Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: War in the Gates

From Freedom to Slavery

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Civil Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2024-03-29

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines the 'slave mentality' that has overtaken America, using the story of Samson and the Judahites in Judges 15 to illustrate how a people can become uninterested in justice, view resistance to tyranny as a personal threat, and even deliver God's man to the enemy for self-preservation. He contrasts this with the biblical call to freedom, self-government, and justice, urging Christians to cry out to God for righteousness and to reject the comfort-seeking mindset that leads to political and spiritual slavery.

[John Weaver] Their marches through the centuries, the martyrs of the cross. All those who chose to follow Christ, who suffered any loss. And though their journey led them through the shadowlands of death, The song of their commitment they rehearsed with every breath I will serve our Lord I will serve the Lord my God. And if God should choose and my life I lose, though my foe may slay me, I will serve the This program is dedicated to all who resist tyranny imposed by our government servants upon us.

[John Weaver] Many of these resistors have already lost their property and gone to jail. Probably many more will. Tyrants must learn that conscience and the God-given gift of freedom can never be overcome by tyranny. Pastor John Weaver, from years of research and travel, will show how we Americans have turned from freedom to slavery. Slavery is an issue that has been hotly debated over the ages. Most of us probably have never understood the fact that there is indeed a biblical doctrine of slavery. Most have only been aware of what we would call the humanistic view of slavery. But simply because there is a humanistic view does not negate the fact that there is indeed a biblical view of slavery. Now, it's not my intention today to develop the biblical doctrine of slavery, however applicable that may be to our present time.

[John Weaver] I do want to dwell for a little while on the slave mentality. You see, it really galls men to think that they're slaves, and certainly it upsets us to even think that we have been enslaved. We like to consider ourselves free men. We're much like those people in John chapter 8 who said to the Lord Jesus Christ, we be Abraham's seed. We've never been in bondage to any man. Oh, how we like to think that we're free, when in reality, we are slaves. You see, Jesus Christ in John 8 and verse 34 said, Whosoever committed sin is the servant or the slave of sin. You see, there is more than one kind of slavery. And Jesus Christ said that whoever commits sin is indeed the slave of sin. Sin brings a bondservitude. And those who commit sin are captured and captivated and enslaved by sin. But then there's another type of slavery. There is what you and I know as financial slavery. You see, the Bible says in Proverbs 22 and verse 7, that the rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

[John Weaver] Now, note those words carefully. The borrower is a servant or a slave to the lender.

[John Weaver] Now, you see, the Bible places a six-year limitation upon debt. Why in the world does the Bible place a six-year limitation upon debt? Because the Bible is teaching us that it is wicked and wrong and ungodly to mortgage or to sell our future for present gratification. I remember when I was a boy, even my grandparents and my parents, when they wanted something, they saved until they had enough money to pay cash.

[John Weaver] That's not the way it is today. Why? Because we're too Present-oriented we're too lustfully oriented in other words if we want something we charge it We put it on credit we go out and get it and what are we doing? We're mortgaging we're selling our future for present-day gratification in the words we are most of us in hock literally up to our ears and Therefore we are literally working not for ourselves but for others we are the slaves to the lender and unhappily.

[John Weaver] Most people do not have the discipline, nor do they have the strength to live out of debt. Now, laying that aside, we've got to point this fact out. Not only is there a sin slavery, as our Lord talked about, and a financial slavery, there is also a political slavery. Our forefathers would probably be embarrassed to death if they were to see how we have destroyed our Republic.

[John Weaver] denied the Word of God, trampled under our feet the liberties and the freedoms that they so bravely fought for and gave to us, and how we have literally ripped the Constitution of the United States asunder and thrown it to the wind. You see, the Bible teaches us that God's people are to be free. In Galatians chapter 5 and verse 1, the Apostle Paul wrote, Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

[John Weaver] Now, very obviously, freedom comes in Jesus Christ. But we've got to understand this, that along with freedom comes responsibility. Along with freedom comes control, self-control. You see, the individual who will not exercise self-responsibility, the individual who will not exercise self-control, must inevitably be manipulated and controlled by someone else. You see, when we deny personal responsibility, we open ourselves up for enslavement, for governmental tyranny. Why? Because if we will not discipline ourselves, then inevitably someone must rule over us, must manipulate us, must control us to save us from ourselves. So he that will not be responsible He that will not exercise self-control and discipline himself can never, ever be free. The first freedom in the Bible is based upon self-government and self-responsibility and self-discipline.

[John Weaver] Now, what in the world are we talking about when we mention the phrase, the slave mentality? You say, Brother Weaver, I'm free today. I'm not a slave at all. The problem is we think like slaves, and we act like slaves, even though most of us move around without chains, and without shackles, and without getting permission every single day. from our oppressors.

[John Weaver] Now, let me turn to the Word of God and share with you from the book of Judges, chapter 15, beginning there with verse 9. The Word of God says, Then the Philistines went up and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are you come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we now come up, and to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went up, to the rock Edom, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No, but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand, but surely we will not kill thee.

[John Weaver] And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock eaten. And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as slacks that were burned with fire, and the bands loose from his hands. And he found the jawbone of an ass, And he put forth his hand, and he took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, with a jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with a jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men."

[John Weaver] Now, it's important to note, as we study the Word of God, that there are certain evidences that demonstrate a slave mentality. What are they? Well, first of all, the slave mentality is uninterested in justice. I want you to understand that as these Judahites came to Samson, they not only asked, What hast thou done unto us? Samson said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. Now, I want you to understand that the slave mentality is not concerned about justice. It is not concerned about right and wrong. It did not matter to the Judahites that Samson had been wronged. It did not matter to the Judahites whether or not the Philistines were punished. They were simply uninterested in justice. Now, to understand Judges chapter 15, you have to go back to Judges chapter 14. You see, Samson goes down to Timnath, And he finds there a woman that pleases him very well.

[John Weaver] He tells his father, get her for me. It's a wife, and so the father protests, but yet they go down and set up an engagement. And Samson goes to this little festivity, this marriage feast that they normally had in those days, and there were 30 Philistines there that were given him as his companions. And he said, look, I'm going to give you a little riddle. If you can answer my riddle within the seven days of the feast, I'll give you 30 changes of garments and 30 shirts. If you can't, you give the same to me." They said, all right, put forth your riddle. Well, Samson said, out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. Now everyone knows that came from the lion that he killed on the way to Timnath to visit his wife-to-be. Well, very obviously, the Philistine men could not answer that riddle. So they began to tell his wife, now look, Did you invite us to take everything that we have? If you don't find out the answer and tell us, we will kill you and kill your father."

[John Weaver] And so his wife began to lay heavily upon him and say, Samson, you haven't even told me the answer. You just don't love me. Samson answered, well, I haven't even told my father and my mother. What makes you think I'm going to tell you? But she said, Samson, you just don't love me. She kept pressing him and pressing him. And finally he broke in and gave her the answer.

[John Weaver] On the last day of the feast, the young men came and said, what is stronger than a lion? And what is sweeter than honey? And Samson said, if you had not plowed with my heifer, you would have found out the answer to my riddle. And so the Bible says the spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he went down to Ashkelon and he slew 30 Philistines. And he took their garments and their shirts and came back and paid his debt and went away angry and left his wife and returned to his father's house. Now, the father of the bride, supposing Samson did not want her, gave her to a companion. A little while later, Samson brings a young kid and he says, I'll visit my wife. And he comes back, and the father says, you can't go into her. Why? says Samson.

[John Weaver] Well, he said, I thought you all together hated her, so I gave her to someone else. Well, the father said, here's her younger sister. She's much fairer. Take her. Oh, no. Samson would not have that at all. Now, Samson at that particular time went out and caught 300 foxes. He took their tails and tied them tail to tail, set a firebrand in their tails, set it on fire, and turned the foxes loose.

[John Weaver] They ran through the fields of the Philistines, burning their corn, burning their grain, just absolutely destroying it. Now, you see, what Samson was doing, he was seeking biblical justice. You say, now wait a minute, Brother Weaver, what in the world has that got to do with justice? Let me read to you from the book of Leviticus, chapter 24, what God says. This is known as the lex talionis of scripture.

