The Church | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19, Ephesians 5:25-27, Matthew 22:2-7, 1 Corinthians 1:9, Romans 1:1, Hebrews 11:8, John 17, Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--the-church
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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if you have your Bibles and would turn with me this evening to the Book of Matthew chapter 16 and we'll begin reading at verse number 13 Matthew chapter 16 and verse number 13 very familiar little passage of scripture here if you attend an Apostolic Church any length of time you're probably going to hear somebody make reference to the this verse here M Matthew 16: 13 and when Jesus came into the coast of cesaria Philippi he asked his disciples saying whom do men say that I the son of man am and they said some say that thou art John the Baptist some Elias and others jeremias or one the prophets he saith unto them but whom say ye that I am Simon Peter answered and said Thou Art the Christ the son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon bar Jonah for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my father Father which is in heaven and I say unto thee that thou art Peter and Upon This Rock I will build say the next two words with me I will build my church and the Gates of Hell say the next two words shall not Prevail against it you've been standing for a little bit let me let me just have a prayer with you and let you be seated and I want to read from Ephesians chapter 5:25 father the name of the Lord Jesus Christ tonight you are our helper you're our strength God you're everything to us Lord God you're the god you're the vine and we're the branches Lord You're the Potter and we're the clay Lord without you Lord we can do nothing you're the breath in our lungs God you're the life that we live Lord Jesus tonight I ask you to anoint my lips of clay that I may teach your word tonight that we may grow strong through your word in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray the congregation said amen you may be seated I need thee oh I need the every hour I need thee oh bless me now my savior I come to thee sing it with me I need thee Oh I need thee every hour I need thee oh bless me now now my savior for I come to thee if you really need him in your life would you just lift up your voice right now with me hallelu Lord I love you I praise you God lord I worship you and I praise you tonight God I worship you and I praise you tonight God would you give the Lord a thunderous hand clap offering right now come on can we fill this place with a noise Ephesians chapter 5 and verse number 26 or 25 excuse me husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the Water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish tonight I want to teach a Bible study simply on two words the church the church I want you to be transparent with me tonight and uh it's not a not something I'll embarrass you about or call you out on but when I say the next word I want to know what the first thing is I'll tell you the first thing that comes to my mind when I say the word I think about about the first thing comes to your mind when you hear this word tonight church church now if I could ask you tonight how many the first thing came to your mind was this building would you be kind enough to lift your hand the first thing that came into your mind was this building all right was this building and uh that's the reason I want to teach a Bible lesson tonight on the church the Church Jesus said that upon the rock of the revelation of his identity upon the rock of the revelation of his identity that he would build my church is what he said I will build my church upon the rock of my identity it would be later and of course I throw this in it's not part of my message tonight but I'm glad that he throwed this in he said upon the rock of my identity the revelation of my identity I will build my church and I'm glad he threw this in and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it and I'm glad that he throw that in that the gates of hell hell cannot Prevail against the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ later using the analogy of a husband and wife he says to he says thatth he writes about the relationship between a husband and wife and that that love relationship that husband loves his wife agape's his wife with a a a great love that wants to see nothing but what's good for her in return that wife gives a submission back to him and then he says what I am really writing about is the relationship between the Lord Jesus and his church he said that Bible classes such as this that the church would be washed with the water of his word for the purpose that he would present it to himself a glorious Church a powerful Church uh we're we're not a weak Church we're not a timid Church we're not a church that's holding the fort down we're we're we're we're a glorious Church we're a powerful church and then he went into a few things he said that he may present it to himself a church without spot a church without R A Wrinkle or any such thing now it's needful tonight and I'll share with you a book that I'm reading right now entitled Apostles and Prophets by uh Mr uh rener and I want to read a little bit because he does a tremendous job brother Nolan he does a tremendous job of really doing research on the word church the word church he says in his book Apostles and Prophets he says the word church is a translation of the Greek Greek word Ecclesia Ecclesia is a compound of words it's two words the meaning of the the the word uh the first two letters uh EK can be slightly altered depending on the context in which it is used but it is primarily means out or out of it can signify an exit from a room such as when a person