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You're listening to Key Life 
Fellowships Pulpit ministry 

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podcast. 
We thank you for tuning in as we

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learn from God's Word together. 
If you would like more 

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information regarding Key Life 
or to speak with one of our 

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pastors, please visit us at 
keylifefellow-ship.com. 

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Amen, told the first service, 
and I will tell the same to you 

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in this second service as I 
stood there singing that song 

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again, O great God of highest 
heaven, glorify your name 

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through me. 
As Casey spoke of a second ago. 

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That's a prayer. 
You do know this when we sing 

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praise unto. 
God, we are literally praying 

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the songs that we sing. 
And I pray that. 

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Would be a sincere prayer that 
we would earnestly seek to bring

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God glory into everything we do 
and everything that we say. 

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And I can't help but imagine 
what would happen in homes where

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moms and dads began to care more
about glorifying God and 

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schoolwork. 
Batting averages, touchdowns, 

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band competitions, and they 
would teach their children above

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all things to glorify God. 
What would happen in homes? 

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What would happen in churches 
when we sincerely pray, Lord be 

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glorified in everything within 
this church? 

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What would be glorified in our 
lives when we leave the safety 

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and security of the church as we
go out into The Dark World every

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single week? 
Would you be glorified through 

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me? 
May that really be our prayer 

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this morning. 
If you have your Bibles, if you 

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would turn to First Timothy 
chapter 6, First Timothy chapter

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6, and we're going to begin here
in the 6th chapter of First 

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Timothy as we have been walking 
through this pastoral epistle, 

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learning and discovering what it
means to be biblical ministers. 

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Delete biblical ministry the way
that God's Word would prescribe 

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us to Do we come to a difficult 
1st 2 verses. 

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Here, the reason that they're 
difficult is because we have a 

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preconceived idea about this 
particular subject in our 

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American minds and in order for 
us to understand what. 

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Paul is getting at in these two 
verses as he begins chapter 6. 

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We're going to have to take a 
moment, and I pray that you 

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would give me this moment. 
I ask for your grace in that. 

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To hopefully reprogram you and 
your understanding regarding the

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topic of slavery, right. 
I told you it's an interesting 

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thing we come to the topic of 
slavery, yes, found in the Bible

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and teachings on how the slave 
is supposed to act and react 

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toward the master. 
And what does this all mean? 

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What does this mean to those of 
us who are here who have a 

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horrible idea of what slavery 
is? 

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Because we know the history of 
our country and we know that 

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prior to 163 years ago when 
black slaves were emancipated 

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through a work of God. 
And I do believe that the 

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understanding that we have are 
slaves are just this group of 

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people who against their will, 
they are held prisoner by people

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who mistreat them or harm them 
and only squeeze life out of 

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them simply based on prejudice, 
racism. 

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We we know that to be true about
our country. 

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But what I want you to 
understand today is that when we

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look into the context of 1st 
century Roman culture, slavery 

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was slavery was a completely 
different thing. 

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Because I don't want you to read
Slave here and in your mind to 

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go to the slavery that plagued 
to this country at one time, 

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because that's horrendous. 
That's awful. 

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I want you to transition to the 
reality. 

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Of what slavery was in the time 
that Paul is writing this, 

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They're in that 1st century 
Roman culture. 

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And I want you to understand 
that it's not so much about 

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prejudices or race, but slavery 
in the 1st century. 

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Roman culture was about social 
order and social classes. 

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The slaves in this culture were 
different than the slaves who 

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were kept. 
Here in this country on 

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plantations to work for stingy 
men, slavery here was actually a

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part of their society. 
So I want to teach you a little 

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bit about 1st century slavery. 
Did you know this? 

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And in the 1st century, slaves 
were not a race of people. 

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We can't say that with our 
limited understanding in the 

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United States, can we? 
Shamefully, no. 

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And so we must reprogram that to
understand this. 

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There were many different types 
of people, many different races 

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who were actually. 
Slaves in the Roman culture, 

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again, they weren't necessarily 
a racial group, but they were a 

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social class of workers. 
And yes. 

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We would have to agree they were
a lower social class of workers,

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right? 
As we have classes in our 

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society, don't we? 
Right. 

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There's upper class, there's 
middle class, and there's lower 

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class. 
Whether you want to acknowledge 

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that or whether you don't, 
that's the reality of it. 

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So it was a reality there in the
Roman culture of these slaves. 

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Now what? 
You don't know, and hopefully. 

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You'll know today, as we're 
reprogramming our minds to 

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understand this text, The Bible 
never condemns this type of 

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slavery. 
Though the Bible would time and 

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time and time and time again 
condemn the type of slavery that

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you understand and that you 
learned about in school and that

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history says that we committed 
in this country. 

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Yes, Scripture would condemn 
that completely. 

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But on the flip side, the the. 
Slavery that we see here. 

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Paul addresses it. 
Here in First Timothy, he 

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addresses it in Colossians 
chapter 3, He addresses it again

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in Ephesians chapter 6. 
And in no way does he condemn 

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the slavery of that day. 
All of that being 1st century 

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Roman slavery. 
What you need to know is that in

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this time, 20 to 30% of the 
entire population of some Roman 

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provinces. 
Were slaves. 

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This was a huge working class of
people. 

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In fact, it was so huge that 
most would agree that if that 

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slave class. 
Would have ended. 

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It would have been the demise of
Rome immediately because this 

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was the working class of people.
These were the people who got 

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things done in that culture. 
So let's dig into this a little 

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bit in our intro today. 
How did people become slaves 

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right we know historically how 
they became slaves here how did 

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they become slaves in the Roman 
culture well, first by birth 

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some people were born into. 
Slavery. 

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They came from a family who they
had always been of the slave 

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class. 
Just like in our society, right?

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A lot of the times a middle 
class man has children, his 

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children know the middle class. 
They become hard workers, blue 

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collared people, and they stay 
in the middle. 

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Class, sometimes the upper 
class, they, they, their 

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children, well, they inherit all
of the wealth of their fathers 

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and they stay in that upper 
class with that financial 

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backing and support from 
generations prior to them. 

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And so the same goes 
historically for the 1st century

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slaves, some of them they were 
born their mothers, their 

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fathers, their grandfathers, 
their grandmothers, their entire

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family. 
They were of this slave class. 

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They knew nothing different it. 
Wasn't like someone herded them 

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up and barged them up and sent 
them across the sea against 

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their will. 
This is the class of people that

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they were born into. 
Well, also in the Roman culture,

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another way that people became 
slaves. 

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Very interesting to find out, 
but it's very obvious was 

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through. 
War. 

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When Rome would conquer someone 
else, part of the spoils of war 

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were that these people that they
conquered became slaves. 

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Now before you immediately 
become negative there, Rome 

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would take care of their 
governmental slaves and, and 

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rightfully so, they valued them.
You know why? 

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Because I can take you to places
right now where they have 

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uncovered ruins from this time 
period. 

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And you know who built those 
ruins, those magnanimous 

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buildings and structures and 
even the roadways that are 

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ungovered? 
You know who built those? 

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You know who, if we built the 
entire infrastructure of that 

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Roman culture, it was those hard
working slaves that had been 

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acquired by the government as 
the spoils of war. 

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So war was another way that 
someone would become a slave. 

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Another way was this 
indebtedness a person. 

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Who owed a great debt to? 
Someone, especially someone who 

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had a lot of money and a lot of 
power, they would then, because 

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they can't fulfill their debt. 
Now, how many of you would agree

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that if you promise to pay a 
debt, you owe that debt no 

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matter what? 
How many of you would say that 

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is a biblical principle? 
And it is. 

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So what would happen is this 
person would owe a debt and they

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could not pay the debt, they 
could not make that financial 

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end meet. 
So they would go to that person 

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and they would offer themselves 
as a servant, as a slave for 

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that person. 
And they would trade their 

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service for that debt. 
And they would come to an 

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agreement that yes, in 20 years,
if you work for me and you work 

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hard for these 20 years, at the 
end of 20 years we will consider

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your debt is. 
Paid and you are now a free man 

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or free woman again. 
So sometimes indebtedness LED 

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people into slavery, but there's
also this take on it. 

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How about abandonment? 
Did you notice some people were 

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slaves because they had no other
option? 

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Women would become slaves 
because they had been abandoned,

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perhaps by their husbands, or 
perhaps they had been widowed, 

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and they would become a slave 
and the only other option that 

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they had other than slavery 
would be prostitution. 

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And they would take the moral 
high ground and they would 

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become servants for someone 
else. 

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They would actually, because 
they had been abandoned, go into

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some type of slavery. 
Now, in that type of slavery. 

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That master, they would actually
treat them well. 

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They would not mistreat them, 
they would not mishandle them. 

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They were benefiting from their 
servants. 

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And of course. 
It was a percentage of this that

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was simply the buying and the 
selling of slaves. 

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I don't make any means about 
that. 

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There was a slave market and 
there were buyers, and there 

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were. 
Sellers But how that worked was 

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like this. 
If I had a good servant, a good 

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slave, and I came into some kind
of financial problem and I had 

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to liquidate my assets, what I 
would do is I would sell off my 

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slaves to go and to serve 
someone else so that I could 

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reap that financial benefit. 
And they, having no choice 

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because they're in that slave 
class, would then go and they 

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would show their loyalty and 
their service to that new 

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master. 
So I want you to see that there 

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is a significant difference in 
our understanding of slavery and

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the understanding of. 
Slavery in the 1st century AD 

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here in Roman culture, what did 
slaves. 