[John Weaver] Literally, the law of retribution. God says, and he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. And he that killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast. And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it, and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. You shall have one manner of law, as well as for the stranger, as one for your own country. I am the Lord your God."

[John Weaver] You say, but Brother Weaver, what in the world does burning the Philistines' harvest have to do with biblical justice? Well, you've got to understand this. The Philistines, by their duplicity, by their oppression, had ruined Samson's marriage. He not only did not have a wife, he no longer had a home. The reason he brought that young kid to go into his wife was because young kids in the Bible represented children. And when Samson brought that young kid, he was saying to his wife, I want to have a child. Well, not only now could he not have a child, he didn't even have a wife. So the Philistines now have destroyed his harvest. Likewise, he now turns around and takes these foxes, and turns them tail to tail, and destroys their harvest. Now let me show you another biblical principle here. You see, there is another law in the Bible, and that is the law of restitution. You see, when a powerful man oppresses a poor man, such as in 2 Samuel chapter 12, God demands a four-fold restitution.

[John Weaver] But when a weaker man oppresses a godly leader, God demands a five-fold restitution. Now, Samson was a leader. Samson was a judge. There were 30 young men. Samson went out, and he caught 300 foxes. He tied them tail-to-tail. That was 150 pairs. What does that mean? Five times 30 is 150. All Samson was doing was deriving and executing a biblical justice, a biblical restitution.

[John Weaver] Now, after this was done, the Philistines turn around and what do they do? They burn his wife and her father with fire. And then the Bible tells us that Samson goes up and he slays those murderers hip and thigh. Now, if you'll study Leviticus chapter 7 and 8, You'll find that hip and thigh is sacrificial language. That is, Samson literally sacrificed or executed those murderers as unto the Lord. Then Samson goes up to the rock Edom to dwell there. It is at this time now that the Philistines come into the land of Judah to encompass that rock and to bind Samson. And the Judahites come along and they say, why are you coming to our land? What have we done?

[John Weaver] Why are you invading us? And they say, to bind Samson are we, therefore, come. And so the men of Judah now go up to Samson and said, man, you've upset these Philistines. Look what they're doing to us.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point out this. The Judahites were not interested in justice. Keep in mind that Judah was the royal tribe. Judah was the kingly tribe. It did not matter that Samson was a judge. It did not matter that Samson had been wronged. It did not matter that the Philistines were wicked and ungodly and reprobate. They were not interested in anything that had happened. You know, I saw a cartoon not so long ago, and here's a man standing like this with his hands up, and all around him are the issues like abortion and sodomy and crime and political corruption, and the guy is saying, so what?

[John Weaver] None of it is happening to me. You know, that is exactly the attitude of the slave. That is the slave mentality. As long as corruption, as long as sodomy, as long as abortion, as long as wicked socialism does not affect us personally, we're not involved. We're not upset. We're saying, well, it has not happened to me yet. Why should I get upset? Why should I get involved?

[John Weaver] Most of you have probably heard about Martin Niemöller, the Lutheran pastor in Germany. He's the man that said, when they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out, for I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Catholics, I did not speak out, for I was not a Catholic. When they came for the Jews, I said nothing, because I was not a Jew. When they came for the communists, I said nothing, for I was not a communist. He said, finally, when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

[John Weaver] You've got to understand, folks, that whatever a wicked, oppressive, tyrannical government can do to others, it can also do to you. Now, let me ask a simple question. Why in the world should we be interested in biblical justice?

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you several reasons. You've got to understand this. Not only is biblical justice a principle of Scripture, It just so happens that the original word for justice in the Hebrew is the same word for righteousness. He who is not interested in justice is not interested in righteousness. You see, if something is just, then it is right. If something is right, then it is just, because justice and righteousness are synonymous.

[John Weaver] You cannot have one without the other. The interesting thing is, God demands justice all throughout the Bible. He demands justice in our daily lives. For instance, in the book of Leviticus chapter 19, in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25, God says a just weight and a just measure shall you have." God says a false balance is an abomination unto the Lord. In other words, God is saying in our everyday dealing with society and our fellow man in economics, in our money, God is demanding a just weight and a just measure. He is demanding absolute honesty. You see, there is such a thing as an unjust money system. There is such a thing as an unbiblical and an ungodly money system. And the way our money system is today, very obviously, not only is it contrary to the Word of God, but it's contrary even to the Constitution of the United States. For the Word of God and the Constitution demands gold and silver as money. Why? Because you can weigh gold and you can weigh silver.

[John Weaver] And there can be a just weight and a just measure. You cannot do that with paper money. Moreover, God demands justice in the judicial system. The Bible, for instance, in Exodus chapter 23, Deuteronomy chapter 16, God says that we're not to countenance a poor man in his cause. Just because a man is poor doesn't mean that you have sympathy for him. It's just. It's right. What is right? What is just? That is what counts. Not whether a man is poor or whether a man has money. God says that you're not to pervert justice. God says you're not to justify the wicked. God says you're not to oppress the righteous unhappily. In our modern-day justice system, we see all kinds of injustice. God demands justice.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something, people. There is something wrong with our judicial system when a man who opposes a political agenda is in prison for 5 and 10 and 15 years, and a man who is convicted of murder is given 2 years, or a man convicted of armed robbery given 3 years. There's something inherently wrong. We have got to come back to biblical justice. We have got to be like that widow woman in Luke chapter 18. Don't you remember?

[John Weaver] She came to that judge and she cried, avenge me of mine adversary. And though he wouldn't for a while, yet he said, though this woman weary me with her continual coming, I'll avenge her.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something. God demands justice. Let me explain this a little further. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 1 and verse 17, God says this, learn to do well, seek justice or judgment. Learn to do well. How do we learn to do well? By seeking judgment. By seeking justice. Now, he says it like this in Jeremiah chapter 22, verses 15 and 16, and this is a very important passage. Listen carefully.

[John Weaver] He asks, shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar? Now, just because you're rich doesn't mean that you're going to always be rich or be in control. So he asked, Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not my father eat and drink and do judgment and justice? And then it was well with him.

[John Weaver] Now listen, he judged the cause of the poor and the needy. Then it was well with him. Was not this to know me, saith the Lord. Now, what was it to know God? To know God was to judge the cause of the weak and the oppressed. To know God was to do justice and righteousness. You see, one of the charges that God levels against His people is found in Isaiah 59 and verse 4. God says that truth has fallen the land and none calleth for justice. None calleth for justice."

[John Weaver] You say, Brother Weaver, I'm helpless. Man, I can't control Congress. I can't control judges. I can't control the presidency. What in the world can I do?

[John Weaver] Now, I understand, in one sense of the word, we're helpless in that point because we can't make a judge do right. We can't make a congressman uphold his oath to the Constitution. We can't make the president be faithful to his oath. But there is something we can do. We're not absolutely helpless. You say, what are you talking about? Well, go back to Luke 18. Here was this widow woman. She came to this judge and said, avenge me of my adversary. And what does the judge say? The judge said, though I fear not God, nor regard man, shall I not avenge this wooded woman? Why?

[John Weaver] Because by her continual coming, she is wearying me. He said, I'll give her what she wants just to get her off my back.

[John Weaver] Now, listen to what our Lord said. In Luke 18, our Lord said, hear what the unjust judge said. And shall not God avenge his own elect who cry unto him day and night, yea, I tell you verily, he shall avenge them speedily? Did you hear what he said? God is not like that unjust judge. God is interested in justice. God is interested in righteousness. God says part of the injustice and part of the wickedness in our land today is because you and I have not cried out and said, oh God, rise up and make things right. If we, his people, cry to him for justice, I can assure you the judge of all the earth shall do right.

[John Weaver] You study the prayers of the psalmist. Over and over, David prays, Arise, O Lord, and show thyself. Let not the wicked triumph. You and I may not have any influence over our congressmen and over our judiciary. But as Christians, we do have power with God, and certainly God has power over each and every one of them. For the king's heart is in the Lord's hand. As rivers of water, he turneth it, whithersoever he willeth." We need to learn to cry to God for justice.

