Introduction:

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Bondservants -The word means “slaves who belong to a master.”  This bond was so strong that only death could separate them.  The slave served his master to the disregard of his own interests.  The slaves will was swallowed up in the will of his master.

This is to be our prayer daily, “Lord, not my will but your will be done.”

Paul Call’s Himself a –

·        Galley slave – “The Underrowers” on the lowest level on a ship, was considered the lowest of the low and was a dangerous position

·        Table waiter – “minister” (1 Corinthians 3:5)

The Old Testament Background

Exodus 21:1-6

I.                   THE LAW CONCERNING SERVANTS

A.    A Hebrew servant could only serve for six years, the seventh year he was to be set free V2.

B.     When he was released, he was not to be sent out empty.

1.      He was to be supplied liberally from the flocks, threshing floor, and the winepress.

2.      This is so he will have a good start in his new life of freedom.

II.                BECOMING A BONDSERVANT.

A.    This is a servant by choice. “I will not go away” V.5

1.      Legally you could be set free, you could not be forced to serve beyond the six year period.

2.      The “I will” signifies that you have the freewill to make this choice.

B.     Why might some desire to be a bond servant?

1.      You have found your master to be loving and generous.

a.       You realize that you are living in a much better style than you could possibly live on your own.

b.      Many servants live in lovely bayside homes, drive Rolls Royce cars to the market. The servant often has the full run of the house while the owners are spending the summer in Europe.

c.       To go free means to move back to the ghetto or to go back to the life of sin.

2.      You enjoy your service, and you desire no other life.

3.      You then announce, “I do not want to go away from you.”

4.      THIS SHOULD BE OUR PRAYER EVERYDAY TO THE LORD!

C.     The master then takes an awl and pierces your ear, pinning your ear lobe to the door post V6.

The slave's declaration had to be made publicly before the judges, in order to prevent the master from boring the servant's ear by force, and alleging that it was by the servant's desire.   

D.    You now become a servant for life.

E.     Usually a gold ring would be placed in the ear to signify this lifelong commitment.

The servant carries for ever in his own body the mark of his pledge -- the hole bored in his ear.

The Lord Jesus Christ Servanthood

III.             THE PROPHSY CONCERNING JESUS  Isaiah 50:5-6

A.    This is a reference to this practice, and signifies that Jesus was a servant by choice.

1.      He submitted willingly to the will of the Father.

2.      He said, "I have not come to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

3.      Again in the garden just before He was to turn His back to the smitters, and have His beard pulled out, and be crucified, He prayed, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Thy will be done.”

B.     Jesus chose to submit to the Father.

1.      In Philippians 2, we read who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.   And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:6-8 NKJV)

2.      This He did for your sake, that He might redeem you through His death.

The Resurrection (John 20:19-29)

1.      The Lord will never lose the marks in His own Body of that pledge which His death involved.

2.      Jesus will forever have the marks on His Body – the suffering love which He had for you and me.

a.       Revelation 5:6

1.      As a lamb that had been slaughtered, which would indicate that John perhaps sees him still bearing the marks of the cross in his suffering for us.

2.      It could be that your first view of Jesus in heaven would be a very shocking experience, for in our minds we have envisioned in looking on the face of Jesus of seeing someone who is just perfect in beauty, glowing, standing in awe of that beauty.

b.      The prophesy of Isaiah 52:13-53:12

1.      Is. 52:13-53:3

Isaiah said as many as looked upon him were astonished, they were shocked, for his face was so marred you could not recognize him as a human being and we hear as it were “our face was from him.”  In other words it was so shocking we could not bear to look.

2.      Again he went on to say “but HE was wounded for OUR transgressions, HE was bruised for OUR iniquities.”

3.      These wounds that HE bears are the wounds that HE suffered for YOU when HE paid the price of YOUR redemption, when HE took the judgment for YOUR sins, when HE died in YOUR place and it could very well be that our first view in heaven, that our first view of Jesus will be a very shocking experience as we see Him with the marks of the suffering that HE bore for US in order to redeem US.

