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Work as Worship: Living the Gospel Monday to Friday · DFC Podcast

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Welcome to the Dorchester Family Church podcast, our vision to be
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a church known for our love. Our wholehearted love for God,
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our authentic love for each other, and our compassionate
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love for our community. Each week get fueled up to
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worship passionately, grow meaningfully together, and make
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an eternal impact on the lives around you.
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Lean in close as we explore this Sunday's practical Bible based
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message unpacking that transformative vision.
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Good morning. Imagine you were living in
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Dorchester just under 2000 years ago.
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The hills would be the similar, the river thru might meander a
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little bit more than it does today, but Mormry rings and
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Maiden Castle Panbury camp will be much the same as they are
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now, but with buildings on top and with wooden walls into which
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you could run and find safety if other tribes sought to take your
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land. And for many generations this
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protection had made life stable and you lived in relative peace.
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But then around 46 ADA new enemy arrives, the Roman army.
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And they come with new weapons and new tactics and and in
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numbers as yet never seen before.
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And so quickly Maiden Castle is surrendered and you're taken
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prisoner and sold as a slave to pay for these expensive military
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campaigns and then to prevent any local uprising, those slaves
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will be sent across the empire, and you might find yourself
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hundreds of miles away being sold into households normally
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bought in line with your previous profession, if you had
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one. So blacksmiths would still work
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that way. If you were literate, you might
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teach the children in the household.
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Cooks would serve meals, young girls would clean clothes and
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you could still earn money, maybe enough to buy yourself
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free, but that would take many years.
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And perhaps you were one of the many of hundreds or or maybe
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thousands of Britons who would found themselves sent to one of
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the biggest cities of the time. A city called Ephesus, with a
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dizzy in population of 250,000 people.
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Far more people than you would have ever seen in your previous
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life. And you'd have joined and worked
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alongside slaves and freedmen from tribes all across the Roman
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Empire. And for years, life probably was
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very hard. But then one day your master
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comes home and gathers the household.
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And he says, from now on, we're going to get rid of our old
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idols to Jupiter or Venus. And now we're going to worship a
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new God. And then you begin to attend the
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church that starts to gather in their home.
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And then one day a letter arrives from a famous leader
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called Paul, the one who'd first brought the gospel into the
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city, And it's read aloud. And as well as hearing again the
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good news about Jesus Christ, where we're offered salvation
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and redemption and a new family of brothers and sisters, you get
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to hear how the gospel changes everything, how every
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relationship can be transformed. And incredibly, even one of the
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sections it is addressed to you, yourself, a former resident of
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Dorset Britannia, now a slave in a Roman household, in which your
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master and mistress, your owners, are now told to treat
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you as a brother or sister. And through the gospel and
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through this letter, your, your life and your prospects and
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future have changed forever. Yes, you're still hundreds of
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miles away from your, from the hills and farmland we see today,
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But you have a new family and a new status forever.
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Maybe you buy your freedom, maybe you still choose to stay
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in the household, but whatever happens from now on, everything
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is different for you. And so back to today, because I
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love the fact that it's highly likely that the residents of
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this land first heard the gospel in places like Ephesus and even
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through the horror of, of, of slavery, discovered
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Christianity, met Christ through the letter.
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We're studying together today. These words changed lives back
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then, and if we allow it, can still be changing lives today.
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And that is our prayer that our hearts would be open to hear
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what God wants to say to us through this passage in
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Ephesians and in this current mini series within Ephesians
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about Christian household living.
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As we saw previously with marriages and with parenting,
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the gospel doesn't just change our eternal destiny, but it
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impacts life in the most powerful way possible.
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Even a situation that would seem utterly hopeless is now utterly
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transformed by the good news Paul had carried into that city
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and previously. In this mini series on living
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out the incredible truths of the gospel, we've seen how the good
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news impacts the duty of husbands to wives and wives to
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husbands of parents and children.