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Do right Our idea of slaves is 
what we have this idea that a 

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slave goes out into a cotton 
field and they are whipped with 

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a leather strap and they are 
mistreated until all the cotton 

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is harvested and then they live 
in deplorable conditions. 

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And we know this. 
This went on. 

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It's true. 
No one can deny that fact. 

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But that's not the kind of 
slavery that we're talking about

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here in the Scripture. 
Here in the scripture, slaves 

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had important roles. 
Some of them were household 

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servants. 
You know what that means? 

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They were cooks. 
They were maids. 

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They were caretakers, personal 
attendants. 

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Wet nurses. 
That's pretty important when a 

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mother has a child, isn't it? 
And they can't breastfeed their 

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child. 
You know what they couldn't do 

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in 1st century round? 
They couldn't run run down to 

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Walmart and get some mental 
milk. 

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No, so they valued the service 
of their slaves. 

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That wet nurse would actually 
sustain their children so that 

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they could live very important 
roles. 

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Very important duties. 
Many people don't understand 

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this as some of them actually 
served as tutors. 

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Within the home, some of them 
were actually educated, right? 

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We weren't trying in 1st century
Rome and like many trying to do 

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in our country, oppressing them,
keeping them from an education 

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so that all they can ever be as 
a slave. 

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Some of these people were 
already educated and became 

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slaves and they had certain 
skill sets and then they would 

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use those skill sets in the home
to tutor and to teach the 

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children in the home. 
Because they didn't have public 

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schools on every corner like we 
do here. 

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So these slaves would work as 
tutors. 

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They also, as we know, they 
farmed, they did some ranching, 

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taking care of cattle and 
livestock, sheep. 

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They helped plant and they 
helped harvest the crops. 

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And you know what? 
Sometimes they helped harvest 

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the crops. 
Right alongside of the owner of 

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the field. 
Who was their master, working 

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00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,320
side by side, developing a 
working and a loving 

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relationship. 
Some of them were specially 

233
00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:05,840
skilled workers, doctors I 
already mentioned, teachers and 

234
00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,160
tutors. 
Some of them were accountants, 

235
00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,120
some of them were Craftsman, as 
I. 

236
00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,680
Told you when you see those 
beautiful structures made during

237
00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,360
this Roman time period, you see 
these were carved out of of 

238
00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:18,800
rock. 
Most of the time they were 

239
00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:20,800
chiseled. 
They're beautiful. 

240
00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:26,040
We still look at them today and 
we actually fall and honor that 

241
00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:30,560
beauty that they would somehow, 
in their limited means and that 

242
00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,800
time, carve. 
Out I I look at those things if 

243
00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:37,040
you've ever visited that part of
the world and you see these 

244
00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,160
structures and the tools that 
they had to work with you were 

245
00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,120
really. 
In awe of how did they 

246
00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,440
accomplish so much with so 
little. 

247
00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,280
And I'll tell you this, they 
knew what they were. 

248
00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,160
Doing, they had to be skilled 
and doing that. 

249
00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:56,640
So these were skilled workers. 
Even the 1st century Rome, I 

250
00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:58,920
want you to know this. 
Most slaves were taken care of. 

251
00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:05,120
They were valued. 
They were valued by their master

252
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:09,040
as important as having something
to offer. 

253
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:14,120
And they weren't there just to 
mistreat or to harm, to handle 

254
00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:18,160
them in some unjust manner. 
In fact, at this time that 

255
00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:23,040
Paula's righteous, it was even 
looked down upon to mistreat 

256
00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:26,680
your slave and anyway and if you
were to take the life of one of 

257
00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:31,520
your slaves, it would actually 
cost to you potentially your own

258
00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:36,440
life. 
They weren't just caged animals.

259
00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,400
They were contributors to this 
society. 

260
00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,600
They were hard workers, they 
were skilled workers, and they 

261
00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:50,960
were valued by those who they 
served, even receiving receiving

262
00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:55,120
room and board for their work. 
And that's not all. 1st century 

263
00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,880
Roman slaves were paid at times 
by their owners to do specific 

264
00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:03,800
tasks that they would do. 
And historically, some of them 

265
00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:08,319
would raise enough money from 
the pay that they received. 

266
00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,880
They would then turn and 
purchase their own selves out 

267
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,359
of. 
Slavery by the money that they 

268
00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,160
earn, becoming again free men 
and free women. 

269
00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,480
So when we look at 1st century 
Roman. 

270
00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,079
Culture. 
We look at the topic of slaves. 

271
00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,920
I want us in this lesson to. 
Do two things. 

272
00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:37,120
One, to reprogram our minds from
the awful tyranny that pops into

273
00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:41,520
it because of the example of 
American slavery. 

274
00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,880
Again, it is wrong. 
It is detestable. 

275
00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:50,120
It was never and could never be 
approved by scripture. 

276
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:52,960
God would never approve treating
people that way. 

277
00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:59,720
However, this type of slavery 
being distinctly different has a

278
00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:06,680
lesson for us all. 
How many of you are employed by 

279
00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,240
someone you are not? 
The boss? 

280
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:12,560
Raise your hand. 
How many of you are going to 

281
00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:14,880
work tomorrow at that place of 
employment? 

282
00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,440
Keep your hand up. 
Now, let me ask you this 

283
00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,520
question. 
Are you going to go there 

284
00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:24,840
whenever you feel like it or has
someone else established? 

285
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,440
Has someone else established 
what time you're going to be 

286
00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,160
there? 
It's the latter, of course. 

287
00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,840
They have established what time 
you're going to be there. 

288
00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:39,240
We call him or her boss. 
They are superior in our life 

289
00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,960
and I know that when we use that
word superior, it begins to 

290
00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,440
bother us and and our mindset of
thinking that everybody has to 

291
00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,120
be equal on all planes. 
No, we are equal as humans. 

292
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,680
We are equal in Christ, but in 
the place of employment we are 

293
00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,040
not all equal. 
There is a person who signs your

294
00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,280
check. 
Am I right of? 

295
00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:02,120
Course they are a superior unto 
you. 

296
00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:03,720
They tell you when you come to 
work. 

297
00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:05,320
They tell you what you do while 
you're at work. 

298
00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:06,960
They tell you when you can even 
get off work. 

299
00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:08,720
How many of you have ever had to
call home and say, honey, I'm 

300
00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,320
going to be late because my boss
is requiring me to do a little 

301
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:17,600
bit of extra work? 
This and what you do as the 

302
00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,840
working class of people is more 
akin to what we see in 1st 

303
00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,200
century Roman. 
Slavery than what you have in 

304
00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,360
your mind in regard to American 
slavery in the past. 

305
00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,480
And I say that because today 
what we have here is not 

306
00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:33,520
something that we need to ignore
and just say, well, I'm not a 

307
00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,320
slave. 
I've never been a slave, so this

308
00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:38,160
doesn't apply to me. 
You are a slave. 

309
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:44,160
You work for the system, you 
work for someone, you are in a 

310
00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,600
social class and you will report
to duty tomorrow or you will 

311
00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:50,880
lose your job and your 
livelihood. 

312
00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:59,440
So in a sense, this is much 
like. 1st century Roman slavery 

313
00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,080
that Paul is addressing here. 
Now that we know that. 

314
00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:04,960
At least if I've done my job, 
you do. 

315
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:07,920
Let's read this text. 
Let's read this text 

316
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:11,160
differently, he says in verse 
one. 

317
00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,360
We'll be covering the 1st 2 
verses today. 

318
00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:15,840
He says all who are under. 
The yoke of slavery should 

319
00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:20,920
consider their masters worthy of
full respect, so that God's name

320
00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:23,720
and our teaching may not be 
slandered. 

321
00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,920
Those who have believing masters
are not to show less respect for

322
00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:32,440
them because they are brothers. 
Instead, they are to serve. 

323
00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:37,640
Them even better because those 
who benefit from their service 

324
00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:42,960
are believers and dear to them. 
These are the things you are to 

325
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,720
teach and urge on them. 
Paul telling Timothy. 

326
00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,120
Who would teach the church at 
Ephesus? 

327
00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:54,640
Here is what a slave is supposed
to do and how they are supposed 

328
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,000
to act and react toward their 
master. 

329
00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:00,240
And he does not in any way 
condemn this type of slavery. 

330
00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:02,920
That's how I know that it's 
different than the slavery that 

331
00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,160
would have obviously been 
condemned in this country. 

332
00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,480
And he gives specific 
instructions to the believing. 

333
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,080
Slaves on how they are to 
behave, the attitude of their 

334
00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,280
heart toward those that they 
work for. 

335
00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,640
May we gain this lesson from 
this today. 

336
00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:20,520
Father, in the name of Jesus, we
come to you today. 

337
00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:22,760
We thank you for your word. 
We thank you that it is true 

338
00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,880
that it is important, that it 
does apply to us. 

339
00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:34,080
Lord, I pray today as we see the
employee and the employer, the 

340
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:38,680
slave and the master 
relationship, that we would do 

341
00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:44,280
our part as those employees and 
honoring and respecting our 

342
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,800
bosses, those who are masters 
over us socially. 