THERE IS A DISTINCITVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SERVANT AND A SLAVE

A Servant is:                                                               A Slave is:

Free to work for whomever he wishes                        bought and purchased-completely and totally owned by a master. A slave is bound by his master

THE SLAVE MARKET OF PAUL’S DAY

1.      The master owned the slave. He was totally possessed by his master.

a.       Paul was purchased and possessed by Jesus Christ

Definition of Ransom

“Ransom” – [“to obtain a release by the payment of a price”]

The Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven to die on a wooden cross for the sins of the world!  “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45 cf. 1 Timothy 2:5; cf. Phil. 2:7, 8; Is. 53:12).

• What did we need to be released from?

From the bondage of the law that could not save but only condemn and from the slave market of sin (Galatians 3:13; 4:4-5).

Slave market - The N.T. imagery of this is the buying and selling of slaves at the market place.  An owner could go and buy a slave and if he wanted to he could release him or set him free from being a slave and that is what Jesus has done with us. 

• What was the result? 

We are set free, not to live a life of sin, but to serve the Lord (Romans 6:18).

We are now accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6). 

• What was the cost or the payment for us to be released?

1 Corinthians 6:20 – “You were bought at a price” 1 Peter 1:18-19 – “the blood of Christ”

2.      The slave existed only for the purpose of service for his master and he had no other reason for existence. 

Philippians 1:21 Paul existed only for Christ.  Jesus Christ owned Paul. 

3.      The slaves will belonged to his master

4.      The slave of Jesus Christ is a position of honor.

-          Moses was the slave of God (Dt.34:5; Ps. 105:26; Mal. 4:4)

-          Joshua was the slave of God (Joshua 24:9)

-          David was the slave of God  (2 Sam. 3:18; Ps. 78:70)

-          James was the slave of God (James 1:1)

-          Paul was the slave of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Titus 1:1)

-          The prophets were the slaves of God (Amos 3:7; Jer. 7:25)

-          Christian believers are said to be the slaves of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:18; 1 Cor. 7:22; Eph. 6:6; Col. 4:12; 2 Tim. 2:24)  

IV.             WHO ARE YOU GOING TO SERVE?  ITS YOUR CHOICE

A.    Many people are slaves to their own lusts. Any fleshly desire yielded to can bring you under its power. It begins to have a satanic control over your life.

Pornography - Sexual promiscuity - Sexual perversion - The term sexual freedom is a misnomer - Alcohol abuse - Drug abuse  - The scriptures speak of the bondage of corruption.

B.     Jesus died to set us free from the power of sin that held us as slaves. This is the whole concept of redemption.

C.     When I come to Jesus Christ, I begin to serve Him. I have come to believe that their is a commitment beyond that of Savior to Lord.

1.      I knew Jesus Christ for many years as my Savior before I came to know Him as my Lord.

2.      During those years, if you had asked me if I were saved, I would have answered with assurance “Yes”

a.       I still had my own plans for my future.

b.      I had decided what I wanted to be.

c.       Jesus was a very important part of my life, but He was not the Lord of my life.

3.      I remember the day He became the Lord of my life, the day I knelt before Him and surrendered my future to His plan, the day He brought me to the door and pinned my ear. I wanted to be a servant for life. To yield full control over to Him.

READ JOSHUA 24:14-15 AND CHALLENGE THE TEENS TO

“WHOM THEY ARE GOING TO SERVE”

GALATIANS 1:10-11

Do you seek to please other people or do you seek to please Jesus Christ? 

D.    I am convinced that there are many of you here today, who have never had your ear pierced. You have a relationship to Jesus Christ.

1.      I do not question your salvation.

2.      I do question your level of commitment.

3.      You are still very much in control of your life. You are doing those things that you want to do with little concern for His will in the issues.

4.      Your level of commitment goes little beyond Sunday morning.

CALL THE TEEN TO THE FRONT TO MAKE A COMMITMENT FOR CHRIST

(John 12:26; cp. Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 15:58; Eph. 6:6-7; Col. 3:23-24; Heb. 12:28; Ex. 23:25; Dt. 10:12; Ps. 2:11; Ps. 100:2)