"I Love My Master, I Will Not Go Free."
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I. Introduction & Scripture Setting.
I. Introduction & Scripture Setting.
Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 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 aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
We meet in our text, a nameless man.
We never will hear his name, or the names of so many others like him.
In truth, his name does not matter at all.
Yet I imagine his face, the look of resignation that slowly matures with the passage of time, into a visage framed by contentment and peace.
They say that “desperate times call for desperate measures.
This man is living proof!
He is a man who must relinquish his freedom for a perod of several years.
Being so situated, he will not be able to make his own decisions anymore.
He does not choose where or how to live.
The country, the city, the manner and style of his living arrangements, none of these are up to him any longer.
He does not choose how to spend his time, where he will work and for how long.
When he is assigned to work with other servants, he understands that it is not his place to reject any assignment or co-laborers.
If he is insulted, he may only respond with the express permission of his master.
These choices are all made for him.
But perhaps the greatest adjustment is the fact that he no longer has the right to promote his own name and reputation.
He now belongs to another!
His labor now supports the goals of another man and not his own.
He carries the name of another man!
If his performance is less than it should be, that will reflect on his master.
And if his behavior and his work is excellent, he must relinquish all credit or praise!
Because these too belong to the master!
It is the name of the master that is important!
It is his house and family that takes all precedence!
And for a proud man, perhaps this is the most bitter pill to swallow!
Our text today was the legal code of that time and place
These six verses in CH 21 of Exodus detail laws that pertained to slavery.
The type of slavery being dealt with here played an important role in Israelite society.
In those days, If you were in debt and could not pay, You did not get to file bancruptcy!
The debtor would have to serve the creditor to pay off that debt.
Much like indentured servitude, if you had really come on hard times, selling yourself into servitude would get you food to eat and shelter.
The story of the widow in 2 Kings 4:1–7 is an example of how this worked.
Verse 2 of our text indicates that the period of servitude could last a maximum of six years; on the sabbatical year, the slave was to be released.
It is important that we understand this situation of slavery or servitude was only temporary!
6 years is clearly a long time, but not forever!
And There would of course be those who counted down every single day!
“Four years, three, two, one, just a few more months, and I get my name back!”
“I’ve had to make myself of no reputation during this season, but my day is coming!”
“Every Dog has his day! And I’m gonna get my time in the sun!”
But then you have to realize that there were those who came to feel very differently about the situation.
Some found that their Master was good.
If the Master fed you well, and gave you shelter and good clothing and purpose and assignments and rewards for work well done, the result was a willing worker!
If he earned your respect, and honored your efforts with respect in turn, well:
You’d work hard for a man like that!
If he took care of you and had your back when the going got tough, this built trust between you to the point where your relationship was more than just a legal arrangement!
I know this sounds strange and different, but it was a different time and culture!
They had no social system, no family court, no law enforcement like we do.
All they had was this code and it was in fact, far superior to the cruel nature of other ancient systems!
Far better than most!
During the period of servitude, if the owner should give a wife to the slave and they should have children, the children and wife ultimately belong to the master.
When the time came to be released, no power on earth had the legal force to keep the slave a slave.
Nothing but his own choice!
The slave could decide to stay with the master and keep his family and the life they had all built together.
In this case the slave voluntarily attached himself to his master and the sign of this relationship was the boring of a hole in the ear of the slave.
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 aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
What would it have been like?
To make the choice: “I love my new life!
“I love my master. He treats me with dignity and gives me purpose.”
“He has in fact, given me everything that I have.”
“I came to him with nothing but loss and my shame.”
“And since I have served him, everything has changed.”
“My life is now richer and warmer than it has ever been.”
“From now and for evermore, I choose to stay!”
“I trust him!”
“I will love this family name. This is my place and my people, and he is my master.”
And so one a busy market day, everyone in town, before God and everybody!
The servant goes before the judges and the master takes a sharp awl, some folks call it an icepick.
And He’ll put you against hard wood and put a hole in your ear!
And from that point on, you relinquish the glory of your own name, you give up your own and commit to serve him forever!
