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Colossians 3:22-4:1 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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All right, thank you, Wes. Please take out your copy of God's Word. Turn to Paul's letter to the Colossians. Chapter 3.
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Our text for today is Colossians 3, verse 22 through chapter 4, verse 1.
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Before we read it together, I'm going to say to you that my comments this morning concerning this text will be brief, at least brief-ish.
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If you're a guest with us, this is not the norm. The Word of God is incredibly rich.
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Even if we break down each sermon as we move verse by verse, even down to just a single sermon, there's so much to be said.
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There's so much layer in God's Word. And so, it's normally not the way that we handle things.
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I go 45 to an hour. Hopefully 45.
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The Word of God requires great care, both in its exegesis and in its application.
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And this morning's text is not an exception to that rule. I'm not suggesting that we're saying,
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eh, it doesn't really matter. But I'm going to be brief this morning for two reasons.
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The reason of less importance is that we have a number of matters to handle at the end of our service.
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And at some point, we have to wrap this up together.
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And so, for the sake of time in that regard, I'm going to try to keep my comments brief.
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And the second, which is of greater importance, I think of primary importance,
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is that Paul's exhortations in these verses are simple.
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And simple commands should be understood and obeyed simply.
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This week, I just found that I didn't really need to make it too terribly complex.
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That there was no real need to parse verbs for you and help you get some other depth of knowledge
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that really isn't in the text.
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There's a couple of simple exhortations for us.
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Last week, we looked at four exhortations for the household of the new self.
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To remind you where we've been in chapter 3 and to catch some of you up
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who haven't been here with us this summer,
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chapter 3, verse 1 reads,
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If then you have been raised with Christ,
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so if you are in Christ, if you are a Christian,
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your heart's been made new because of the regenerating work of the power of the Spirit in your life,
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then we are to seek the things that are above,
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where Christ is seated.
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Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
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We're to set our minds on things that are above,
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not on things that are on earth.
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For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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So, we now have this reorientation because our old self is dead,
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and we have a new self.
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And Paul expounds upon this, verse 5,
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that we should put to death, therefore, what is earthly in us.
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And then picking up in verse 10,
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and have put on the new self, which is being renewed.
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Verse 12,
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Put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved.
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And he begins to list these proper activities of the Christian life,
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as well as telling us the things that we ought not be doing.
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And I've stressed to you that he's not giving us exhaustive lists,
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but he's primarily talking about sins of misplaced love or misplaced hate.
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And then he's giving us the positive, how it is we should live together in community.
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He's specifically speaking to the church.
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But last week, we saw a bit of a shift, a little bit of a narrowing of his scope.
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While he's talking about the Christian church at large,
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the church here in Function Together at Colossae,
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he goes a little narrower to talk about the Christian household.
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So, we saw these exhortations to wives, to husbands, to children, and to parents last week.
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And this week really is a continuation of these exhortations,
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of exhortation for the Christian household.
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The application of which is really rather simple for us.
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And we'll get into that.
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But let's read the text together.
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Colossians 3, 22 through 4, 1.
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Paul writes,
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And beloved, this is God's word to us.
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It's written for His glory and for our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it this morning in order to believe its promises
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and obey its commands.
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Now, as we look at the text this morning, I've broken it down into four points for us.
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The first one is,
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the aim of Paul's exhortation here is not social or political commentary.
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This is not the point of what he's trying to accomplish as he's speaking to the church at Colossae.
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It's not social or political commentary.
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He's not in this text seeking to destroy the institution of slavery.
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Now, he's already commented on new spiritual realities for those who are in Christ.
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Look back up in chapter 3 to verse 11, where he writes,
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So he says,
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All these dividing barriers, which were strong barriers in this day,
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probably much stronger than anything we experience today in our particular social context,
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that all of these things are torn down for those who Christ is all.
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He is the great equalizer in the Christian church.
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So he's already, in some sense, in the spiritual sense,
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he's put away the idea of slave and free.
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That a free man and a slave could come together and have unity in Christ
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has already been stated in Colossians 3.11.
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The gospel certainly has social and political implications.
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It has come into this world and it is making the world new,
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bringing about redemption for a broken place.
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But it does not change those realities in a moment.
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Isn't that where we find ourselves living between kind of these two worlds
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where Christ has ushered in the kingdom of God,
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but yet it's yet to fully arrive.
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He's returned to heaven.
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He's seated at the right hand of the Father.
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And we're eagerly awaiting His return to establish forever His reign here on earth.
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It's coming to pass.
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But, all the same, we ought to be, as Christians, working to change our society.
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We ought to want to see things improve.
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And the gospel certainly has the power to do so and has had throughout history.
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I should give you a couple examples.
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Some names that may be familiar to you, some that may not.
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And the way in which these people were not only preachers of the gospel, missionaries,
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but worked in social context to bring about change.
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John Wesley and Elizabeth Fry worked very hard in their lives for prison reform,
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saw some success in that.
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I hope most of you are familiar with William Wilberforce,
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who labored in his life and finally saw the abolition of British slavery.
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Theodore Fleidner built German hospitals.
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George Mueller cared for thousands of orphans.
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William Carey worked to abolish and found success in abolishing widow burning and child sacrifice in India.
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David Livingston and many others in Africa discouraged polygamy,
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fought the slave trade, built schools, and built hospitals.