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And now we get to consider masters and slaves, which for
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the 1st century life still represented A1 household,
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because until fairly recently in human history, most people
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worked where they lived and lived where they worked.
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However, more recently, as the way we've worked has changed,
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the application of these words have been expanded, rightly, I
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believe, not just to be about slaves and their owners, but
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also to include bosses and leaders, employees and employers
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outside of the household. Teaching about how what we sing
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here impacts how we work out there.
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How our redemption, our adoption into God's family, being freed
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from sin changes how we work, whether that work is paid or
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unpaid. The activity that for most of us
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will probably occupy more of our time than any other one thing
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that we do. But before we get into our
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passage for today in Ephesians 6, let us quickly remind
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ourselves of the greater context for each of these three
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relationships. And so we read in Ephesians 521.
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Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
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Remember, this isn't total mutual submission.
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Rather, it is submitting ourselves to the authority God
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has ordained, whether in the marriage or children, with
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parents or bosses in the workplace.
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This is saying I will obey these commands not because my husband
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or parents or boss are perfect, but rather out of reverence and
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worship to the God who gives all authority.
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I will respect him or her because I respect Christ.
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This isn't a call to anarchy where everyone is a law unto
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themselves, but rather it's a call to humility.
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As one Peter 5 says, all of you clothe yourselves with humility
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towards one another because God opposes the proud but gives
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favour to the humble. Likewise, Paul had said in
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Ephesians 5, all of this is what living out the gospel looks
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like. This is how Spirit filled,
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Spirit LED living reveals itself.
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We clothe ourselves with humility towards all and we
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submit willingly and joyfully to the authority God has chosen to
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place in our lives for our good and for the good and extension
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of His Kingdom and gospel. And so now we can turn to our
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passage, Ephesians 65 to 9:00 for today, just 5 verses.
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And I love that as we saw with the previous two sections, Paul
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first addresses the one who in the world's eyes aren't the more
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vulnerable party, the one that needs more protection, the one
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normally more damaged and hurt when all this goes wrong, as it
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was with the wife and the children, now with the slave.
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And so we read Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and
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fear and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey
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Christ. Obey them not only to win their
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favour when their eyes on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing
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the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly as if you
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were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that
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the Lord reward each one for whatever good they do, whether
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they are slaves or free. As I mentioned in the story at
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the beginning and Dan mentioned of children last time, the first
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remarkable thing here is that Paul addresses slaves at all,
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recognising them as accepted members of the Christian
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community. Here they have status and value
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and pay and play a part to play in the Kingdom of God, just like
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three men and three women. Whereas in the world's eyes
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they're chattel, property, animals, even sexual toys.
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At at very best they're just base humanity.
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But here they are brothers and sisters in the church, just
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those who live in different conditions to other members of
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the family. And in in addressing them first,
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Paul is recognising their more vulnerable state.
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Therefore the one that needs more of the church's protection
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and care, even as Paul speaks to them of a new way for them to
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live because of the gospel they've received.
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And so Paul tells these slaves or some your translations might
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soften it to servants or bond servants, as that better
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reflects how most people lived. Paul says as they obey.
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This is not a call to rebel. He says, and as you serve, this
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is how the gospel enables you to do these things.
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He says first you obey with respect and fear, as we saw with
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wives submitting to their husbands and children obeying
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their parents. This is not because those
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leaders are inherently better than us.
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No, we respect them out of respect for God, who has
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ordained all authority. This isn't about whether or not
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we should obey our bosses. Slaves and servants didn't have
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that choice. Just as in the modern day,
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employees are also under their own contract to work for their
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boss. But instead, Paul focuses on the
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nature and the quality of that obedience.
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So first he says obey with respect and fear.
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Some translations say fear and trembling, but but this isn't
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about panic or terror. Rather, it's the appropriate
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respect a servant should have for their master.
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It's recognising that that person, that person's right from
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God to carry that authority, teaching us that we can even
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respect ungodly leaders because in faith we see a sovereign God
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beyond and above all earthly authority.
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And wonderfully, the gospel has enabled this.