343
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,280
God, I just pray that this would
be used to bring you glory and 

344
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,360
to bring others to the knowledge
of the gospel of Jesus Christ as

345
00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:02,240
they see us serving in the way 
that we should, that all of this

346
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:06,080
would be pleasing to you and 
bring you praise. 

347
00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:08,440
But I pray for the unbeliever 
who's here today. 

348
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,920
I pray that you would give them 
faith to believe that you would 

349
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,360
open their eyes to see the 
truth, their need for Christ and

350
00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:18,160
the fact that they are sinners 
in need of your mercy and your 

351
00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:22,640
forgiveness. 
God, I pray that you being the 

352
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:27,160
God who is faithful to save, 
that you would save those who 

353
00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,560
call upon you today in 
desperation, needing your 

354
00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,240
forgiveness, knowing that your 
forgiveness came through Christ.

355
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,280
We'll give you all the glory for
it in Jesus name, Amen. 

356
00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,040
So we walk through these two 
verses today, and we walk 

357
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:41,440
through these two verses 
carefully. 

358
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,560
Now that we have established 
that there is a difference in 

359
00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,520
our definition of slavery and 
the biblical definition of of 

360
00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,920
slavery, let's look at this 
first thing that he begins with,

361
00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,200
and this is. 
This he says all who are under 

362
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,920
the yoke of slavery should 
consider their masters worthy of

363
00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:03,840
full respect. 
Now I know all of you Christians

364
00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:08,040
here today, give your bosses 
full respect, right? 

365
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,520
That's the quiet in here. 
I didn't even hear the church 

366
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:18,400
mouse squeaking. 
He says to give them a full 

367
00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,040
respect. 
Paul begins addressing these 

368
00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:26,680
people who are in the church who
are slaves, and he begins with 

369
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,720
the term yoke. 
He says those who are under the 

370
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,000
yoke of slavery. 
Those of you who are in this 

371
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,120
position as slaves, you were 
bound to a master, you were 

372
00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:40,320
bound to a task, you were bound 
to a service, he says. 

373
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,240
But even though you're bound to 
this master, bound to this task,

374
00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:49,040
bound to this service by this 
joke, you have no right to do 

375
00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:53,600
anything other than to fully. 
Respect your masters, your 

376
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:55,920
superiors, those who are over 
you. 

377
00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:00,000
Again, I know. 
We don't like the term superior.

378
00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,240
We don't like anyone telling us 
what to do. 

379
00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:07,240
It's just the facts of life. 
It happens. 

380
00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,000
You were going to have a boss, 
you were going to have an 

381
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,200
authority. 
There is someone who is going to

382
00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:17,240
rule or to have charge over you 
most of your life. 

383
00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,120
I remember in high school I had 
a friend shortly after high 

384
00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:22,360
school, he said I'm going in the
army. 

385
00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:23,760
I said, what do you want to do 
that for? 

386
00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:26,760
He said, because I'm sick of my 
dad telling me what to do. 

387
00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,920
I said, oh, so you want 100 dads
telling you what to do, 

388
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,120
screaming at you, never being 
able to leave, having zero 

389
00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:37,280
freedom. 
You go on and you join the Army.

390
00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:39,960
He did, and he found out it 
wasn't the escape that he 

391
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:43,840
thought it was because there's 
always somebody who is a 

392
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:49,320
superior in our lives. 
We have to recognize that and we

393
00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:54,600
have to respect. 
Those who are our superiors, you

394
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,240
have to respect those who are 
your superiors in this life. 

395
00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:05,360
Paul gives great insight into 
this. 1st I have to respect. 

396
00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:11,400
Those who are my superiors 
despite my position socially. 

397
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,120
So you have to respect those who
are your superiors despite your 

398
00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:17,520
position socially. 
Your social position has nothing

399
00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,000
to do with this. 
In fact, Paul's talking to the 

400
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,920
slaves and he's saying to the 
slave you are to fully respect 

401
00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,400
your master. 
Why would he say something like?

402
00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:32,680
This they're yoked to them. 
They're in partnership with 

403
00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:33,960
them, whether they realize it or
not. 

404
00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,000
They're in partnership with them
because of God's sovereign hand.

405
00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:41,200
He is letting them know. 
If God wanted you to be yoked to

406
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,240
something or someone else, 
that's where you would be yoked.

407
00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:49,320
You have been sovereignly placed
into the social position of a 

408
00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,120
slave. 
This is where you are. 

409
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,440
This is who you are, whether you
like it or whether you don't. 

410
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,880
Some of you, you're dreading 
tomorrow morning, you don't like

411
00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:02,320
your job, you don't like your 
boss, you don't like your 

412
00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:06,600
company, all of those things 
that we constantly complain 

413
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,480
about. 
But can I insert this so that 

414
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,160
you can understand this 
properly? 

415
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:15,560
You are yoked to this because 
God has sovereignly put you 

416
00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:19,320
there. 
It is the position that He has 

417
00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,640
given you. 
You believe Scripture, I believe

418
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,840
Scripture. 
Ephesians 111 says that he, God 

419
00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:28,160
works out everything in 
conformity with the purpose of 

420
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:32,080
His will. 
Paul is saying to these slaves, 

421
00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:36,800
if you are under the yoke of 
slavery as a believing slave, I 

422
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,000
want you to realize this. 
There's a bigger picture here. 

423
00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,440
You were in the position that 
you were in because. 

424
00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,320
The Sovereign God has desired 
that you be in that position. 

425
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,040
And the good news for the 
Christian is this Romans 828, 

426
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,400
you know it, but apply it to 
your life, apply it to your job,

427
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,120
apply it to the boss who you 
can't stand, it says in Romans 

428
00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:58,440
828. 
And we know that in all things. 

429
00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,840
God works for the good of those 
who love Him, who have been 

430
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:05,640
called according to His purpose.
You can bet you might be 

431
00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:12,400
enduring this yoke that you 
would rather not have, but you 

432
00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:16,960
can bet if you're there, God has
in His Providence placed you 

433
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:21,960
there. 
It is your yoke, and it is a 

434
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,520
yoke given to you by God 
Himself. 

435
00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:30,040
What would happen if we as 
Christians, in regard to work 

436
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:35,280
and the workplace, saw our yoke 
as our ministry? 

437
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:38,960
How many of you spend more time 
at work than you do with your 

438
00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,280
family? 
How many of you spend more time 

439
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,080
at work than you do at church? 
How many of you spend more time 

440
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,200
at work than anything? 
Fishing, Hunting, the things 

441
00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,280
that you enjoy you. 
Spend more time at work than 

442
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,720
anywhere else. 
You are yoked to that job. 

443
00:27:53,720 --> 00:28:00,160
You are a slave to that job. 
And you're a slave to that job 

444
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:05,320
because God has put you there 
and he's put you there to 

445
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:09,120
minister. 
And you have to grasp this 

446
00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:13,120
concept or you are going to be a
miserable person. 

447
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:18,640
He is telling these slaves you 
are yoked to that master for a 

448
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,920
reason. 
You are yoked to that position, 

449
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,840
that job, that service for a 
reason, and that reason is 

450
00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,880
higher than any of your 
reasoning can comprehend. 

451
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,600
There is a sovereign purpose and
why you are where you are. 

452
00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:38,880
So despite your position 
socially, you have no right to 

453
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,880
show any disrespect to your 
masters, he says. 

454
00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,520
They're worthy of full respect 
because when you disrespect 

455
00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,880
them, you disrespect the 
sovereign God who put you in 

456
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,320
that. 
Position and I want you to see 

457
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:56,360
that clearly today and we have 
to respect those who are our 

458
00:28:56,360 --> 00:29:02,240
superiors despite our position 
and displaying full respect for 

459
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,800
these superiors. 
Full respect. 

460
00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:07,200
That means we can't half 
heartedly respect him. 

461
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,320
We can't just respect them when 
they're present then stab them 

462
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:15,120
in the back when they're not if 
they give them full. 

463
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,160
Respect. 
How do we do that? 

464
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:18,920
He says. 
All who are under the yoke of 

465
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,280
slavery should consider their 
masters worthy of full respect. 

466
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:24,400
How do we fully respect 
somebody? 

467
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:30,040
Well, we fully respect somebody 
by our words, how we speak to 

468
00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:32,760
them, how we talk to them, 
right? 

469
00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,520
Just because your boss talks 
down to you, and I know that 

470
00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:39,120
this happens and I'm not 
defending your boss, but just 

471
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,360
because your boss talks down to 
you, does that give you a right 

472
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:42,920
as a Christian? 
Brother or sister to then? 

473
00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,880
Lash back out and talk to them 
in the same manner. 

474
00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:48,880
Of course it doesn't. 
We're not to return evil with 

475
00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,200
evil, but scripture says we're 
to return evil with good. 

476
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,640
And what we have to learn to do.
We have to learn to bless even 

477
00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:02,160
our bosses with the words that 
come out of our mouths, how you 

478
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,840
speak to them. 
Colossians 46 says let your 

479
00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,920
conversation be always full of 
grace and season with salt. 

480
00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:12,000
You can insert this in there 
even though it doesn't say it in

481
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,600
scripture. 
Even when talking to your boss 

482
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,800
or anyone else that you don't 
like for that matter, your 

483
00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:21,160
conversation should always be 
full of grace and seasoned with 

484
00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:23,040
salt. 
It shouldn't be abrasive. 

