Living Under the Yoke

Introduction

Do you remember the first time you were told to do something by your boss and not wanting to?

My first “real” job was in the quick-service industry. I worked for the vaunted and valued Chick-fil-a empire in High School.

About 30 minutes before my shift ended my boss instructed me to do a task that I was not really excited about doing.

I was going to a movie after the shift with some friends, and I was afraid that doing this job would take too long and I’d miss the movie.

So I kind of did it… but not really well, and not with a good attitude. In fact, I was angry at my employer for assigning the task to me. So I did it really poorly.

With 5 minutes left in my shift I reported that the task was done and I was getting ready to clock-out.

And then my manager checked my work. It was terrible.

So much so that he could have terminated me for my insubordination and lazy work.

Instead… he made me clock-out, and do the job properly the way I should I have done it in the first place.

I remember him asking me, “Jeremy, do you have a problem with authority?”

It’s a question I’d like to ask you this morning… do you have a problem with authority?

We’re in the last chapter of 1 Timothy. This letter has been so powerful!

Paul’s aim in writing this letter is to instruct Timothy in leading the church and how the family of the church “may know how one ought to behave in the household of God.” (1 Tim 3:14-15)

He’s basically saying, here’s the family code - this is the way of life for the people of God in the household of God.

If you bear the name “Christian” - then here’s what it looks like in your every day life to bear that name, “little-Christ”

In chapter 3 he talks about the kind of behavior that elders/deacons/deaconesses should have

In chapter 4 he’s talked about the conduct of the man called to lead the church - his focus and ambitions and state of life

In chapter 5 he’s instructed Timothy about how the church should behave towards one another - as family, showing honor to those in need and those who lead.

In chapter 6, here he talks about how believers should relate to those in authority above them.

His specific instruction is to the bondservants or slaves in the church.

Slavery in the Roman Empire was common.

It is estimated that there were some 50-60 million slaves in the Roman Empire.

It still involved the reality of a human being owned, as property, by another human being.

But this slavery was not based on skin color or appearance, as the slavery of the 18-19th centuries in the United States was.

Ancient slaves had opportunities and means to be able to earn their freedom, opportunities to be educated and opportunities to increase their social and economic status in society.

From outward appearance it was usually impossible to differentiate a slave from a free-person.

Still, slavery was not a preferred form of human existence.

Denny Burk writes

Ephesians–Philemon Comment

Such slaves were the property of their masters and were required to do whatever their masters told them to do. If they failed to do their master’s bidding, the master could use coercive violence to compel them to do the task at hand. In Roman slavery, a master had the power of life and death over his slave. The master could take his slave’s life if he so desired because his slave was his property to do with as he pleased.

The temptation and the impulse was to fight the authority of your master.

Now this is a big issues for the church because in the community of the church the social structures are all different.

Paul says that in Christ things are reordered

Galatians 3:26–28 ESV

26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Paul has told Timothy of the practical nature of the church being a family - fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters.

So the tension is there - how does someone who is under the yoke of slavery do family well when they are brothers and sisters with their masters?

What should that look like for them in the church?

The question is on the nature of “living under the yoke” - do you live under the yoke of someone else?

There’s at least three spheres of relationships that I think the teaching here applies to and informs for us today:

Employees in a company

Citizens under a government

Members of the church

Each of these ares are what you might call God-given authority over our lives.

But it can extend to other areas of authority and submission, the home, the classroom, and a variety of other places....

Here’s the overarching principle for us today

Big Idea: Christians under authority serve a higher authority.

Regardless of where you are at in your life, you are under authority in some way or another, and the basic perspective that we must take is that we are under and ultimately serve a higher authority.

So here’s the question I want to answer as we consider the implications of this text for our lives:

How should we live in response to the God-given authority over us?

Let’s go at it in two directions:

Towards non-Christians: show honor to uphold the gospel (1 Tim 6:1)

If you live under the yoke of a non-Christian how should you live towards them?

This is immediately practical because for most of this is the employment situation we are in.

You, most likely, have a non-Christian boss, supervisor, or employer that you have to work for and relate to every day.

They may have different agendas, different values, different approaches to success and the goal of your job. How do you treat them?

Paul says:

1 Timothy 6:1 ESV

1 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.

“Let all” - that’s universal in scope, every one is in on this, no exemptions…

“Regard” - there’s a perspective here, a mindset that you’re to undertake.

“Their own masters as worthy of all honor” - that is to consider your boss with great dignity and respect.

When Paul says this I am sure he has in mind the kind of behavior that demonstrates honor.

It’s the behavior of obedience, diligence, esteem, respect, and industry.

Paul spoke to the Ephesians church and the slaves there this way in Ephesians 6:5-7

Ephesians 6:5–7 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,

Obedience - do what your boss tells us unless it’s unethical

With a sincere heart - not just to externally pass a test, but from the heart

Rendering service with a good will - that is working and laboring for the success and flourishing of the person you are under.

As to Christ // As to the Lord - with an eye to the Lord.

Now why is this important? Why should we treat the authority over us—especially non-Christians worthy of all honor?

It has to do with the reputation of God and perceived validity of the gospel itself.

“so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.”

