Good morning, CHURCH!

(Opening joke)

Sunday Fish Tale

A woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services, when she was startled by an intruder.

She caught the man in the act of robbing her home.

She walked up behind him and yelled: ‘Stop! Acts 2:38! Acts 2:38!

The burglar froze in his tracks and threw his hands up.

Acts 2:38 (ESV) says “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins.”

The woman was actually surprised that it worked.

While the burglar stood their she calmly called the police and explained what she had done.

As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar: ‘Why did you just stand there?

All the woman did was yell a scripture to you.’

‘Scripture?’ replied the burglar.

‘She said she had an Ax and Two 38s!’

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles.

Let’s go to the book of 1 Peter 2:16 for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.

This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination 1 Peter 2:16 ESV

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Over the past couple of Sunday’s we’ve been talking about freedom.

For us as believers, freedom means to use the free will that God has given us, to pursue freedom from sin and it also means, freedom to be God’s servant or slave.

Today we see so many people using their freedom in Christ as a blank check to do almost anything they want.

Never mind trying to roll with the idea of what God would want us to do or how he would want us to think. (That’s foreign to many of today’s Christians)

If we don’t see an exact scripture in the Bible and specifically in the New Testament saying that we can’t do something, it’s fair game.

And often if we see a scripture saying that we can’t do something, we just say, that’s not what it means today.

God never desired for your free will to be something that would ultimately harm you and harm others.

And if you don’t think that operating differently than what God designed you to is harmful, you’re deceived.

God had an intelligent design for mankind and for mankind’s rule and reign on the earth.

And let me help you out, what we are seeing today is not what he intended for us to produce.

But don’t you think for a moment that he won’t ultimately get a remnant of people to eternally become what he intended us to be.

That’s when the presence of sin will be no more as Michael mentioned last week.

Yes, we’ve been redeemed from the penalty of sin.

Yes, we are working on walking in Christ’s victory over the power of sin.

And one day the presence of sin will be eternally dealt with.

Today’s message title is:

Who Are You a Slave To?

“I ain’t a slave to nobody or nothing Pastor J”

Doesn’t this word slave brings such negative thoughts to our minds today?

Mainly because in America, the slave owners were racist, hateful, cruel, ungodly and just plain evil people.

We think of the word slave mostly to be an involuntary servant of another.

And yes the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible defines a slave as:

Slave - Person owned as property by another.

And in this since there is only one person we should be owned by.

But a slave can also be defined as:

Slave - One who serves another either involuntarily or voluntarily.

So, when I ask the question today, “Who are you a slave to,” I’m referring to the voluntary serving of another.

Who have you freely chosen to give your allegiance to?

Point #1

Am I a Slave of Sin?

How do I know if I’m a slave to sin?

You see, if I desire not to disobey God but I quite often find myself doing just that, I may just be a slave to sin.

Let me read a portion of this letter I found, to you.

What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.

So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.

But I need something more!

For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help!

I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it.

I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.

My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.

I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

I’ve tried everything, and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

This is of course a letter from apostle Paul from the book of Romans.

And the apostle that God used to write most of the New Testament didn’t just leave you lost.

Romans 7:25 MSG

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.

He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

If the Bible is true, and evidence has proven that it is, being a slave to sin is absolutely a voluntary thing for the believer.

We don’t have to be slaves to sin.

You want more proof?

Romans 6:5-6 ESV

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Maybe you need to ask yourself, “Have I truly been united with Christ in his resurrection?”

Because, if I have, the old sinner that I used to be should have been buried in a tomb, and I should no longer be enslaved to sin as I used to be.

Let me just say this, we can’t expect to exercise power over sin in our life if we don’t even think it’s possible!

And this can’t talking about us no longer being enslaved to sin after physical death because in verse 11 he said:

Romans 6:11 ESV

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

In Christ there is an expectation to have victory over the power of sin, in this present life.

We know in the eternal life the presence of sin won’t even be present, so it would be no need for him to talk about being dead to sin then.

And if this hasn’t been clear enough.

John 8:34 ESV

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Stop practicing sin and you’ll stop being so good at it. (There’s an idea for you.)

Point #2

Am I a Slave of Society?

Colossians 2:8 ESV

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

We live in a day and a time where everyone is after your thought life.

Your socials are making you think a certain way.

The television and movie industry is making you think a certain way.

The Christians that you hang around that don’t follow the ways of God are also making you think a certain way.

That’s why Romans 12:2 says what it says.

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

What are some or the ways we have been conformed to this world that we shouldn’t?

He tells us in the rest of the chapter.

:3 not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment

:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

:19 never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God

:21 Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

By not conforming to this world and by renewing the mind, the scriptures are telling us that even though sin is present in this world, we through Christ have the power to overcome it.

What else does the scriptures say about this subject?

James 4:4 ESV

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Who in their right mind would want to be an enemy of God?

In the Old Testament, Israel was often called adulteress for claiming to serve God while pursuing idols.

Israel was like this. Yeah we want you God but we want the god’s of the people in society around us too.

Could you imagine me telling my wife, yes I want you but I want the other women around me too.

It’s amazing that we understand that it is wrong to cheat on someone you are in covenant relationship with in marriage, but we only think that in the covenant of marriage.

What about the covenant relationship we have with our God?

Read Jeremiah 31:31-34 in your study time and you will see that God promised a new covenant in which he would write his laws on his people’s hearts.

We have been engrafted into that covenant.

Why are we committing adultery on God?

It’s the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life that lead us to committing adultery on God.

You can read this in 1 John 2:16-17.

In this new relationship with God we should only be a slave to him.

Point #3

Am I A Slave of the Lord?

Luke 14:23

And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

This house should be filled two to three times over.

This is what our Lord is telling us to do.

If his love is hear and you feel it, you should be compelling and convincing others to come and get some of this love that God has no shortage of.

If we are a slave of the Lord, this is our #1 priority.

Romans 6:16

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Which one are you choosing?

You can only be obeying sin or righteousness.

John 12:26

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

If you are not currently following or serving or being a slave to God, today is your day.

There is no better time than the present.

(Closing illustration)

I remember when I was a slave to sin and the Lord invited me into a relationship with him, just as he is inviting you right now.

I accepted and have never been the same since.

I also remember being a slave to society.

And it was like the Lord said to me one day, “Is my love not enough for you, do you need the approval of the world?”

I don’t know what your answer is today, but my answer was and is, “God your love is enough for me.?

If you’re watching online or here in the room, I have a very important question to ask you.

What is Holy Spirit saying to you right now?