There is much in the news today because of the impact of slavery and the terrible repercussions we are experiencing in our cities. Everyone has the right to a life free from slavery. But right now, millions of children and adults are trapped in slavery in every single country in the world including the United States. We have various groups that claim to be supported of BLM but they support modern slavery. “My head is about to explode from the irony of the fact that Nike uses literal slave labor,” in China and is so hypercritical. Modern slavery is the severe manipulation of other people for personal or commercial gain. It is all around us, but most often operating under the radar. People work for pennies a day picking our crops, working in factories, as cooks, cleaners and nannies.

Human trafficking is a form of slavery where people are exploited for purposes such as forced prostitution, labor, crime, marriage, yes and even organ removal. Folks, we hear little protest from these political, social and corporate groups because many of them promote the slavery they claim to hate.
The only slavery we should condone today is that spoken of by the Apostle Paul. As Christians, in regard to the church, we are not volunteers. We are servants; dulos as slaves written by Paul in Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, He makes this…

I. Apostolic Confession vv. 12-17

1. Paul never lost his awesome sight at having been called by God. We note from verse #12, he understood that the way he lived ought to be worthy of the King who had chosen him. Paul was enabled for ministry because he was counted as faithful. Faithfulness made Paul available to be used by God. Too often we see our Christian service as a matter of volunteering.

Application: We are duty bound servants of Jesus, and faithfulness is expected of such servants. You don’t have to be smart to be faithful; you don’t have to be talented or gifted. Faithfulness is very pragmatic, and every one of us can be faithful in the realm God has given us. Many people wait to be faithful. They tell themselves, “I’ll be faithful when it becomes more convenient. We should be faithful in the here and now; our faithfulness starts with the small things. The pandemic has stop so much but it should not stop the church. We need to be faithful to what God has called us to do!

2. The Lord put Paul and all saved people in the “Ministry” it simply means “service.” In the original language of the New Testament, there is nothing “superior” or “spiritual” about the word. It means to work and serve. Paul in verse # 13 speaks of how his life had been radically changed by the gospel and he was committed on living to honor the God and the gospel that gave him life.
Folks, would it not have been tragic for Paul to receive the riches of the gospel and then to live as an unsaved person. Going back into the devil dens and the evil world fill with its lust. This would have been disgraceful to be saved from death by the blood of Christ and then show no reverence for that sacrifice. The way you live your life ought to compliment the matchless grace of Jesus Christ and the favor he has bestowed upon you. What about you?
II Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

3. In Vv. 15 His gratitude is heightened by remembering what he had been prior to receiving the grace and mercy of the Lord. But Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom Paul was chief. Paul was shown mercy and saved. Note Paul said, “I am” the worst of sinners. Not “I was” but “I am.” If God can save the worst he can save the rest! Please note in verse # 16 Paul said he was a “pattern” or example.” The word means “sketch, “model” or “illustration.” Paul’s conversion was not the exception but the rule. He was an example of the work of sovereign grace. God’s mercy and grace were enough to cover his past and enable him to serve God. We should never feel that our past makes us unable to be used by God.

Paul knew that people who accept the gospel, they are spiritually changed unto everlasting life. That life is in heaven. He also knew that the spiritually dead are without hope destine for hell.
II Apostolic Concern: Hell is a Place of Torment

1. Matthew 8:12 says, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:42 says, “There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” They will not only weep and wail, but they will hear the countless multitudes of millions upon millions of others weeping and wailing and screaming and crying and begging for mercy… Imagine what it will be like for all eternity?

Revelation 14:11 speaks of this torment: “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.” The smoke never stops! The fire never stops! The darkness never stops! The torment never stops! The weeping and wailing never stop! The gnashing of teeth never stops!

2. Hell Is a Place of Fire
It is not popular today to preach about Hell being a place of fire. Many preachers won’t do it. The same Bible that they once believed still says that Hell has fire! “Luke 16 tells the story about the rich man in Hell. He lifted up his eyes and said to Abraham, “I am tormented in this flame.” Matthew 18:8 calls it “everlasting fire. Jude 7 calls it “eternal fire.” The fire in Hell is not quenched; it never dies, it never goes out; it never subsides. It is eternal fire. Revelation 20:10

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: Matthew 25:41
Jonathan Edwards once preached… There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor anything to take hold of, there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.

3. Hell is a Place of Unfulfilled Desires
a) The first desire of the rich man in Hell was that Abraham take one drop of water and place it upon his tongue (v24). One little drop-what would that do? The man is in eternal fire, in a furnace of fire, in a lake of fire; he is burning in fire and brimstone for all eternity, and he wants just one little drop!

b) My friend, how long would that one little drop last? Have you ever dropped just one drop of water onto a hot stove? It lasts but for a few seconds. This rich man is begging, crying out for just a drop, just a respite. His desire will go on for all eternity. He had a desire for mercy, but he didn’t get that either.

c) In Hell they will desire to see; they will desire to talk to a friend; for all eternity they will desire relief. The rich man had eyes, a mouth, a tongue. Those in Hell have bodies in which they must spend eternity, and those bodies will never cease to exist. They will receive this new body at the great white throne judgement and then cast into the eternal lake of fire. This will be the only reprised from the torment, a very short period of time.

3. Hell Is a Place of Darkness

1. Second Peter 2:4 calls it “darkness.” Jude 13 calls it “blackness of darkness.” Matthew 13:42 calls it “a furnace of fire. Understand that when people go to Hell, they see nothing! Hell is darkness, the blackness of darkness. You will be unable to see your friends. You will have eyes, but you won’t see. You will see nothing except total darkness, total blackness of darkness.

Illustration: Many years ago when my wife and I were on vacation, we went down into some giant crystal cave in Virginia. It was a mile down into the bowels of the earth into total darkness. It was very eerie! You could not see the person next to you.

Conclusion

A church was in need of a pastor. A candidate came and preached on hell. The next Sunday another candidate’s came and his sermon was also on hell, the fundamental teachings were the same as that of the first pastor. When the members of the church were called upon to vote, they voted for the second candidate. When they were asked why they selected him, the answer was, “The first one spoke as if he were glad that people were going to hell, while the second seemed sad about it.” Folk’s hell is a real place and the ungodly will go there it should cause us all to be sad about it that is why we must be zealous for the gospel.

I have a responsibility to warn you about what will happen to you or those you care about if they do not have Jesus as their Savior. You have a responsibility to warn folks about what will happen too! Each of you has people that you know or acquaintances that you have that you have no idea where they will spend eternity. The hope is that you will be motivated to speak up and tell others not to go there. The hope is that you will be motivated to pray with power!

Paul closed this section with a benediction and we will repeat for us today. Verse #17—
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.