Serving Under Authority

All right, turn your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 6. 1 Timothy 6. It has been a couple weeks or it seemed like we it's been a couple weeks since we've uh had our study in the book of uh 1 Timothy, but we're picking back up. And uh before I start, I want to give you guys just a quick recap of what's been happening in uh in our letter here. And so I think we'll just dive right uh dive right in. So, 1 Timothy chapter uh actually the the book of 1 Timothy, Paul is writing to Timothy about how to lead a godly church. And we see really the uh the reason for that is in chapter 3:15. And in in chapters 4 and 5, Paul gives guidelines to Timothy on how to treat people with honor.

And uh we had uh messages and lessons on uh treating uh the elders uh treating the widows um and even uh treating each other uh with honor and with with respect. And that same theme is also uh continuing into chapter number six here. And Paul continues that theme of honor and Paul turns to a more um difficult and overlooked uh group of people. But it was also a group of people that was prevalent during this culture. Um, and so this would, uh, this would have been the servants. This would have been the slaves in Paul's day. And so, uh, that's what 1 Timothy chapter number 6 verse 1 and 2 covers.

And that's actually what we're going to cover tonight, just those two verses. But what I want to do is I want to walk through the the the two verses and kind of give comments as we go. So, let's pray and then we'll dive into our uh, portion of scripture tonight. Father, we love you. We thank you for this time. I pray, Father, that you would speak to our hearts even as we learn what uh Paul is writing to Timothy and what he's teaching Timothy on how to uh lead this uh specific group, Lord, and the challenges and the encouragement that he's giving them. I pray, Father, that you would uh speak to our own hearts and I pray that we would be challenged and that we would uh just be able to know what to do because of your word.

And so, Father, we love you. We thank you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. So uh right off let's dive into verse number one here. The Bible says this in uh just the beginning portion of uh verse number one. Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor. Um just want to break there a little bit. Uh but what kind of people is Paul talking about here? And Paul is the the word servants here in Greek is the word dulos. And literally what that means is slaves. It's not just an employee, but it's it's an actual slave. Um, and then the word under the yoke carries and kind of puts weight on that uh that word servants.

But that word under the yoke means um that they are in bondage. They are fully under someone's authority. Um and often times it's not by choice. Um, and why is Paul telling these people to be good slaves even though slavery is not necessarily a positive thing. And this is where it can get dangerous when we study scripture and we read the words and we put in our own definitions of what we think this word means and then we kind of draw out conclusions from that. uh because in our context u slavery is not a positive thing. It's definitely negative. Uh we've seen that uh in Americans in American history.

Uh but we even see that uh moving forward today with trafficking and things like that. Uh slavery is not it's not something that is to be applauded. Uh it's actually really negative in our context. But when we look into the context of Bible time when Paul was living is it was different. Slavery was something that was was understood differently than what we would see uh today. Today we have a negative connotation whereas back then it was just part of life. And I'll explain a little bit uh further. But here in Paul's day or in our modern day, we think of slavery as uh kidnapping. Uh we think of it as like racism.

Uh we think of it like lifelong abuse. Uh in our American uh history, uh we think of like uh African Africans. we uh kidnapping Africans and bring them over here and enslaving them. Uh segregation uh but even today we we see like sex trafficking uh and other types of trafficking, human trafficking. Um people that are being sent to here or other places against their will and it seems like they have no freedom to do what what uh that that human right freedom that we have. Uh it just seems like they don't have that. And so it's it's very negative when we think of slavery. Slavery is something that is definitely negative in in our minds.

But in Paul's day, in in the Greco Roman uh day, slavery uh was just part of everyday life. Um people became slaves by either being born to slave parents. Uh they became slaves by captivity and war. Uh so Romans were the ones in charge during this time. So a lot of the other nations were being overtaken by them. Um but it was also it wasn't just those too. was also um people would sell themselves to be slaves just to make it in life. Um today uh we are thankful for um the programs that we might have in in our country that offer food, offer uh housing and things like that. But in this day it's it's either you survive or you don't.

And so you have to think about how am I going to survive if I cannot find job. And so often times people would actually become slaves just so they could make it in life. And so they would go and they would work for someone. But it wasn't often looked down as like oh they get whipped and they get uh tortured whatever just to do their jobs. Um other other uh ways that people become slaves during this time was uh criminal punishment. Obviously if you're uh going against the law then you would also uh be a slave to the Roman government uh government during that time. Um, and the the minimal part of it was illegal kidnapping.

