THE JEDI MASTER
Series: Ephesians 6
INTRO:
BIBLE VERSE: Ephesians 6:5-9
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
OPEN: Open with your favorite Star Wars scene featuring a Jedi Knight doing a whole lot of clobbering. As for me, I plan to use the scene where Luke Skywalker has to walk the plank over a giant toothy sand creature in the middle of a desert as he hopes to regain the life of Han Solo. If you don’t know a scene…what’s wrong with you?
TRANSITION: Now, whether you like Star Wars, love Star Wars, never heard of Star Wars (relax guys, there are a lot of communists living in Russia who have never heard of Star Wars), or just tolerate Star Wars because you know someone that does love it…we can all appreciate the work done by a young apprentice in becoming a Jedi Knight. One would say that the young trainee had to become a…SLAVE to the master…in order to become a Jedi.
WOULD YOU GO THROUGH THE TRAINING? (Get a show of hands here) How many of you would go through the years of training, the removal from your family, the butt-whippings leashed, live in a swamp, hunted by a guy named Darth…all to pick up rocks with your mind? OR, MAYBE SAVE THE WORLD? (hopefully most of the room’s hands will be up).
KEY POINT: So if you are serious…then let me ask you a more serious question…if you are so serious about doing the training to save the world…then LET’S GET SERIOUS ABOUT TRAINING IN CHRIST TO SAVE THE WORLD FOR REAL. Otherwise, we’re just talk.
BECOMING A JEDI FOR CHRIST IS ALL ABOUT YOUR TRAINING…
A) THE MEANING OF THE SLAVE: The world gives the phrase slave a bad name…and for the most part, it is bad to be a slave. Our nation had been affected horribly by the evils of slavery, and some of you may be surprised to find out that in some places slavery is still practiced.
Technically, when the Bible refers to a slave, it doesn’t actually have the same meaning that we as post-Civil War Americans believe it to be. It’s still bad, just not as bad as we picture it. Here’s how it works: A man takes out a loan for 10,000 kernels of corn to plant beside the river, then a flood takes place and he cannot pay back the 10,000 kernels that he borrowed. What should the judge do? Have them killed for not repaying? That’s one option, and I am sure many judges ordered that execution. OR, the man who borrowed the corn COULD SELL himself back to the man he borrowed the corn from. The borrower now became a slave…or in our terms…a worker that has to work for free under the guidelines of a very strict, rich boss. Now, living as a slave under the Judeo-system wasn’t easy, and there were horrific scenarios of slavery that took place, like when the Egyptians enslaved the Jews. But, one typically became a slave as a way to pay off a debt that could not be paid.
Something else about the Judea-system, slavery was temporary. Yeah, that’s right. According to Levitical law, at a certain point of time (something like 7 years), all the slaves were free to go (of course, that’s assuming the laws were actually followed on this, it’s sometimes hard to say what was followed and what was not depending on the era and the people). So would someone loan out 10,000 kernels of corn…not if the slave forgiveness day was one year a way. But if it just took place, some people were willing to make some major investments. Of course, corn was really never part of the issue because that was given to the pilgrims by the Indians about 1500 years later, but the illustration makes the point about Judea-slavery.
B) Should we be slaves?
BIBLE VERSE: 2 Peter 1:1 What title does Peter give himself here?
BIBLE VERSE: Romans 1:1 What title does Paul give himself here?
Slave or Bondservant. Either word carries the same meaning, carries the same outcome, carries the same weight. What Paul and Peter are stating here is that they have voluntarily chosen to be a slave to Jesus Christ forever. There is no going back, there is no end in sight, only death in the future can end one’s slave-like service towards Christ (by the way, they weren’t expecting riches either when they pledged this like a whole bunch of TV preachers do if you understand what I’m saying).