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Christianity is good for the world.
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Because God's ways are far more excellent than man's ways.
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Man is completely corrupt by sin apart from Christ.
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And at his greatest effort, fouls everything up.
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Christianity comes into those social and political contexts
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and brings about good and right and proper change.
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But that's not what Paul's trying to do here.
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Understand that the slavery of Paul's day, for the most part,
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was much different than the historical slavery that we are all aware of.
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The slavery that happened here in our own country.
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You need to understand that in this day, in the Greco-Roman world,
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more than 50% of the population was a slave population.
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It was not typically ethnically driven,
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although there were times that people would go and conquer another people and make them slaves.
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But more often than not, it was economically driven.
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Many of the people that were slaves in this day
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volunteered themselves as slaves because they could not afford to live.
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They did not have the means necessary,
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and so they hired themselves out, essentially,
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put themselves on the market,
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and they were bought in this way.
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Not always the case.
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But generally speaking, it was a bit of a different environment.
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But also, he is not endorsing slavery in this text.
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The Bible certainly does not endorse slavery,
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particularly in the way that we think about and understand slavery.
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Just to give you a couple of examples,
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Exodus 21.16 says,
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Whoever steals a man and sells him,
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and anyone found in possession of him,
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shall be put to death.
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And in 1 Timothy 1.10,
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And enslavers are mentioned in a list of men
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counted as lawless and disobedient.
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But this is not ultimately what Paul is trying to do.
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The second point, Paul's aim,
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is to instruct the Christian
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in whatever situation he or she may find themselves in
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to live in a way that honors the Lord.
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Verse 22,
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Bond servants or servants, slaves,
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obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,
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not by way of eye service as people-pleasers,
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but with sincerity of heart,
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fearing the Lord.
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Obey in everything.
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Just as we saw was the case with wives and children
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in the preceding verses,
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the will of the one placed over you
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should be obeyed,
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provided that your obedience does not break
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the command of God.
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Note the phrase,
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those who are your earthly masters.
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Husbands,
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husbands,
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parents,
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and masters in this context,
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bosses in ours,
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are instruments of God
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and He ultimately rules over them.
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Chapter 4, verse 1.
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Masters,
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treat your bond servants justly and fairly,
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knowing that you also have a master in heaven.
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And so if your earthly master,
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if your parents,
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if your husband,
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if you're a wife,
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asks you,
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commands you to do something outside the law of God,
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you have God's permission to circumnavigate in that case.
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Otherwise,
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you are to obey in everything.
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Not simply to please on the outward appearance.
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It says,
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not just by way of eye service as a people-pleaser.
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Not just going through the motions,
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right?
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Making it look good,
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but with the sincerity of your heart
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because you fear the Lord.
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With a proper and right understanding and perspective on God,
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your ultimate master,
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the one whom you ultimately serve,
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doing things from the heart with sincerity.
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And Paul gives two proper motivations for this.
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One in the positive and one in the negative.
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The positive is found in verse 24.
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Knowing that from the Lord,
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you will receive the inheritance as your reward.
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You are serving the Lord Christ.
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Again,
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as I just said,
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because ultimately you are serving Christ.
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And if you are serving Christ,
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if you have this proper and right understanding,
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if you are a servant
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and in everything obey your earthly master,
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you're doing it because you're a Christian.
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Because you're found in Him.
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Don't divorce this from the rest of the chapter.
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Remember what we started talking about
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at the beginning of chapter 3.
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He's still talking about these things
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as Christian people that we should put off
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and those things that we should be putting on.
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So as a Christian person,
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you will live in this way.
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This is the positive
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because there's a promise.
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You'll receive the inheritance
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as your reward.
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And it's tempting at this point
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as we look at verse 25
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and then the negative motivation in,
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excuse me,
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in verse 24
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and the negative motivation in verse 25
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to kind of spin off,
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maybe try to sort out
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kind of what heaven's going to look like
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and how we'll be rewarded
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or how we may be punished
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if we're found in Christ.
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I don't think Paul means
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it to be nearly that complex.
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He simply says,
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the inheritance.
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And in the Greek,
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the article is there.
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The is actually in the original text.
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And so what I think he's talking about
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is that our proper and right orientation
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as servants or employees in our case
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should be because we are Christians
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as a response to what God has done
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on our behalf,
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we should serve the Lord
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knowing full well
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that we don't live for this world,
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but we live for eternity.
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The inheritance of eternal life with Him.
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He is our master.
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He is our King.
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We'll serve Him now and forevermore.
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Let me give you a cross reference for this.
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Romans 2, verses 6-8.
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Paul writes there,
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He will render to each one
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according to His works.
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To those who by patience in well-doing
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seek for glory and honor and immortality,
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He will give eternal life.
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But for those who are self-seeking
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and do not obey the truth
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but obey unrighteousness,
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there will be wrath.
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And fury.
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Because of who we are,
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the right and proper good response
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as Christian people,
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we will obey.
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Take your bulletin.
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There's a quote which I didn't plan to use,
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but it's just fitting.
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If I spurge it on the front of it,
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which says,
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those whom free grace chooses,
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free grace cleanses,
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we are not chosen because we are holy,
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but chosen to be holy.