Um, and this is when people actually stole people and and made them slaves. But that's that's against God's word because uh Paul actually addresses that in 1 Timothy 1 verse number 10. And Paul says for whorers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men stealers, and that's the word where they kidnap people, uh for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. So Paul is actually uh clarifying that people that steal people is actually not not good. It's not something that God uh allows or wants people to do. Uh but these are ways that be people became slaves during Paul's uh day.

And so the other thing though that with that during that time slaves had a lot of um quoteunquote power in a sense of what they did. So slaves could actually manage estates. We we've seen that in um the gospels in Luke chapter number 16. Uh Jesus spoke of the steward and the steward was a a slave and that steward managed the estate of the owner. Um we uh also see teachers and tutors that are slaves but they're the ones that are teaching and are also uh doing the things in the society. Um they work in households. Um they uh they could also buy their own freedom back. So slaves uh could according to Roman history slaves could buy their freedom or arrange for their um their freedom in to be written into their master's will so that when the master passed away it could be written down that this slave can be saved or can be freed afterward.

And so that kind of gives you an idea that these slaves had their own will. They could they could practice their own will. They were doing this as their job in a sense. And it wasn't it was something that was just normal and it was part of society and it wasn't a negative thing obviously unless you're captured by another country that's definitely negative. But in the everyday normal life slavery was not something that was negative in their context. Um Paul's goal though isn't to uh to justify slavery but to teach how to live faithfully with it. And that's going to be kind of the the shift and the challenge that we we'll get into tonight as far as like what it does it mean for us and how does that apply to our lives today if we do not have slaves today or we are not slaves ourselves.

Um in 1 Peter chapter number two uh Peter also talks this way if you would talk uh if you turn there 1 Peter chapter 2 verse number 18 and 19 the Bible says this or Peter writes this in his letter. servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the fraward. For this is thankworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully. Uh so you see Peter also addresses the fact that there is slavery during that time. But he's giving them here's how you can be a slave even though you're a Christian and how you should be uh living as a slave.

Um in Titus chapter number two, Paul wrote this to Titus in verse number nine and 10 uh Paul said, "Serve well that the doctrine of God may be adorned. exhort or he says exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters and to please them well in all things not answering again not uh not plloining but showing all good uh fidelity that they may adorn in the doctrine of God our savior in all things. So again here Paul is telling Timoth Titus here is how slaves should be or be behaving and should be living as they are under their masters. Paul was born into a culture where slavery had long been part of the culture.

Um he was slavery had been there way before Paul was. If you read the Old Testament, you see that there were slaves there. Uh and so in this culture, slavery was was something that was around during that time. Um but physical freedom was not Paul's mission. And I think this is a problem that a lot of people when they look at the Bible and they look at God and they ask why would God allow slavery back then? Why didn't God do something about slavery? Or why didn't Paul do something about slavery? Um and that wasn't his mission. Paul's mission wasn't to free every single person physically, but he his mission was to free every single person spiritually by bringing the gospel and allowing them to have that that spiritual that that Christian liberty that we practice today.

And just like how Christ didn't come to heal every single person, you know, if you read the gospels, Jesus didn't actually heal every single person. Um, if you imagine how many people were in in in his time, not everybody that was living during Jesus' time got to be healed because that was not Jesus' mission. His mission was to come to preach the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God is the gospel which frees us from our sin and allows us to have a relationship with him. He came to preach the kingdom of God. And so, we see that that's not Paul's mission. as we as as you're if you were to read these this these two verses and just out of nowhere think why is Paul even allowing slavery to be a

thing then you would understand that it's not his that's not his job but we will see that what Paul does with the church with the gospel for slaves changes a lot of things for slaves actually in fact slaves when you study scripture you see that slaves slaves gain more freedom and they're more free from their from their burdens because of the gospel and what the gospel has done for them. In uh verse number one again, the latter part of it, the Bible says this, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And so why why is Paul telling these slaves to be good slaves? Why he why is he telling them to be good instead of telling them to rebel and fight against their masters so they can be free?

Why is he telling them? And the the whole reason why Paul is telling them to to be good with their masters is so that when they honor their master, it's not because their master is worthy. It's because God is worthy. And and the goal here is their testimony and how they're serving God to the best of their ability even though they're serving under someone else. um don't let your suffering discredit your savior. And I think we can when we think about that a lot of times when we're going through something we we just kind of do the sinful things instead instead of having uh integrity and character to be able to do well so we can please God in the long run.

And and we excuse ourselves from doing the good things because we say, "Oh, but my boss is not good. In fact, my boss hates me or my co-workers. They're just horrible workers to to work with. And so, we excuse the things that we we do ourselves, the the things that we have power over. We excuse those because we say, "Oh, but this person is not a Christian. Therefore, why should I live right in front of his eyes?" But we have to focus on God and not on the person that we're working for, whether it's a boss or or a supervisor. And we may not be slaves uh but we have relationship just like a slave and a master.