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Because in Christ, we've not just been saved from our sin,
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our entire identity has been changed.
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Whatever state I'm living in and working in on earth, according
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to the gospel, I am seated with Christ and you hidden in him.
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My identity is secure forever, so I'm freed to serve and obey
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my leaders. Thanks to the gospel, I don't
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need to get my affirmation from climbing a corporate ladder.
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I don't need to seek my value by being the boss in the room.
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I can be a sweeper holding a broom and my identity is
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unchanged. I can be fired unjustly and
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still be right with God. I can choose the most menial job
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in the world's eyes because in Christ's eyes my value was shown
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at the cross. Amen, Church.
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This means that we can be the servant, even the slave in the
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office or the home or the church, and I am as secure and
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accepted and valuable as the CEO earning 678 figures.
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The gospel frees me from frees me to show respect to earthly
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masters because I'm fully secure in Christ and united with Him.
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Secondly, Paul says obey with sincerity of heart without
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hypocrisy. Sadly, we live in a culture
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where we feel it's OK to say one thing to someone's face and then
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another behind their back, to say what a great boss you are to
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her face and then gossip and slander her minutes later in
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front of our colleagues. Oh, he's a great leader, he's
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God's man. And then slander him to others.
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Or indeed, at the other extreme, we we can think it's OK just to
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attack those in authority in the name of I'm just telling it like
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it is, despite the fact that you're probably not.
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You're sharing your perspective, not necessarily the truth.
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And although both those actions are culturally acceptable, even
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encouraged, neither response reveals the sincerity of heart
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commanded of here. Rather, sincerity literally
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means to be one person and not 2.
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Not one person who sings about the gospel of grace but then
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tries to live out a non gospel of judgement.
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Not one not person who who sweet talks the boss to get what they
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want, but then bad mouths them later to impress their friends.
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2 Corinthians 1. I love what Paul writes here.
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He says now this is our boast. Our conscience testifies that we
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have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our
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relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity.
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We've done so relying not on the worldly wisdom, but on God's
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grace. Sincerity is living out the
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gospel at all times, the gospel of grace, humility, forgiveness
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of trust. So as we go to work, as our
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bosses ask things of us, let's be checking our hearts.
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Do they reveal a consistency of message, or are we really like
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those hypocrites actors who wear a mask in public to hide their
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real selves? And in remembering every day
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that whatever kind of boss we serve, our obedience to Christ
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is reflected in our obedience to those in authority.
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That shows what we're truly like, regardless of what our
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words might be saying. So we obey with sincerity.
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Thirdly, Paul says we obey with sincerity of action, not just
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being when we're being watched. Because we all know the
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situation, don't we? When the boss is away, the speed
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and enthusiasm of work just drops a little.
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Maybe if she's on holiday it's like a mini break for everyone
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else. Or indeed, even better, let's
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work where the boss will never see that wonderful working from
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home. Then no one gets to see.
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I can be on a beach working and no one will know.
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And when everyone's doing it, it's hard to go against the
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flow. I remember when working for a
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pharmaceutical company, we we worked flexi time and were
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responsible for recording all our hours.
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Then after about a year I discovered while all my
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colleagues were rounding up their hours, I was rounding
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down. Other people were claiming flex
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days when there isn't wasn't really enough work to justify it
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because it was seen as an entitlement.
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Another 12 days off a year. Now, I didn't make a scene about
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it. I didn't get annoyed.
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I just knew I had to work differently and maybe my bosses
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noticed, maybe they didn't. That didn't bother to me.
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I knew God would notice. And I know the gospel hasn't
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released me to sin without consequences, but to be a slave
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of Christ, doing God's will and living with sincerity, whether
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I'm being watched by human eyes or not.
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And it's this sincerity reminds me of my my Bible in a year from
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earlier last month, where it's been going through the book of
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Deuteronomy. And Deuteronomy is like mine,
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Moses final team talk before the people head into the promised
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land. And this is how the people are
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to live as God's chosen people. But reading it again this year,
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I was struck about these many of the commands given that so many
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of them related to Acts that no one but God would would notice.