leaves one room to relocate in another it can also convey the idea of separation a point that is important in the context of the church the second part of the compound word of Ecclesia is derived by the word it's spelled k a l e o the basic meaning of this word is to to beckon to call to invite or to summons so when you put these two words together you put these two words together it simply means that you are called out you are called called out the Greek word k a l e o is a very important compound in the word EES it's necessary to understand and to grasp the great privilege and honor it is to be a member of God's Ecclesia his church now I'm going to stop there with those two words a privilege and an honor to be a part of his church when he said I'll build my church it is a privilege it is an honor to be a part of his Ecclesia step studying the New Testament use of the word k a l e o provides further insight into the meaning of the compound word Ecclesia as it pertains to the local church and to the church collectively and worldwide although the word k a l e o can simply mean to call it is often used to convey the idea of an invitation that isn't made made available to anyone else it is a special invitation because everyone is an invited those who are invited should view the invitation as a privilege and a prestigious honor to receive the invitation or to receive the call now let me stop here and and and inject something I want to what a privilege and honor we all should hold dear to our heart to have felt at the time that Divine call an invitation we call it conviction what a wonderful thing that God gave you an invitation and God gave you a call how we ought to feel honored to look back in memory I may not still hold the feelings and the emotions that I had at conviction but I am so thankful that many res me correct that I received and you received a Divine invitation and a Divine call of God to come out back to reading the New Testament has many examples of this word k a l e o two two notable examples are found in uh Matthew chapter 22 and I'll go there for a moment Matthew chapter 22 and verse number two Matthew chapter 22 and verse number two Jesus speaks a parable and he says the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King which made a marriage for his son and he sent forth his servants to call this is the same word here to call to invite he sent out his servants to give an invitation to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come again he sent forth other servants saying tell them which are bidden behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come unto the marriage but they made light of it and went their ways one to his farm and another to his merchandise now let me stop here and tell you there is nothing greater or more should be more appreciated in all of our lives but that wonderful invitation that you and I received from heaven but they made light of it they made light of it verse six and the remnant took his servants and in treated them spitefully and slew them when the king heard their there of he was WTH and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city now I can read the rest of this here I can read the rest of this here but the parable there is there was a call there was an invitation but it was nowhere taken advantage of like it should have been taken advantage of they may they made light of it they made light of it let me continue to read from his book so such Royal events were closed to the public a person couldn't attend without being called or invited receiving an invitation to attend this type of special occasion was therefore considered a great a great honor let me inject something here personal I was and I don't want to say who the who the running candidate was but sister carpent I got a letter to have dinner with a presidential candidate and what a what a what a wonderful um thought it was to be invited to have dinner but as you begin to read the invitation uh it started at $10,000 a plate and then it went up from there if you want to sit closer to the front it it went on it went it went on up I'm glad God doesn't give us invitations like that aren't you glad that when it comes to the King of Kings given an invitation someone who's never been voted on and never will be voted on the potentate of all potentate he gives an invitation and we ought to feel all so honored that he gave an invitation because when he gives an invitation there's no big eyes no little 's there's no money all you got to come is bring your sins to the table and he'll bring you right up around him what an honor come on if you're honored tonight if you feel it's an honor tonight oh yes he taught Parables he Jesus taught two Parables which he used this k a EO 12 times in his ministry to keep talking about invitation was given to people to attend a wedding or a great feast both parables in this passage of scriptures emphatically convey the ideal of great honor and privilege bestowed on the person who was called or invited to such an event so when we look at that word called and we think about the church and I hope this shifts our mind tonight that when we start thinking about what the church is the church is nothing more than an invitation from God to be called out to be his people Paul used the Greek word k a l e o and its various forms 49 times in the Epistles for instance he used the word to describe God's call to repent this Divine call comes to each person when God opens his or her spiritual ears to hear the gospel the invitation to Salvation so when we are called to repentance guess what that word really is saying you are invited to repent you're given you're given an invitation to come Paul also uses the word k a l e o in first uh Corinthians 1 and9 to state that God has called or invited