Things In Common

• Sport fans generally hang out with sports fans

• Computer nerds generally hang out with computer nerds

• Racing fans generally hang out with racing fans

• Political junkies generally hang out with political junkies

• Alcoholics hang out with alcoholics

• Gossips hang out with gossips

It is a fact of life, we associate with people that we have things in common with.

But let me ask you something. If you were living when the apostle Paul was living, would you have felt that you had things in COMMON with him?

The Apostle Paul was a great man of God. In fact, he was so great that we Christians feel that we do not have a thing in common with him.

This morning, I believe the Lord would be pleased for us to see what we SHOULD HAVE IN COMMON with this great servant of the Lord.

Look what we have in common. We should have …

I. THE SAME SERVICE

Look at verse 1, we read, “Paul, a SERVANT of Jesus Christ.”

Notice how Paul describes himself. He calls himself a SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST.

Illus: Louis Talbot said that on one occasion, a meat packer in Chicago attending the business men's class in D.L. Moody's church, sat by a man he did not know.

• After the class was dismissed, the stranger turned to him and asked, “WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS, SIR?”

• The meat packer replied, “I AM A CHRISTIAN.”

• “I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS; WHAT DO YOU DO?” the stranger asked again.

• The man said, “MY MAIN BUSINESS IS

TO BE A CHRISTIAN, BUT I PACK MEAT ON THE SIDE TO EARN A LIVING.”

The word “Servant” here is the Greek word “Doulos” (Doo'-los) which means a slave.

Paul was proud that he was a servant (slave) of the Lord Jesus.

Illus: In Columbia, SC, one company is known for not paying great salaries, but they give the employees fancy titles. That is, it seems everybody that works there are engineers, managers, overseers, and etc. And if you ask any of these employees what they do for a living, they very proudly tell you the title they hold.

We know a lot of folks who are proud of many things. The problem is, the things they are proud of, they ought to be ashamed of.

Illus: Wilt Chamberlain, a professional basketball player, got on national television and bragged about the many women he slept with.

Many times we hear people bragging about things they ought to be ashamed of.

Paul was proud of what most of us would be ashamed of. He proudly declared he was a SERVANT of the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

WHAT KIND OF SLAVE WAS HE?

In the Old Testament there were bond slaves.

A bond slave was a Hebrew who was a slave to another Hebrew.

For example, if a Hebrew bought a Hebrew slave:

• That slave was only to serve for six years

• At the end of the six years the slave was to go free

But during that six years, if his master gave him a wife, he could go free, but his wife and kids would have to stay with the master.

THERE WAS ONE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.

Look at Exodus. 21:5 6 “And if the servant shall plainly say, I LOVE MY MASTER, MY WIFE, AND MY CHILDREN; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.”

Notice that if a man loves his Master (Jesus first), His Wife and His Children, he will not leave the master’s house but will continue in faithful service!]

This bond slave is the perfect picture of a child of God.

Because of what Christ had done for Paul, Paul was now a bond slave to Jesus Christ!

NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS TODAY WHO ARE SLAVES.

They do not consider themselves slaves, BUT THEY ARE SLAVES IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.

1. SOME ARE SLAVES TO THE GOD OF FAME

They will compromise everything this Bible teaches to be popular. Many times this sin starts with a person when they are a teenager.

Illus: Sometimes a young girl in high school wants to be popular so that boys will like her and want to date her. But for various reasons she is not allowed in the inner social circle.

She begins to feel unimportant and overlooked. But very foolishly, she reaches the decision to compete with the girls in the inner social circle. She lowers her standards with the fellows, and earns the reputation of being “easy”.