BONDSERVANT by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson
Introduction: March Madness is on. Each year the best basketball teams across the nation come together in an elimination-style bracket and play all the way to the Final Four and then the National Championship. There is a winner and a loser. There is also the Cinderella Team.What is a Cinderella in March Madness?A team that is not well-known but comes in and really shocks everyone. Last year it was UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), a number 16 seed that defeated number one Virginia Cavaliers. Also, Loyola University Chicago that went to the Final Four. As of now, this year it is UC Irvine and Murray State, Kentucky. Why Cinderella?According to the fairy tale, her step mother forced her into servitude and her step sisters belittled her but, in the end, she ended up marrying the prince. In today’s message we’re going to learn how Jesus choseto become a bondservant (he wasn’t forced into it) so that we could become prince and princesses in the family of God. He sacrificed so that we could be saved.Our message is titled BONDSERVANT.
Philippians 2 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.
Question: Do you understand what Jesus has done for you? He became a slave so that we could become sons and daughters of God. Do you know him? Are you saved?
Context: As you know, we’re in our series called MIND (RE)SET from Philippians 2. We are learning what it means to have the mind of Christ. In today’s message we’re going to focus on what it means to be a “bondservant.” Listen again to verse 7“but (Christ) made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men.” The word for “bondservant” is “doulos” in Greek. It means slave.Why did Paul say that Jesus came as a slave? To answer that question, we need to answer 2 other questions first:
Question 1. How was slavery back then?
- Slavery was a normal part of every culture and society. Unfortunately, it was even among the main characters of the OT. Sarah gave her female slave Hagar to Abraham so she could have a child for him. So also, Rachel and Leah gave their female slaves to Jacob. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery. Slavery was a part of the culture in which they lived.Ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) from where Abraham came had slavery. Ancient Egypt had slavery. Later, the people of Israel were enslaved. Even Ancient Greece with their high ideals of democracy and freedom had slavery.
- Ancient Rome was even worse. According to certain estimates, 80-90% of the inhabitants of Rome were slaves or of slave origin. By the way, slaves were not necessarily from Africa. They could be from Europe or Asia or neighboring kingdoms that had been conquered. Spartacus the slave who led the “Third Slave Rebellion” was of Germanic origin. After Rome crushed that rebellion, 6000 slaves were crucified. The conditions of the slaves depended on what they did. If they worked in the mines, it was horrible. If they worked in the homes, things were not as bad. Either way, at the end of the day, a slave was just a human property. Many endured beatings. Many could not participate in education. Even marriage was regulated by the owner. Children were born slaves. In the Western world, the slave trade of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is a very sad and shameful reality. The purchasing of West African people as chattel is indefensible. It’s when Christians with a conscience and courage spoke up that the slave trade was finally outlawed – first in England in 1807 but in continued till 1833. Men like William Wilberforce, William Pitt, John Newton, and George Whitfield. Even the writings of ex-slaves like Equiano and Cugoano finally began to be heard. In our own country, slavery continued until 1863 until the Emancipation Proclamation and then a bloody civil war. By the way, slavery still goes on to this day. Twenty-eight to thirty million are trapped in slavery – sex trafficking to forced labor, even in our own country. We have an episode coming on our radio show Carpe Manana this week.
Question 2. What did God say about slavery?
- God did not endorse slavery but gave laws in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomyon how slaves were to be treated.He even promised a day in the future when there will be no slavery.Joel 2 28“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. 29And also on Mymenservants and on Mymaidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
- In the time of Jesus, slavery was still practiced and slaves were still just the bottom rung of society. Why didn’t Jesus speak out against slavery? Keep in mind that Jesus did not come to lead a rebellion. He came to save us by giving his life on the cross for our sins. But, he talked about it in his messages. He used it in his parables (Matthew 18:23-35; 21:33-41; 25:14-30). Why? Because there were probably slaves among the listeners. If he had led a rebellion, he would have gotten them killed or made their masters stop them from coming to him.
Question 3. Why did Paul say that Jesus came as slave?
- Because Jesus truly came as a slave to his Father. He gave up his throne in glory. He gave up his rights and privileges. He emptied his godhead into his humanity. He always obeyed his Father. John 6 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- Because Jesus truly came to serve and not to be served. Think about what slaves did and what Jesus did:
| A Slave was responsible to cook | Jesus fed the 5000 and the 4000 |
| A Slave came when he was called | Jesus was constantly going and helping people – Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus, |
| A Slave was responsible to teach the children in the family | Jesus preached and taught the multitudes |
| A Slave did the menial labor | Jesus washed the feet of his disciples |
| A Slave would have to go fight in battle for the owner | Jesus died on the cross for our sins |
Matthew 11 28 Come to Me, allyouwho labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yokeiseasy and My burden is light.”
In fact, think about the categories of our salvation – redemption, justification, and reconciliation. They are all connected to slavery.
- Redemption – setting the slave free
- Justification – complete freedom slave received
- Reconciliation – a slave becoming an equal member of a free society
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
You can come to him – Because everyone knows who a slave was.Every society and culture had them.Because you could get no lower than a slave. No one can say that they couldn’t come to Jesus.