485
00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,120
It should go down smoothly. 
It should show the kindness and 

486
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:30,080
the gentleness of the Lord. 
Ephesians 429. 

487
00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:33,560
Says do not let any unwholesome 
talk come out of your mouths, 

488
00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,520
but only what is helpful for 
building others up according to 

489
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:42,320
their needs, that it may benefit
those who listen, even your 

490
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,760
boss. 
You must show them full respect 

491
00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:51,160
by the words that you speak to. 
Them you speak with kindness, 

492
00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,400
you speak with gentleness, you 
speak with the grace of the Lord

493
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,800
Jesus Christ. 
It's important how you speak to 

494
00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,320
them. 
Full respect will come out in 

495
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:02,880
your words. 
Is that not what Jesus said? 

496
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:04,720
From the overflow of the heart, 
the mouth will speak. 

497
00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:06,600
If you have animosity in your 
heart toward your boss, it's 

498
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:11,280
going to come out of your words,
but your heart is in the right 

499
00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:12,840
place. 
Your words are going to be that 

500
00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:16,120
that reflect Christ. 
So how you speak to them, we can

501
00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:18,280
display full respect for our 
superiors. 

502
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,320
By our words, how we speak to 
them, and. 

503
00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,600
Here's a tough one for us all. 
How you speak about them to 

504
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,600
others, right? 
Because some of us know all the 

505
00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:31,760
right things to say when our 
boss is present, right? 

506
00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,280
You're like that little dog. 
Y'all remember that cartoon with

507
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:35,680
that dog? 
And there was the big bulldog 

508
00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:36,760
and the little, I think he was a
Chihuahua. 

509
00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,120
I don't remember. 
He's a little dog, and he was. 

510
00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:39,320
Like, come on, fight. 
Get a man. 

511
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,800
It's like, oh, yeah. 
And he was all pumping that big 

512
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,880
bulldog up all the time. 
It was ingratiating. 

513
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:49,720
Of course, here's the thing. 
You can, and I'll borrow this 

514
00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:53,240
slang term, kiss up to your boss
in front of them. 

515
00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:56,360
Is he want that raised? 
You want that promotion? 

516
00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,280
You want an easy life? 
Of course. 

517
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:06,320
What's going on after? 
He walks out of the room or she.

518
00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,360
What's going on with your words 
when they're not around? 

519
00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,600
He said, well Kirk, is there 
really a problem with that 

520
00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:15,000
biblically? 
I don't know. 

521
00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,520
Let's ask brother James if 
there's a problem with that 

522
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,520
biblically. 
Chapter 3 of James epistle, 

523
00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:21,360
here's what he says. 
He says with the tongue we 

524
00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,160
praise our Lord and Father and 
with it we curse human beings 

525
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,000
who have been made in God's 
likeness. 

526
00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,080
Has your boss been made in 
Maggio Day in the likeness of 

527
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,000
God? 
You bet he has as all humans 

528
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,040
have been made in that manner. 
He says out of the same mouth 

529
00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,560
come praise and cursing. 
Verse 10 My brothers and 

530
00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:41,920
sisters, this should not be so 
shouldn't happen that way. 

531
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:43,720
Why? 
Because the other people in the 

532
00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:46,240
break room, when you're trashing
your boss, they know that you're

533
00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,800
a Christian and they see you 
trashing your boss as soon as he

534
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,240
leaves. 
You know what they label you 

535
00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,360
rather quickly? 
Oh, he's just another one of 

536
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,440
those two faced hypocritical 
Christian. 

537
00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:02,880
Pay close attention to this. 
This is an important lesson for 

538
00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,360
us all. 
We're to display full respect 

539
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:11,040
for our superiors by our words, 
how we speak to them, how we 

540
00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,600
speak about them, or of them to 
others, but not only. 

541
00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:18,400
By our words, but by our work. 
Are you working diligently, 

542
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,920
showing full respect for your 
superior? 

543
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,320
When your boss expects 
something, are you doing what 

544
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,600
they expect? 
Are you that person that 

545
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:32,920
somebody just has to ride all 
the time and breathe down your 

546
00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:37,920
neck? 
Or do you know what expectations

547
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,280
your boss has and you're 
fulfilling those expectations? 

548
00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,320
That's the greatest form of 
respect for your boss, doing 

549
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:47,080
what they expect you to do and 
then some. 

550
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,360
Now you say, well, I don't want 
to be that kind of worker, but 

551
00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:55,120
you don't want to be a biblical 
Christian worker. 

552
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,640
You want to just barely get by. 
You want to just barely make 

553
00:33:58,640 --> 00:33:59,960
ends meet. 
You want to just live status 

554
00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:04,240
quo, but I pray today that this 
message fall on the ears of 

555
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:08,040
those who truly want to please 
God by being the Christian 

556
00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,320
worker that he's called us to be
displaying full. 

557
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,560
Respect for our superiors, by 
our words and by our work. 

558
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:18,440
Do you work diligently for the 
person who puts bread on your 

559
00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,520
table, shoes on your children's 
feet, clothes on your back? 

560
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:27,120
Or do you constantly complain, 
bellyache, moan and groan about 

561
00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,440
your horrible situation? 
You're in that situation because

562
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,000
the sovereign God put you in 
that situation. 

563
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,080
You're not going to move from 
that situation until He 

564
00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:34,440
sovereignly sees fit to move 
you. 

565
00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,080
So you might as well be content 
where you are and serve 

566
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,199
diligently those who you've been
called to serve wholeheartedly. 

567
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:43,560
Ecclesiastes 9, verse 10, it 
says this. 

568
00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:46,400
Whatever your your hand finds to
do, do it with all your might, 

569
00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:49,960
all of it. 
Are you working with all of your

570
00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:56,159
might in your job, doing what's 
expected, even going above and 

571
00:34:56,159 --> 00:35:02,360
beyond that which is expected? 
Christians should never ever, 

572
00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:06,200
ever be just bare minimum 
mediocre people. 

573
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:08,480
Did you hear me? 
I. 

574
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:10,840
Am in myself since y'all are all
so quiet and I know this hits 

575
00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:15,600
home. 
You should never be bare minimum

576
00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,840
people. 
You should never be mediocre. 

577
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,360
They ought to see you going to 
the highest extreme to do a 

578
00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:26,040
diligent job. 
What if Christ would have had a 

579
00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,680
mediocre attitude and you 
halfway died for your sin? 

580
00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:34,200
You'd be in trouble, wouldn't 
you were to give that kind of 

581
00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,560
service? 
Even to our employee, employer 

582
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:43,480
as an employee and Christian 
workers should always express 

583
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:50,680
full respect by their words and 
by their work for those who are 

584
00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:54,560
in authority, as their bosses, 
as their superiors. 

585
00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,680
Secondly, not. 
Only should we respect. 

586
00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:02,120
Those who are who we, who are 
our superiors, we should respond

587
00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:04,880
properly. 
We should respond as we should. 

588
00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:06,640
And how do we know how we should
respond? 

589
00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,480
We should respond biblically in 
this situation. 

590
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:14,640
He says in the second part of B.
Of one BI have it labeled there 

591
00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:16,280
on the. 
Screen, it says, so that God's 

592
00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:19,400
name and our teaching may not be
slandered. 

593
00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:24,520
He's going to tell you why you 
are to fully submit to your 

594
00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:28,560
superiors, even though sometimes
this goes against every ounce of

595
00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,840
your flesh. 
There is a bigger reason here. 

596
00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:35,120
He says so that God's name and 
our teaching may not be 

597
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:37,320
slandered. 
What's Paul's teaching here? 

598
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:41,280
Paul's teaching that we have to 
be careful how we respond and 

599
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:44,400
how we react to our bosses, to 
those authorities. 

600
00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:48,240
In our lives that we are working
for, the last thing that we 

601
00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:53,640
should ever, ever, ever, ever 
want in our lives is to respond 

602
00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:58,240
to someone in any way that would
bring a reproach upon the name 

603
00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,360
of Christ. 
Paul's making this very clear to

604
00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:03,840
the believing slave. 
He's saying this fully. 

605
00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:08,840
Honor your master, not just for 
your sake, but even more so for 

606
00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:12,720
the sake of Christ, for the name
of our Lord and the name of our.

607
00:37:12,720 --> 00:37:15,600
Savior who offered himself for 
us. 

608
00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:20,240
As Christian workers, we should 
properly respond to our superior

609
00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:26,520
superiors, understanding that we
are those who bear the name of 

610
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:31,440
Christ. 
We should always act and react 

611
00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,280
as one bearing God's name. 
That's what he says here, so 

612
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,000
that God's name and our. 
Teaching may not be slandered. 

613
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:41,920
Christians, remember this when 
you clock in tomorrow. 

614
00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:48,240
Yes, you are representing you 
and your home, but more than 

615
00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:52,200
that, you're representing the 
Lord Jesus Christ when you clock

616
00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,160
in tomorrow. 
Because if you're a Christian, 

617
00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:57,200
obviously everyone should know 
that it's not something we keep 

618
00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,680
hidden. 
And when you clock in, you 

619
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:06,520
should clock in as pertaining to
me, Kirk Hall, servant of Jesus 

620
00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:10,000
Christ, I bear his name. 
And that's not something that we

621
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:11,480
should take lightly. 
And I'm afraid that in the 

622
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,160
workplace, we take that far too 
lightly. 