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Like selling an animal for sacrifice and then taking the
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money to the temple if the journey's too far.
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Only God would know that if what you gave to the offering was the
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value of the animal or not. Taking a mother bird with her
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eggs to try and preserve the animal family, but who really
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would notice? Or not picking up a bundle of
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wheat when you drop it, but rather leaving it for the poor
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to collect, Who would see? Or offering a tenth of your
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first fruit, How would they know whether that was 2 baskets or
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three? For so many commandments, no one
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would know or could know, but God can.
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And the point Moses is making is that God does see.
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And Paul says the same thing here.
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Our boss may not see, but God does.
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Ultimately, we'd always been watched, and as we'll read
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later, it is his judgement and His reward that will matter in
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the end. So let us obey with sincerity of
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action. And finally, slave servant
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employees are told to serve wholeheartedly or with goodwill.
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Enthusiastically, cheerfully, willingly.
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But we know that's not easy, is it?
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Because since the Garden of Eden, human workers come with
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thorns and thistles. Even even the joy of raising
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children comes with pains. And in in great sadness, God
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told mankind that by the sweat of your brow and through
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suffering you will do work and you'll raise the next
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generation. He says you're no incredible
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joy, but it's hard work and rarely you'll see immediate
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results or blessings. Yet because of the gospel, this
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doesn't have to be the final answer or the only option.
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Where the slaves in 1st century Ephesus or workers in 21st
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century Dorchester. Through the Gospel, a new way of
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living is offered to us. Instead, we can work with all
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our hearts. Not just do something, but do it
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with excellence. Not just honouring leaders
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reluctantly or grumbling like some teenager being told to tidy
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their room or put away the dishes, but rather cheerfully,
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willingly, enthusiastically. And since this has been said to
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slaves who may not have believed in masters, this is not
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dependent on the kind of work you're called to do.
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That shouldn't make a difference.
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Colossians 3 says whatever you do, working it with all your
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heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
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I love this quote by William Berkeley.
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The conviction of the Christian workmen is that every single
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piece of work he produces must be good enough to show to God
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every single piece of work he produces.
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This is not if you like your boss, or if you like what you're
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being asked to do. This is not if you find your
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perfect job where you love every minute of every day, then work
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hard, but obey willingly, because primarily you're serving
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God. The Bible says that all work can
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be worshipped when done, when done wholeheartedly because
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we're serving the Lord, not man. In fact, if you notice all four
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of these verses, each of them addressed to slaves mentions
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Christ. First, obey as you would obey
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Christ. Second behaviour, servants are
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literally slaves of Christ. Thirdly, offer your service to
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the Lord, not men. And fourthly, your reward will
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come from the Lord. John Start says our great need
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is the clear sightedness to see Jesus Christ and set him before
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us in all things. But this isn't just worship.
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This is also witness. We do so because we want the
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world to see something different in us.
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We want them to see a God beyond and above our bosses.
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As Dan reminded us last time, we are ambassadors of another
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Kingdom where our homes are to be embassies of a heavenly
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throne. We represent God and his
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household in every circumstance we find ourselves, which is a
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privilege, but it's also a challenge.
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If the only Christian they know is always making excuses,
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ducking off work, coming in late, attacking the boss, who's
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going to want what we're offering?
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And This is why we need the Holy Spirit, not just to bring
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contributions on a Sunday, but to do the hard stuff on Monday
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to Friday, to be salt and light to those around us.
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And finally we see in verse 8 we also do so.
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Because whether we are rewarded or appreciated by our earthly
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bosses or not, we know we have a Master in heaven who will reward
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us. I hope you know that as
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Christians, at your salary, holiday allowance, pension
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contributions are not the best rewards you will get for your
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service. Instead, as Colossians
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continues, since you know you will receive an inheritance from
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the Lord as a reward, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.