[John Weaver] Secondly, I want you to note that the slave mentality views any action against the government as a personal threat. The Judahites came up to Samson and asked, What is it that thou hast done to us? Now, in reality, Samson had not done anything to the Judahites. But they ask, what is this that thou hast done to us? You see, the slave mentality is the mentality that says, don't rock the boat. The slave mentality says, you can't fight City Hall. The slave mentality says, you know, why fight against tyranny, even though it is tyranny? In other words, submit to authority even though that authority is usurped and tyrannical. You see, the slave mentality does not wish to call government into account for its actions.

[John Weaver] Now, the Philistines were wrong. It's true they were the governing authorities in those days, but they were wicked and they were wrong. And the Judahites, rather than say, look, here is wickedness in its highest degree, looked at Samson and said, what is it thou hast done unto us? You see, the truth of the matter is, the slave mentality always wishes to follow the course of least resistance. The slave mentality is the attitude, I don't want the boat rocked. This same slave mentality prevailed in Moses' day as well. For instance, in the Bible, in Exodus chapter 5, if you would take the time to read it, you will find that God had sent Moses down to deliver Israel. Of course, Moses had gone to Pharaoh and said, let my people go. And Pharaoh said, I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. And finally, the elders of Israel went in and said, now you let us go that we may go and worship and serve the Lord our God. And Pharaoh said, you be idle.

[John Weaver] You be idle. Get out of here. You're going to make the same number of bricks, but you're going to make them without straw. You'll have to get your own straw. And if you don't, we're going to beat you. Well, very obviously, when the elders left, they were very upset, and they saw Moses and Aaron, and they said, The Lord look between you and us and judge, because you've made our savor to be abhorred, that is, to be hated in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, to put a sword in

[John Weaver] his hand to slay us. In other words, here they are criticizing their Deliverer. Here they are attacking the man that is fighting for their freedom. In other words, they were saying, you have disturbed our personal comfort. You've upset our safety zone and our comfort zone.

[John Weaver] Now, Moses, the Lord looked between you and Judge. You see, the problem in America today is this. We have a slave mentality. What we want is comfort and convenience. You see, the slave is not interested in justice. The slave is not interested in righteousness. The only thing he's interested in is making his slavery as convenient and comfortable as possible. You see, what we want today is this. We want all the benefits of a welfare state. We want all of the state holidays, and the state vacations, and the state parks, and the welfare, and the food. We want all the conveniences of a welfare state, but we don't want the control that comes with it. You see, now, our forefathers did not have this slave mentality.

[John Weaver] In fact, I want to take just a moment and read to you some words that were penned by our founding fathers. I'm sure you will recognize these words. Listen carefully. Here is what our forefathers said. We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude, that is, for the justice of our intentions, due in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and in right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be totally dissolved, and that as free and independent states they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may have right do.

[John Weaver] And, for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance upon divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. Now, the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did exactly that. They not only lost their fortunes, they not only lost their sacred honor, many of them lost their lives as well. Have you ever stopped to think that our founding fathers were called kooks and rabble-rousers and troublemakers?

[John Weaver] They were mocked They were jeered. They were maligned. They were made fun of. But I want you to note that they were not interested in personal comfort and personal convenience. If all our forefathers had been interested in was comfort and convenience, we would not have the United States of America today. Thank God our founding fathers did not have a slave mentality. Unhappily today, the average citizen of America is happy as long as he has a six-pack of beer, a color TV, and a boat, and a four-wheeler. And that's all he's interested in. You see, the slave mentality is not interested in justice. It's not interested in righteousness. It's not interested in freedom, in principle. No, the slave mentality is only interested in comfort and convenience. Now, there's a very important third point that I want you to recognize, and that is this, that the slave mentality views any action against the government as a personal threat. What?

[John Weaver] Well, these Judahites said to Samson, knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? Oh, Samson, you have really royally fouled up. You've upset our rulers. You have those in charge angry with us. Why, they have invaded our land. Samson, don't you know you can't fight city hall? Samson, don't you know all you're doing is make it harder on us? Samson, don't you understand? that these individuals are the individuals with control and power and authority.

[John Weaver] Ah, the slave mentality does not wish to call government into account for its abuses, for its usurpations, for its tyranny, and for its wickedness. You see, the slave mentality does not recognize that government was ordained by God and established by God to be God's servant. you study Romans chapter 13, you'll find in verse 4 that the civil authorities call the minister of God twice. And that word minister is dekanos. It's where we get our English word deacon. And a deacon is actually a servant. So God has ordained government to be His servant. But the slave mentality does not recognize that government is a servant. The slave mentality views government as a master and as a tyrant. In other words, the slave mentality only recognizes force.

[John Weaver] Now, no doubt you've heard the expression Well, you better not say that. Well, they can put you in jail. They can confiscate your property. They can make it hard on you. Who is the they? The they happens to be the powers that be or the rulers. In other words, to the slave mentality, right and wrong do not matter. To the slave mentality, freedom and justice are a moot point. To the slave, You just don't rock the boat. You don't make things hard on yourself.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. In 1 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 25, God said it like this, But if you shall continue to do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king. You see, God holds rulers accountable as well as each of us. It's not just the ruled that are accountable to God, the rulers as well are accountable to God. Do you see, every citizen, any citizen, has a biblical and constitutional right for a redress of grievances in this country. We have the right to hold any elected or unelected official responsible for his unconstitutional acts. You see, the Constitution of the United States is our covenant.

[John Weaver] It is our contract with our government. And our government has agreed to be constitutional. And, of course, even the Supreme Court has ruled over and over when there is any law, any statute, any ordinance that is promulgated that is contrary to the Constitution, that it is null and void from its inception. It has no binding power, and no one is obliged to obey an unconstitutional law. But what we have done in America is this.

[John Weaver] We've said, whatever they want to do is right with us. Well, they have the power, they have the swords, they have the judicial system. Let them go. No, dear friend. We must call every elected official and every unelected official into account for unconstitutional and ungodly conduct. To not do so is to evidence a slave mentality. And one of the problems in this country is we've let people, our rulers, get by with ungodly and unconstitutional acts over and over and over.

[John Weaver] Now here's the thing that is so disturbing about this account in Judges chapter 15. The Judahites, remember now, the Judahites are the royal tribe. They're the kingly tribe. They come to Samson and they say, knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? My dear friend, God had never called the Philistines to rule. God had called Israel to rule. Israel was to be the head, not the tail. Israel had been called to dominion. We, as God's people, have been called to dominion. Well, listen.

[John Weaver] The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5, that every thought is to be brought into subjection and captivity of Jesus Christ. What in the world do you think the Great Commission is all about? We're to go into all the countries and make disciples and teach them to observe all things whatsoever. Christ has taught us we are to be a dominion-oriented people. And here the Judahites come and say, knowest thou not that the Philistines are our rulers?

[John Weaver] Dear friend, we've got to understand that God has called us to rule. God has not called the wicked to rule. God has not called the wicked to reign. We, as God's people, are to be the head and not the tail, as we obey Him and bring our lives into conformity to His law. The slave mentality, though, says, let it go. The slave mentality does not wish to call government into account. You see, dear friend, we've got to learn this, that anyone who is fighting for freedom, and fighting for righteousness, and fighting for justice, no matter how much it upsets us, and disturbs us, and makes us uncomfortable, those individuals are not our enemies, they're our friends. And we need to learn that the enemy is the oppressor. The enemy is the tyrant. The enemy will be the one who goes contrary to the Word of God and contrary to the Constitution of the United States of America. The slave mentality is so prevalent in our country today. The slave mentality is also willing to deliver God's man into the hands of the enemy in order to save oneself.

[John Weaver] 3,000 men of Judah went to the top of the Rocketum. Why? To bind Samson. Samson was God's man. Samson was God's judge. Samson was anointed with the Spirit of God. And yet, what did these men do? They went up to bind Samson in order to deliver him into the hands of the enemy. You see, the slave mentality is only interested in self and self-preservation. You find this mentality all throughout the Bible. The Bible in 1 Samuel chapter 23 tells us about David and the Philistines. The Philistines had attacked Keilah and robbed the threshing floors. David inquired of God, asking, Shall I go up and smite the Philistines? And God told him to go. The men were afraid, and David checked with God again, and God said, Yes, go, and surely I'll deliver the Philistines into thy hands. And the Bible tells us that David went up and defeated the Philistines, yea, with a great slaughter, and delivered every one of the men of Keilah and all of their possessions. David then and his men were treated very royally into the city.

