Faithfulness in Tough Circumstances

1 Timothy 6:1 ESV

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.

1 Timothy 6:1–2 ESV

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. 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.

1 Timothy 6:2 ESV

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.

Many of you just heard that passage and thought to yourself, “This has absolutely nothing to do with me. There is zero people in this congregation that fits into the slave category.” My translation says bondservants, but the Greek word here is doulos which literally means slave. So, it’s totally understandable that at first glance you possibly shrug your shoulders and ask, “So what?”

Many of you just heard that passage and thought to yourself, “This has absolutely nothing to do with me. There is zero people in this congregation that fits into the slave category.” My translation says bondservants, but the Greek word here is doulos which literally means slave. So, it’s totally understandable that at first glance you possibly shrug your shoulders and ask, “So what?”

What we can learn from this passage is deeper and more profound than we could have ever imagined. To get there, for us to mine the riches that are here in these small two verses—I’m going to teach through the text focusing on answering three questions and then we will give some practical application that you can walk out of this room and immediately start practicing.

1. Who is Paul Addressing?

Paul is addressing Christian slaves and giving instructions regarding their attitude toward their masters.

This is why we separate ourselves from the passage. Christian slaves in the Roman Empire could have made up as much as 33% of the entire population of Rome. We may question the relevance of this passage for us today, but we cannot dismiss how important this teaching was for those living in this lifestyle then.

Paul was equipping Timothy to be able to handle these sensitive situations in a pastoral manner so that their lives too may honor God within their unique situation. Now, this is where you and I can stop and use this moment in this passage to redirect our gaze. It’s incredibly easy to sympathize with those who are living in situations that are similar to our own. But what we need to realize is that everyone in here is dealing with something that the person next to them isn’t.

As a believer in Christ, we are called to see the different conditions and circumstances that are affecting other’s lives, and to help bear that burden. There are people in this congregation right now living through moments that are impacting their service to God, their Christian walk, their love for the Lord… Pray for eyes to see those people and ask for faithfulness to minister to them in a way that helps them see the nearness of Jesus in the situation and circumstance.

And not only in our community context but also with our brothers and sisters across the world. 9 days ago, the New York Times reported on the story of Coptic Christians being pulled off a bus on their way to a monastery. They were separated into men, women and children and then the men were told to recite the shahada… the Islamic declaration of faith—“There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” At least 28 brave, godly men refused and lost their lives for their faith in Christ as many of their children watch their parents become martyrs.

Listen, I know that feels so far removed from us… But take a moment to gain strength in your own spiritual life from their bold testimony… Their testimony—

Revelation 12:11 ESV

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

And also allow the grief that those families must be experiencing drive you to pray that they would be comforted and faithful in the midst of persecution. I’m working with Open Doors right now creating a bible study that can be implemented in Churches to bring awareness to the persecuted church and offer ways serve them. Do you know that the number one prayer request from those living in persecution is not to be free from it but to continue to be faithful despite it.

First thing to notice is who Paul is talking to… He’s ministering to those living in circumstances that he himself is not in. We are called to do the same.

2. What is Paul asking the Slaves to do?

Paul calls for the Christian slaves to honor those who are their earthly masters.

Now this is shocking! Why is Paul addressing the behavior of the slave rather than calling for their liberation? You cannot romanticize these living conditions. Greco-Roman slavery was evil and cruel. Yet he is addressing their behavior in their particular context.

Before we move further… there’s a need to understand this. If you look at marriage in , Paul gives instructions on how the man and woman are to relate to one another. And his basis for that interaction is God’s creation order.

If you look further down in you read—

Ephesians 6:1–2 ESV

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),

Ephesians 6:3–4 ESV

“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Parents and children are giving instructions on how they are to relate to one another and the basis for those instructions is God’s moral law.

So, we see Paul taking relationships that are designed by God and giving instructions on how they are to function based on God’s created order or moral law. If you notice, when he talks about the interaction between slave and master, God’s created order and God’s moral law is absent… Why? Because slavery is an institution not created by God but by the fallen world. This relationship was not designed by God but birth by sin.