us into the fellowship of his son it says God is faithful by whom you are called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ Our Lord the word called would be more accurately translated you are invited you are invited to come you have received you have received that invitation as a matter of fact Paul not only used the word for invitation and call about salvation he also used the word would you would you give me Romans chapter 1 he uses he uses this word in Romans chapter 1 Romans chapter 1 and verse number one he introduces himself he introduces himself Paul a servant of Jesus Christ what's that next word called to be an apostle separated unto uh unto the gospel of God you see Paul felt so humbled at the invitation to repent the invitation to become one of God's children the honor the high honor the high privilege to be one of his children and then he used the same word when it came that he was called to be he was called to be an apostle uses it over and over and over he uses this word he uses this word called or invited he was invited to repent he was invited to have the call into the ministry not only that look with me in Hebrews chapter 11 give me Hebrews chapter 11 and verse number 8 we all study the tremendous life of the man called the man called Abraham we have this tremendous uh uh building of our faith Abraham gave us our faith in other words Abraham was the first man to exercise Faith well what is faith faith is believing God and taking God at his word even when you can't understand it and you can't fathom it you just stand back and say if God said it I believe it now notice I didn't finish what a lot of people said say sister Paula they'll say if God said it I believe it and that settles it that's wrong to say that it's settled whether you believe it or not it's already me believe me not believing God's word does not does not deplete God's word or make God's word any less powerful it's just as powerful whether I believe it or not so let me tell you this tonight when God says it I believe it and that's what faith is can't understand how a woman an elderly woman who has never given birth to a child an elderly woman that's never had a child but God said Abraham step out of your tent for a moment and Abraham said yes and he says Abraham look up to the Stars you know it had to be night time for Abraham to be able to see the stars and a lot of times our faith is developed it's like the old timey film of a camera it's only developed in the dark there's sometimes your faith in God can only be developed in the dark sunlight of life you think you're driving really good you think you've got it in control but God says let me just turn the lights off a little bit shift some things around here and then give you some unbelievable incredible Promises of God Abraham step out of your tent for a moment he said look up at the stars Abraham yeah God he said Abraham if you can count the Stars you can count how many descendants you're going to have and the Bible simply says and Abraham or Abram believed God don't know how don't know when I just simply believe God we would have never had that experience had we not had and give me Hebrews 11 and8 on the screen by faith when he by faith Abraham when he was what called to go out into a place which he should he should after receive for an inheritance I love this obeyed everybody say obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went he got an invitation he got an invitation and he just acted on that invitation can I tell you tonight in a lot of context of the way this word was used in history only a select few few received an invitation that's where the word came from only a SLE few received an invitation but when God takes the word church the word calling then I got news for you it changes because when it was used in history it was just for whoever the king would select this person this class of people this group of people but when God took the word he changes it's still an invitation but now it is who soever will let him come do you know I'm preaching to a high honored group of people here tonight do you know that I am preaching to a people that ought to feel so privileged not because of the money you have not because of the color your skin not because of the degrees you have in school but you ought to be boasting tonight poking your little chest out tonight why I have been called to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ I believe you ought to have a hand clap offering right now rener does a excellent job that's why I'm reading from him tonight he does an excellent job of a research on the earliest historical use of the word church he really did a lot of research of the earliest historical use use of the word church now we would probably think that the word church was first started to be used in the Bible when Jesus said Upon This Rock I will build my church but the word church had been being used invitation high and honored privilege it had been used for many decades before that he does his research he says the Greek word Ecclesia which has a rich and meaningful history one of the earliest appearances of this word was in ancient Athens where the word Ecclesia was used in a political context this early meaning of of Ecclesia is significant because the application of its meaning was still inforce when the New Testament writers use this word to describe the Church of Jesus Christ the writers of the New Testament clearly understood the meaning of the word Ecclesia a meaning that was was far more profound than the one attributed today to its Modern English counterpart the word church anyone with a knowledge of the Greek language in the first century and certainly this would include Paul understood the historical political and judicial implication s connected to this word