[John Weaver] But Saul, King Saul, David's enemy, said, God has surely delivered David into my hands by shutting him up into a city of walls. And so he gathered all of his men and were going to attack the city. that David was in, the city of Keilah. What happened? Abiathar escaped and came to David and said, Saul is coming with all of his men. And Abiathar, the priest, checked with God for David. And David asked, Will Saul certainly come to this city? And God said, He will come. And then David asked this startling question, Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? And God answered, They will. Did you hear that? David had just saved Keilah. He had saved the entire city. Moreover, he saved all of their possessions. And now God is saying to David, the men of Keilah will deliver thee up in order to save themselves.

[John Weaver] You see, the slave mentality isn't concerned with justice and righteousness and freedom and liberty and principle. The slave mentality is only interested in self. Let me show you from the Bible just how wicked, how perverse the slave mentality is, and let me show you how far the slave mentality will drive a man. There is a passage in the book of John, John chapter 11, and this passage is in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now listen carefully to what the Pharisees said. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees of councils and said, what do we? For this man doeth many miracles. In other words, we can't deny the miracles. We can't stop them. What are we going to do? And here's what they say,"...if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Now, pray tell, what were these men interested in? They were interested in their place. They were interested in their position of power. They were interested in their party affiliation. In other words, these men were willing to crucify the sinless Son of God in order to save their jobs.

[John Weaver] I hope you understand this principle. If wicked, ungodly men would crucify the Lord Jesus Christ in order to stay in power, what in the world will wicked men do today to anybody just to stay in power? You see, the slave mentality is this, we will deliver this man up, we'll deliver that man up, just to keep our position, just to keep our power, just to keep our influence.

[John Weaver] In other words, truth is irrelevant. I hope you understand here is a very vital principle. You and I must understand that we can never sacrifice an innocent and a righteous man just simply to save ourselves. We cannot turn an innocent, righteous individual over to a wicked, tyrannical, abusive government just to get some little dole or some little welfare or even deliverance for ourselves. It's the mentality of a slave that will sacrifice freedom and principle for self-preservation. The slave mentality has infected all of America, and unhappily, most of us are just interested in ourselves and not in justice and righteousness. Now, here's a very important point, and that is this, the Lord is on the side of those who are seeking biblical justice. What happened?

[John Weaver] Samson said to those 3,000 Judahites, just promise me that you will not kill me yourself. I don't want to have to fight with you. The men of Judah said, no, we won't kill you, but we'll deliver you over to the Philistines. And so they bound him with new ropes. When Samson came down, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Bible says, the Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson, and he snapped those ropes as if they were flax. The bands were burst asunder, and Samson reached down and picked up the new jawbone of an ass, and with that jawbone he slew a thousand men. The interesting thing is this, that God and one man make a majority. In fact, the truth is, God is a majority in and of himself.

[John Weaver] He really doesn't need anyone. But you see, we are so infected with the attitude, well, the majority is always right. No, dear friend. You study the Word of God, you'll find the majority is usually wrong. Truth is usually with a minority. Justice and righteousness or usually with a minority in the Word of God. But you see, we do not need a majority of the people to affect a biblical change in our country. We do not need all of the nation to affect a righteous and a moral change. What we need is men who are dedicated and surrendered and sold out to Jesus Christ and who are willing to stand and willing to do what is right.

[John Weaver] It's been reported that George Washington never had over 3,000 men at one time under his command. Now, there were more men in general, but the highest number at once was 3,000. And with 3,000 men, George Washington, with the blessings of God, whipped the greatest military and the power in the world at that time. What in the world do you think can happen today? Jesus Christ took 12 men and turned the world upside down.

[John Weaver] You see, we don't need a lot of people. We just need individuals who are sold out to God, who are interested in justice and righteousness, who are interested in truth and liberty and freedom. Men who are willing to take and use what God places at their disposal. Someone says, but Brother Weaver, I don't have a million dollars. I don't have twenty million dollars. It doesn't matter. Samson did not pick up a Mini-14 or an AK-47.

[John Weaver] He picked up the jawbone of an ass. We can use whatever God places at our disposal. God in His providence will always place in our hands that which we need at His time for righteousness and justice if we seek it. Let's not think like slaves. Let's think like free men. Let's not think of self-preservation and comfort and convenience. Let's think of justice and righteousness and liberty and freedom and truth. I'm so thankful. There are things in this land worth dying for, and truth and liberty and freedom are just some of them. I'm so thankful that our founding fathers did not have a slave mentality.

[John Weaver] And here's the question, dear friend. Unless you change from a slave mentality to a biblical, righteous, free man's mentality, what is going to be left for your children and your grandchildren? What kind of country will we hand over to our posterity? Free men are interested in justice and righteousness. If you would like more information, or to order other books and tapes, write to Pastor John Weaver at P.O.

[John Weaver] Box 394, Fitzgerald, Georgia, 31750.

[John Weaver] Oh

From Freedom to Slavery

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	329241330243814
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: War in the Gates
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-03-29
Dictation Name
Book	Book 009: Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order — Chapter 20
Source Timed Segments	71

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Their marches through the centuries, the martyrs of the cross. All those who chose to follow Christ, who suffered any loss. And though their journey led them through the shadowlands of death, the song of their commitment they rehearsed with every breath: "I will serve our Lord, I will serve the Lord my God. And if God should choose and my life I lose, though my foe may slay me, I will serve the Lord." This program is dedicated to all who resist tyranny imposed by our government servants upon us.

Introduction: The Reality of Slavery

Weaver introduces the concept of biblical slavery, distinguishing it from the humanistic view, and asserts that many who think they are free are actually slaves to sin, debt, or political tyranny.

Many of these resistors have already lost their property and gone to jail. Probably many more will. Tyrants must learn that conscience and the God-given gift of freedom can never be overcome by tyranny. Pastor John Weaver, from years of research and travel, will show how we Americans have turned from freedom to slavery. Slavery is an issue that has been hotly debated over the ages. Most of us probably have never understood the fact that there is indeed a biblical doctrine of slavery. Most have only been aware of what we would call the humanistic view of slavery. But simply because there is a humanistic view does not negate the fact that there is indeed a biblical view of slavery. Now, it's not my intention today to develop the biblical doctrine of slavery, however applicable that may be to our present time.

I do want to dwell for a little while on the slave mentality. You see, it really galls men to think that they're slaves, and certainly it upsets us to even think that we have been enslaved. We like to consider ourselves free men. We're much like those people in John chapter 8 who said to the Lord Jesus Christ,

Scripture Reading — John 8:33-34

"We be Abraham's seed. We've never been in bondage to any man."

Oh, how we like to think that we're free, when in reality, we are slaves. You see, Jesus Christ in John 8 and verse 34 said,

Scripture Reading — John 8:33-34

"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant or the slave of sin."

You see, there is more than one kind of slavery. And Jesus Christ said that whoever commits sin is indeed the slave of sin. Sin brings a bondservitude. And those who commit sin are captured and captivated and enslaved by sin. But then there's another type of slavery. There is what you and I know as financial slavery. You see, the Bible says in Proverbs 22 and verse 7, that "the rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."

Three Types of Slavery

He outlines three biblical forms of slavery: slavery to sin (John 8:34), financial slavery (Proverbs 22:7), and political slavery, emphasizing that God's people are called to freedom with responsibility.

