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00:00:01 For many people, just to hear 00:00:02 the word “slave” 00:00:04 leaves a bitter taste in their mouth. 00:00:06 They associate the word 00:00:08 with the following definition. 00:00:09 Listen carefully to it, please: 00:00:11 “A human being who is owned as property 00:00:14 “by another and is absolutely subject to his will, 00:00:18 “or a bond servant divested of all freedom 00:00:21 and personal rights.” 00:00:23 The word “slave” may bring to mind 00:00:26 the trafficking in slaves, 00:00:28 especially the buying and selling of blacks for profit 00:00:32 prior to the American Civil War. 00:00:35 Well, that having been said, 00:00:38 the Bible’s use of the word “slave” 00:00:40 does not leave a bad taste in our mouths 00:00:43 but a sweet taste. 00:00:45 Yes, we were bought with the precious blood of another human 00:00:49 —a perfect one— we all know to be Jesus. 00:00:52 And Paul told the early Christians in Corinth: 00:00:56 “You do not belong to yourselves, 00:00:59 for you were bought with a price.” 00:01:03 The 24 elders too in Revelation 5:9 00:01:07 sing to Jesus, “the Lamb of God.” 00:01:09 Open your Bibles, please, to this 00:01:12 —that’s the ninth verse 00:01:14 of the fifth chapter 00:01:17 of Revelation, 00:01:19 and it reads this way: 00:01:29 “And they sing a new song, saying: 00:01:33 “‘You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, 00:01:36 “‘for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people 00:01:41 “‘for God out of every tribe and tongue 00:01:44 and people and nation.’” 00:01:48 Well, that’s true. 00:01:49 That’s what has happened, and we are all happy for that. 00:01:53 But we all know that we are slaves of God. 00:01:56 We have been bought and paid for. 00:01:58 But we’re happy slaves, aren’t we? 00:02:01 We work diligently to please our owners, Jehovah and Jesus. 00:02:05 And that’s what Bethel is all about too. 00:02:08 We work hard as slaves. 00:02:11 To be a slave of Jehovah is a cherished privilege. 00:02:15 Just to be owned by God —to belong to him— 00:02:19 is the best thing that could happen to any one of us. 00:02:22 That is how “the faithful and discreet slave” feels 00:02:25 as the feeding of the domestics is accomplished each day. 00:02:29 Now, you see members of the Governing Body walking here and there 00:02:33 in the various complexes here in the United States 00:02:36 from time to time. 00:02:38 Every now and then, we’ll go up to Canada, 00:02:41 go other places throughout the world, 00:02:44 and you see a few of us walking around too. 00:02:48 What are some things that occupy 00:02:50 the time of the faithful slave and their attention? 00:02:55 I just jotted down a few things. 00:02:57 Now, I’m going to go through them very fast 00:02:59 because we don’t have a lot of time, but you just think about them: 00:03:02 making decisions that affect the lives of all sheep 00:03:05 —publishers, auxiliary, regular, special pioneers, missionaries, 00:03:09 circuit overseers, Bethel family members— all over the world; 00:03:13 deciding whether new branch facilities 00:03:16 are needed in various countries throughout the world; 00:03:18 deciding on the needs in the field of computers, 00:03:22 a field that just keeps growing and growing with each passing week; 00:03:26 looking into legal fights we’re having all over the world; 00:03:31 deciding the best approach to helping brothers and sisters 00:03:34 who have been struck by natural disasters, 00:03:37 how much money can be allotted, and so forth; 00:03:40 deciding on assembly and convention program themes, 00:03:44 dramas, broadcast programs, videos, 00:03:47 new songs, Morning Worship programs; 00:03:50 involvement with all the schools being taught, 00:03:52 and there’s no end to them; 00:03:54 reading and checking and approving all material that will be printed; 00:03:57 looking and approving all artwork that will be used in our publications; 00:04:02 what new languages to start translating; 00:04:05 decide on what will appear 00:04:07 on jw.org and JW Library® 00:04:12 (and, of course, that has really been a jewel, and still is); 00:04:17 final approval on all audio recordings of the Bible; 00:04:22 organizes international and special conventions; 00:04:25 organizes branch dedications and Assembly Hall dedications worldwide; 00:04:29 involved with all teaching; constantly looking to 00:04:32 and praying to Jehovah for direction in shepherding his sheep. 