CHECK OUT THIS STORY…
Many years ago in St. Louis, a lawyer visited a Christian to transact some business. Before the two parted, his client said to him, “I’ve often wanted to ask you a question, but I’ve been afraid to do so.” “What do you want to know?” asked the lawyer. The man replied, “I’ve wondered why you’re not a Christian.” The man hung his head, “I know enough about the Bible to realize that it says no drunkard can enter the kingdom of God; and you know my weakness!” “You’re avoiding my questions,” continued the believer. “Well, truthfully, I can’t recall anyone ever explaining how to become a Christian.” Picking up a Bible, the client read some passages showing that all are under condemnation, but that Christ came to save the lost by dying on the cross for their sins. “By receiving Him as your Substitute and Redeemer,” he said, “you can be forgiven. If you’re willing to receive Jesus, let’s pray together.” The lawyer agreed, and when it was his turn he exclaimed, “O Jesus, I am a slave to drink. One of your servants has shown me how to be saved. O God, forgive my sins and help me overcome the power of this terrible habit in my life.” Right there he was converted. That lawyer was C.I. Scofield, who later edited the reference Bible that bears his name.
Christian Child Rearing, P. Meier, Baker, 1977, p. 49ff
TRANSITION: Some people cannot be a slave to Christ because they are a slave to sin? Which sin is your master?
C) So when this verse says slaves, does it also mean WORKERS?
Bingo, now you’re getting it. As far as we’re concerned for the present day applications, this verse might as well be saying, “hey workers, quit being lazy and work your butt off.”
Examples of Lazy Workers:
Sally I had this girl in my Criminal Justice class, she started out the semester coming about 2 times a week, then 1. About the 5th week, I sort of boldly asked her, so what do you do at home when you don’t bother to come here (mind you, this girl had had a major surgery and could have been recovering, I just didn’t think so…also, she was a member of my youth group). She said, “I just sit around and watch TV.” Okay, but aren’t you worried about graduation? NO. Worried about life after HS? NO, why would she be? Nothing.
Okay, fast forward the tape, around week 15, Mom emails wanting all the make up work because her daughter had been really, really sick all semester (remember I knew the Mom, she went to my church). You don’t want to know what my return email stated. (leaders feel free to supplement your own story of a lazy student here…please make sure NOT to make them end up being the hero of the story, that sort of loses the point).
Pawn Store Episode: What is the name of the, let’s call it, the bigger/dumber character on the show (no, I’m not calling him dumb, just his character)? It’s Chumley right? Okay. Well, one of the episodes I saw, the boss asked him to work the third shift. He immediately said he couldn’t do it. His reason? He had a doctor’s appointment!
LAZY GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PURCHASER:
It’s that time of year again — Girl Scout cookies! That time of year when hundreds of thousands of girl scouts set up folding tables with their den mothers in front of stores all across the country where people wait in long, long lines so they can rip the little brats off.
TENINO (The Olympian) — A 10-year-old Girl Scout was excited when a woman asked to buy 10 boxes of cookies from her Sunday, and she was more excited to be paid with a $100 bill. But her excitement turned to dismay when the Scout’s mother realized the bill was a fake, and a day of raising money for Scout trips ended with a valuable lesson. “Sometimes you can’t trust just anybody,�? the Scout said.God, what an evil person. Who would do such a horrible, rotten, evil thing? I mean, other than Nixon. I hope they find this woman and strings her up by ear lobes — unless she got away with the thin mints. Then I can understand. This evil spawn of the Devil herself bought $40 worth of goodies and handed over a $100 bill, and the mother gave her three $20s in change. The mother immediately thought the bill was fake and confirmed her suspicions with the store manager’s counterfeit money pen. The counterfeiter’s one big mistake? Money isn’t yellow.
BIBLE VERSE: Colossians 3:22-24
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
When we read that verse correctly (and your translation may have the term bondservant in place of slave), it is not only telling you that you ought to work well for your boss, but it is also telling you that you are too work hard for your boss as if you were working for the Lord.
Would you ever show up late if the Lord was your boss?
Would you ever trash the fast food you just cooked (and I know what you youth do…who works at Taco Bell in here anyone?), if the Lord was your boss?
