of your sins and you will be judged for eternity if you don't deal with the Christ. Are you under the gentle Jesus said an easy yoke of Christ. You think you're free. Here's what you are.

You're not for your blind if you're not saved your blind Christ loves you and Christ hung on the cross and took the blow for you. He took your yoke on himself on the cross. He took your burden of your sin on the cross.

The Bible says he became sin and he took all the wrath and judgment.

You and I deserve it's gone it will look to him in faith.

And when you look to him in faith. You take off the burden of sin and Satan eternal wrath you put on the yoke of Jesus. Listen, just the yoke of unconditional favor is the yoke of unconditional love that last forever be not deceived. We are all under yoke as slaves to somewhat somewhat.

You get that right and text like this don't bother you get that right nose context don't bother you so this is what my master told me to do real quick always had time, Joseph and Daniel Young men slaves Daniel slaves to Belshazzar in Babylon, Joseph, the slave departed for and later Pharaoh, but you don't see them wanting, complaining, starting a social revolution you see them honoring their wicked pagan king, even helping him advance his kingdom. They didn't send themselves they would draw the line when they ask him to send they were faithful slaves and then God went to work then you became the prime mover and authority and all the Babylonian kingdom and Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt got purpose. It's how you respond in the sitting causes God act on your behalf, or his own glory and for your good when you get to heaven so Joseph tell me how work then you tell me about how you went from slavery to basically ruling the world whose yoke are you under