Now, note those words carefully. The borrower is a servant or a slave to the lender. Now, you see, the Bible places a six-year limitation upon debt. Why in the world does the Bible place a six-year limitation upon debt? Because the Bible is teaching us that it is wicked and wrong and ungodly to mortgage or to sell our future for present gratification. I remember when I was a boy, even my grandparents and my parents, when they wanted something, they saved until they had enough money to pay cash. That's not the way it is today. Why? Because we're too present-oriented. We're too lustfully oriented. In other words, if we want something, we charge it. We put it on credit. We go out and get it. And what are we doing? We're mortgaging, we're selling our future for present-day gratification. In other words, we are most of us in hock literally up to our ears. And therefore, we are literally working not for ourselves but for others. We are the slaves to the lender. And unhappily,

most people do not have the discipline, nor do they have the strength to live out of debt. Now, laying that aside, we've got to point this fact out. Not only is there a sin slavery, as our Lord talked about, and a financial slavery, there is also a political slavery. Our forefathers would probably be embarrassed to death if they were to see how we have destroyed our Republic, denied the Word of God, trampled under our feet the liberties and the freedoms that they so bravely fought for and gave to us, and how we have literally ripped the Constitution of the United States asunder and thrown it to the wind. You see, the Bible teaches us that God's people are to be free. In Galatians chapter 5 and verse 1, the Apostle Paul wrote,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1

"Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

Now, very obviously, freedom comes in Jesus Christ. But we've got to understand this, that along with freedom comes responsibility. Along with freedom comes control, self-control. You see, the individual who will not exercise self-responsibility, the individual who will not exercise self-control, must inevitably be manipulated and controlled by someone else. You see, when we deny personal responsibility, we open ourselves up for enslavement, for governmental tyranny. Why? Because if we will not discipline ourselves, then inevitably someone must rule over us, must manipulate us, must control us to save us from ourselves. So he that will not be responsible, he that will not exercise self-control and discipline himself can never, ever be free. The first freedom in the Bible is based upon self-government and self-responsibility and self-discipline.

The Slave Mentality Defined

Weaver explains that the slave mentality is a mindset of thinking and acting like a slave even without physical chains, characterized by a lack of interest in justice and a preference for comfort over principle.

Now, what in the world are we talking about when we mention the phrase, the slave mentality? You say, "Brother Weaver, I'm free today. I'm not a slave at all." The problem is we think like slaves, and we act like slaves, even though most of us move around without chains, and without shackles, and without getting permission every single day from our oppressors. Now, let me turn to the Word of God and share with you from the book of Judges, chapter 15, beginning there with verse 9. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Judges 15:9-16

"Then the Philistines went up and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are you come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we now come up, and to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went up to the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No, but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand, but surely we will not kill thee."

Evidence 1: Uninterested in Justice

Using Judges 15, he shows that the Judahites were unconcerned about the wrongs done to Samson, reflecting a slave mentality that ignores justice as long as it does not affect them personally.

"And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock Etam. And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burned with fire, and the bands loosed from his hands. And he found the jawbone of an ass, and he put forth his hand, and he took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men."

Now, it's important to note, as we study the Word of God, that there are certain evidences that demonstrate a slave mentality. What are they? Well, first of all, the slave mentality is uninterested in justice. I want you to understand that as these Judahites came to Samson, they not only asked, "What hast thou done unto us?" Samson said unto them, "As they did unto me, so have I done unto them." Now, I want you to understand that the slave mentality is not concerned about justice. It is not concerned about right and wrong. It did not matter to the Judahites that Samson had been wronged. It did not matter to the Judahites whether or not the Philistines were punished. They were simply uninterested in justice. Now, to understand Judges chapter 15, you have to go back to Judges chapter 14. You see, Samson goes down to Timnath, and he finds there a woman that pleases him very well.

He tells his father, "Get her for me. It's a wife," and so the father protests, but yet they go down and set up an engagement. And Samson goes to this little festivity, this marriage feast that they normally had in those days, and there were 30 Philistines there that were given him as his companions. And he said, "Look, I'm going to give you a little riddle. If you can answer my riddle within the seven days of the feast, I'll give you 30 changes of garments and 30 shirts. If you can't, you give the same to me." They said, "All right, put forth your riddle." Well, Samson said, "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." Now everyone knows that came from the lion that he killed on the way to Timnath to visit his wife-to-be. Well, very obviously, the Philistine men could not answer that riddle. So they began to tell his wife, "Now look, did you invite us to take everything that we have? If you don't find out the answer and tell us, we will kill you and kill your father."

And so his wife began to lay heavily upon him and say, "Samson, you haven't even told me the answer. You just don't love me." Samson answered, "Well, I haven't even told my father and my mother. What makes you think I'm going to tell you?" But she said, "Samson, you just don't love me." She kept pressing him and pressing him. And finally he broke in and gave her the answer. On the last day of the feast, the young men came and said, "What is stronger than a lion? And what is sweeter than honey?" And Samson said, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would have found out the answer to my riddle." And so the Bible says the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he went down to Ashkelon and he slew 30 Philistines. And he took their garments and their shirts and came back and paid his debt and went away angry and left his wife and returned to his father's house. Now, the father of the bride, supposing Samson did not want her, gave her to a companion. A little while later, Samson brings a young kid and he says, "I'll visit my wife." And he comes back, and the father says, "You can't go into her." "Why?" says Samson.

"Well," he said, "I thought you altogether hated her, so I gave her to someone else." Well, the father said, "Here's her younger sister. She's much fairer. Take her." Oh, no. Samson would not have that at all. Now, Samson at that particular time went out and caught 300 foxes. He took their tails and tied them tail to tail, set a firebrand in their tails, set it on fire, and turned the foxes loose. They ran through the fields of the Philistines, burning their corn, burning their grain, just absolutely destroying it. Now, you see, what Samson was doing, he was seeking biblical justice. You say, "Now wait a minute, Brother Weaver, what in the world has that got to do with justice?" Let me read to you from the book of Leviticus, chapter 24, what God says. This is known as the lex talionis of Scripture.

Literally, the law of retribution. God says, "And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. And he that killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast. And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it, and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. You shall have one manner of law, as well as for the stranger, as one for your own country. I am the Lord your God."

You say, "But Brother Weaver, what in the world does burning the Philistines' harvest have to do with biblical justice?" Well, you've got to understand this. The Philistines, by their duplicity, by their oppression, had ruined Samson's marriage. He not only did not have a wife, he no longer had a home. The reason he brought that young kid to go into his wife was because young kids in the Bible represented children. And when Samson brought that young kid, he was saying to his wife, "I want to have a child." Well, not only now could he not have a child, he didn't even have a wife. So the Philistines now have destroyed his harvest. Likewise, he now turns around and takes these foxes, and turns them tail to tail, and destroys their harvest. Now let me show you another biblical principle here. You see, there is another law in the Bible, and that is the law of restitution. You see, when a powerful man oppresses a poor man, such as in 2 Samuel chapter 12, God demands a four-fold restitution.

But when a weaker man oppresses a godly leader, God demands a five-fold restitution. Now, Samson was a leader. Samson was a judge. There were 30 young men. Samson went out, and he caught 300 foxes. He tied them tail-to-tail. That was 150 pairs. What does that mean? Five times 30 is 150. All Samson was doing was deriving and executing a biblical justice, a biblical restitution.

Now, after this was done, the Philistines turn around and what do they do? They burn his wife and her father with fire. And then the Bible tells us that Samson goes up and he slays those murderers hip and thigh. Now, if you'll study Leviticus chapter 7 and 8, you'll find that hip and thigh is sacrificial language. That is, Samson literally sacrificed or executed those murderers as unto the Lord. Then Samson goes up to the rock Etam to dwell there. It is at this time now that the Philistines come into the land of Judah to encompass that rock and to bind Samson. And the Judahites come along and they say, "Why are you coming to our land? What have we done?"

"Why are you invading us?" And they say, "To bind Samson are we, therefore, come." And so the men of Judah now go up to Samson and said, "Man, you've upset these Philistines. Look what they're doing to us." Now, let me point out this. The Judahites were not interested in justice. Keep in mind that Judah was the royal tribe. Judah was the kingly tribe. It did not matter that Samson was a judge. It did not matter that Samson had been wronged. It did not matter that the Philistines were wicked and ungodly and reprobate. They were not interested in anything that had happened. You know, I saw a cartoon not so long ago, and here's a man standing like this with his hands up, and all around him are the issues like abortion and sodomy and crime and political corruption, and the guy is saying, "So what?"

"None of it is happening to me." You know, that is exactly the attitude of the slave. That is the slave mentality. As long as corruption, as long as sodomy, as long as abortion, as long as wicked socialism does not affect us personally, we're not involved. We're not upset. We're saying, "Well, it has not happened to me yet. Why should I get upset? Why should I get involved?"