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Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs and
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there is no favour, favouritism, Our obedience to God is not an
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excuse for disobedience to authority like government,
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parents, bosses in our lives. It's the proof of it.
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Even as Paul affirms slaves as brothers and sisters, equally
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saved, equally loved by God, Paul reminds us that saying we
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belong to Christ doesn't make us free agents as the world would
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define it. Instead, we are slaves to
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Christ. We no longer live for ourselves
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anymore. We live for him.
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And our overriding desire is when others look at us, whether
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in our homes or our workplaces, our schools or our
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neighborhoods. They will see Christ and the
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gospel we profess in our our words and our actions and our
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attitudes, even in our obedience and our submission.
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Why do we obey with respect, with sincerity of heart and
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action, whether being watched or not?
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Why do we serve wholeheartedly? Because thanks to the Gospel, we
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now belong to Him. We've been adopted into God's
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very own family. We're now members of His body.
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And through the Church, God wants to reveal His manifold
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wisdom to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms.
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What a wonderful privilege that is, regardless of how dignified,
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respected, valuable the world might say our work is.
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And this applies to bosses too, because in verse 9 Paul then
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addresses the the Christian masters, and that might include
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managers or business owners or senior leadership in a school or
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even church leaders. Masters, treat your slaves in
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the same way. Do not threaten them, since you
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know that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven
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and there is no favouritism with him.
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For those in authority, 3 principles are given.
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And if these seem extraordinary today in this doggy dog business
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world where the power that employers have over their staff
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and the demands that they make, imagine how more incredible this
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would have sounded in the 1st century where up to 1/3 of
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people in the city lived in some kind of slavery or bonded
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service. Here is what Paul says.
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Living in the light of the Gospel looks like If you are a
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boss or a master or a leader, firstly treat them in the same
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way you want to be treated. If you want to receive respect,
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then offer it. If you want servants, then
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demonstrate A servant heart towards them.
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If you want honour, give honour. If you want humble employees, be
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a humble boss. If you want integrity in your
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staff, then show integrity. If you expect grace, offer
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grace. If you want encouragement, offer
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encouragement. What a radical command to the
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Christian slave owners in the Ephesian Church.
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And This is why no serious person could see this passage as
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Paul condoning slavery instead. He could not be more counter
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cultural with this command. This is why any true scholars of
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Roman culture and Paul teaching have concluded it was verses
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like this that would eventually destroy the system of slavery in
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Christian communities. Paul is not saying slavery is
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OK. This is Paul radically attacking
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the injustice at the root of slavery to a world back then,
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where even the enlightened Aristotle once said a slave is a
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living tool even to a world today that still accepts
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slavery, providing our clothes can be a bit cheaper.
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And as long as the Internet can provide the images that I want
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to see, Paul takes us back to Jesus commands.
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Do to others as you would have them do to you, and love your
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neighbor as yourself, regardless of what state they're in,
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whether in authority over you or under your authority.
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Treat all people with dignity and grace and love and humility.
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Secondly, Paul says, do not threaten them.
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In a society where a slave owner had the legal right to dispense
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any punishment they chose, Christian masters were to live
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different. In fact, the cross that was the
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great threat of for disobedient runaway slaves is now the very
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leveller through which master and slave become brothers and
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sisters and Co heirs with Christ and fellow members of his the
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church family equally saved and loved by God.
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And in the New Testament there's a there's a wonderful
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demonstration of this in the book of Philemon.
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And Philemon was a slave owning Christian in Colosina.
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He was a friend and supporter of Paul.
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He'd been saved through Paul in Ephesus.
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But about 10 years later, one of his slaves, Anessimus, steals
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some property and runs away, and he hides in Rome.
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But in God's plan, he bumps into Paul and becomes a Christian
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himself and begins to serve Paul.
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And eventually Paul realises Anessimus needs to go back and
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be restored to his former master.
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But in verse 16, he says no longer as a slave now better
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than a slave as a dear brother and a partner in the gospel as
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Paul was by law. Philemon could have punished,
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beat and threaten Anessimus life, even killed him.