And a lot of us do have work under someone who is in charge of us. We work under a boss. Uh we have people that we answer to. Um for students we have teachers that we answer to. Um for um for a lot of people is just there's somebody that is that is above you that you answer to. And the whole the challenge that we can get from this as Paul is speaking to slaves. We're not slaves. But the challenge that we can get from this is how are we living under people? Like how is our testimony under the people that we're serving? Like when they see us, can they tell that we're Christians? Or are they actually questioning the fact that, oh, does this guy actually go to church because I just saw the way that he spoke or I just saw the way the thing that he just brought to work.

And that's not that. I mean, there's a lot of things that we can go down that path, but as Christians, we need to have a good testimony because having a good testimony is a way that we can spread the gospel. And a lot of us, we don't need to preach the gospel because our life is speaking that for us. And so you might not be good at like sharing the the Bible like scripture- wise, but if if the way your mannerism and the way that you live, that can also be used as a testimony for God because then people can see you and say, "Oh, this person is different. I need what he has or I need what she has."

And in doing that, you might challenge them to be able to come to church. Or you might then next time you can actually give them a flyer and say, "Hey, can you come to church for our Easter service?" They're going to want to come because they see the change that is in your life and they're going to be challenged to come to your church as well. So here here's the big idea though. Um your attitude in school, at work or under pressure reflects your faith. And that's what Paul is telling the the slaves here that as you work under your master, your attitude matters. The way you serve him matters because it reflects the one that you claim to be your savior.

And then verse number two, there's a twist here. In verse number two, the Bible says this or Paul writes this to Timothy. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren. Um, this is where it gets a little bit interesting, but some slaves here had had believing masters. So they had Christians uh Christian brothers or brothers usually in this context uh as their uh bosses. Um and when we try to deduce that in our context we think why would a sla Christian a Christian have slaves again that's our context in our context in our minds we think that's negative but this is the culture that they lived in.

And so Paul had to set up these things so that these people that are living in this culture would be able to abide by and be able to live in freedom and be able to live well together even though it might seem like it is a negative thing but it is a part of their society back then. Um some slaves had Christian masters and um in in verse number two again Paul says this he says but rather do them service because they are fe they are faithful and beloved partakers of the benefit. Um the word faithful and beloved here uh has the idea of they're not just bosses but they are brothers or sisters loved by God.

Um, and then the word partakers of the benefit has the idea of the fact that they share in the in the blessing that we share in, which is that salvation that we both have and that we'll get to go to heaven together because we serve the same God. Um, and so we don't serve less because they're believers. We serve better because they're are brothers in Christ. And I think the danger of working under a Christian is that you think you you have high expectations for that person. And because you have high expectations for that person, you give you you want them to be the Christ Christian that you think you are where you want them to be fair and you want them to be gracious and you want them to be merciful and you want them to be just and you want them to do this whatever it is that we know as Christians.

This is what we want our bosses to be. And that's the challenge though is if when they're not like that, Paul is is challenging these Christians. Continue to be faithful either way. If they're not being gracious Christians, it's okay. You you continue to have a good testimony and you continue to serve well because you're not necessarily serving them. You're serving God when you have a good testimony. and we when you serve with grace. And so the temptation is because we're equal in Christ, why should I serve him? You know, we're we're brothers. And in this culture, a slave is less because of his title.

But praise the Lord that in Christianity, they're they're brothers and sisters in Christ. um in Phileiman chapter number 15 or Phileiman chapter 1 verse number 15 it's actually verse number 15 and 16 if you know the story of Phileiman onus is the slave and in this book Paul writes to a Christian master Phileiman about his runaway slave who is Onissimus who had since become a believer so so Onissimus became was saved and he he became a believer and uh as If you read Phileiman, you would see that Paul doesn't demand for Onissimus's freedom. He actually reaches he he finds Onesimus and he tells him, "You got to go back to your master."

And what's what's really challenging and encouraging from this is that Onysimus is most likely the deliverer of this letter to Phileiman. And he brings this letter to his master. Even though Onysimus is the one that wronged Phileiman because he ran away like he ran away from his duties. He comes back to Phileiman and he hands him this letter and Onesimus is reading I mean Phileiman is reading this letter from Paul through Onissimus and I can imagine maybe the initial thing even though that Phileiman was a Christian initially he probably was angry at Onissimus for even running away and what would you do if that was you in his situation?