00:04:36 Now, what has been said is probably only half 00:04:40 of what is done by “the faithful and discreet slave.” 00:04:44 What is accomplished is not by human effort alone, 00:04:48 but it is by means of God’s holy spirit and direction given by Jesus, 00:04:52 the head of the congregation. 00:04:55 While all major decisions 00:04:58 and approvals are made by “the faithful and discreet slave,” 00:05:01 we have 30 most qualified helpers 00:05:05 and several other brothers 00:05:07 who work hard in assisting us to accomplish our responsibility 00:05:11 of feeding and caring for Jehovah’s sheep. 00:05:14 Their work does not go unnoticed. 00:05:18 Now, some of us may be viewed as “Iron Chefs,” 00:05:21 but we’re not the only ones in the kitchen; you better believe that. 00:05:26 The entire Bethel family helps as well. 00:05:29 We hear you praying in our behalf on a regular basis, 00:05:32 and we thank you for your prayers. 00:05:35 Is it any wonder that the apostle Paul 00:05:37 is found admonishing sheep to “be industrious, 00:05:41 not lazy”? 00:05:43 “Be aglow with the spirit,” he says, 00:05:45 and then he ends up by saying: “Slave for Jehovah.” 00:05:48 That’s Romans 12:11. 00:05:51 By becoming loyally obedient slaves of God and Jesus, 00:05:55 we become their friends. 00:05:57 Let’s look at something here in our Bibles, John 15:15. 00:06:04 It reads this way: “I no longer call you slaves, 00:06:08 “because a slave does not know what his master does. 00:06:11 “But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you 00:06:14 all the things I have heard from my Father.” 00:06:17 Isn’t that beautiful? 00:06:19 That’s Jesus. 00:06:21 That’s what he does. 00:06:23 And we appreciate it so much —what he does for us. 00:06:27 So those who follow Jesus, 00:06:29 while slaves, are also his friends. 00:06:33 That’s a blessing. 00:06:35 Can you think of a better position 00:06:38 to be in than being a friend of Jesus? 00:06:42 If we have Jesus’ friendship, 00:06:44 then we automatically have Jehovah’s friendship. 00:06:47 So don’t let the word “slave” 00:06:50 put a bad taste in your mouth. 00:06:53 It’s a sweet thing. 00:06:55 It’s honey to the palate.
00:00:01 For many people, just to hear 00:00:02 the word “slave” 00:00:04 leaves a bitter taste in their mouth. 00:00:06 They associate the word 00:00:08 with the following definition. 00:00:09 Listen carefully to it, please: 00:00:11 “A human being who is owned as property 00:00:14 “by another and is absolutely subject to his will, 00:00:18 “or a bond servant divested of all freedom 00:00:21 and personal rights.” 00:00:23 The word “slave” may bring to mind 00:00:26 the trafficking in slaves, 00:00:28 especially the buying and selling of blacks for profit 00:00:32 prior to the American Civil War. 00:00:35 Well, that having been said, 00:00:38 the Bible’s use of the word “slave” 00:00:40 does not leave a bad taste in our mouths 00:00:43 but a sweet taste. 00:00:45 Yes, we were bought with the precious blood of another human 00:00:49 —a perfect one— we all know to be Jesus. 00:00:52 And Paul told the early Christians in Corinth: 00:00:56 “You do not belong to yourselves, 00:00:59 for you were bought with a price.” 00:01:03 The 24 elders too in Revelation 5:9 00:01:07 sing to Jesus, “the Lamb of God.” 00:01:09 Open your Bibles, please, to this 00:01:12 —that’s the ninth verse 00:01:14 of the fifth chapter 00:01:17 of Revelation, 00:01:19 and it reads this way: 00:01:29 “And they sing a new song, saying: 00:01:33 “‘You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, 00:01:36 “‘for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people 00:01:41 “‘for God out of every tribe and tongue 00:01:44 and people and nation.’” 00:01:48 Well, that’s true. 00:01:49 That’s what has happened, and we are all happy for that. 00:01:53 But we all know that we are slaves of God. 00:01:56 We have been bought and paid for. 00:01:58 But we’re happy slaves, aren’t we? 00:02:01 We work diligently to please our owners, Jehovah and Jesus. 00:02:05 And that’s what Bethel is all about too. 00:02:08 We work hard as slaves. 00:02:11 To be a slave of Jehovah is a cherished privilege. 