Would you ever fake a sickness just to hang out with friends if the Lord was your boss?
Would you ever talk bad about your boss in the break room if the Lord was your boss?
Would you ever tie a mistletoe to your back belt loop and quit if the…(you get the idea).
D. So what does it mean when it states in the opening verse “that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.”
Leaders, as you know, there is a second seat that we will stand before after it has been recognized that our names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. And though the Bible doesn’t actually say the word, theologians have named this the Bema Seat. Verse 8 is partially an allusion to this scenario, as many other verses in the Bible happen to be as well.
Rather than give a complicated Papez answer to this, I simply cut and paste the answer from gotquestions.org, it could do a far better way of explaining it than I possibly could. So if this question comes up, please have some familiarity with the answer. Having said that, the Bema Seat interrogation could either be very good or very bad for certain people, maybe both for others, I don’t really know. What I do know is that is absolutely Biblical therefore I believe it.
Question: "What is the Judgment Seat of Christ / Bema Seat of Christ?"
Answer: Romans 14:10-12 says, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat…so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Second Corinthians 5:10 tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” In the context, it is clear that both scriptures are referring to Christians, not unbelievers. The judgment seat of Christ, therefore, involves believers giving an account of their lives to Christ. The judgment seat of Christ does not determine salvation; that was determined by Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf (1 John 2:2) and our faith in Him (John 3:16). All of our sins are forgiven, and we will never be condemned for them (Romans 8:1). We should not look at the judgment seat of Christ as God judging our sins, but rather as God rewarding us for our lives. Yes, as the Bible says, we will have to give an account of ourselves. Part of this is surely answering for the sins we committed. However, that is not going to be the primary focus of the judgment seat of Christ. At the judgment seat of Christ, believers are rewarded based on how faithfully they served Christ (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5). Some of the things we might be judged on are how well we obeyed the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), how victorious we were over sin (Romans 6:1-4), and how well we controlled our tongues (James 3:1-9). The Bible speaks of believers receiving crowns for different things based on how faithfully they served Christ (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5). The various crowns are described in 2 Timothy 2:5, 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, and Revelation 2:10. James 1:12 is a good summary of how we should think about the judgment seat of Christ: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
EXTRAS:
Okay gang, the following essay may be more than you ever wanted to know about being a bondservant, but as always, we need to be well-educated on all Biblical topics even if everything doesn’t exactly come up in the lesson. The following essay was taken from a website titled thebondservant.org under the question What is a Bondservant? Obviously the person who made the site sees serving the Lord as a slave as one of the important qualities of being a Christ follower.
What is a Bondservant?
There seems to be a lot of interest in the term Bondservant. And there is more then one answer to what a Bondservant is. Many of the New Testament’s authors counted themselves Bondservant (depending on the Bible Version you read, it may say servants.)
James starts off in James 1:1 saying:
“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…”
The Term Bondservant here comes from the word dulos. And is defined as:
1. a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
1. a slave
2. metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
3. devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
a servant, attendant
The best definition here is “devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests.” On its basic level a bondservant is simply following your master to complete disregard of your own will, emotions, desires.
To put it into contrast of being a Bondservant of Christ, it means a complete and utter devotion to God, His word, and His will. It is disregarding your own desires and will in all things to lay your life at the Cross and follow Christ. It is not being perfect, yet it is a dedication to following God in all things.
A Bondservant is to love as Christ loved; to walk as Christ walked. It means standing strong when you are weak and have nothing left. It means not letting up, giving up, or putting up with anything less then a true and full releationship with God as a friendship and partnership through this world, doing His will. Being a Bondservant is Standing strong on the Word of God while seeking God first, above all else. Everything is secondary to your relationship with Him.
Being a bondservant means taking responsibility of your own walk with God through personal study of his word, and personal and corporate prayer. It means the Word of God is your foundation with Christ Himself as the Cornerstone of your life. Its having faith in the best and worst of times knowing that in the end you belong to God. Being a bondservant means knowing only you can stand in the way of a deep and meaningful walk with God. It means you accept responsibility for your walk and bring everything you learn to God’s word and prayer to determine it’s truth against God’s word.