The way you work, especially under non-Christian employers, says something to them about God.

It says something about the gospel - here “the teaching” as well.

Hearts that insubordinate, stubborn, arrogant, especially towards those who hold authority over us to do show a heart that loves God and embraces his gospel.

They are watching your life! Your conduct, your work, either adorns and upholds the name and reputation of God, or it denies it.

Martin Luther once said in a sermon:

The Annotated Luther, Volume 4: Pastoral Writings The Second Sermon Preached by Martin [Sic] at Weimar in the Parish [Church] on the Afternoon of the Above-Named Sunday

when a shoemaker, a tailor, or some other craftsman wants to pursue a trade, he must know his trade, in order that he may fairly be called a tailor. If he could not demonstrate his name it would be a disgrace.

The Annotated Luther, Volume 4: Pastoral Writings The Second Sermon Preached by Martin [Sic] at Weimar in the Parish [Church] on the Afternoon of the Above-Named Sunday

Accordingly, we, too, must establish our name and demonstrate that we are rightly called Christians.

If you bear the name Christian - then rightly display it in how you work!

When you live under the yoke of your employer and show all honor you show them a God who gives value.

You display a life that says “I live for my Heavenly Father, and he loves it when I do my best work and honor those I work for.”

Or does the God whom we worship approve and incite us to rebellion?

Does the gospel we proclaim allow us to be disobedient and obstinate?

Do you need to repent of your lack of showing honor to your employer?

Have you been dishonoring and shameful toward those in authority over you?

Go and repent and seek to rebuild and repair your relationship to them through doing good, faithful, honest work.

Towards Christians: serve better to bless spiritual family (1 Tim 6:2)

Okay - well that’s fine if they are a non-Christian. But what about if you are working for or are under the authority of another believer?

Doesn’t the cross give us all equal standing.

“Neither slave nor free”

Here’s what the Holy Spirit says

1 Timothy 6:2 ESV

2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.

Instead of arguing that our freedom and equality in Christ looses up the obligations of respect, dignity, showing all honor it actually tightens up our obligations.

It takes us back into the family!

You must not be disrespectful - why? Because you are family.

“They are brothers.”

The person you work for and work under that is a Christian is your brother or sister in Christ.

So the command is this - “serve all the better”

Excel even more! Be more faithful, more industrious, more effective, more obedient, more diligent.

Being under the authority of a Christian employer should give you all the more reason to do your best work.

Here’s why - since those who benefit by their good service (so that’s your boss)

Those who benefit by your good service are believers and beloved.

Your work is encouraging and supporting and blessing the household of God.

These people that you are working for are far more than just image-bearers of God, like all humanity is.

They are fellow believers - their hope is in God, just as yours is, and ‘they are… beloved”

That is they are loved by God just as much.

The grace and mercy and love of God is upon them!

God told the prophet Jeremiah to say to the people living under the harsh exile of the Babylonians:

Jeremiah 29:7 ESV

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

When you serve well the believing authorities in your life you seek their welfare and are partners in their benefits.

Think of it this way, if your employer is a believer, when their business is successful the things that Christians value and uphold are valued and supported.

If your Christian boss makes a significant profit because you did your job well and worked heartily unto the Lord, then your boss can be generous, do well, and bless many others.

Martin Luther, again, on work…

The prince should think: Christ has served me and made everything to follow him; therefore, I should also serve my neighbor, protect him and everything that belongs to him....The same is true for shoemaker, tailor, scribe, or reader. If he is a Christian tailor, he will say: I make these clothes because God has bidden me do so, so that I can earn a living, so that I can help and serve my neighbor. When a Christian does not serve the other, God is not present; that is not Christian living.[1]

Serve better to bless your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Conclusion

Some might say, “well I don’t like all this talk about serving and living under authority and being a servant or a slave.”

My boss is horrible and a jerk and treats everyone terribly.

My job is worthless and boring and meaningless.

I want you to consider the gospel this morning…

Look at Jesus, who came for people who are horrible, jerks, and treats everyone terribly.

He came to a world that squandered everything and rendered life boring and meaningless.

He didn’t wipe it all away and say “forget them”

No, he came with a different posture and heart.

He came as a servant.

He said to everyone who wants to be great

Mark 10:43–45 ESV

43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

He humbled himself and took the posture and place of a slave

Philippians 2:6–8 ESV

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus humbled himself, lived as a slave and was obedient to the point of death.

Jesus embodied these points for us!

He showed honor to rebellious and wicked creatures - you and me - by taking on flesh and blood, serving, and bringing about good news!

He upheld the name of his Father and died so that everyone who believes in him is adopted into his family, with God as our Father!

He served better to bless his brothers and sisters, dying in our place so that “every blessing in the heavenly places” is ours in him.

We lack nothing because of his service and giving of himself for our good!

Jesus lived and shows us the way.

He says to everyone under a yoke of slavery (and that’s all of us in our sin)...

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This morning let’s come to Jesus and follow him in the Lord’s Supper as we are reminded of his suffering and death for our sake.

The Lord’s Supper

[1] https://wordandworld.luthersem.edu/content/pdfs/25-4_Work_and_Witness/25-4_Editorial.pdf