ARE YOU A SLAVE?

© Copyright 2013 Rev. Dr Jeffry David Camm JP Page 1

The Bible tells us that the Jews were slaves in Egypt for 407 years and that God heard their cries for deliverance, and sent Moses back to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to "let my people go"!

However, in today’s society we can still be slaves. So today my question is this:

 "Are you a slave"?

 How do you know that you are not a slave?

 What if you are a slave and you don’t know it?

 To what item are you a slave?

In today’s society, "Egypt" is a geographical place in the Middle East.; but "Egypt" can be also a spiritual place in your soul.

The Jews were enslaved to their Egyptian masters, but today we can be enslaved to things of this world, which keep us away from God, or prevents Him from blessing us to the degree that He wants to.

Enslavement is identified as the things that you are attached to, that rules your life, instead of you ruling them.

It is the things which prevent God from influencing and ruling your life. It is the thing which prevents you from having a close, personal, daily walking and talking relationship with Jesus.

If God is not influencing and ruling your life, then you are a slave and you don’t even know it.

Some of the things that you can be a slave to are as follows:

You can be a slave to trees: God told us to have dominion over all the trees of the field, the birds of the air, all the animals of the fields, and all the fish of the sea. If you are addicted to alcohol, tobacco, or hard drugs, then you are a slave to trees, because that is where these products come from. You don’t rule the trees – the trees rule you.

You can be a slave to your job: If your job prevents you from having time with the Lord each day, or from attending church, or having a personal relationship with Jesus, then you are a slave to your job. You don’t have control of your own life, your job is ruling you; you are a slave to your job.

You can become enslaved to your family: 

If your family commitments prevent you from having time with the Lord each day, or from attending church, or having a personal relationship with Jesus, then you are a slave to your family. You don’t have control of your own life, your family is ruling you; you are a slave to your family.

Now that does not mean that you give up your responsibilities to care for your family, but it does mean that you have to examine your priorities and make sure that Jesus Christ comes first in your life. 

Matt. 6:33 is very clear about this: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and (then) all these other things shall be added unto you". 

KINGDOM OF GOD ~ we are told that the kingdom of God dwells within us. We need to know – for sure (with 100% certainty) that Jesus dwells within us – on the inside of us – not just an occasional encounter with the Holy Spirit on a Sunday, when the anointing blesses the church.

"RIGHTEOUSNESS ~ means a "right standing with God". We need to be sure that we have a right standing with Jesus, because that is the only way that we can have a right standing with the Father and with the Holy Spirit.

You can even become enslaved to your ministry: 

It may seem silly to say this, but some people consider "their ministry" more important than having a personal relationship with Jesus, on a daily basis. They have forgotten that Jesus can have the stones rise up to praise Him if we don’t do it. These people have become so engrossed with their ministry, that they have forgotten that it was Jesus who called them into this ministry in the first place and that it is impossible to "work your way into heaven".

In the Book of Revelations we hear Jesus clearly tell Apostle John that there will be people who honestly believe that they are going to heaven, because they have healed people in Jesus’ name, they have given to the poor in Jesus’ name, etc. but Jesus makes it very clear that He will reject them; He will turn to them and say: "Be gone from Me, I do not know you". 

Why would Jesus say that to a person who has been serving the Lord in this way? Simple answer: There was no personal relationship between that person and Jesus Christ. 

We are told to be "free slaves" to Jesus Christ and to no-one or nothing else. 

We are told to be ready in season and out of season to give a witness to others about Jesus Christ. 

In fact we are told that our individual lives should be a walking, talking example of what Jesus can do with a person who is completely devoted to His service.

So this morning, after listening to this message, maybe it is time to re-evaluate our priorities and our daily focus.

 Is our daily focus on Jesus Christ?

If not, then we have allowed satan to enslave us to something else; to take our focus off Jesus Christ; to allow satan to remove the glory of God from our presence.

 We have to realise that enslavement is a subtle way that satan uses to remove us from God’s presence, by making us focus on other things.

 God’s word tells us that if we focus first on God’s kingdom and then on His righteousness, then all the other things in our lives will fall into place, because God has promised to provide all our needs.

Let us pray.