623
00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:17,880
We cannot forget that we wear 
the name of Christ everywhere we

624
00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:19,960
go. 
Everything we do, everything 

625
00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:24,480
that we participate in, 
everything in our lives that we 

626
00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:28,240
are involved in, it involves the
name of Christ. 

627
00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,080
In fact, we can go all the way 
back to Antioch where they were 

628
00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,840
first called Christians in the 
book of Acts. 

629
00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:36,880
Why? 
They were little Christ. 

630
00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:39,880
They identified the believer 
with Christ. 

631
00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:43,400
Do you notice everything you do?
You are identified with Christ 

632
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,520
and you don't want to bring 
slander or reproach upon upon 

633
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:50,040
His name because you don't 
handle your affairs the way that

634
00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,800
you should. 
In this particular context, you 

635
00:38:54,600 --> 00:39:00,400
got to fully respect your boss 
because you wear the name of 

636
00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:03,720
Jesus. 
You ought to be willing to go 

637
00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:07,320
through whatever you have to go,
be it suffering persecution. 

638
00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:10,000
Death, you ought to be willing 
to go through all of those 

639
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,000
things because you have the 
privilege of wearing his name. 

640
00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:17,400
Surely just being a respectful 
servant to your boss is not too 

641
00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:21,320
much to ask from the One who 
gave his all his own life for 

642
00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:23,920
you and for me, and for all who 
would trust in him. 

643
00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:29,520
Peter knows a little bit about 
suffering for Christ since 

644
00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:33,880
tradition says that he was 
brutally crucified upside down 

645
00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:36,920
because he thought it. 
Be an insult to Christ to be 

646
00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:38,600
crucified right side up, he 
said. 

647
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,000
No, you turn me upside down, I 
can't be crucified the same as 

648
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:42,720
my Lord. 
But Peter was willing to. 

649
00:39:42,720 --> 00:39:44,080
Suffer. 
And Peter wrote these words in 

650
00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:48,000
his first epistle in chapter 4. 
He says, however, in verse 16, 

651
00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:52,280
if you suffer as a Christian, do
not be ashamed, but praise. 

652
00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:56,080
God that you bear that name. 
Wow. 

653
00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:00,200
You know what? 
Peter understood the privilege 

654
00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:04,840
and the responsibility of 
varying the name Christian. 

655
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:09,840
We just throw it around 
flippantly and nonchalantly 

656
00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:13,760
these days, don't we? 
No, that is the very name 

657
00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,600
Christ, the King of kings and 
Lord of Lords. 

658
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:20,120
And had he not mercifully and 
graciously intervened in your 

659
00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:22,160
life, you would not bear his 
name. 

660
00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,440
And Paul is writing to this 
group of workers, these slaves, 

661
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:31,520
and he's saying don't forget 
that when you show disrespect to

662
00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:35,600
that master, when you show 
disrespect to your boss in our 

663
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:37,240
culture. 
He's saying this. 

664
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:42,560
You're dragging the name of 
Christ in the mud. 

665
00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:48,920
You're bringing reproach and 
slander upon the very one who 

666
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:54,360
died a selfless sacrificial 
death to rescue you from your 

667
00:40:54,360 --> 00:41:00,240
greatest enemy called sin and to
make you a child of God Most 

668
00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:02,400
High. 
And you were insulting him How? 

669
00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:05,120
Because you disrespect your boss
so. 

670
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,640
I don't like the sound of that. 
I don't care what you like. 

671
00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:10,280
That's what the word of God 
says. 

672
00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:15,160
You're bringing slander upon the
name of Christ. 

673
00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:16,600
How does? 
This work, right? 

674
00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:18,560
You disrespect your boss. 
The people at your workplace 

675
00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:19,360
know you're a Christian, they 
say. 

676
00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:22,920
I can't believe he calls himself
a Christian. 

677
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,920
And he talked to the boss that 
way. 

678
00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:30,280
The boss goes home and he's 
sitting around his table with 

679
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,880
his wife and his children. 
You know what he says, man, that

680
00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,840
employee I have down there at 
the mill, Kirk, I thought he was

681
00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:40,400
a pretty good worker. 
But today he totally 

682
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:42,240
disrespected me in front of 
everyone. 

683
00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:45,440
He's really not been putting out
a whole lot. 

684
00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,640
He's not doing a very good job. 
I'm probably going to have to 

685
00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:48,960
fire him. 
And you know what's the saddest 

686
00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:50,480
thing about it? 
Watch us. 

687
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:55,000
You know what he's going to say?
He claims to be. 

688
00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:59,560
There's that word, a Christian. 
He wears the name of Christ, he 

689
00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:05,000
says. 
But He knows that you don't 

690
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,600
value that by the way that you 
act. 

691
00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:10,760
Let us remember that as 
believers, we are 

692
00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,880
representatives of Christ in 
everything that we do. 

693
00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:17,680
Paul calls himself and those who
are ministering along with him 

694
00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:21,040
and also calling us. 
By proxy he calls us 

695
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,160
ambassadors. 
Second Corinthians 5 verse 20 

696
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:27,400
says we are therefore Christ 
ambassadors, as though God were 

697
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:29,680
making his appeal through us. 
We implore you on Christ's 

698
00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,800
behalf, be reconciled to God. 
Paul, his whole life was to 

699
00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,760
preach reconciliation through 
the gospel, and he's imploring 

700
00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:37,840
people to be reconciled. 
He says in my position is this. 

701
00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:39,720
That of ambassador. 
That was his job. 

702
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:41,880
And he understood. 
I'm an ambassador of Christ. 

703
00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,000
I represent Christ everywhere I 
go. 

704
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,000
Do you know what our ambassadors
do for our country? 

705
00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:48,200
Every country that they're 
stationed in, you know who they 

706
00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:51,880
represent. 
If, if we have an ambassador who

707
00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:54,120
is in some foreign country, you 
can pick whatever foreign 

708
00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:55,960
country. 
He's not there to represent that

709
00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:57,760
foreign country. 
He's there to represent the 

710
00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:59,600
United States of America. 
Is that true? 

711
00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:02,520
That's what an ambassador does. 
And so when you go to work every

712
00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:05,920
day, Please remember this. 
You were there. 

713
00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:09,840
As an ambassador of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, you are 

714
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:13,000
representing Christ and there 
are people in your workplace I 

715
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:17,200
can just imagine who need the 
message of the gospel. 

716
00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:19,720
And they need someone who will 
be an. 

717
00:43:19,720 --> 00:43:23,160
Ambassador for Christ, I pray 
that you would take that very 

718
00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:27,120
seriously as they see you 
responding and interacting with 

719
00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:29,080
your bosses, whether that's in 
front of them or whether that's 

720
00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:33,320
behind their back. 
But they only see Christ in us, 

721
00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:35,240
and we understand that. 
What are those ones bearing 

722
00:43:35,240 --> 00:43:37,400
God's name? 
He says so that God's name watch

723
00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:39,080
this. 
He doesn't stop, and our 

724
00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:41,840
teaching may not be slandered. 
What is he talking about here? 

725
00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:44,680
Well, we should respond as we 
should as believers, as one 

726
00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:48,720
burying God's name, but also as 
one bringing the gospel. 

727
00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,120
That's their teaching. 
That's what Paul's whole life 

728
00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:53,160
was about, the teaching of the 
gospel. 

729
00:43:53,240 --> 00:43:55,480
And so he's not talking about 
some other teaching here. 

730
00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:58,280
He's talking about the gospel 
message. 

731
00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:01,360
What would happen tomorrow? 
If you woke up on Monday 

732
00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:06,360
morning, I know you've all been 
looking forward to it and you 

733
00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:10,120
prayed and you said, God, give 
me the right attitude and your 

734
00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:11,600
feet hit the ground. 
You said, you know what, I'm an 

735
00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,680
ambassador of Christ today. 
Therefore, I'm going to give 

736
00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:18,760
full respect to my boss. 
I'm going to serve it to the 

737
00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:21,600
capacity that I'm expected to 
serve and then beyond. 

738
00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:23,640
I'm not just going to squeak out
a paycheck every week and do the

739
00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:27,160
bare minimum. 
And in doing So, what I'm going 

740
00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:32,040
to do is I'm going to bring the 
message of the gospel to my 

741
00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:39,320
workplace to actually see your 
yoke as a mission filled for the

742
00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:42,440
gospel of Jesus Christ. 
Well, this is crucial that we 

743
00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:45,040
understand this because you 
bring the gospel message 

744
00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:47,160
everywhere you go, whether 
you're actually letting it come 

745
00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:49,840
out of your mouth or not, when 
you profess Christ, that message

746
00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:54,400
is with you. 
So you being the herald and the 

747
00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:58,240
ambassador that you need to be 
in bringing the gospel, let me 

748
00:44:58,240 --> 00:44:59,880
give you a warning. 
That's why he says it's so 

749
00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:03,080
important here for the slaves 
here in Ephesus that they show 

750
00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:09,640
full respect to their master. 
You can't deliver good news with

751
00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:13,600
bad testimony, and the gospel is
good news. 

