Rooted in Christ- Part 32- Masters and Servants

Introduction

Two weeks ago, we saw how the believers’ relationship with Christ and the Word of God impacts the relationships within the boundaries of the home.

Tonight we move beyond the relationships inside the home to see how our relationship with Christ should affect our roles as a servant and/or a master.

You and I may not be servants in the sense that we are enslaved to a master, but this passage certainly has implications for our responsibility to our employer and to those we may employ.

In reality this instruction extends even more broadly to anyone that is in authority over us and to our responsibility as we exercise authority over others.

Notice that the word “masters” is plural which helps us to understand that there are multiple people in our lives who we exercise authority over us.

As Paul writes under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, he first speaks of...

Outward Obedience (Vs 22a)

You and I have a responsibility to obey those whom God has placed in positions of authority over us.

This is true within the confines of the relationship of an employee and an employer,. When our employer give us instructions we ought to follow them.

Christians ought to be the best employees that an employer could have. We should do exactly what is expected of us in the job that we have been assigned.

This extends even to governmental authorities. We have a responsibility to obey the laws of the land and those who have the difficult responsibility of enforcing them.

Romans 13:1 KJV 1900

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

There are certainly exceptions where we may choose defy authority in order to defend our rights and freedoms from abuse and injustice, but these cases are the exceptions and not the rule.

We defend these rights in order to do what we can to preserve the liberty we enjoy in our nation because it is beneficial to the furtherance of the gospel.

The fact that Paul adds according to the flesh, simply speaks to the fact that the authority of these masters does not supersede the authority of the Lord Jesus.

As Paul speaks of the servant’s outward obedience, he also speaks of the servant’s...

Inward Motivation (Vs. 22b)

It is the servants responsibility first and foremost to obey, but if this obedience is to be pleasing in God’s sight it must be motivated by the fear of God and not of man.

We must recognize that our response to those in authority over us is actually a response to God and what we do for them we should be doing for the Lord.

There are many who obey to please men, but the problem is that these only obey when someone is watching and in times when their obedience will not bring reward and recognition, they do not exercise the same care.

Proverbs 15:3 KJV 1900

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good.

The servant who recognizes that in serving his master, he is also serving the Lord will obey at all times, even when no one is watching.

Our motivation is to please the Lord not the pleasing of men. This is what produces the singleness of heart spoken of here in contrast to the duplicity of those servants who are only interested in pleasing their earthly master.

When the fear of the Lord is what motivates our service rather than the fear of the authorities over us, we will do as we should at all times and in all circumstances.

Our obedience to those in authority over us is evidence of our desire to obey the Lord.

In the following verse is seen that this inward motivation naturally affects the...

Quality of the Work (Vs. 23)

We have all likely witnessed someone who obeys, who works, but whose “heart is not in their work.”

This scripture is essentially asserting that whatever we do it is to be done from the heart. We are to give our best and not to labor or obey from a sense of duty, but from a heart for the Lord.