The judges were there to ensure it was not done under duress.
We’re talking about a lifetime commitment here!
It had to be a personal choice and this choice was forever!
From then on, everyone would see the hole in your ear and know, this man belongs to another.
He belongs to another by choice!
If you mess with such a man, make sure you understand you are acutally messing with someone greater!
He is protected by his Master!
This man is a slave by choice!
Love has motivated his choice to serve forever!
Such men were known as love slaves.
Their servitude was matter of choice and their motivation was love.
Love of family, love of home, a new life of service and fulfillment.
When you saw a man with a hole in his ear, there could be no doubt: He belongs to another!
It became legal the very moment his ear was bored through and when He said these words:
“I love my master, I will not go free!”
II. Application & Scripture Support.
II. Application & Scripture Support.
Our story, our Master.
Our story, our Master.
I would like to point out that if you are in church today, there is something wrong with you!
You were all messed up and so was I!
Nobody here is better than anybody else!
There are no social classes here!
Before you get too proud of yourself and your accomplishments,
Before you get too fancy, too high and mighty,
Remember the miry clay you were stuck in!
Remember the shame that stole your peace and confidence!
Before you look down your nose at someone else,
Remember what sin stole from you!
Remember the self loathing and the loss!
You were morally bancrupt!
Your very soul was polluted and unclean!
But then we came to Jesus!
We repented of our sins!
We came to him with nothing, and He in turn gave us everything!
He gave you joy!
He gave you peace!
He gave you self respect!
He changed your way of living and your way of thinking!
Before the Master, your world was so small.
Self indulgent, self centered and small minded.
But Jesus changed all that!
He washed you!
He cleansed your soul and your mind!
He gave you his Spirit and His Name!
Now, you don’t make the choices anymore!
Jesus is in charge!
The country, the city, the manner and style of your living, is up to him now!
Jesus now has the right to choose how you spend your time, where you will work and for how long.
When your are assigned to work with other servants, you understand that it is not your place to reject any assignment or co-laborers.
If you are insulted, you may only respond with the express permission of his master.
Jesus has the right to make these choices in your life!
That’s why we must pray and seek His face!
“For He knows the way that I take!!!!”
New job? ask Jesus first!
Wanna move? Ask Jesus first!
Issues with other laborers? Let him sort it!
You’ll find no better mediater, trust me!
But perhaps the greatest adjustment is the fact that you no longer have the right to promote your own name and reputation.
You now belong to another!
Your labor now supports the goals of another man, A God man, and not your own!
You carry the name of another!!
If your performance is less than it should be, that will reflect on your master.
When your behavior and work is excellent, you must relinquish all credit or praise!
Because these too belong to the master!
It is the name of the master that is important!
It is his house and family that takes all precedence!
And the Apostle Paul put it this way:
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Peter put it this way:
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Folks, we hae to get away from this idea that we are in charge!
I’ve got news for you!
You never were in charge!
Back in the world, you may have thought you were in charge, but since day one, you have been a servant!
Oh you thought you were making all the decisions, sure.
Not so friend, you were a slave to sin!
You were a slave to your own appetites and overcome!
Peter had us pegged in his second epistle chapter 2:19 “ For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”
You never were in charge!
You were ruled by the sin that rode your back every single day!
The bottle, the pill, the lust, that pride.
These were your master!
And cruel masters they were!
Never did take care of you or make your life any better!
The opposite!
Never did give you anything other temporary highs followed only by tears and a world of shame!
But then Jesus!!!
One day The Master changed everything!
He took you in!
This Good Samaritan!
When law and religion wrote you off!
They saw you naked and ashamed, bleeding all over sharp rocks and left for dead.
You were nothing more than a curiosity to them!
Oh they saw you. But then law and religion passed by on the other side.
It was Jesus who took you up!
He cleaned your wounds and washed you!
He took you to a safe place where your wounds could be tended!
It’s called the church of the living God!
He gave the innkeeper everything needed to restore you!
Folks, I thank God for a pastor!
“Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”
Friends, when I tell you that God has designed a sweet spot for you, I ain’t lyin’ to ya!