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And being chosen,
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the purpose is no dead letter,
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but we are made to seek after holiness.
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So by the same grace that saves us,
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this grace perfects us.
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And therefore,
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we work as we are serving the Lord Christ.
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The second motivation found in verse 25
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stated in the negative,
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for the wrongdoer will be paid back
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for the wrong he has done
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and there is no partiality.
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Here I believe that Paul is referring to
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immediate punishment,
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immediate wrongdoing.
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If you choose this other path,
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if you're going to not serve your master
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as you should,
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there will be consequences for this.
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Galatians 6-7 says,
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Do not be deceived.
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God is not mocked.
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For whatever one sows,
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that will he also reap.
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It will go well with you
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if you walk in the ways of God.
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And it will not if you do not.
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So that was the second point.
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Thirdly,
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Paul does not neglect
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God's desire for justice.
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Chapter 4, verse 1.
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Masters, treat your bondservants
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justly and fairly,
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knowing that you also have a master
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in heaven.
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Now I'm sure you've already noted,
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seen the interesting chapter break here.
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Isn't it strange
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when a sermon is preached
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that crosses over a chapter break?
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It doesn't happen very often.
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Typically,
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chapters and verses
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are divided up very neatly
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and appropriately.
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This is an interesting one.
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But let me remind you,
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if you don't already know,
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that chapters and verses
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are not inspired.
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The original Greek text
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did not have chapter and verse.
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In fact,
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had no punctuation either.
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They're not inspired.
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The ones we have before us today
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are largely taken
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from the Geneva Bible.
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And there's a history
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behind that as well.
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Other sourcing
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and historical roots
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for how the Geneva
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arrived at the way that it did.
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This one is a bit of a mystery.
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And I didn't take a ton of time
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this week.
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I just didn't think it was
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of great value
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for my week
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and the effort of it
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to figure out
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why exactly,
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possibly,
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this had happened.
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But I did find
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an interesting quote.
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Another Spurgeon quote,
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of course,
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and he wrote
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of this text,
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I sometimes think
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that the good men
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who chop the Bible
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up into chapters
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must have hoped
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that we should not
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read this message
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to the masters
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as he had put it
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in another chapter.
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But I never like to read
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about the servants
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without also reading
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about the masters.
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There are six for one
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and half a dozen
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for the other
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and as is usual
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in the scriptures
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there are balanced duties.
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If there is
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an exhortation
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to the children
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there is generally
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one to the parents
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close by.
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And if there is
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a word to wives
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there is one
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for husbands too.
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And so he postulates
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that it's possible
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that the people
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who chopped this up
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just didn't want us
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to see it together.
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We don't know.
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But certainly
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we need to take it
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together.
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Both the implications
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for both sides
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of this relationship.
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So addressed here
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Paul says
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in this social system
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that exists
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masters
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treat your slaves
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or your bond servants
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justly and fairly.
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Deal with them
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appropriately
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as the God of heaven
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because we also
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have a master
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in heaven
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has treated you.
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There's a great deal
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of theme
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in the scriptures
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concerning justice.
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Let me give you
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two Old Testament
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examples.
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Micah 6.8
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says
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Proverbs 21.3
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To do righteousness
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and justice
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is more acceptable
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to the Lord
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than sacrifice.
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And so this is
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required
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in this relationship
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that Paul is writing
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to that masters
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would treat their slaves
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justly
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and fairly.
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And this is the way
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in which the new self
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affects the Christian
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household.
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Likely cared for
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in this way.
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Wives and children
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with servants
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in the home
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doing a work there.
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The servants
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should obey
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in everything
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with a sincerity
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of heart
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looking to please
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God ultimately
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and the masters
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should treat them
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justly and fairly
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recognizing
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that they have
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a master
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in heaven.
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I don't think
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any of us
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in this room
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have servants
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in our home.
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Maybe some of you
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can pay somebody
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to come over
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and cut your grass
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or clean up
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after you
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but more than likely
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we don't.
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And so we need
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to ask the question
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what is the
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application
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for our context?
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In verse 23
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I think
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to bring us back
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to and pull that
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I didn't skip it
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it's here
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in our preaching.
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Whatever you do
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children you should
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know this one
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we've been memorizing it
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work heartily
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as for the Lord
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and not for men.
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That's found within
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this exhortation
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to the slave.
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I'm not ignoring that
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but he says
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whatever you do
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whatever you're asked
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to do
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work heartily
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as for the Lord
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and not for men.
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And I think rightly
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we can take the principles
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found here
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and we can draw them
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into our modern day
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to speak of
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any situation
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that we find ourselves in
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where there is an authority
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figure placed
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over us.
