Weekly Sermons

Working for the man?                      I Peter 2:18-25

Addison and Morgan

When studying the scripture, I follow the O-I-A method

Observation – What does the text ________________?                    How would the first audience have understood it?

Interpretation – What does the text _______________?                   What is the timeless theological truth in the passage?

Application – How does the text _________________ in my life?

I believe that the trafficking and enslavement of one person by another is evil and thank God that it was eliminated in our country in the past. That evil persists around the world today, but it will not stand and we must confront it!   

Slavery was a deeply rooted part of the economy and social structure of the ancient near east and of the Greco-Roman world.     

So what does the Bible teach on the subject of slavery?

In Old Testament Israel, God regulated slavery to _____________ people.       See Ex. 21; Lv. 25; Dt. 15

In the New Testament, changed ___________________ were going to lead to changed practices

The gospel of Jesus Christ obliterated determining one’s ___________ based on their social status.

There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.             –Galatians 3:28

Masters, treat them the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their and your Master is in Heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.                        –Ephesians 6:9

The Bible says to slaves that if they can get their _______________, they should do it

If you can become free, by all means take the opportunity to do so. For he who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave.  –I Corinthians 7:21-22

Paul used his _____________________ leverage to get a slave free

Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.                     -Philemon 1:21

God’s final word on the matter is in Revelation 18:13 - __________ awaits those who traffic and sell slaves

By the time Peter writes, Rome had already instituted massive reforms

Christians are to give positional respect even when they are _____________________                                                      V. 18-20

Slaves, obey your human masters in everything; don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord – you serve the Lord Christ.   -Colossians 3:22-23

And that’s Peter’s point in all of this – if you are a Christian those who are in authority over you should see Christ in you and your ________.

Peter himself had modeled this – Read Acts 5:40-42; Acts 6:7

Christians are to follow Christ’s example of __________________                                                                                            V. 21-25

Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.                -Hebrews 12:2