752
00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:17,200
And so don't think that anybody 
in your workplace who needs to 

753
00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:19,960
hear the gospel is going to hear
the gospel from you if they see 

754
00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:24,240
you disrespecting your boss or 
disrespecting anybody else for 

755
00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:27,720
that matter, not treating you 
the way that you would want to 

756
00:45:27,720 --> 00:45:29,120
be treated. 
Is that not what the Lord 

757
00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:30,120
taught? 
Of course it is. 

758
00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:33,520
You think He has somehow negated
that teaching and it doesn't 

759
00:45:33,520 --> 00:45:35,600
apply anymore? 
No, it applies. 

760
00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:37,400
It applies even here to the 
slave and the master 

761
00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:38,720
relationship. 
He says full respect. 

762
00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:42,440
Responding as you should is 1 
bearing God's name, taking that 

763
00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:44,080
very seriously. 
I wear the name of Christ 

764
00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:48,680
everywhere I go, everything I 
say, everything I do and I have 

765
00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:49,920
teaching to bring, I have a 
message. 

766
00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:53,680
That message is the gospel. 
I care enough about the gospel 

767
00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:56,600
and I care enough about the Lord
Jesus Christ who's commissioned 

768
00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:59,160
me to preach the gospel. 
I care enough about him to keep 

769
00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:02,280
my testimony clean in regard to 
everything, but especially in 

770
00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:05,600
this context, in regard to the 
respect and the full respect 

771
00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:09,240
that I give to my employer. 
You see, there's a bigger 

772
00:46:09,240 --> 00:46:13,280
picture, isn't there? 
You know, the devil likes to 

773
00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:16,120
distract us from the bigger 
picture and get us to focus on 

774
00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:19,360
the menial things. 
And unfortunately, the place 

775
00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:22,160
where you spend the most time 
and the people that you spend 

776
00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:27,200
the most time with your jobs, 
you've minimized the bringing of

777
00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:32,080
the gospel and the importance of
your testimony in doing that 

778
00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:39,280
because without you they may not
hear the gospel. 

779
00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:40,960
You say, well, Kirk, what do you
mean? 

780
00:46:40,960 --> 00:46:42,480
Romans chapter 10, verse 14 
here. 

781
00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:46,320
This is by God's design, not 
Kirk's, he says in verse 14, 

782
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:49,000
talking about the unbeliever. 
How then can they call on the 

783
00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:50,560
one that they have not believed 
in? 

784
00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:53,800
And how can they believe in the 
one whom they have not heard? 

785
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:57,200
And how can they hear without? 
Someone preaching to them. 

786
00:46:57,200 --> 00:47:00,880
What would happen if you realize
that your job and your reason 

787
00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:04,040
that you have this job is so 
that you can preach the gospel 

788
00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:06,800
to those who need to hear the 
message? 

789
00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:10,840
We often look at only the 
negative. 

790
00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:16,120
Perhaps this job that you hate 
working for, this boss that you 

791
00:47:16,120 --> 00:47:19,840
despise, is all part of God's 
plan. 

792
00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:22,360
Perhaps that boss needs to hear 
the gospel. 

793
00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:24,600
He's one of God's elect, and how
will he know, lest the preacher 

794
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:27,840
tell him? 
Perhaps one of your fellow 

795
00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:31,120
employees is lost and needs to 
hear the gospel. 

796
00:47:32,120 --> 00:47:37,480
God has put you in a miserable 
place to your flesh so that you 

797
00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:39,000
can share that message with him.
You said, well, God. 

798
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:41,720
Put you in a miserable place so 
you could share the measures of 

799
00:47:41,720 --> 00:47:42,760
the gospel? 
I don't know. 

800
00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:45,720
Ask Paul as he writes most of 
his writings from a cold prison 

801
00:47:45,720 --> 00:47:50,560
cell. 
You tell me. 

802
00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:56,240
I think God has a plan that's 
bigger than any of ours and we 

803
00:47:56,240 --> 00:47:59,080
need to see it. 
That's the truth. 

804
00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:03,240
We need to try to see the big 
pictures much as we can. 

805
00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:08,840
I need to fully respect my 
superior to show a Christian 

806
00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:12,960
attitude in the workplace 
because there's greater things 

807
00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:15,840
to say. 
The bringing of the gospel. 

808
00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:19,720
I want to make this crystal 
clear to all of you. 

809
00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:25,160
You know why all of you still 
have air in your lungs and blood

810
00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:31,520
pumping through your heart? 
It's not so that you can succeed

811
00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:33,040
in life. 
It's not so that you can have 

812
00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:36,240
the American Dream. 
It's not that so that you can be

813
00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:43,080
rich or establish your goals. 
It's so that you can bring the 

814
00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:45,920
message. 
Of the gospel of the Lord Jesus 

815
00:48:45,920 --> 00:48:49,920
Christ. 
See the seriousness of that? 

816
00:48:50,720 --> 00:48:53,440
That is the whole reason that 
you have a job. 

817
00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:55,880
You said, wait, wait a second, 
Kirk, I have a job so that I can

818
00:48:55,880 --> 00:48:57,240
make money. 
No, you get to make money. 

819
00:48:57,240 --> 00:49:00,600
That's a bonus. 
Just as we saw last week, the 

820
00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:04,400
person who who their whole life 
is the gospel should receive 

821
00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:08,480
income from the gospel. 
Your life is the gospel, and as 

822
00:49:08,480 --> 00:49:11,240
you go to your job and you 
receive income, you should 

823
00:49:11,240 --> 00:49:12,880
preach the gospel. 
Bring it to. 

824
00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:15,800
Them why? 
How will they know that's the 

825
00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:19,040
preacher? 
Tell them, oh I know it's hard 

826
00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:21,520
for the American church because 
you guys think I'm the only 

827
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:26,560
preacher in the room. 
Wrong answer if Christ has saved

828
00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:29,320
you, he saved you so that you 
can preach the gospel to others,

829
00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:32,080
those who are hopeless, those 
who are helpless, those who are 

830
00:49:32,240 --> 00:49:35,400
enslaved that are sent that they
may be set free through the 

831
00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:39,120
gospel message, sacrifice of 
Jesus Christ. 

832
00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:42,840
So as Christians, we ought to 
respond to our superiors 

833
00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:46,920
according to God's word. 
Respond as we should, 

834
00:49:47,640 --> 00:49:50,560
remembering that we. 
Bear the name of Christ that's 

835
00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:51,360
not by. 
Accident. 

836
00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:54,480
That's a privilege. 
I wish we would understand that 

837
00:49:56,960 --> 00:49:59,880
we must bring the gospel 
message. 

838
00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:03,120
That's our duty. 
That's why we exist. 

839
00:50:04,680 --> 00:50:07,960
And if you say that's not why I 
exist, you don't yet know. 

840
00:50:08,000 --> 00:50:09,240
Biblical. 
Christianity. 

841
00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:14,560
And herein lies the problem. 
Oh, I pray that we would wake up

842
00:50:14,560 --> 00:50:18,280
tomorrow and go to work and say 
who needs to hear the gospel? 

843
00:50:19,640 --> 00:50:23,000
Who needs to hear the gospel? 
Let them hear it through me. 

844
00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:26,800
Let them see the gospel in 
action through how I respect my 

845
00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:32,200
boss and how I treat others. 
Thirdly, in this lesson that you

846
00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:35,240
all thought didn't apply to you,
oh how things have changed, 

847
00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:40,320
haven't they? 
The third thing is this refused 

848
00:50:40,320 --> 00:50:44,360
to take advantage of anyone. 
This could be your attitude in 

849
00:50:44,360 --> 00:50:45,960
the workplace. 
Refused to take advantage of 

850
00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:48,160
anyone. 
Paul talks about specifics here.

851
00:50:48,160 --> 00:50:50,840
He says this which is. 
Kind of interesting because if 

852
00:50:50,840 --> 00:50:52,720
you're not familiar with this 
passage, you really don't see it

853
00:50:52,720 --> 00:50:55,520
coming, but it comes. 
He says those who have believing

854
00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:58,840
masters are not to show less 
respect for them because they 

855
00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:02,320
are brothers. 
What Paul is saying is this, 

856
00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:05,560
Don't think that you're going to
somehow get special treatment 

857
00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:08,000
because your boss is a believer.
I know none of you would ever do

858
00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:09,720
that, but I'm going to show you 
how that works in a minute. 

859
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:15,880
Instead, they are to serve them 
even better or all the more with

860
00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:19,920
more intensity because those who
benefit from their service are 

861
00:51:19,920 --> 00:51:22,680
believers and dear to them. 
He says you should have a 

862
00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:26,840
greater love for your boss who 
is a believer, right? 

863
00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:29,440
Because how lost? 
How is the lost world going to 

864
00:51:29,440 --> 00:51:32,200
identify as our love for one 
another? 

865
00:51:32,280 --> 00:51:35,720
Your lost Co worker ought to see
the bond of love that you have, 

866
00:51:35,960 --> 00:51:38,920
but you ought not to use that 
bond of love which is in Christ 

867
00:51:39,040 --> 00:51:41,240
for special treatment or 
privileges. 

868
00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:43,880
It's important that you 
understand that because that can

869
00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:47,040
come against you and I'll show 
you how in a moment. 

870
00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:49,320
This is because those who 
benefit. 

871
00:51:49,320 --> 00:51:50,920
From the service are believers 
and dear to them. 

872
00:51:51,080 --> 00:51:53,760
These are the things you are to 
teach and urge on them. 