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Namely
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for our church
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your job
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and schooling
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your classroom
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as well
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that you recognize
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while we do so
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voluntarily
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you don't have to
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work at your job
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you don't have to
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be a student
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at the University of
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North Georgia
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or at one of the other
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schools in our area
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you can sign up
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for a class
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and you can drop
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the class
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you can say
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I really don't like
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the professor
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already in this first week
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I can tell
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I'm not going to
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enjoy this class
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and you can get
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out of the class
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we voluntarily
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submit ourselves
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to the authority
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but once we are
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submitted to that authority
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while we are
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under their
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guidance
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we should do this
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in the same way
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heartily
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we should throw
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our very being
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into the work
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that we're doing
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because we're not
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ultimately working
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for them
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ultimately we're
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working for God
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God has put us
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in this world
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to work and to keep
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to produce
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and we ought to
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do that well
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beloved Christians
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should be the very
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very best
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of students
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and the very
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very best
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of employees
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not that we're
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necessarily the
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smartest
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or the most
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talented
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but we ought to
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be the hardest
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workers
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we should be
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the ones that
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are showing up
22:35
early and leaving
22:36
late
22:37
we should be
22:38
the ones that
22:38
work through
22:39
the lunch break
22:40
we should be
22:41
the ones that
22:41
leverage all
22:42
that we have
22:43
for the sake
22:44
of our
22:44
employer
22:45
or for the sake
22:46
of your
22:47
professor
22:48
people should
22:49
be impressed
22:50
by the way
22:51
in which
22:52
we work
22:53
a great deal
22:54
of devotion
22:55
on our part
22:56
because we're
22:57
not doing it
22:57
for them
22:58
we're doing it
22:59
for God
23:00
God has placed
23:00
tasks ahead
23:02
of us
23:03
and we ought
23:03
to do them
23:04
heartily
23:05
throw your energy
23:06
into the things
23:07
that you have
23:08
going on
23:09
and if you can't
23:10
rightly work
23:11
for a boss
23:12
or for
23:13
being a class
23:14
and being
23:15
underneath
23:15
a professor
23:16
then stop
23:17
but until
23:17
you do
23:18
be obedient
23:19
to the thing
23:20
that God
23:20
has asked
23:21
of you
23:22
a note
23:24
in our
23:24
employment
23:24
especially for
23:26
you young
23:26
people who
23:27
are looking
23:27
toward that
23:28
so many
23:30
of us
23:31
enslave
23:32
ourselves
23:33
to our
23:33
employers
23:34
by the
23:34
lifestyle
23:35
that we
23:35
choose
23:36
to live
23:36
we get
23:37
ourselves
23:37
in a
23:38
living
23:38
situation
23:38
where we
23:39
couldn't
23:39
possibly
23:40
lose
23:41
the job
23:42
or quit
23:43
the job
23:44
because we're
23:44
so financially
23:46
strapped
23:47
we're so
23:47
tight
23:48
we're living
23:48
right up
23:49
to our
23:49
limit
23:50
paycheck
23:50
to paycheck
23:51
is often
23:52
the phrase
23:52
being used
23:54
that if you
23:54
were to
23:55
come out
23:56
from underneath
23:56
the authority
23:57
of that
23:57
individual
23:58
you couldn't
23:59
possibly
23:59
survive
24:00
Proverbs 22
24:01
7 says
24:02
the rich
24:03
rules over
24:03
the poor
24:04
and the
24:04
borrower
24:05
is the
24:05
slave
24:06
of the
24:07
lender
24:07
so this
24:09
is an
24:09
aside
24:09
to that
24:10
be careful
24:10
how you
24:11
spend
24:11
your
24:12
money
24:12
and who
24:13
you get
24:13
involved
24:13
with
24:14
because
24:14
once you
24:15
are
24:15
God
24:16
says
24:17
be obedient
24:18
in everything
24:19
provided that
24:20
you don't
24:21
break the
24:22
commandment
24:22
of God
24:23
now in
24:26
closing
24:26
I want you
24:26
guys to
24:27
turn to
24:27
Romans chapter
24:27
6 with
24:28
me
24:28
if you're
24:32
a regular
24:33
with us
24:33
you are
24:33
shocked
24:33
that I
24:34
just said
24:34
in closing
24:34
we've got
24:37
a little
24:37
ways to
24:38
go
24:38
I want
24:42
to pause
24:43
it to
24:43
you
24:43
I want
24:44
you to
24:44
stop
24:44
and think
24:44
about
24:44
this
24:45
phrase
24:45
that I'm
24:45
about
24:46
saying
24:46
that I'm
24:46
going to
24:46
give you
24:46
some
24:47
biblical
24:47
proof
24:47
of it
24:48
but that
24:48
is
24:49
that we
24:49
are all
24:50
every
24:50
one of
24:50
us
24:51
right
24:51
in
24:52
Christ
24:53
not in
24:53
Christ
24:53
all of
24:54
humanity
24:54
all of
24:55
us
24:55
are
24:55
slaves
24:56
to
24:57
something
24:57
we
24:58
are
24:58
all
24:59
slaves
25:00
to
25:01
something
25:02
you
25:02
are
25:03
a
25:03
slave
25:03
to
25:04
whatever
25:04
it
25:04
is
25:05
that
25:05
you
25:05
worship
25:06
and I
25:08
want to
25:08
show you
25:08
that
25:08
in
25:08
Romans
25:09
chapter
25:09
6
25:09
beginning
25:10
in
25:10
verse
25:10
15
25:11
we're
25:14
picking
25:14
up
25:14
in
25:14
the
25:14
middle
25:15
of
25:15
his
25:15
argument
25:15
so
25:15
you
25:15
see
25:16
that
25:16
you
25:16
may
25:16
be
25:16
a
25:17
little
25:17
confused
25:17
but
25:18
we're
25:18
picking
25:18
up
25:18
at
25:18
verse
25:18
15
25:19
what
25:20
then
25:20
are
25:21
we
25:21
to
25:21
sin
25:21
because
25:22
we
25:22
are
25:22
not
25:22
under
25:23
law
25:23
but
25:24
under
25:24
grace
25:25
by
25:26
no
25:26
means
25:27
do
25:28
you
25:28
not
25:28
know
25:29
that
25:29
if
25:29
you
25:29
present
25:30
yourselves
25:30
!