Most of you have probably heard about Martin Niemöller, the Lutheran pastor in Germany. He's the man that said, "When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out, for I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Catholics, I did not speak out, for I was not a Catholic. When they came for the Jews, I said nothing, because I was not a Jew. When they came for the communists, I said nothing, for I was not a communist." He said, "Finally, when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out."

The Biblical Demand for Justice

Weaver argues that justice and righteousness are synonymous in Scripture, and God demands justice in economics, judicial systems, and personal conduct, calling believers to cry out to God for justice like the widow in Luke 18.

You've got to understand, folks, that whatever a wicked, oppressive, tyrannical government can do to others, it can also do to you. Now, let me ask a simple question. Why in the world should we be interested in biblical justice? Now, let me give you several reasons. You've got to understand this. Not only is biblical justice a principle of Scripture, it just so happens that the original word for justice in the Hebrew is the same word for righteousness. He who is not interested in justice is not interested in righteousness. You see, if something is just, then it is right. If something is right, then it is just, because justice and righteousness are synonymous.

You cannot have one without the other. The interesting thing is, God demands justice all throughout the Bible. He demands justice in our daily lives. For instance, in the book of Leviticus chapter 19, in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25, God says, "A just weight and a just measure shall you have." God says a false balance is an abomination unto the Lord. In other words, God is saying in our everyday dealing with society and our fellow man in economics, in our money, God is demanding a just weight and a just measure. He is demanding absolute honesty. You see, there is such a thing as an unjust money system. There is such a thing as an unbiblical and an ungodly money system. And the way our money system is today, very obviously, not only is it contrary to the Word of God, but it's contrary even to the Constitution of the United States. For the Word of God and the Constitution demands gold and silver as money. Why? Because you can weigh gold and you can weigh silver.

And there can be a just weight and a just measure. You cannot do that with paper money. Moreover, God demands justice in the judicial system. The Bible, for instance, in Exodus chapter 23, Deuteronomy chapter 16, God says that we're not to countenance a poor man in his cause. Just because a man is poor doesn't mean that you have sympathy for him. It's just. It's right. What is right? What is just? That is what counts. Not whether a man is poor or whether a man has money. God says that you're not to pervert justice. God says you're not to justify the wicked. God says you're not to oppress the righteous. Unhappily, in our modern-day justice system, we see all kinds of injustice. God demands justice.

Let me tell you something, people. There is something wrong with our judicial system when a man who opposes a political agenda is in prison for 5 and 10 and 15 years, and a man who is convicted of murder is given 2 years, or a man convicted of armed robbery given 3 years. There's something inherently wrong. We have got to come back to biblical justice. We have got to be like that widow woman in Luke chapter 18. Don't you remember? She came to that judge and she cried, "Avenge me of mine adversary." And though he wouldn't for a while, yet he said, "Though this woman weary me with her continual coming, I'll avenge her."

Now let me tell you something. God demands justice. Let me explain this a little further. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 1 and verse 17, God says this, "Learn to do well, seek justice or judgment." Learn to do well. How do we learn to do well? By seeking judgment. By seeking justice. Now, he says it like this in Jeremiah chapter 22, verses 15 and 16, and this is a very important passage. Listen carefully.

He asks, "Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar?" Now, just because you're rich doesn't mean that you're going to always be rich or be in control. So he asked, "Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not my father eat and drink and do judgment and justice? And then it was well with him."

Now listen, "He judged the cause of the poor and the needy. Then it was well with him. Was not this to know me, saith the Lord." Now, what was it to know God? To know God was to judge the cause of the weak and the oppressed. To know God was to do justice and righteousness. You see, one of the charges that God levels against His people is found in Isaiah 59 and verse 4. God says that "truth has fallen in the land and none calleth for justice. None calleth for justice."

You say, "Brother Weaver, I'm helpless. Man, I can't control Congress. I can't control judges. I can't control the presidency. What in the world can I do?"

Now, I understand, in one sense of the word, we're helpless in that point because we can't make a judge do right. We can't make a congressman uphold his oath to the Constitution. We can't make the president be faithful to his oath. But there is something we can do. We're not absolutely helpless. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, go back to Luke 18. Here was this widow woman. She came to this judge and said, "Avenge me of my adversary." And what does the judge say? The judge said, "Though I fear not God, nor regard man, shall I not avenge this widow woman?" Why?

"Because by her continual coming, she is wearying me." He said, "I'll give her what she wants just to get her off my back." Now, listen to what our Lord said. In Luke 18, our Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall not God avenge his own elect who cry unto him day and night, yea, I tell you verily, he shall avenge them speedily?" Did you hear what he said? God is not like that unjust judge. God is interested in justice. God is interested in righteousness. God says part of the injustice and part of the wickedness in our land today is because you and I have not cried out and said, "Oh God, rise up and make things right." If we, his people, cry to him for justice, I can assure you the judge of all the earth shall do right.

You study the prayers of the psalmist. Over and over, David prays, "Arise, O Lord, and show thyself. Let not the wicked triumph." You and I may not have any influence over our congressmen and over our judiciary. But as Christians, we do have power with God, and certainly God has power over each and every one of them. For "the king's heart is in the Lord's hand. As rivers of water, he turneth it, whithersoever he willeth." We need to learn to cry to God for justice.

Evidence 2: Viewing Action Against Government as Personal Threat

The Judahites accused Samson of harming them, illustrating how the slave mentality sees any challenge to tyranny as a personal disturbance, preferring comfort and convenience over freedom.

Secondly, I want you to note that the slave mentality views any action against the government as a personal threat. The Judahites came up to Samson and asked, "What is it that thou hast done to us?" Now, in reality, Samson had not done anything to the Judahites. But they ask, "What is this that thou hast done to us?" You see, the slave mentality is the mentality that says, "Don't rock the boat." The slave mentality says, "You can't fight City Hall." The slave mentality says, "You know, why fight against tyranny, even though it is tyranny?" In other words, submit to authority even though that authority is usurped and tyrannical. You see, the slave mentality does not wish to call government into account for its actions.

Now, the Philistines were wrong. It's true they were the governing authorities in those days, but they were wicked and they were wrong. And the Judahites, rather than say, "Look, here is wickedness in its highest degree," looked at Samson and said, "What is it thou hast done unto us?" You see, the truth of the matter is, the slave mentality always wishes to follow the course of least resistance. The slave mentality is the attitude, "I don't want the boat rocked." This same slave mentality prevailed in Moses' day as well. For instance, in the Bible, in Exodus chapter 5, if you would take the time to read it, you will find that God had sent Moses down to deliver Israel. Of course, Moses had gone to Pharaoh and said, "Let my people go." And Pharaoh said, "I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." And finally, the elders of Israel went in and said, "Now you let us go that we may go and worship and serve the Lord our God." And Pharaoh said, "You be idle.

You be idle. Get out of here. You're going to make the same number of bricks, but you're going to make them without straw. You'll have to get your own straw. And if you don't, we're going to beat you." Well, very obviously, when the elders left, they were very upset, and they saw Moses and Aaron, and they said, "The Lord look between you and us and judge, because you've made our savor to be abhorred, that is, to be hated in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, to put a sword in his hand to slay us." In other words, here they are criticizing their Deliverer. Here they are attacking the man that is fighting for their freedom. In other words, they were saying, "You have disturbed our personal comfort. You've upset our safety zone and our comfort zone."

Now, Moses, "The Lord look between you and judge." You see, the problem in America today is this. We have a slave mentality. What we want is comfort and convenience. You see, the slave is not interested in justice. The slave is not interested in righteousness. The only thing he's interested in is making his slavery as convenient and comfortable as possible. You see, what we want today is this. We want all the benefits of a welfare state. We want all of the state holidays, and the state vacations, and the state parks, and the welfare, and the food. We want all the conveniences of a welfare state, but we don't want the control that comes with it. You see, now, our forefathers did not have this slave mentality.

In fact, I want to take just a moment and read to you some words that were penned by our founding fathers. I'm sure you will recognize these words. Listen carefully. Here is what our forefathers said: "We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude, that is, for the justice of our intentions, due in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and in right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be totally dissolved, and that as free and independent states they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may have right do.

