Slavery Sermon

I was listening to a new Kutless album this morning. It's the Christian Rock Band's new worship album and it's great. One line on the last track stood out.

If I lost it all, would my hands stay lifted...

*IF* I lost it all?

That speaks to towards the root of what's wrong with our Christianity culture here today. I'm not going to even get into the "Narcissists Gospel."

James writes in James 1:1 "James, a slave of God." Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:1 "Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ." Paul writes in Titus 1:1 "Paul a slave of God..." For those who cringe at the word "slave," Paul lightens it up a little at times calling himself a servant or a bond servant.

For those who haven't heard this a zillion times, the Greek word that Paul used is "doulos." That word is translated bond servant and means a slave that was set free, but chose to stay in his masters servitude for life. He'd get an ear ring to prove it.

So how does this apply to the Kutless song? How many slaves can say "if I lost it all?" THEY HAVE NOTHING. Can you imagine Paul writing "dear Timothy, if I lost it all..." Or Peter? Those guys didn't have ANYTHING to lose. They had already lost it when the decided to follow Jesus.

Really, what do I have to lose? My house? Big deal. My car? So what. Jesus says in Matthew 6:25 `Because of this I say to you, be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat, and what ye may drink, nor for your body, what ye may put on. Is not the life more than the nourishment, and the body than the clothing?

So what about things more dear than that? My kids? They're His anyway. My wife? Do I really control her? Paul tells us in Phillipians (4:6) to be anxious for nothing. Why would he tell us that? Why would Jesus all throughout Matthew tells his Disciples to not be anxious?

A slave is not anxious. His stuff is provided. He doesn't worry if the hail might destroy the crop-- the Master worries about that. The Slave doesn't worry about roof over his head. Or clothes to wear. Or a nice car to drive. Look at the sparrows and the lilies of the field... you get what I'm saying.

So if I worry. If I'm anxious. Then I am saying "God, I don't TRUST You, so I'm going to take off this ring from ear and I'm going to be the master here for this."

So let anxious thoughts be a red flag, showing you an area of your life that you have not yielded to God. An area that you are the Master.

Romans 8 says that all things work together for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. Anxious thoughts fly in the face of that verse. Anxiety says "but there are some things that aren't good!"

For you non-Christians, I'm giving away a trade secret. When you see me, or one of us claiming to be a Christian (in other words a "slave to Jesus"), yet I worry and fret about so much, you can know that in my hypocrisy, I haven't fully surrendered.

But what if I lose it all?????

Too late. I'm in the process of losing it all.

PS: I still recommend the Kutless album. Good stuff.