Being a bondservant means not letting sin get you down. It means if you fall, you get up, seek forgiveness, and move on learning what you can do not to let it happen in the future. It is a dedication to purity and seeking that purity through a walk that spans your life.
Here are some scriptures I think encompass some of the essence of being a bondservant.
2 Peter 1:1 through 2 Peter 1:12 (NKJV)
1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
This is a heavy scripture reference. There is a lot of things going on in this. Let’s try and break it down a bit. Peter starts off identifying himself and his station if you will (bondservant and apostle). I believe he is addressing this, at least in part, to those who seek to walk in closeness with God. Now verse two starts off with what really is a promise. Knowledge of God and Jesus brings grace and peace. Why? Let’s move on and see. God called us to Him, by his glory and virtue. In as such He has also given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through Christ. By Christ he has given us promises through His word. By partaking, or putting our faith in His word, these promises; we become partakers of God’s divine nature. Now that’s sounds like a pretty heavy thing but in truth what it really means is that we become more like Him. In the end isn’t that what our walks are about? Becoming like Christ is at the Core of being a bondservant and a Christian.
Now by trusting in God and His word we also “escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.” By studying God’s word, and being a doer of the word (not a hearer only as James 1 says) we enable the process of growing in our walks and relationships with God. And in truth our walk with God is a relationship. And you cannot grow in a relationship with anyone if you don’t actively participate in it.
He goes on to list some qualities here that all Christians should be actively trying to develop in their lives. The qualities listed below I believe are very important to being a bondservant.
Virtue knowledge self-control perseverance godliness brotherly kindness love
Galatians 2:20 through Galatians 2:21 (NKJV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
When we we look at our lives it should be through the eyes of Christ. This verse is very specific with what our outlook should truly be. “It is no longer I who live” we died with Christ. Our faith is what accomplishes this, our repentance and asking God to forgive us, and accepting Christ as our Lord and savior. “But Christ who lives in me”. This is at the very core of being a bondservant. My life isn’t my own, I don’t live for me but I live for Christ who lives in me. Our lives should be lived in faith in the Son of God. We need to trust Him, to walk for Him, and embrace His will as our own. Why? Because it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. I cannot die in Christ and live for myself.
1 John 2:3 through 1 John 2:7 (NKJV)
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
Now this doesn’t directly apply to being a bondservant but more as a general rule that all Christians should be mindful of. You disobey God’s word and say you Know God. If we screw up and fail, there is forgiveness. But to walk how you will and say I’ll just repent latter is a no no. Also you CANNOT just say I am a Christian or bondservant of God and not be obedient to His word, the two go hand and hand. Lip service or obedience, there is no fence walking or grey areas here. Sin is sin and obedience is obedience. They cannot co-exist.
Now you may be asking yourself what’s the difference between being a Christian and being a bondservant, and is their a difference. This is my opinion, but I would say there is a difference. Being a bondservant to me is about dedicating yourself to the mindset of Galatians 2:20-21 listed above. I believe that scripture is at the heart of a bondservant. A total dedication of faith in God, trusting Him and His word. A dedication to not giving up in your walk with Him. If you fail, you get up, ask forgiveness and move on and learn from it. You don’t stay a week at grief motel because you failed once. It’s a total and complete single mindedness to living life for God. To having a close relationship and friendship with God and yes you can be friends with God. Most of all it’s seeking to make God’s heart and will your own, this means love. God is love. Jesus’ ministry was founded on Love. God so loved the world He sent His son to die for our sins. Love is and always should be our motivator. God’s love, not our own or the world’s misguided love. 1 Corinthians 13 love. A love that puts others above ourselves. A love that’s willing to give more then just a word of well wishing like James 2 says. A love that remembers those in need.
I’ve dedicated this site to helping people discover what being a bondservant is. If you have a question feel free to comment below or see the link in the menu for how to email me.