Ecclesia it was therefore no accident that new testament writers used Ecclesia to depict the church and its role its role this is where I want you to hang with me now the church's role in God's plan yet because of this word strong political implications to use it in a separate context was a courageous act at that time in other words the use of this word could have resulted in the in charges of treason against the authors of these new testament Epistles and the church members to whom they were written but the Classical Greece the word Ecclesia which was translated Church in the New Testament denoted a secular assembly a secular assembly of citizens who were invited to participate in a closed assembly in Athens in this privileged assembly a variety of functions were performed laws were created governmental decisions were debated key judicial cases were decided customs and cultural norms were adapted and changed officials were appointed State decisions were proclaimed and the list goes on and on every Athenian citizen was invited to attend the meeting and to participate in this ruling body regardless of his class or status in society then delegates delegates were called out from their private lives and summons to take their seats in the distinguished assembly the Athenian Ecclesia was considered to be the most prestigious group of people in the land and it was a great great privilege and an honor to participate in this ruling body its decisions were far-reaching affecting every aspect of public and private life the meetings of the Athenian Ecclesia was conducted 30 to 40 times a year and the site for these meetings was a small platform in Southwestern District of ancient Athens the Ecclesia proceeded to deal with matters of law public policy business sessions frequently included speakers who made eloquent speeches this secular Ecclesia was such an intrical part of life famous Greek orators and Statesman would come and give their speeches there even Plato referred to the events occurred at the Athenian Ecclesia meetings in his writing listen to this now political Pary parties and factions were strictly forbidden in this respected assembly the idea that such an illustrious group could degenerate into a group of contention contentious factions was intolerable was an intolerable prospect there was too much Prestige attributed to the Ecclesia for meetings to deteriorate into an ugly fight and division as frequently as occurs this is where this going to sting a little bit as frequently occurs when people become accustomed to privilege and honor eventually citizens begin to take for granted their right to participate in the Ecclesia meetings and overtime attendance at the Ecclesia dropped substantially many would attend meetings only when they were cor horsed to do so it is important also to note that the Athenian Ecclesia had different levels of leadership the councils and the the councils which functioned as as Elders the council that determined and brought before the people of the next of the next assembly now now just y'all just still with me right be because I can I think we can kind of start seeing from history how that these privileged people over time lost the feeling of feeling privileged to be a part of that Ecclesia they they they lost they lost their feeling of being privileged and over time over time it disintegrated over time it lost it it it lost its value it lost its value over time over over time it begin to lose its value it's interesting to note about this Ecclesia that the at the end of every meeting at the end of every meeting they would say prayers to their God's plural they're God's plural and at the end of every meeting the Athens Ecclesia would offer up an animal sacrifice to the gods to the gods I couldn't help couldn't help but think as I read that if we don't watch it our privileged Spirit can all of a sudden lose sight of how privileged that we are that we only start kind of really coming together when life falls apart or we start coming together when somebody is begging and pleading with us I've not seen you in church in a long time can I tell you what will keep us in church every time the doors are open which should be the case what ought to keep us in church every time the doors is open is we received an invitation from God Almighty to be a part of his Ecclesia to be a part of his church and I never want to lose the feeling on the inside of how privilege that we are to be here in the house of God to lift up holy hands to lift up praise to God God has God oh would you do that with me right now would you just simply come on lift him up right now Li LIF lift him up right now with me oh give him praise tonight oh the Athens Ecclesia the Athens brother Nolan the Athens Ecclesia had it all wrong did they not they had it all wrong they had the calling of the people and the people felt so honored to be there but they waited till the end to have prayer and they waited till the end to have a sacrifice but when God got ready to introduce his Ecclesia not the Athenian Ecclesia but when God got ready to introduce his Ecclesia he brought the sacrifice first and then the prayer and with the sacrifice and the pray prayer oh did you hear him pray in John chapter 17 just before he went to be the sacrifice read that John 17 in your homework when you read John chapter 17 he's just about to go to the cross and guess what he's praying for you and me to come into the kingdom he's praying for the apostles and he says in John 17 father I send them in the world I send them to preach your word I send them to preach your word I send them to believe upon me through their word father make them one that they may believe upon me and so the prayer went first and after the prayer the sacrifice of Calvary the next day and oh by the way the Bible says