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But Paul is teaching the way of the gospel leadership and
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authority through service, not threats.
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Leading, but with humility and respect for those under our
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care. Whatever headship or leadership
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God has given us, whether parents over children, husbands
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in a marriage, or leaders under those under their authority, we
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must never lead by threat of punishment.
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Yes, we discipline our children through God's Word.
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Yes, we speak up when wrong is done in the home or the
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workplace. Yes, we speak the truth in love
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when someone under our care walks away from God's plan,
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whether they appreciate or not. And also, if we fail to do our
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job. Even a Christian boss has the
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right to fire us. But a relationship based on the
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threat of punishment is never God's plan for our lives or the
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right of those given authority on earth.
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So even when we lead, we lead like Christ, not as as servant
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leaders, not as God ordained tyrants. 3rd principle.
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Finally, remember you share the same master and he doesn't have
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favourites. No wonder historians have
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recognised the impact of this teaching on slavery when truly
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applied and though sadly it still continues and continues
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today, not because the Bible offers any justification, but
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because the heart of man is evil.
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So instead Paul ends with this principle that in the world that
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there always be casts and classes and social strata, in
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this world you were born into a life, maybe of privilege, maybe
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of poverty, maybe of slavery, maybe of freedom.
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But he says in Christ we are equal before God.
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We may have an authority given to us, or we may be under
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authority. In fact, most of us are likely
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to experience both at the same time.
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Yet above all, imperfect earthy authority is a perfect heavenly
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one. Therefore, this gospel equality,
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the reality that all of us have fallen short of the glory of God
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and yet are all freely justified through Jesus Christ.
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This gospel truth must be the foundation of a husband's
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treatment of his wife, parents, treatment of children, slaves
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before masters, something unheard of back then when
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describing three groups that were always seen as less worthy,
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less significant, and less valuable.
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Yet from creation they are equal image bearers of God.
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But also now through the new creation, they are equal through
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the good news of Jesus. And they are equal members of
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Christ's body, the church, and God's very own household.
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Paul doesn't attack or undermine authority structures.
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He says that they are gifts of God for our good and for the
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protection of the vulnerable and the marginalised.
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But the foundation is always a quality before God who does not
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show favouritism. And isn't that wonderful in a
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world of favourites? Favorite political views,
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Favorite people, Favorite leaders, Favorite teachers?
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Favorite skin colours? Favorite races?
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Favorite neighbors? Favorite demographics?
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How good it is that God isn't like that.
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Whether husband or wife, God loves us equally.
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Whether a child or parent, we are equal in His sight.
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Whether a boss at the top of the company or the one at the bottom
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of the ladder, His grace is poured out equally.
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And not only does he treat us fairly, He will also judge with
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total justice and perfect fairness as we heard in verse 8.
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You know the Lord reward each one for whatever good they do,
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whether they are slave or free. One day we will all stand before
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God and give account for our life.
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And in that moment, I'm, I'm sorry, but I feel I need to
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burst some wrong expectations. God will not ask.
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OK, tell me what was wrong with your boss or your parent or your
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spouse or your children? Oh, you brought a list with you.
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Great, that will speed things along nicely.
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Thank you. Oh, you got a flash drive.
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All the things your church leader did wrong.
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Well, that's very helpful as well.
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Hand it over. We'll sort it out now.
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Off you go church. This is not what judgement will
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be like, you know that right? But rather what did you do with
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what God gave you? We will be repaid and rewarded
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for what we did. Not what our boss or our parent
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or our leader or our brother or our husband or our wife did
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instead. If you are a wife, how did you
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submit to your husband? If you were a husband, how did
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you love like Christ? When you were children, how did
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you honour your parents? If you were a parent, how did
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you train and encourage your children?
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If you were a leader, how did you care for those under your
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authority? As an employee or a volunteer,
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how did I honour and obey my bosses?