25:30
to
25:30
anyone
25:31
as
25:31
obedient
25:32
slaves
25:32
you
25:33
are
25:33
slaves
25:33
to
25:33
the
25:34
one
25:34
whom
25:35
you
25:35
obey
25:35
so
25:36
you
25:36
get
25:36
the
25:36
logic
25:37
there
25:37
right
25:37
if
25:37
you
25:38
are
25:38
a
25:38
slave
25:38
if
25:38
you
25:38
present
25:38
yourself
25:39
to
25:39
a
25:39
slave
25:39
someone
25:40
you're
25:41
a
25:41
slave
25:42
of
25:42
them
25:42
that's
25:42
exactly
25:42
what
25:42
he's
25:42
saying
25:43
you
25:43
are
25:43
obligated
25:44
to
25:44
obey
25:45
that
25:46
authority
25:46
then
25:47
he
25:47
goes
25:47
on
25:47
to
25:47
say
25:47
in
25:47
the
25:48
last
25:48
part
25:48
of
25:48
16
25:48
either
25:50
of
25:51
sin
25:51
which
25:52
leads
25:52
to
25:53
death
25:53
or
25:54
of
25:55
obedience
25:55
which
25:56
leads
25:57
to
25:57
righteousness
25:57
but
25:59
thanks
25:59
be
25:59
to
25:59
God
26:00
that
26:00
you
26:01
who
26:01
were
26:01
once
26:02
slaves
26:02
of
26:02
sin
26:03
have
26:04
become
26:04
obedient
26:04
from
26:05
the
26:05
heart
26:05
to
26:05
the
26:05
standard
26:06
of
26:06
teaching
26:06
to
26:06
which
26:07
you
26:07
were
26:07
committed
26:07
and
26:08
having
26:09
been
26:09
set
26:09
free
26:10
from
26:10
sin
26:10
have
26:11
become
26:12
slaves
26:13
of
26:14
righteousness
26:14
so
26:15
having
26:15
been
26:16
set
26:16
free
26:16
from
26:16
being
26:16
a
26:17
slave
26:17
of
26:17
sin
26:17
you've
26:18
just
26:18
transitioned
26:19
now
26:19
old
26:20
self
26:20
you've
26:20
transitioned
26:21
new
26:21
self
26:22
to
26:22
being
26:23
a
26:23
slave
26:23
of
26:24
righteousness
26:25
verse
26:26
19
26:26
Paul
26:27
says
26:27
I
26:28
am
26:28
speaking
26:28
in
26:29
human
26:29
terms
26:30
because
26:30
of
26:30
your
26:31
natural
26:31
limitations
26:32
he's
26:32
saying
26:32
I'm
26:32
using
26:32
an
26:32
analogy
26:33
that
26:33
you
26:33
will
26:33
understand
26:34
for
26:35
just
26:35
as
26:35
you
26:35
once
26:35
presented
26:36
your
26:36
members
26:36
as
26:36
slaves
26:37
to
26:37
impurity
26:38
and
26:38
to
26:38
lawlessness
26:39
leading
26:39
to
26:39
more
26:40
lawlessness
26:40
so
26:41
now
26:42
present
26:42
your
26:42
members
26:43
as
26:43
slaves
26:43
to
26:44
righteousness
26:44
leading
26:46
to
26:46
sanctification
26:46
for
26:48
when
26:48
you
26:48
were
26:48
slaves
26:49
of
26:49
sin
26:49
you
26:49
were
26:50
free
26:50
in
26:51
regard
26:51
to
26:51
righteousness
26:52
you
26:52
didn't
26:52
have
26:53
to
26:53
be
26:53
righteous
26:53
is
26:53
what
26:54
he's
26:54
saying
26:54
when
26:54
you
26:54
were
26:54
a
26:54
slave
26:54
to
26:55
sin
26:55
but
26:56
what
26:56
fruit
26:56
were
26:56
you
26:56
getting
26:57
at
26:57
that
26:57
time
26:57
from
26:57
the
26:58
things
26:58
of
26:58
which
26:58
you
26:58
were
26:58
now
26:59
ashamed
27:00
for
27:00
the
27:00
end
27:01
of
27:01
those
27:02
things
27:02
is
27:03
death
27:04
but
27:05
now
27:05
that
27:06
you
27:06
have
27:06
been
27:06
set
27:06
free
27:07
from
27:07
sin
27:07
and
27:08
have
27:08
become
27:08
slaves
27:09
of
27:09
God
27:10
the
27:10
fruit
27:11
you
27:11
get
27:11
leads
27:12
to
27:12
sanctification
27:13
and
27:14
its
27:14
end
27:15
eternal
27:16
life
27:17
for
27:18
the
27:18
wages
27:19
of
27:19
sin
27:19
is
27:20
death
27:21
but
27:22
the
27:22
free
27:22
gift
27:22
of
27:22
God
27:23
is
27:23
eternal
27:23
life
27:23
in
27:24
Christ
27:24
Jesus
27:25
our
27:26
Lord
27:26
now
27:27
he
27:27
comes
27:28
at
27:28
it
27:28
in