in Acts 20 and 28 that he purchased the church with his own blood you'll never be good enough to feel honored you'll never feel good you'll never do good enough to be prestigious you'll never give enough sing enough work enough to feel that honor but if you could ever get your eyes on the King of Kings and the Lord of lords who did he die for he died for you and he died for me and now the Athenians had it backward they gathered people then they had a prayer and they had sacrifice but God said when I want to build my church I'll have a prayer I'll have a sacrifice and then the people the people will come into the spiritual body the spiritual spiritual body of the church turn with me if you would tonight to First Corinthians First Corinthians chapter number 12 I believe it is 1 Corinthians chapter number 12 in verse number 12 and I hope this teaching tonight helps all of us to see why we we repeatedly we repeatedly preach the new birth we're repeatedly I mean just over and over again preaching the Born Again message preaching the baptism of the Holy Ghost excited that four souls were baptized why I know the modern day Ecclesia has so Whitted down water baptism they have so whittel it down to join joining an EES now that's even if Paul was alive today he said wait a minute you don't join the Ecclesia you are baptized into the Ecclesia as a matter of fact the Ecclesia is not even a building although we thank Our God for our building don't we we thank Our God for our meeting house we thank Our God for where we come when we worship we understand it's not in carpet Pew sheetrock it's not in still girders that run around no no no no no that's that that's only the house where the Ecclesia meets the Ecclesia and guess what we're not all the Ecclesia the Ecclesia is worldwide it is worldwide I don't know what time it is in the Philippines I'm sure somebody could tell me after a while I probably it's early it's probably early Thursday morning right now but do you know that brother and sister Namy have just completed the first night of their General Conference in the Philippines with people getting the Holy Ghost the church brother Adams from Poland was here on Sunday the Ecclesia of God is Not is not just bound to one location it's a mighty Church it look at 1 Corinthians 12 and 12 listen to Paul for as the body is one everybody say one and hath many many members he talking about a human body now and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ for by one Spirit look at verse 13 with me for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit do you know why we preach the new birth so often it's the only way to get in the Kingdom it's the only way you get in the Ecclesia the only way you get in the Ecclesia is through the birth of the spirit of God for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body we are one body listen to this now and I'm G to tell you if you'd been alive in this day if you have been alive in this day this next statement would have shook you when he said in verse 13 for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles you just hold on just one second I don't never have anything to do with them dirty Pagan Godless filthy dirty Gentiles you will if you want to be in his Ecclesia you see hate could all go away tonight if we could get this world in God's Ecclesia cuse you can't get in the you can't get in the Ecclesia with hurt hate you only can get in the Ecclesia through repentance and Brokenness and you can't be broken and repented and hating at the same time oh how Jesus wants to heal the hurt of our world today and don't we see it I'm not getting political right now but we are on a downward spiral the only thing that's going to stop it is the second is is Jesus Christ and the Rapture of the church that's the only thing don't don't ever think please tonight go vote go vote get out out and vote vote to the person that best represents biblical values they're hard to find all right you might have to hold your nose but when you when you vote vote for the one that best represents your your your biblical the Bible values but listen to me tonight stop living in a fairy tale land nobody's going to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that's going to correct everything it was never in intended I do believe the United States of America was God birth but it was God God birth for a meaning for a church an Ecclesia to be here and for us to be the Ecclesia that goes out and evangelizes a lost and a Dying World but our nation our nation will end one day but not the Church of Jesus Christ he said Upon This Rock I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not oh I wish somebody I wish somebody hear me tonight oh I wish somebody tonight would just lift their hands right now and say thank God I'm in the church thank God I've been baptized into the church his truth is marching on prais him with me right now his truth is marching on praise him with me right now wait a minute let me end here tonight let me let me end here verse number 13 for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or free and that's a next that's a that's another jaw dropper right there I mean they can't even recover over him saying Jews and Gentiles they they can't even recover because Jews said you're not even coming in my house I won't even bid you God speed I won't even walk on the same side of the road you're on and I will not even let you cross over my house and I wouldn't even go under your roof that's how much they had disdained and hatred toward the Gentiles and I'm going to tell you the feelings were mutual too because just as much as the Jews hated them the Gentiles hated the Jews example is a woman at the well a thirsty traveling man says would you give me drink and all she could look at him she saw his little