873
00:51:54,160 --> 00:51:56,680
He is telling Paul telling 
Timothy this is what you are to 

874
00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:59,120
teach the believing slaves there
in the church at Ephesus. 

875
00:51:59,120 --> 00:52:01,240
Yes, Did you know that they even
got to go to church with them. 

876
00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:03,760
I told you they're a part of 
society. 

877
00:52:04,240 --> 00:52:05,920
They're brothers and sisters in 
Christ. 

878
00:52:09,040 --> 00:52:11,040
Well, Paul wants them to 
understand that when we must 

879
00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:14,040
refuse to take advantage of 
anyone, especially in regard to 

880
00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:18,000
this those believing. 
Masters, those believing 

881
00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:20,000
superiors, those believing 
bosses. 

882
00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:22,600
However your culture wants to 
define it. 

883
00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:27,120
Never expecting special 
treatment, you said. 

884
00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:29,760
Would anyone really do that? 
Yes, they would. 

885
00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:35,240
People would use their position 
as a believer for special 

886
00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:36,920
treatment. 
Let me show you how that works. 

887
00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:44,320
I see it all the time. 
Hey Pastor, my car's broke down.

888
00:52:46,040 --> 00:52:47,880
Do you know of a mechanic in the
church? 

889
00:52:49,640 --> 00:52:54,440
No, I know that sometimes people
are wanting. 

890
00:52:54,440 --> 00:53:00,440
To use a mechanic in the church 
because he is a believer, but 

891
00:53:00,440 --> 00:53:07,480
sometimes they're wanting to use
a believer so that they can get 

892
00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:12,680
an enormous discount. 
Because they want special 

893
00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:13,480
treatment. 
You know what? 

894
00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:16,840
What should be the way that we 
do things as believers? 

895
00:53:17,360 --> 00:53:20,440
We should ask, is that mechanic 
that you already knew was in the

896
00:53:20,440 --> 00:53:21,880
church. 
You just wanted me to help you 

897
00:53:21,880 --> 00:53:25,440
out in getting a deal. 
We should go to him and say, 

898
00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:29,720
hey, my transmission is out. 
What is the cost of a new 

899
00:53:29,720 --> 00:53:32,240
transmission and you're going 
rate for your labor. 

900
00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:34,280
Please will you give me a quote 
on that? 

901
00:53:34,480 --> 00:53:37,640
Don't ask for any special favor.
And if that believer, that 

902
00:53:37,640 --> 00:53:40,520
brother, that sister in Christ 
wants to give you a love 

903
00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:43,760
offering, you let them do that 
on their own. 

904
00:53:45,800 --> 00:53:49,120
But what Paul was afraid of of 
was going to happen here in the 

905
00:53:49,120 --> 00:53:51,240
church in Ephesus. 
He thought, you know, there's 

906
00:53:51,240 --> 00:53:55,360
going to be that slave who says 
I'm a believer and my master's a

907
00:53:55,360 --> 00:53:57,200
believer and. 
They're going to misquote 

908
00:53:57,200 --> 00:53:59,000
Scripture like this. 
You know, in Christ there's 

909
00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:01,120
neither slave nor freedom, nor 
male, nor female, nor Jew, nor 

910
00:54:01,120 --> 00:54:04,080
Gentile. 
That's not what that's saying. 

911
00:54:04,080 --> 00:54:06,480
You do know that, right? 
That's talking about our 

912
00:54:06,480 --> 00:54:08,360
position in Christ. 
That's not talking about our 

913
00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,520
position in the workplace. 
That'd be like saying there's no

914
00:54:10,520 --> 00:54:11,800
more women or men in the 
workplace. 

915
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:13,200
Now. 
We wonder sometimes these days. 

916
00:54:16,800 --> 00:54:17,760
That's not what he's saying at 
all. 

917
00:54:17,760 --> 00:54:19,320
He's thinking about, he's 
talking about our position in 

918
00:54:19,320 --> 00:54:21,400
Christ, our position at work. 
We have superiors, we have 

919
00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:23,880
bosses. 
Some of us are employees, some 

920
00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:26,280
of us are employer employers. 
We've already established that 

921
00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:28,440
fact. 
But what he's saying is this. 

922
00:54:28,440 --> 00:54:30,440
Never. 
Expect special treatment just 

923
00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:33,080
because you're a believer, 
right? 

924
00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:35,440
You think that you ought to get 
the raise. 

925
00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:39,080
And that boss you have who's 
professing Christian gave the 

926
00:54:39,080 --> 00:54:41,360
raise to someone else. 
And I'm a Christian and they're 

927
00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:46,680
not even a Christian. 
Not that any of you would ever 

928
00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:48,640
say anything like that, but some
of you would say things like 

929
00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:59,040
that or to use Christ to butter 
your boss up so that you could 

930
00:54:59,040 --> 00:55:01,480
get that promotion or you could 
get that raise right to. 

931
00:55:01,480 --> 00:55:05,920
Only use Christ and your 
Christian convictions to try to 

932
00:55:05,920 --> 00:55:08,280
sway your boss one way or the 
other. 

933
00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:12,720
Paul says That would be wrong. 
Or you could say this. 

934
00:55:12,720 --> 00:55:17,520
You know what? 
My boss is a Christian and so I 

935
00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:18,840
know I don't have any more days 
off. 

936
00:55:18,840 --> 00:55:20,600
But I know he's a good man and 
he's going to do the right thing

937
00:55:20,600 --> 00:55:22,200
and I'm going to call him and 
tell him I really need a day 

938
00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:27,520
off. 
Don't put that pressure on your 

939
00:55:27,520 --> 00:55:31,280
believing boss. 
If you have no more vacation, 

940
00:55:31,600 --> 00:55:33,720
guess what? 
You have no more vacation. 

941
00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:35,240
Don't look for special 
treatment. 

942
00:55:35,240 --> 00:55:36,600
Why? 
Because what's going to happen 

943
00:55:36,720 --> 00:55:40,160
when you get that eighth day of 
vacation and your company only 

944
00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:42,760
gives out seven simply because 
your boss is a Christian? 

945
00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:45,320
You know what the unbelievers at
your workplace are going to say?

946
00:55:45,520 --> 00:55:48,000
These Christians, they all think
that they get special. 

947
00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:51,920
Privileges. 
And sadly, sometimes we do think

948
00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:56,120
that, don't we? 
No, never expect special 

949
00:55:56,560 --> 00:56:00,040
treatment. 
It's because you serve a 

950
00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:03,640
believer. 
Never use your position as a 

951
00:56:03,720 --> 00:56:08,360
Christian for any kind of 
leverage in the workplace, 

952
00:56:08,960 --> 00:56:12,920
please, because you're going to 
do more harm than good. 

953
00:56:13,840 --> 00:56:16,720
You see how that works? 
You see how it would work in the

954
00:56:16,720 --> 00:56:19,120
slave master scenario that Paul 
is presenting? 

955
00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:22,760
You see how it works in the 
employee employer scenario that 

956
00:56:22,760 --> 00:56:25,400
I presented? 
But I displayed this. 

957
00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:27,600
I don't have to work as hard 
because my boss is a Christian. 

958
00:56:29,200 --> 00:56:31,320
So he just slides and he just 
coast. 

959
00:56:32,080 --> 00:56:35,760
And all the other slaves who 
were working extra hard, they 

960
00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:40,680
despised him because he thinks 
that he somehow gets some kind 

961
00:56:40,680 --> 00:56:43,480
of special treatment. 
You know what they label him? 

962
00:56:44,280 --> 00:56:47,120
Lazy Christian because they're 
going to throw that name in 

963
00:56:47,120 --> 00:56:47,600
there. 
Why? 

964
00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:51,080
Because you bear that name. 
Lazy Christian who's just taking

965
00:56:51,080 --> 00:56:54,240
advantage of the situation. 
Be careful not to do that. 

966
00:56:54,880 --> 00:56:57,000
I hope that it doesn't happen in
any of your lives, but I'm 

967
00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:59,280
afraid that if we were all 
honest that some of us would 

968
00:56:59,280 --> 00:57:01,600
have to admit that it does or 
that it has. 

969
00:57:02,160 --> 00:57:03,960
So never expecting special 
treatment. 

970
00:57:04,880 --> 00:57:07,480
Those who have believing masters
are not to show less respect for

971
00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:10,040
them because they are brothers, 
instead they are to serve them 

972
00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:12,400
even better. 
What is he saying now? 

973
00:57:12,400 --> 00:57:15,600
Now you need to go to the next 
step and always be exerting 

974
00:57:15,600 --> 00:57:20,120
yourself diligently. 
You should be working so that 

975
00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:22,840
you are tired at the end of the 
day. 

976
00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:27,160
When you go home at the end of 
the day from your job, you want 

977
00:57:27,160 --> 00:57:30,800
to be so tired that all you want
to do is eat and go to sleep and

978
00:57:30,800 --> 00:57:33,480
there is nothing wrong with 
that, it will keep you. 

979
00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:36,200
Out of a lot of trouble. 
If you're not tired at the end 

980
00:57:36,200 --> 00:57:38,720
of the day, can I just give you 
a dad talk real quick? 