27:28
Romans
27:28
6
27:29
from
27:29
the
27:29
opposite
27:30
side
27:31
he's
27:32
saying
27:32
here is
27:32
the
27:33
just
27:33
and
27:33
due
27:33
consequence
27:34
for
27:34
the
27:35
way
27:35
in
27:35
which
27:35
you
27:35
live
27:36
your
27:36
life
27:37
this
27:38
is
27:38
the
27:38
way
27:38
he's
27:38
tracking
27:39
our
27:39
logic
27:40
through
27:40
you
27:40
can
27:40
flip
27:41
the
27:41
entire
27:41
thing
27:41
over
27:42
to
27:42
say
27:42
that
27:42
if
27:43
we
27:43
are
27:43
slaves
27:43
of
27:43
sin
27:44
our
27:44
end
27:45
is
27:45
destruction
27:45
right
27:51
a certain
27:51
way
27:51
we're
27:52
not
27:52
going
27:52
to
27:52
be
27:52
able
27:52
to
27:53
put
27:53
off
27:53
the
27:53
old
27:53
self
27:54
because
27:54
we
27:54
still
27:54
are
27:55
the
27:55
old
27:56
self
27:56
but
27:57
if
27:57
you
27:57
are
27:58
in
27:58
Christ
27:59
you've
28:00
changed
28:00
positionally
28:01
no longer
28:01
a slave
28:02
of
28:02
sin
28:03
but
28:03
now
28:03
a slave
28:04
of
28:04
something
28:05
else
28:05
he
28:05
actually
28:06
gives
28:06
us
28:06
three
28:07
things
28:07
kind
28:07
of
28:08
in
28:08
progression
28:08
here
28:09
in
28:09
verse
28:09
16
28:10
slaves
28:10
of
28:10
obedience
28:11
verses
28:13
18
28:13
and 19
28:14
of
28:14
righteousness
28:15
and
28:16
verse
28:16
22
28:16
of
28:17
God
28:19
that
28:20
we
28:20
will
28:21
in
28:21
fact
28:21
live
28:22
underneath
28:23
our
28:24
master
28:25
this
28:26
is
28:26
the
28:26
great
28:26
proof
28:27
of
28:28
who
28:28
we
28:29
are
28:29
we
28:30
are
28:30
all
28:30
slaves
28:31
to
28:32
something
28:32
and
28:33
you
28:33
have
28:33
to
28:33
ask
28:34
yourself
28:34
that
28:34
question
28:35
this
28:35
morning
28:36
this
28:36
is
28:36
a
28:36
good
28:36
and
28:37
right
28:37
thing
28:37
to
28:37
ask
28:37
yourself
28:38
on
28:38
a
28:38
continual
28:39
basis
28:39
what
28:40
am
28:41
I
28:41
a
28:41
slave
28:42
of
28:42
what
28:42
do
28:43
I
28:43
ultimately
28:44
worship
28:45
how
28:45
does
28:46
my
28:46
life
28:46
reflect
28:48
who
28:48
I
28:49
am
28:50
I
28:51
hope
28:52
with
28:52
a
28:52
great
28:53
deal
28:53
of
28:54
longing
28:54
that
28:54
everyone
28:55
who
28:55
can
28:55
hear
28:55
me
28:55
this
28:56
morning
28:56
can
28:57
say
28:57
with
28:58
confidence
28:58
I
28:59
am
29:00
a
29:00
slave
29:00
of
29:01
Christ
29:01
I'm
29:02
a
29:02
slave
29:02
of
29:02
God
29:03
I'm
29:03
a
29:03
slave
29:03
of
29:03
righteousness
29:04
I'm
29:04
a
29:04
slave
29:04
of
29:05
obedience
29:05
I
29:06
find
29:06
at
29:06
work
29:07
within
29:07
me
29:07
the
29:07
spirit
29:08
of
29:08
God
29:08
moving
29:09
me
29:10
in
29:10
that
29:10
way
29:10
not
29:11
perfect
29:11
not
29:12
made
29:12
perfect
29:12
!
29:13
I'm
29:13
certainly
29:13
not
29:14
but
29:14
I'm
29:14
being
29:14
moved
29:15
in
29:15
that
29:15
direction
29:16
I
29:17
recognize
29:18
that
29:18
I
29:18
no
29:18
longer
29:18
have
29:19
to
29:19
sin
29:19
I
29:20
don't
29:20
love
29:21
sin
29:21
the way
29:21
I
29:22
used
29:22
to
29:22
love
29:23
sin
29:23
I
29:23
love
29:23
righteousness
29:24
I
29:25
find
29:25
that
29:25
things
29:25
go
29:26
well
29:26
with
29:26
me
29:27
I
29:27
find
29:27
that
29:27
my
29:28
eyes
29:28
are
29:28
listed
29:28
towards
29:29
heaven
29:29
as
29:29
I
29:29
live
29:30
in
29:30
the
29:30
ways
29:30
of
29:31
God
29:31
it's
29:32
the
29:32
great
29:32
desire
29:32
of
29:32
my
29:33
life
29:33
to
29:33
honor
29:33
him
29:34
with
29:34
all
29:35
that
29:35
I
29:35
do
29:36
!