prayer little tassle she saw his little Jewish Garb he saw the what Jesus would have been wearing as a Jewish man she said yeah all right how is it that you being a Jew asked me a Samaritan for a drink said yeah right you Jews hate us and we hate you and boy Jesus just knew how to do it didn't he he said woman if you just knew who it was that was asking you for a drink you could ask of him and he would have given you living and I love I I love that preach a little message on this and I hope I don't preach it again but when she saw Jesus all she could see was his clothing all she could see was his tassels all she could see was the blue ribbon on the border of His Garment she said yeah all right how about you being a Jew ask me a Samaritan to drink you're just a Jew that's all you are as a Jew he said if you just knew who it was that asked you for a drink you could ask of him and he would give you living water and she said sir you have nothing to draw with are you greater and our Father Abraham Jacob gave us the well you are you great you you don't have a Dipper in your hand sir but notice how she changes from calling him a Jew to a serve a Jew to a serve you know why she changed it because he made her a promise because Jesus is greater than hatred I said Jesus is greater than hatred Jesus is greater than her and if you're waiting we're trying to too many things and we're not getting over it a lot of people are caught in a vicious cycle of going round and round and round you know why it is you're not going through Jesus because you can't get through him and hold on to the hurt he heals the hurt she said well go ahead and give me that water then he said well go call your husband she said well I I I I don't have one he said he says it this way he says you answered that well now can I tell you what that would really mean today he said man you put a good spin on that no no you you don't have one you've had five and the one you're with now that's six right the one you're with now the one that that the man that owns that bucket right there of water okay he's not yours and then she says now you see some people say that can't really preach on sin because that run people off it doesn't run people off if you're doing it through Jesus because when she said when he said you've had five you're with one now that's not your own she said I believe you're a prophet and then she wanted to get into a debate about where to worship he just turned it around and he said the hour is coming and now in when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and Truth she got ready I mean she was done she done think about where this woman had come Jew sir prophet and then she picks up she goes to pick up the water and she says I'm I'm about to leave I know that one day Messiah is coming Messiah means anointing yoke breaker I know that one day the Yoke breaker is coming to break the Yoke of sin and Jesus said woman he that speaketh unto thee and am he you know how excited she got about that I'll tell you how excited she left her water bucket there she forgot why she came to the well in the first place and she left her water bucket there and she went into the City and she was saying come and see a man you know we say we say that seven is God's perfect number right Seven's God's perfect number she had been married five times she was with a man that wasn't her own but on that day she met one more and that was the seventh man and that's was all she ever needed she said come see a man that told me every everything come see a man that oh I wish tonight that we would understand how privileged we are to sing about Jesus preach about Jesus be baptized in jesus' name receive the Holy Ghost in Jesus name if we could just realize how privilege one last thing one last thing for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or free bond to free free was meant you were born free and and you got to do it this reer did a lot of good research but if you were born free oh what a privilege that was if you were born free if you were born free you were born with privilege you were born free but if you were bond that meant you were born a slave you were a slave born and there's several writings that he's got about the mentality people in that day now we can't we can't hardly imagine it we can't we we're so far removed from slavery we can't even imagine but but a lot of the of the at that day educated men wrote about the dangers of people that were born into bondage or slavery that they are not mentally capable of operating in Freedom they they they would say you you you you you were just born and and a great number of people that were slaves bought into the doctrine that they were just born to be slaves they never sought for freedom because they just bought in that they were they were just born that way they were just Born To Be A Slave they they were born never to be free but do you know that history records that when the Great persecution fell against the first church in the first century history has got documented stories after documented stories of both free people who yes had Bond people serving them there is one story of a woman who was wealthy and free but she had heard the preaching of the Gospel she had heard the preaching of the gospel and because of that she was sentenced to die in the Coliseum but you see we don't really know if the gospel went from her to the little girl that was a a slave ever how it came it might have come through the slave to the free woman we don't know but all history says is on that day to the amazement of the Coliseum both Bond and free walked out hand in hand and gladly laid down their life for the Lord Jesus Christ's name now you asked me tonight our world is so divided it's divided by color our political parties right now are divided all this