Evidence 3: Willing to Deliver God's Man to the Enemy

The 3,000 men of Judah bound Samson to hand him over to the Philistines, demonstrating that the slave mentality sacrifices righteous individuals for self-preservation, a pattern seen also in the Pharisees' plot against Jesus.

3,000 men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam. Why? To bind Samson. Samson was God's man. Samson was God's judge. Samson was anointed with the Spirit of God. And yet, what did these men do? They went up to bind Samson in order to deliver him into the hands of the enemy. You see, the slave mentality is only interested in self and self-preservation. You find this mentality all throughout the Bible. The Bible in 1 Samuel chapter 23 tells us about David and the Philistines. The Philistines had attacked Keilah and robbed the threshing floors. David inquired of God, asking, "Shall I go up and smite the Philistines?" And God told him to go. The men were afraid, and David checked with God again, and God said, "Yes, go, and surely I'll deliver the Philistines into thy hands." And the Bible tells us that David went up and defeated the Philistines, yea, with a great slaughter, and delivered every one of the men of Keilah and all of their possessions. David then and his men were treated very royally into the city.

But Saul, King Saul, David's enemy, said, "God has surely delivered David into my hands by shutting him up into a city of walls." And so he gathered all of his men and were going to attack the city that David was in, the city of Keilah. What happened? Abiathar escaped and came to David and said, "Saul is coming with all of his men." And Abiathar, the priest, checked with God for David. And David asked, "Will Saul certainly come to this city?" And God said, "He will come." And then David asked this startling question, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand?" And God answered, "They will." Did you hear that? David had just saved Keilah. He had saved the entire city. Moreover, he saved all of their possessions. And now God is saying to David, "The men of Keilah will deliver thee up in order to save themselves."

You see, the slave mentality isn't concerned with justice and righteousness and freedom and liberty and principle. The slave mentality is only interested in self. Let me show you from the Bible just how wicked, how perverse the slave mentality is, and let me show you how far the slave mentality will drive a man. There is a passage in the book of John, John chapter 11, and this passage is in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now listen carefully to what the Pharisees said. "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees of councils and said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles." In other words, we can't deny the miracles. We can't stop them. What are we going to do? And here's what they say, "...if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Now, pray tell, what were these men interested in? They were interested in their place. They were interested in their position of power. They were interested in their party affiliation. In other words, these men were willing to crucify the sinless Son of God in order to save their jobs.

I hope you understand this principle. If wicked, ungodly men would crucify the Lord Jesus Christ in order to stay in power, what in the world will wicked men do today to anybody just to stay in power? You see, the slave mentality is this, we will deliver this man up, we'll deliver that man up, just to keep our position, just to keep our power, just to keep our influence. In other words, truth is irrelevant. I hope you understand here is a very vital principle. You and I must understand that we can never sacrifice an innocent and a righteous man just simply to save ourselves. We cannot turn an innocent, righteous individual over to a wicked, tyrannical, abusive government just to get some little dole or some little welfare or even deliverance for ourselves. It's the mentality of a slave that will sacrifice freedom and principle for self-preservation. The slave mentality has infected all of America, and unhappily, most of us are just interested in ourselves and not in justice and righteousness. Now, here's a very important point, and that is this, the Lord is on the side of those who are seeking biblical justice. What happened?

God's Deliverance and the Call to a Free Man's Mentality

God empowered Samson to break his bonds and defeat the Philistines, showing that God supports those who seek justice. Weaver concludes by urging believers to reject the slave mentality, embrace biblical freedom, and trust God to use them for righteous change.

Samson said to those 3,000 Judahites, "Just promise me that you will not kill me yourself. I don't want to have to fight with you." The men of Judah said, "No, we won't kill you, but we'll deliver you over to the Philistines." And so they bound him with new ropes. When Samson came down, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Bible says, the Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson, and he snapped those ropes as if they were flax. The bands were burst asunder, and Samson reached down and picked up the new jawbone of an ass, and with that jawbone he slew a thousand men. The interesting thing is this, that God and one man make a majority. In fact, the truth is, God is a majority in and of himself. He really doesn't need anyone. But you see, we are so infected with the attitude, "Well, the majority is always right." No, dear friend. You study the Word of God, you'll find the majority is usually wrong. Truth is usually with a minority. Justice and righteousness are usually with a minority in the Word of God. But you see, we do not need a majority of the people to affect a biblical change in our country. We do not need all of the nation to affect a righteous and a moral change. What we need is men who are dedicated and surrendered and sold out to Jesus Christ and who are willing to stand and willing to do what is right.

It's been reported that George Washington never had over 3,000 men at one time under his command. Now, there were more men in general, but the highest number at once was 3,000. And with 3,000 men, George Washington, with the blessings of God, whipped the greatest military and the power in the world at that time. What in the world do you think can happen today? Jesus Christ took 12 men and turned the world upside down. You see, we don't need a lot of people. We just need individuals who are sold out to God, who are interested in justice and righteousness, who are interested in truth and liberty and freedom. Men who are willing to take and use what God places at their disposal. Someone says, "But Brother Weaver, I don't have a million dollars. I don't have twenty million dollars." It doesn't matter. Samson did not pick up a Mini-14 or an AK-47.

He picked up the jawbone of an ass. We can use whatever God places at our disposal. God in His providence will always place in our hands that which we need at His time for righteousness and justice if we seek it. Let's not think like slaves. Let's think like free men. Let's not think of self-preservation and comfort and convenience. Let's think of justice and righteousness and liberty and freedom and truth. I'm so thankful. There are things in this land worth dying for, and truth and liberty and freedom are just some of them. I'm so thankful that our founding fathers did not have a slave mentality.

And here's the question, dear friend. Unless you change from a slave mentality to a biblical, righteous, free man's mentality, what is going to be left for your children and your grandchildren? What kind of country will we hand over to our posterity? Free men are interested in justice and righteousness. If you would like more information, or to order other books and tapes, write to Pastor John Weaver at P.O.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Slave Mentality

Summary: A pervasive mindset in America that prioritizes personal comfort, convenience, and self-preservation over justice, righteousness, and freedom, leading to passive acceptance of tyranny.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The slave mentality is not interested in justice. It is not concerned about right and wrong.' He illustrates this with the Judahites' response to Samson.

Biblical Justice and Righteousness

Summary: Justice and righteousness are inseparable in Scripture; God demands just weights, measures, and judicial fairness, and His people are called to actively seek and cry out for justice.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'He who is not interested in justice is not interested in righteousness... justice and righteousness are synonymous.' He cites Leviticus 19, Deuteronomy 25, and Luke 18.

Freedom Through Self-Government

Summary: True freedom requires personal responsibility and self-discipline; without these, individuals invite external control and tyranny.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'The individual who will not exercise self-responsibility... must inevitably be manipulated and controlled by someone else.'

God's Sovereignty Over Rulers

Summary: God holds rulers accountable and can turn their hearts; believers have power with God through prayer to effect justice, even when they lack political influence.

Evidence: Weaver references Proverbs 21:1 and Luke 18, stating, 'The king's heart is in the Lord's hand... We need to learn to cry to God for justice.'

The Cost of Freedom

Summary: The founding fathers sacrificed comfort, fortune, and lives for liberty, contrasting with modern Americans who prioritize material pleasures over principled freedom.

Evidence: Weaver reads from the Declaration of Independence and notes, 'If all our forefathers had been interested in was comfort and convenience, we would not have the United States of America today.'

God's Empowerment for the Faithful Remnant

Summary: God can use a dedicated minority to achieve great victories; Samson's jawbone and Washington's small army demonstrate that God plus one is a majority.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'God and one man make a majority... We do not need a majority of the people to affect a biblical change.'

Key Arguments

Slavery is not merely physical but spiritual, financial, and political.

Summary: Weaver argues that the Bible teaches multiple forms of slavery, and many Americans are enslaved without realizing it, particularly through debt and submission to tyrannical government.

Evidence: He cites John 8:34 for sin slavery, Proverbs 22:7 for financial slavery, and Galatians 5:1 for political freedom, stating, 'The borrower is a servant or a slave to the lender.'