29:37
There
29:37
should
29:37
be
29:37
the
29:37
!
29:38
your
29:38
heart
29:38
if
29:38
you
29:38
are
29:46
you
29:47
have
29:47
gone
29:47
through
29:47
some
29:47
kind
29:48
of
29:48
rote
29:49
process
29:49
that
29:50
somebody
29:50
has
29:50
presented
29:51
to
29:51
you
29:51
you
29:52
have
29:52
raised
29:52
a
29:52
hand
29:53
you
29:53
have
29:53
walked
29:53
an
29:54
aisle
29:54
you
29:54
have
29:54
repeated
29:54
a
29:55
prayer
29:55
and
29:55
there
29:55
has
29:55
never
29:56
been
29:56
a
29:57
change
29:57
in
29:57
your
29:57
life
29:58
God
29:59
has
29:59
never
29:59
entered
30:00
into
30:00
you
30:00
and
30:01
regenerated
30:02
you
30:02
made
30:02
you
30:03
new
30:03
you
30:04
are
30:04
still
30:04
old
30:05
self
30:05
you
30:06
haven't
30:06
been
30:07
changed
30:08
positionally
30:08
this
30:09
is
30:09
a
30:09
possibility
30:10
!
30:10
for
30:11
you
30:11
the
30:12
other
30:12
is
30:12
that
30:13
you
30:13
are
30:13
just
30:13
so
30:14
cold
30:14
and
30:15
callous
30:16
to
30:16
the
30:16
gospel
30:17
that
30:18
God
30:18
has
30:18
changed
30:18
your
30:19
heart
30:19
but
30:19
you
30:19
have
30:19
just
30:19
walked
30:20
away
30:21
from
30:21
the
30:21
glorious
30:22
truth
30:23
of
30:23
it
30:23
maybe
30:24
for
30:24
some
30:24
of
30:24
you
30:24
your
30:25
sin
30:25
wasn't
30:25
so
30:26
great
30:26
in
30:26
your
30:26
mind
30:27
you
30:27
were
30:28
generally
30:28
a
30:28
good
30:29
person
30:29
I
30:30
can't
30:30
tell
30:30
you
30:30
how
30:30
many
30:30
testimonies
30:31
I've
30:31
heard
30:31
that
30:31
opened
30:32
up
30:32
I
30:33
wasn't
30:33
really
30:33
a
30:34
bad
30:34
person
30:35
you
30:35
know
30:35
partying
30:36
and
30:36
smoking
30:37
and
30:37
drinking
30:38
and
30:38
we'll
30:39
list
30:39
off
30:39
a
30:39
couple
30:39
of
30:39
other
30:40
kind
30:40
of
30:40
nominal
30:40
sins
30:41
or
30:41
not
30:42
at
30:42
all
30:42
sins
30:42
even
30:42
in
30:43
some
30:43
cases
30:43
you
30:45
were
30:47
a
30:48
wretched
30:48
horrible
30:49
enemy
30:49
of
30:50
God
30:50
everything
30:51
you
30:51
did
30:51
no
30:51
matter
30:52
how
30:52
minor
30:52
in
30:52
your
30:53
mind
30:53
screamed
30:54
at
30:54
him
30:55
I
30:55
hate
30:55
you
30:56
but
30:58
he
30:58
loved
30:58
you
30:59
and
31:00
he
31:00
sent
31:00
Christ
31:01
to
31:01
bear
31:02
the
31:02
wrath
31:02
of
31:03
all
31:03
that
31:03
sin
31:03
that
31:03
you've
31:04
committed
31:04
up
31:04
to
31:04
this
31:04
day
31:05
!