00:02:15 Just to be owned by God —to belong to him— 00:02:19 is the best thing that could happen to any one of us. 00:02:22 That is how “the faithful and discreet slave” feels 00:02:25 as the feeding of the domestics is accomplished each day. 00:02:29 Now, you see members of the Governing Body walking here and there 00:02:33 in the various complexes here in the United States 00:02:36 from time to time. 00:02:38 Every now and then, we’ll go up to Canada, 00:02:41 go other places throughout the world, 00:02:44 and you see a few of us walking around too. 00:02:48 What are some things that occupy 00:02:50 the time of the faithful slave and their attention? 00:02:55 I just jotted down a few things. 00:02:57 Now, I’m going to go through them very fast 00:02:59 because we don’t have a lot of time, but you just think about them: 00:03:02 making decisions that affect the lives of all sheep 00:03:05 —publishers, auxiliary, regular, special pioneers, missionaries, 00:03:09 circuit overseers, Bethel family members— all over the world; 00:03:13 deciding whether new branch facilities 00:03:16 are needed in various countries throughout the world; 00:03:18 deciding on the needs in the field of computers, 00:03:22 a field that just keeps growing and growing with each passing week; 00:03:26 looking into legal fights we’re having all over the world; 00:03:31 deciding the best approach to helping brothers and sisters 00:03:34 who have been struck by natural disasters, 00:03:37 how much money can be allotted, and so forth; 00:03:40 deciding on assembly and convention program themes, 00:03:44 dramas, broadcast programs, videos, 00:03:47 new songs, Morning Worship programs; 00:03:50 involvement with all the schools being taught, 00:03:52 and there’s no end to them; 00:03:54 reading and checking and approving all material that will be printed; 00:03:57 looking and approving all artwork that will be used in our publications; 00:04:02 what new languages to start translating; 00:04:05 decide on what will appear 00:04:07 on jw.org and JW Library® 00:04:12 (and, of course, that has really been a jewel, and still is); 00:04:17 final approval on all audio recordings of the Bible; 00:04:22 organizes international and special conventions; 00:04:25 organizes branch dedications and Assembly Hall dedications worldwide; 00:04:29 involved with all teaching; constantly looking to 00:04:32 and praying to Jehovah for direction in shepherding his sheep. 00:04:36 Now, what has been said is probably only half 00:04:40 of what is done by “the faithful and discreet slave.” 00:04:44 What is accomplished is not by human effort alone, 00:04:48 but it is by means of God’s holy spirit and direction given by Jesus, 00:04:52 the head of the congregation. 00:04:55 While all major decisions 00:04:58 and approvals are made by “the faithful and discreet slave,” 00:05:01 we have 30 most qualified helpers 00:05:05 and several other brothers 00:05:07 who work hard in assisting us to accomplish our responsibility 00:05:11 of feeding and caring for Jehovah’s sheep. 00:05:14 Their work does not go unnoticed. 00:05:18 Now, some of us may be viewed as “Iron Chefs,” 00:05:21 but we’re not the only ones in the kitchen; you better believe that. 00:05:26 The entire Bethel family helps as well. 00:05:29 We hear you praying in our behalf on a regular basis, 00:05:32 and we thank you for your prayers. 00:05:35 Is it any wonder that the apostle Paul 00:05:37 is found admonishing sheep to “be industrious, 00:05:41 not lazy”? 00:05:43 “Be aglow with the spirit,” he says, 00:05:45 and then he ends up by saying: “Slave for Jehovah.” 00:05:48 That’s Romans 12:11. 00:05:51 By becoming loyally obedient slaves of God and Jesus, 00:05:55 we become their friends. 00:05:57 Let’s look at something here in our Bibles, John 15:15. 00:06:04 It reads this way: “I no longer call you slaves, 00:06:08 “because a slave does not know what his master does. 00:06:11 “But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you 00:06:14 all the things I have heard from my Father.” 00:06:17 Isn’t that beautiful? 00:06:19 That’s Jesus. 00:06:21 That’s what he does. 00:06:23 And we appreciate it so much —what he does for us. 00:06:27 So those who follow Jesus, 00:06:29 while slaves, are also his friends. 00:06:33 That’s a blessing. 00:06:35 Can you think of a better position 00:06:38 to be in than being a friend of Jesus? 00:06:42 If we have Jesus’ friendship, 00:06:44 then we automatically have Jehovah’s friendship. 00:06:47 So don’t let the word “slave” 00:06:50 put a bad taste in your mouth. 00:06:53 It’s a sweet thing. 00:06:55 It’s honey to the palate.