He understands this to be a way of life for the Christian because many have put themselves in this position by placing themselves in slavery to pay off debts. This is a product of sin… Paul tells them when they can be free to be free. He’s working on bettering what is a bad situation. He’s helping them manage their circumstance. He is not condoning sin.

Now for us— We just need to make the proclamation that modern day slavery whether it be racial or sexual are both evil and outside God’s design. And we as Christians need to work to eradicate any form of it we see today. People… no matter color or gender… are created in the image of God and deserve the dignity and respect that being an image bearer carries with it. God loves people and we should too because there is no question that eternity will be filled with God’s creative design of people of all colors.

We hear it said all the time, “When I look at people, I don’t see colors.” I understand the heart behind that statement, but I want to say— God didn’t make any mistakes we should see colors and then celebrate those colors.

3. Why Would Paul Make Such a Statement?

2 Reasons—

- The way we respond to hardship reveals what we believe about the Gospel.

Many of us may be in truly lamentable positions in life at this moment. Your very well may be legit in your frustrations, pains, tears as you live through your particular circumstance. But what Paul is saying here is that no matter your situation you cannot be blind to YOUR Kingdom responsibilities.

If Paul can say to slaves… honor those men who are abusing you. Surely, we can apply that charge to our life and in our circumstance.

In Sergei Kourdakov's book, The Persecutor. Kourdakov, was involved in Russian intelligence and served as a naval officer. He defected in 1971 to Canada, and then told his story. He was killed two years later, perhaps by the Russian secret police. But he was converted to Christ during that time, and he wrote in his book The Persecutor the story of how he and his special police unit were assigned to attempt to break up Christian churches and to discourage Christianity.

And he tells the story of his fellows coming into a church gathering in a home one day, and seeing a beautiful young woman named Natasha. One of his colleagues picked Natasha up above his head and flung her against the wall, so that she was knocked unconscious. Three days later they went into another Christian setting, and guess who they saw?–this beautiful young woman, Natasha. Being flung against a wall and knocked unconscious had not fazed her in the least. She was right back there where she was supposed to be, worshiping the Lord.

At this time, they stripped her naked, and they beat her until the flesh began to fall off of her body. She bit through her lip in order to contain herself in the midst of this beating. A few days later they went into another Christian setting, and guess who they saw? Natasha! This time, when one of Kourdakov's men moved towards her with a club to kill her, another of Kourdakov's colleagues stepped in front, and said, “No. You don't touch this girl.” Kourdakov, when he came to Christ, wrote a letter to Natasha, whom he never saw again, and simply said, “Thank you, Natasha. You showed me what the gospel does for a human heart.”

How we live in midst of troubling times will either commend the Gospel or undermine it.

Paul also gives them this charge because

- Doing your job well despite circumstances serves as an evangelistic witness

Richard Halverson, the former Chaplain of the United States Senate, and the man who owned a series of area car dealerships in the Washington, DC, area. He wanted to witness to Christ. He thought of having his salesmen hand out tracts, and even New Testaments to all those who came into the shop. But he was notorious as a bad businessman. He didn't stand behind his product. He came to Halverson and he said, “Wouldn't this be a great idea, to give out tracts and New Testaments?” And Halverson said, “That's a wonderful idea, but you know what a better idea would be? Treat your customers right. Be an upstanding businessman. Stand behind your product. Honor your warranties. Don't sell lemons.”

The greatest barriers to our gospel witness in this congregation to our community are our lives.

5 Practices that will help you live out the Gospel in your life… specifically at your job.

1. Spend time with Jesus

Be in the word daily, Pray over everything, Anchor yourself in the Gospel

2. Belong and be active in a local church

You are there to stir and be stirred up to love and good works

3. Be honest about your life with someone who will hold you accountable to the standard of God’s Word

Discuss how you’re growing personally, how you’re serving in ministry, how you’re loving relationally, and how your working evangelically