Each of us carry our own wounds and hurts!
But if the ministry and the church body will invest in you, God said he would provide everything you need to be whole!
Yes, I’ll call HIm Master!
He saved me!!!
I choose to serve Him for the rest of my life!!!
Jesus takes the lone of out of lonlines and puts the friend into frienship!
He takes the fear out of fearful and puts trust into trusting!
He takes the fright out of frightful and puts peace into peaceful!
He takes the sick out of sickness and puts the health into healthy!
He takes the hate out of hating and puts the love into loving!
He takes the curse out of cursing and puts the bless into blessing!
He takes the sin out of sinful and puts forgive into forgiveness!
Oh yes, I will call Him my Master!!!!
“The Name Above Every Name.”
OH what is Jehova El Shaddai to me?
My Lord, God and Savior, Immanuel, He;
My prophet, Priest, Sacrifice, Altar and Lamb;
Judge, Advocate, Surety, and Witness, I AM;
My Peace and My Life, my Truth and my Way;
My Leader, My Teacher, My Hope and My Stay;
Redeemer and Ransom, Atonement and Friend;
He’s Alpha, Omega, Beginning and end!
Yea more is Jehova El Shaddai beside-
Avenger and Shepherd and Keeper and Guide;
My horn of salvation, my Captain in War!
My Dayspring, my Sun, my Bright Morning Star!
My Wonderful Counsellor, Wisdom and Light!
My Shadow by day, my beacon by night;
Pearl, Ornament, Diadem, Treasures untold,
My Strength and my sun, in him I behold.
All this is Jehova Ropheka and more-
My Bread and my Water, my Dwelling, my Door;
My Branch and my Vine, my Lilly My Rose;
Rock! Refuge! Shield and Repose!
My sure ressurection, my glory above;
My King in His beauty, My Bridegroom, my Love!
My all and all in Christ Jesus I see,
For God hath made HIm to be all things to me!
III. Conclusion.
III. Conclusion.
I look around at a family today. Here and all over the world!
We serve the same one, we carry the same name.
So it is that I can stand before the whole world and say:
I love my master, I will not go free!
Half a milion people in Sonoma County
Almost 8 Billion on the planet.
Not one is a free agent. Every single one of them is serving someone else!
Sin, self, Satan. Terrible masters all.
But serving Jesus is the best life you could ever have!
He’ll never hurt you friend. He has your best interest at heart!
Now I understand, I get it: This is America!
We don’t like the idea of serving someone else!
“I am my own man, I have my rights!”
Well yeah, but listen: As human beings, we are hardwired to serve!
We were built to serve!
And if you are here today and you disagree.
Let me help you a little bit here today and explain:
You and I are dirt!
God formed Adam and breathed life into him!
Clay animation.
Only you have free will!
He’s not going to stop you:
You can waste your life serving sin and self, or you can be truly great and choose to serve Jesus for the rest of your life!
King David was Monarch of the greatest power the world had ever seen.
He held the power of life and death over all his subjects and the known world!
Greatest and biggest professional standing army!
Chariots were the M1 Abrams tank of the ancient world. He had them by the thousands! Mighty men, you name it!
There are detailed studies that prove when David died, his networth was in our currency, over $200 Billion US Dollars.
By the time he died, he had given $181 Billion of it to the house of God!
Kings bowed before him.
But he said something in psalm 40:6.
Don’t miss it:
“Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; Mine ears hast thou opened.”
A lot of scholars feel that David is making a statement here.
Has nothing to do with bad hearing.
Many scholars feel and I agree, that David was making a statement.
“I’m not really the king around here...”
“I serve another. Let me put it this way:
“I love my master, I will not go free.”
“I love my master, I will not go free.”
And here today, in this safe place, we are again afforded the opportunity to commit afresh and anew.
Why don;t you lift your hands?
In closing, why don’t you open your heart?
When the world sees me, from now until forever let them see, I’ve made my choice!
If David can do it under an old and painful covenant, I can do it under a new and better way!
Make your statement here today:
“I love my master, I will not go free!”
“I love my master, I will not go free!”