31:05
all
31:06
commit
31:07
you
31:08
were
31:08
his
31:08
enemy
31:08
and
31:08
he
31:09
made
31:09
you
31:09
his
31:09
friend
31:09
you
31:09
have
31:09
to
31:10
have
31:10
your
31:10
heart
31:11
warmed
31:11
back
31:12
up
31:12
by
31:12
the
31:12
truth
31:13
of
31:13
the
31:13
gospel
31:13
many
31:14
of
31:14
you
31:14
may
31:14
not
31:14
ever
31:15
spend
31:15
any
31:15
time
31:15
in
31:16
the
31:16
scripture
31:16
and
31:16
this
31:17
is
31:17
the
31:17
tool
31:17
that
31:17
the
31:17
spirit
31:18
uses
31:18
to
31:18
bring
31:19
about
31:19
change
31:19
in
31:20
us
31:20
this
31:20
is
31:20
the
31:20
great
31:21
thing
31:21
that
31:21
reminds
31:21
us
31:22
again
31:22
and
31:22
again
31:23
and
31:23
again
31:24
of
31:24
God's
31:24
great
31:25
love
31:25
for
31:25
us
31:25
in
31:26
Christ
31:26
keeps
31:27
me
31:28
warm
31:29
because
31:29
I
31:29
grow
31:30
cold
31:30
I
31:30
drift
31:30
away
31:31
from
31:31
this
31:31
I
31:31
get
31:32
away
31:32
from
31:32
reading
31:32
the
31:33
scripture
31:33
and
31:33
being
31:33
engaged
31:34
in it
31:34
and
31:34
meditating
31:35
on it
31:35
and
31:36
suddenly
31:36
I
31:36
forget
31:37
the
31:37
gospel
31:37
I
31:38
know
31:38
what up
31:39
here
31:39
but
31:39
my
31:39
heart
31:39
fails
31:40
to
31:40
believe
31:41
it
31:41
and
31:41
my
31:42
life
31:42
begins
31:42
to
31:43
look
31:43
more
31:45
like
31:45
my
31:45
old
31:45
self
31:46
and
31:46
less
31:47
like
31:47
my
31:48
new
31:48
self
31:48
I
31:49
forget
31:50
who
31:50
I
31:51
am
31:51
in
31:53
Christ
31:53
I
31:56
long
31:56
for
31:56
everyone
31:57
here
31:57
to
31:58
be
31:58
able
31:58
to
31:58
say
31:58
with
31:59
Paul
31:59
as
31:59
he
31:59
said
31:59
in
32:00
Galatians
32:00
2
32:00
20
32:00
I
32:02
have
32:02
been
32:02
crucified
32:02
with
32:03
Christ
32:04
it
32:05
is
32:05
no
32:05
longer
32:05
I
32:06
who
32:06
live
32:06
but
32:06
Christ
32:07
who
32:08
lives
32:08
in
32:08
me
32:09
and
32:09
the
32:09
life
32:10
I
32:10
now
32:10
live
32:10
in
32:10
the
32:10
flesh
32:11
I
32:11
live
32:11
by
32:11
faith
32:12
in
32:12
the
32:12
Son
32:13
of
32:13
God
32:13
who
32:13
loved
32:14
me
32:14
and
32:15
gave
32:15
himself
32:15
for
32:16
me
32:16
my
32:17
old
32:17
self
32:18
has
32:19
died
32:19
and
32:20
now
32:20
this
32:20
life
32:20
that
32:21
I
32:21
still
32:21
live
32:21
I
32:21
live
32:22
in
32:23
Christ
32:24
and
32:24
this
32:24
is
32:24
why
32:25
Paul
32:25
repeatedly
32:25
calls
32:26
himself
32:26
a
32:27
slave
32:27
of
32:28
Christ
32:28
in
32:28
salutations
32:29
Romans
32:30
1
32:30
1
32:30
Philippians
32:30
1
32:31
1
32:31
Titus
32:31
1
32:32
1
32:32
to
32:32
name
32:32
a
32:33
few
32:33
says
32:33
that
32:34
he
32:34
is
32:34
a
32:34
bond
32:34
servant
32:35
of
32:36
Jesus
32:36
Christ
32:37
you
32:39
were
32:39
bought
32:39
with
32:39
the
32:39
price
32:40
grace
32:40
is
32:41
not
32:41
cheap
32:42
you
32:42
don't
32:43
respond
32:43
to
32:44
some
32:44
invitation
32:45
and
32:46
then
32:46
live
32:46
however
32:47
you
32:47
want
32:47
to
32:47
live
32:48
you
32:49
must
32:50
live
32:50
in
32:50
response
32:51
to
32:51
the
32:51
gospel
32:52
if
32:52
you
32:53
are
32:54
in
32:54
Christ
32:55
your
32:56
life
32:56
will
32:57
look
32:58
different
32:59
and
33:01
it is a
33:01
great fear
33:02
as I
33:02
say these
33:03
things
33:03
to you
33:03
to
33:04
cast
33:04
doubt
33:05
where
33:05
doubt
33:05
doesn't
33:06
need
33:06
to be
33:07
but
33:07
it is
33:08
a
33:08
greater
33:08
fear
33:09
that
33:09
you
33:09
would
33:09
come
33:09
here
33:10
especially
33:11
you
33:11
young
33:11
people
33:12
across
33:12
your
33:12
college
33:13
career
33:13
and
33:14
get
33:14
false
33:14
assurance
33:15
after
33:15
false
33:15
assurance
33:16
after
33:17
false
33:17
assurance
33:17
because
33:19
the
33:19
end
33:19
is
33:20
too
33:20
great
33:20
it's
33:21
too
33:21
costly
33:22
a
33:22
thing
33:22
your
33:23
end
33:23
is
33:24
destruction
33:25
death
33:25
and
33:26
eternal
33:26
separation
33:27
from
33:27
God
33:27
if
33:27
you
33:27
don't
33:28
wrestle
33:28
with
33:29
this
33:29
idea
33:29
in
33:30
your
33:30
time
33:30
here
33:30
if
33:31
you
33:31
don't
33:31
actually
33:31
wrap
33:32
your
33:32
mind
33:32
around
33:33
Jesus
33:33
cannot
33:34
just
33:34
be
33:35
your
33:35
savior
33:35
he
33:36
has
33:37
to
33:37
be
33:37
your
33:37
savior
33:37
and
33:38
your
33:39
Lord
33:39
if
33:40
he
33:40
changes
33:41
who
33:41
you
33:41
are
33:41
you
33:43
of
33:44
Christ
33:44
and
33:45
your
33:45
life
33:45
must
33:46
reflect
33:48
this
33:48
let's
33:50
pray
33:50
together