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For which each of us will reward, receive a reward or
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repayment. I love one of the last lines of
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the Bible. Jesus says, behold, I am coming
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soon, my reward is with me and I will give to each person
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according to what they have done.
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Our greatest reward is of course Jesus himself being in his
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presence forever. But there are other rewards to
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come, both in this world and in the next.
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So whether your part in this is exciting or not, whether you
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feel that your talents are being used or squandered.
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Whether your boss is likeable or not, whether she's earned your
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trust yet or not, whether giving, serving, caring,
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honouring comes with earthy affirmation or not, whether
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you're caring for family at home or whether you're leading a top
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company. May we all do so in such a way
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as to gain a reward from our heavenly Master who sees all
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loves equally and is perfectly just in all His judgements.
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Meaning that today we don't just get to declare Jesus is Lord or
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sing about it here, with the Spirit's help, we get to live
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that out in every relationship that we have.
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And we can make it the greatest consideration about how we treat
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authority or how we carry authority even in a fallen
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world. Therefore, therefore, let us
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ensure that Jesus is Lord, is the very thing being declared to
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a lost world, to lost friends, to lost family members, maybe
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through the sincerity of our heart, the sincerity of our
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actions, the way we lead, the way we follow, the way we serve,
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the way we submit, the way we honour and the way we obey.
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And so as we finish this section and this mini series from
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Ephesians on gospel LED, spirit LED living in each of those
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three relationships, Paul always wants to keep our attention
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always on the greater mystery being revealed in Christ Jesus.
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Husbands, why do we love our wives sacrificially and lead
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them humbly? Because in Christ we have a
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husband who does that perfectly for us.
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Parents, why are we careful not to exasperate our children, but
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bring them up in training and instructions of the Lord?
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Because we know we have Heavenly Father who does the same for us
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bosses and leaders. Why do we choose not to Lord it
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over our servants or employees? Because in Christ Jesus we had a
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Master who could have come to the world to judge us, but
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instead came to stoop and to serve, to sacrifice His very
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self for us. And equally it worked for the
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other parties too. Wives, why do we submit to the
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headship of earthly husbands? Because we are all the bride of
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Christ who willingly submit to the work of our husband to
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present us holy and blameless before himself at the end.
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Children, why do we obey earthly parents?
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Because we are all children of a heavenly Father who desires not
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our words but our obedience. Because He knows that's the path
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to blessing and life in fullness.
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And because we see Jesus Christ, the perfect Son who fully obeyed
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the will of the Father even unto death.
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Servants or slaves? Why do we obey earthly bosses?
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Because we are all servants, slaves, even of Christ.
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We gave up our rights to self ownership when we as we died to
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ourselves at the cross of Jesus Christ on that Good Friday
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morning. It wasn't just three men who
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died. We all died so that now we might
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not live for ourselves again, but that we might live for
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Christ. Essentially, whatever state we
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find ourselves, whether married, single, whether we're children
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or without them, whether the boss in the top office or the
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lowest worker in the basement, whether anyone sees or no one
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sees, let Christ be always before your eyes.
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The one who sees, the one who will make the final judgement,
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the only verdict that will count in the end.
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And the one who lived all these things himself and died to deal
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with the sin of our rebellion and the sin of our oppression.
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And the one who was raised to bring us to God as Saints in his
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church, members of his body, and brothers and sisters in his very
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own household. Therefore, finally, again,
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whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for
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the Lord, not for human masters, since you know you'll receive an
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inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
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It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
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Why don't we stand? Thank you for listening to the
35:10
Dorchester Family Church Podcast.
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We pray that God's Word ignited a flame in you today to burn
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brighter for Him. But the journey doesn't stop
35:19
here. Stay motivated by visiting
35:21
dfc.org.uk to get plugged into community, join a small group,
35:27
find serving opportunities, and take your next steps in joyfully
35:31
living out your faith every day. Please join us next week as we
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continue being equipped to wholeheartedly worship,
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intentionally grow, and boldly go make disciples.
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Grace and peace until next time.