But as uh Phileiman is reading Paul's letter to him and he reads about God's grace and love and what God has done for him because God has forgiven him. He should forgive Onissimus as well. And what we get from that letter is that Phileiman forgives Onissimus. In an ideal Christian world, that's how it should be for us, too. Where if our boss wrongs us or if somebody that works under us, if you are a boss, and you're and you have people that are saved and they're working under you and they're not doing well and they're not working hard and they're being lazy and they're doing all of these things, how is your testimony as a boss, as somebody who is a superior, who quote unquote is a master in your field?

Are you going to treat your workers harshly or will you be a Christian about it and have grace and have mercy? And yeah, there should be consequences for how people don't do work and and are lazy and whatnot, but as a Christian, how are you handling your your walk with the Lord by how you treat your workers? And as a as a worker, how are you treating your boss? Are you treating him with respect, with honor, with grace as a Christian should? In Ephesians chapter number 6 verse number 5 and uh to9 Paul says this servants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ not with eye service as men pleasers but as

the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth the same shall shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free, and ye masters do the same things unto them, forbearing, threatening, knowing that your master also is in heaven. Neither is there respect of persons with him. Paul said it perfectly to the Ephesians, slaves, treat your master well. Masters, treat your slaves well because masters, you have a master, you're yourself, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Paul ends this uh this these two verses though with this he says these things teach and exhort in 1 Timothy chapter number 61 and2 and Paul is saying don't avoid this topic but teach it exhort it and the reason why is because what Paul is doing goes against the culture of that day because in Roman culture if you're a master you're on top and if you're a servant you have no right to speak up.

You have no right whatsoever with your boss. But if you're in a Christian environment where if you are saved, then that should change it drastically. Yeah, that's part of culture. But the way you relate to your workers and the way you relate to your boss ought to be way different than how the Roman culture handled slaves and masters. There there should be grace in relationships between master and servant and there should be mercy between relationships of a master and a servant. Paul didn't come to abolish slavery but the gospel quietly dismantled it. It redefined identity because in in u Galatians chapter number three Galatians 3 we'll close with this verse number 28 the Bible says this.

There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. That's pretty amazing. If you were a slave listening to these verses, what would you have felt? And I think if I was a slave back then, I would have felt validated. I would have felt seen. I would have felt like, wow, this this God actually loves me enough to make me equal with people who are way out of my league. That's the gospel. And I love that phrase where it says um the ground is leveled at the cross. And it doesn't matter what role you have in life, whether you are a boss or whether you are just working your 9 to5 under somebody, it doesn't matter.

The way you treat people should be the same because you have Jesus Christ as your savior. And the way you work should people should see you and be like that person is hardworking. And that's because you're a Christian. And the challenge is if you're working for somebody and you're lazy, then that's a bad testimony for you. It's actually reflecting back on Christ. And if you're a boss and you mistreat your people, that's a bad testimony for you too because you have a boss and that that's God and you're mistreating the people that he has given you to be to work for you. And so Paul challenges not just the slaves and the masters in his culture, but it goes beyond that and applies to us today because it challenges us as Christians to live in a way that is worthy of the gospel.

Are we Christians who are hardworking and doing our best regardless of what title of what job or what what area we are in? Let's pray. Father, we love you so much. We thank you. Thank you for being so good to us. Thank you again for Paul's letter here to Timothy and the challenge to uh this group of people who there was a lot of them Lord and I imagine as they enter the church and the love and the grace that they receive and the life-changing truth of the gospel Lord and how it's it's changed them but Father it still continues to humble them and it should humble us too because just because we're saved doesn't give us entitlement to be some someone but it just gives us the ability to have a relationship with you and now we have somebody that can help us in our everyday lives, Lord.

So, Father, we love you so much. We thank you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. I have a couple questions tonight as we uh dismiss uh for our uh discussion time. Uh they're going to put it on the board here. But let me just read it and then uh we'll have the discussion leaders uh stand up and then uh be able to uh lead those groups. But here's the the three questions that I have. How do I act when I'm under tough or or unfair authority? and does this point uh to Jesus? Uh number two, do I still give my best when I'm close to the person in charge? I know it's very hard when you're familiar with someone, it's harder to work harder for them because you feel like you can walk over them and that shouldn't be the case.

Um and then does the way I live make the gospel look real and good to others? And the word adorning of the gospel, adorn of Jesus Christ, that are it should be a good testimony for the Lord. So let's have the discussion leaders read the first question again cuz it got cut off. Oh, the first question. Sorry, my screens was messed up. But here, how do I act when I'm under tough or unfair authority? If you cannot read it here, it's actually on the back screens, too. So, you can look at the back two screens. Um, so how do I act when I'm under tough or unfair authority? And does it point people to Jesus? So, let's have the discussion leaders stand, and then we'll be dismissed to our uh groups.