Sermon Tone Analysis

*                                                                                                                        SLAVES?

YES! BUT TO WHICH MASTER?*

*TEXT: Romans 6:15-23*

*INTRODUCTION: * Slavery is a concept that is very much out of place in our modern world.

The idea that one human can have the power to force another human to serve him is offensive to our modern minds.

The majority of us would recoil at the very thought of owning a slave, or especially, at the thought of being a slave.

But, did you know that slavery is alive and well this evening?

In fact, there are slaves here in Nebo! I'll go a step further, there are slaves in this very room this evening!

Surprised?

Well, it may surprise you to learn that we are all slaves!

The only difference lies in reference to which master we serve.

In these verses, Paul is continuing his discussion of the difference between being dead in sin and in being alive in Christ.

In these last verses of chapter 6, he presents a series of contrasts that point out the fact that we are all slaves.

That we will continue to be slaves for all our lives, but that we have a choice of which master we serve.

And, the thought that I would like to preach about for a while this evening is this:* Slaves?

Yes!

But To Which Master?*

I want you to be able to see clearly which master you are serving, and I want you to have the opportunity to change masters this evening if you are found serving the wrong one!

Notice with me four comparisons that Paul makes in this passage.

!

I.          *THE CHOICES *15-16*

Paul tells us that we have the privilege of "*yielding*" our members to a master.

The word "*yield*" means "*to stand as a servant, near ones master, awaiting orders.

It means to present.*"

The idea is of a man who is at the beck and call of his master.

The whole point of these two verses is that we have a choice as to who we yield our lives to.

Notice that there are only two choices.)

!! *A.        *We Can Walk In Rebellion* –*

!!! 1.

We can take grace for granted, v. *15*, and we can just assume that God is going to accept us just as we are and live like we want to.

This is the life of sinful rebellion.

While many may live like this and think that they are free, Paul makes it clear that they are slaves!

(Ill.

*This is the literal meaning of the word servant!*)

The rebellious life would be any life that is lived outside the will of God.

It is a life yielded to the master of sin.

!! *B.        *We Can Walk In Righteousness* – *

!!! 1.

By the same token, we can choose to walk in the will of God and to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.

Instead of yielding our members to sin, we can present our bodies to the Lord for His use and for His glory, *Rom.**

12:1-2*.

Very literally, the choice is yours!

You can serve whomever you please!

Notice the word "*obey*".

This word means "*to answer a knock at the door.*"

It pictures a butler hurrying to see who is at the door of a home.

My friends,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               day!

When we open that door, we can either be a slave to sin or we can be a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   slave to Jesus.

It is a choice that you must make!)

!

II.

* THE CHANGES                                                                        *

(Ill.

Not only does Paul speak of the choice we must make in life, but he also refers to the changes that come about in our lives when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.)

!! *A.        *V.

17a *He Speaks Of Our Past Failures* –

!!! 1.

He refers to a time before we trusted Jesus when we were the servants of sin, *Eph.

2:1-3*.

He reminds us of the bondage we endured before we came to know Jesus as Saviour.

For those who remember the lost life before Jesus, it was a terrible time of slavery to desires, impulses and passions.

It was a time ruled by Satan, where it seemed that the sinner had no control of his life and was being driven by another.

!! *B.        *V.

17b *He Speaks Of Our Precious Faith* –

!!! 1.      Now, Paul reminds us of the day we trusted Jesus!

When we "*obeyed*" or "*answered God's knock at our heart's door*" (*Rev.

3:20*), everything changed!

For at the instant of salvation, we were changed forever by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ!

This idea is made clear by the word "*form*".

This refers to a mold into which molten gold is poured, causing the gold to take a pre-designed shape.

So too, when we trusted Jesus, we were reshaped by the power of God.

He remade our character into His image.

He changed us when we believed, *2 Cor.

5:17*.

!!! 2.      Let us never forget that the dividing line between the old life of bondage and death and the new life of liberty and life is our faith in the Gospel of Christ.

It is His salvation that makes all the difference!)

!! *C.        *V.

18 *He Speaks Of Our Present Freedom* –

!!! 1.

This verse reminds us that what Jesus did for us was to purchase our freedom from slavery to sin.

This is made clear by three precious New Testament verses.

!!! 2.      *Rev.

5:9* - This verse tells us that Jesus "*redeemed*" us.

The word redeemed in this verse means "*to buy in the market place*".

It refers to the purchase of a slave from the slave block.

!!! 3.      *Gal.

4:5* - The word "*redeem*" in this verse carries the idea a little further.

It means "*to buy in the market and remove from sale.*"

It has the idea of a slave purchased and who is never again to be put up for sale.

!!! 4.      *1 Pet.

1:18-19* - The word "*redeemed*" in this verse comes from a word that means "*to loose after the payment of a ransom price.*"

It carries the idea of a slave who is purchased in the market and then is set free!

When all of this is put together, it becomes clear that in Jesus, we enjoy a redemption that bought us, secured us and freed us to serve the Lord.

What a salvation is ours!

When did all this happen?

At the very instant we trusted Jesus as our Saviour!

Note the words "*being then*".

At that moment, we were bought, secured and set free! Glory to God!)

!

III.    *THE CHALLENGES *19*

Paul use of the image of slavery is one that his readers were very familiar with.

It has been noted that there were about 50 million slaves in the Roman Empire during the first century.

!! *A.        *Remember The Deeds Of The Lost Life* –

!!! 1.

The first challenge is for the Roman believers to remember how they lived their lives before they came to know the Lord.

They are to remember how they "*yielded*" or placed their members at sin's disposal.

They are challenged to remember how they used to serve sin with an almost reckless abandon.

!! *B.        *Remember The Duties Of The Loosed Life* –

!!! 1.

The reason they are to remember their past is so that they can see how they are to live in the present.

What I mean by that is this: just as they used to serve sin with their entire person, now they are to yield themselves to the will of God.

You see, the sinner is not usually ashamed or embarrassed by his sin.