Work in Christ

Who is the boss? This is a question that we ask in various circumstances for various reasons. We may ask it of our children when they disobey, or we may ask it of no one in particular when we enter an environment that seems chaotic and out-of-control. We should also ask this question of ourselves when we consider our own lives. When Paul addresses slaves and masters in Ephesians, he answers this question. The slaves and masters reading his epistle might have expected Paul to say that the master is the boss, upholding the cultural expectation. But Paul goes a step further and reminds both the slave and the master that they share a boss. In every verse of Ephesians 6:5-9 Paul emphasizes in one way or another that Jesus Christ is the real Lord, not only of the slave, but also of the master. And with Christ as their Lord, earthly masters should remember that they aren’t in any way intrinsically better than their slaves, for Christ is impartial. And with Christ as their Lord, slaves shouldn’t work only with their earthly master in mind, who sees only when he’s present. No, they should work with their heavenly Lord in mind, who sees all that we do even when others can’t. The Bible’s commands concerning slaves and masters can make us quite uncomfortable, especially considering the complicated American past in which particularly black people were enslaved, and in many cases, wrongly treated. But when we read the Bible’s teaching carefully, especially its emphasis on the lordship of Jesus Christ, we see that the Bible puts these social structures in a perspective that limits the significance of what we often over-emphasize. Put simply, if the principles of the Christ’s lordship were followed in any authority/hireling relationship, the relationship would be transformed, just like husband/wife relationships and parent/child relationships. When Christ is Lord, the status quo just doesn’t hold up; it’s transformed. Praise God that He transforms these relationships and our hearts so that we might walk worthy of our calling. –Pastor Rory

Sunday at Liberty

9AM: Josh De Leon–Large Hail–Job 22-26

10AM: Pastor Rory Martin–Ephesians 6:5-9–Work in Christ (sermon notes)

5:30PM: Potluck

6:20PM: Members’ Meeting–Opportunities