Who's The Boss? Series

Background to passage: This is the next relationship in the household codes of Christians that are living Spirit-filled lives. Remember, the Spirit-filled life is one of close followership to Christ and moment by moment obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It requires sensitivity to the leadership of the Spirit and a determined obedience with joy once convinced.

Text today deals with servants and masters, thus we are going to make application in a couple of ways since we don’t have slavery in this fashion today (make a couple of comments about slavery then vs. 18th and 19th century American slavery). We are going to draw some work applications and some general Christian worldview applications related to how and why we treat people in all relationships and circumstances.

Ephesians 6:5–9 ESV

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,

6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,

8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Opening illustration: Facebook answers from my “least favorite job” post: waitress, dishwasher at a restaurant, working at a chicken house, car alternator production line, sardine packer, UPS driver, life insurance sales, warehouse, plumbing, cafeteria worker at school,

Main thought: Spirit-filled Christians work in God’s economic and relational system

1) To Those Who Are Employed (v. 5-8)

Ephesians 6:5–8 ESV

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,

6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,

8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

1) To Those Who Are Employed (v. 5-8)

Explanation: This word, translated in our text as bondservants, is usually translated just servants (75%), although it can be translated “slave.” Regardless of how you translate it or the individual situations of the possibly huge percentages of servants in the congregation, there is only one instruction given: “obey.” No qualifiers, no exception clauses, no rationalizing situations. Paul elaborates in a number of descriptions of how they are to obey. The main underlying way is to the Lord. See it in every verse, 5-8.

Ephesians 6:5–8 (ESV)

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

1 Peter 2:18–25 ESV

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.

For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

?

Illustration: missionaries and the president coming home on the same ship

Application: What are the specific instructions for obedience

with an attitude of respect: Do you respect your employer?

with a genuine commitment: Are you committed to your employer?

with the right motivation, unto the Lord: Who is the One you are working for?

with the right work ethic, diligence, doing the will of God for you: Do you work hard? Are you lazy?