981
00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:40,880
If you're not tired at the end 
of the day, you didn't work hard

982
00:57:40,880 --> 00:57:46,440
enough, work harder, especially 
if you're working for a 

983
00:57:46,440 --> 00:57:48,280
believer, right? 
Show them that I'm going to go 

984
00:57:48,280 --> 00:57:51,000
to the extent to serve you as 
Christ went to the extent to 

985
00:57:51,000 --> 00:57:54,160
serve us to the full extent with
full respect and full honor. 

986
00:57:54,200 --> 00:57:58,320
I'm going to do that because I 
owe that to you as another 

987
00:57:58,320 --> 00:58:00,560
believer. 
I'm going to serve you even more

988
00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:02,880
than I would serve an 
unbelieving master. 

989
00:58:02,880 --> 00:58:04,840
I'm going to serve you 
diligently. 

990
00:58:04,840 --> 00:58:08,800
I'm going to work harder. 
I'm going to prove it to you. 

991
00:58:09,840 --> 00:58:11,640
Why? 
Because God's Word commands me 

992
00:58:11,640 --> 00:58:13,400
to do so. 
As we read in our scripture 

993
00:58:13,400 --> 00:58:16,000
reading in Colossians 317, 
whatever you do, whether in Word

994
00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:18,960
or deed, do it all in the name 
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks

995
00:58:18,960 --> 00:58:23,040
to God the Father through him. 
Do everything for Christ, 

996
00:58:24,160 --> 00:58:29,920
everything, word or deed. 
Colossians chapter 3 where Paul 

997
00:58:29,920 --> 00:58:32,000
gives more teaching about slaves
and masters. 

998
00:58:32,000 --> 00:58:35,080
He says this Slaves obey your 
earthly masters in everything, 

999
00:58:35,800 --> 00:58:40,160
and do it not only when their 
eye is on you and to Curry their

1000
00:58:40,160 --> 00:58:44,120
favor, but with sincerity of 
heart and reverence for the 

1001
00:58:44,120 --> 00:58:46,600
Lord. 
What concept? 

1002
00:58:47,320 --> 00:58:48,640
He goes on. 
He says whatever you do. 

1003
00:58:49,000 --> 00:58:53,160
Work at it with all your heart 
as working for the Lord, not for

1004
00:58:53,160 --> 00:58:55,560
human masters. 
Many times people pull that out 

1005
00:58:55,560 --> 00:58:58,080
of context and don't really get 
the true meaning of that, do 

1006
00:58:58,080 --> 00:59:00,800
they? 
He sang to the slave who works 

1007
00:59:00,800 --> 00:59:04,800
for the master. 
Do it with diligence, Work hard,

1008
00:59:04,920 --> 00:59:08,520
exert yourself as if you are 
doing this unto the Lord. 

1009
00:59:08,680 --> 00:59:12,720
And when you do that, you are 
literally revering the Lord in 

1010
00:59:12,720 --> 00:59:16,040
how you work. 
He says in verse 24, since you 

1011
00:59:16,040 --> 00:59:18,800
know that you will receive an 
inheritance from the Lord as a 

1012
00:59:18,800 --> 00:59:21,440
reward, it is the Lord Christ 
you were serving. 

1013
00:59:22,080 --> 00:59:24,840
Anyone who does wrong will be 
repaid for their wrongs, and 

1014
00:59:24,840 --> 00:59:27,880
there is no favoritism. 
You know what he's saying, 

1015
00:59:29,280 --> 00:59:33,200
you're going to be a lazy 
worker, you're going to dishonor

1016
00:59:33,400 --> 00:59:37,000
your superiors. 
There's going to be consequence.

1017
00:59:37,720 --> 00:59:41,680
But if you work hard and if you 
truly do exert yourself 

1018
00:59:41,680 --> 00:59:45,520
diligently for those God has 
called you to work for, there 

1019
00:59:45,520 --> 00:59:50,200
will be a reward from God for 
your diligent service. 

1020
00:59:50,360 --> 00:59:53,160
Ephesians 6 he covers the same 
topic and he says it's obey them

1021
00:59:53,160 --> 00:59:55,400
not only to win their favor 
talking about the slaves. 

1022
00:59:55,400 --> 01:00:00,600
To the master. 
When their eye is on you, he 

1023
01:00:00,600 --> 01:00:03,480
says. 
But as slaves of Christ, doing 

1024
01:00:03,480 --> 01:00:06,880
the will of God from your heart 
over all. 

1025
01:00:06,880 --> 01:00:09,480
The people who want to just say 
that slavery in any form is 

1026
01:00:09,480 --> 01:00:11,240
wrong. 
He just referred to us as slaves

1027
01:00:11,240 --> 01:00:15,280
of Christ. 
We ought to be Those do lots of 

1028
01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:21,600
slaves. 
For Christ and enslaving for 

1029
01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:26,360
others who had to do it for the 
glory of Christ because at the 

1030
01:00:26,360 --> 01:00:27,840
end of the day, we're slaves of 
Christ. 

1031
01:00:27,840 --> 01:00:30,360
Verse 7, he says serve 
wholeheartedly as if you were 

1032
01:00:30,360 --> 01:00:36,880
serving the Lord, not people. 
Wow, what if the church got that

1033
01:00:38,280 --> 01:00:43,840
with Monday morning coming, you 
wake up in the morning, you pray

1034
01:00:43,840 --> 01:00:46,040
to God for strength. 
You put your boots on, you walk 

1035
01:00:46,040 --> 01:00:49,640
out the door and you say I have 
a purpose and my purpose is not 

1036
01:00:49,640 --> 01:00:51,280
a paycheck. 
Lord, thank you for your grace 

1037
01:00:51,280 --> 01:00:53,360
and giving me a paycheck on 
payday every week. 

1038
01:00:54,880 --> 01:00:57,240
The Lord, I'm working for you. 
May I work for you. 

1039
01:00:57,240 --> 01:01:01,320
May I be diligent for You as I 
am diligently working for 

1040
01:01:01,320 --> 01:01:04,720
others, and it is bringing glory
and honor to your name. 

1041
01:01:05,040 --> 01:01:08,400
May I represent you and Your 
name well. 

1042
01:01:08,400 --> 01:01:12,800
May I bring the gospel message 
to a lost and hurting in a dying

1043
01:01:12,800 --> 01:01:17,200
environment of sinners. 
May I wholeheartedly do 

1044
01:01:17,320 --> 01:01:24,000
everything as if I'm serving 
You, Lord, not anyone else I 

1045
01:01:24,000 --> 01:01:25,280
know in America. 
What do we say? 

1046
01:01:25,280 --> 01:01:26,840
Oh, I'm working hard for my 
family. 

1047
01:01:27,320 --> 01:01:32,640
Stop work hard for the Lord and 
your family will benefit 

1048
01:01:32,640 --> 01:01:36,320
tremendously. 
I'm working for my boss will 

1049
01:01:36,320 --> 01:01:40,080
stop work hard for the Lord, and
your boss will be pleased. 

1050
01:01:43,920 --> 01:01:47,800
See that we have been placed in 
this position, this yoke, as 

1051
01:01:47,800 --> 01:01:55,120
Paul called it, for reason. 
See that reason clearly, respect

1052
01:01:55,120 --> 01:02:00,800
those who are your superiors, 
respond as you should 

1053
01:02:00,920 --> 01:02:06,880
biblically, and refuse to take 
advantage of anyone, especially 

1054
01:02:07,600 --> 01:02:11,320
another Christian, especially if
it is your boss. 

1055
01:02:11,320 --> 01:02:15,880
Don't look for special treatment
because others will hate you for

1056
01:02:15,880 --> 01:02:19,240
that and you'll suffer the 
consequences. 

1057
01:02:21,080 --> 01:02:22,600
Let's pray together. 
Father, we thank you for your 

1058
01:02:22,600 --> 01:02:26,000
word. 
We thank you that your word is 

1059
01:02:26,000 --> 01:02:28,320
true. 
We thank you that in. 

1060
01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:33,880
Every verse that we read, there 
is a lesson when properly put in

1061
01:02:33,880 --> 01:02:36,880
its context. 
God, I pray as we have attempted

1062
01:02:36,880 --> 01:02:42,400
to put this in its proper 
context today for us, but I pray

1063
01:02:42,400 --> 01:02:44,480
that we have a greater 
understanding of our 

1064
01:02:44,480 --> 01:02:47,640
responsibility, what our 
attitudes ought to be as 

1065
01:02:47,640 --> 01:02:51,320
Christian workers in this world.
But I pray that we would 

1066
01:02:51,320 --> 01:02:55,280
represent you well and all that 
we do and all that we say, how 

1067
01:02:55,280 --> 01:02:57,720
we work, the effort that we 
give. 

1068
01:02:58,760 --> 01:03:01,840
May it be for you and for your 
glory and for your honor alone. 

1069
01:03:02,200 --> 01:03:05,880
May it be used to bring the 
gospel to others, to shine the 

1070
01:03:05,880 --> 01:03:10,440
light of Jesus Christ in this 
dark and sinful world. 

1071
01:03:10,440 --> 01:03:14,080
We pray these things in the 
mighty name of Jesus, Amen. 

1072
01:03:16,040 --> 01:03:19,040
You've been listening to Key 
Life Fellowships Pulpit Ministry

1073
01:03:19,040 --> 01:03:21,880
podcast. 
Join us each week for more 

1074
01:03:21,880 --> 01:03:23,480
teaching from God's Word.