The slave mentality is marked by indifference to justice.

Summary: The Judahites' question 'What hast thou done unto us?' reveals a mindset that ignores the wrongs done to Samson and focuses only on personal disturbance, a hallmark of slavery.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The slave mentality is not concerned about justice. It is not concerned about right and wrong.'

God commands His people to actively seek justice.

Summary: Scripture repeatedly calls for justice in all areas of life, and believers are to cry out to God persistently for it, as the widow did with the unjust judge.

Evidence: Weaver references Isaiah 1:17, Jeremiah 22:15-16, and Luke 18, stating, 'God says, Learn to do well, seek justice or judgment.'

The slave mentality views any challenge to government as a personal threat.

Summary: The Judahites accused Samson of harming them, reflecting a fear of rocking the boat and a preference for comfort over confronting tyranny.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The slave mentality is the mentality that says, Don't rock the boat... You can't fight City Hall.'

The slave mentality sacrifices righteous individuals for self-preservation.

Summary: The 3,000 men of Judah bound Samson to save themselves, and the Pharisees plotted against Jesus to protect their positions, showing the extreme wickedness of this mindset.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The slave mentality is only interested in self and self-preservation... We can never sacrifice an innocent and a righteous man just simply to save ourselves.'

God empowers those who seek biblical justice.

Summary: Samson's supernatural strength and victory over the Philistines demonstrate that God is on the side of those who pursue justice, and He can use ordinary means to achieve extraordinary results.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson... God and one man make a majority.'

Scripture References

John 8:33-34

Context: Weaver quotes Jesus' words to show that committing sin makes one a slave to sin, contrasting the Jews' claim of never being in bondage.

Proverbs 22:7

Context: Used to establish the principle of financial slavery: the borrower is servant to the lender.

Galatians 5:1

Context: Paul's exhortation to stand fast in liberty and not be entangled again in bondage, cited to show God's desire for His people to be free.

Judges 15:9-16

Context: The primary narrative text: the Philistines come to bind Samson, the Judahites cooperate, and Samson's Spirit-empowered victory.

Judges 14

Context: Background to Judges 15: Samson's marriage, riddle, and the Philistines' treachery, leading to his acts of justice.

Leviticus 24:17-22

Context: The lex talionis (law of retribution) establishing eye-for-eye justice, cited to explain Samson's actions as biblical restitution.

2 Samuel 12

Context: Referenced for the principle of four-fold restitution when a powerful man oppresses a poor man, used to explain Samson's five-fold restitution.

Leviticus 19, Deuteronomy 25

Context: Commands for just weights and measures, showing God's demand for honesty and justice in economic dealings.

Exodus 23, Deuteronomy 16

Context: Instructions not to pervert justice or show partiality, cited to argue for a just judicial system.

Luke 18:1-8

Context: The parable of the persistent widow, used to encourage believers to cry out to God for justice day and night.

Isaiah 1:17

Context: God's command to learn to do well by seeking justice, cited to show that knowing God involves doing justice.

Jeremiah 22:15-16

Context: Knowing God is equated with judging the cause of the poor and needy, emphasizing justice as a mark of true knowledge of God.

Isaiah 59:4

Context: God's charge that none calls for justice, used to indict the modern church's silence.

Proverbs 21:1

Context: The king's heart is in the Lord's hand, cited to affirm God's sovereignty over rulers and the power of prayer.

Exodus 5

Context: The Israelites' complaint against Moses for making their bondage harder, paralleling the slave mentality that resists deliverance.

Romans 13:4

Context: Civil authorities are called God's ministers (servants), used to argue that government is meant to serve, not tyrannize.

1 Samuel 12:25

Context: Warning that continued wickedness will consume both people and king, showing rulers are accountable to God.

2 Corinthians 10:5

Context: Bringing every thought captive to Christ, used to support the call to dominion and cultural engagement.

1 Samuel 23

Context: David's deliverance of Keilah and the men's willingness to betray him to Saul, illustrating the slave mentality of self-preservation.

John 11:47-48

Context: The Pharisees' plot to kill Jesus to save their place and nation, showing the extreme of sacrificing the innocent for self-interest.

Historical References

Martin Niemöller

Context: Weaver quotes Niemöller's famous poem about not speaking out as various groups were taken, ending with 'When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out,' to illustrate the danger of indifference.

Declaration of Independence

Context: Weaver reads an excerpt to show the founding fathers' commitment to justice and freedom, pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.

56 Signers of the Declaration

Context: He notes that many signers lost their fortunes, honor, and lives, contrasting their sacrifice with modern comfort-seeking.

George Washington's army

Context: Weaver reports that Washington never had over 3,000 men at one time, yet with God's blessing defeated the world's greatest power, illustrating that a small dedicated force can prevail.

Important Quotes

Whosoever committeth sin is the servant or the slave of sin.

Significance: Establishes the biblical basis for spiritual slavery, a key concept in the sermon.

The borrower is servant to the lender.

Significance: Introduces the idea of financial slavery, which Weaver uses to critique modern debt culture.

Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Significance: Calls believers to maintain their freedom in Christ, a central theme of the message.

The individual who will not exercise self-responsibility, the individual who will not exercise self-control, must inevitably be manipulated and controlled by someone else.

Significance: Links personal discipline to political freedom, a foundational argument.

He who is not interested in justice is not interested in righteousness.

Significance: Equates justice with righteousness, making indifference to justice a spiritual failing.

Learn to do well, seek justice or judgment.

Significance: A direct biblical command used to urge active pursuit of justice.

The slave mentality is only interested in self and self-preservation.

Significance: Summarizes the core selfishness of the slave mindset, a key diagnostic point.

God and one man make a majority.

Significance: Encourages believers that they do not need numbers to effect change, only God's empowerment.

Discussion Questions

In what ways might we exhibit a 'slave mentality' in our own lives, prioritizing comfort and convenience over justice and righteousness?

Context: Weaver describes the slave mentality as uninterested in justice and focused on self-preservation.

How does the biblical concept of justice differ from modern secular ideas of social justice, and what practical steps can we take to 'seek justice' as Isaiah 1:17 commands?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that biblical justice is tied to God's law and righteousness, not partiality.

Why is personal self-government and self-discipline essential for maintaining political freedom, according to Weaver?

Context: He argues that without self-control, people invite external control and tyranny.

How should Christians respond when government actions are unjust or unconstitutional, and what does it mean to 'cry out to God for justice'?

Context: Weaver uses the widow in Luke 18 as a model for persistent prayer for justice.

In what ways might we be tempted to 'deliver God's man into the hands of the enemy' today, sacrificing righteous individuals for our own safety or advantage?

Context: The Judahites bound Samson to save themselves, and the Pharisees plotted against Jesus.

What does the example of Samson's jawbone teach us about using whatever God places at our disposal for His purposes?

Context: Weaver notes that Samson used a simple jawbone, and God can use ordinary means for extraordinary victories.

How can we cultivate a 'free man's mentality' that values truth, liberty, and justice over material comfort and personal peace?

Context: Weaver contrasts the founding fathers' sacrifice with modern American complacency.

What role does the church have in holding civil rulers accountable to God's law and the Constitution, and how can we do so biblically?

Context: Weaver argues that government is God's servant and that citizens have a right to redress grievances.

Applications

Cry out to God for justice persistently.

Summary: Believers should follow the example of the widow in Luke 18, praying day and night for God to avenge injustice and bring righteousness to the land.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If we, his people, cry to him for justice, I can assure you the judge of all the earth shall do right.'

Reject the slave mentality of comfort and convenience.

Summary: Christians must stop prioritizing personal ease and material pleasures over the pursuit of justice, freedom, and biblical principles.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The slave mentality is only interested in comfort and convenience... We want all the benefits of a welfare state... but we don't want the control that comes with it.'

Exercise self-government and personal responsibility.

Summary: To remain free, individuals must discipline themselves according to God's Word, avoiding the debt and sin that lead to bondage.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'He that will not be responsible, he that will not exercise self-control and discipline himself can never, ever be free.'

Hold government officials accountable to God and the Constitution.

Summary: Citizens have a biblical and constitutional right to call rulers to account for unconstitutional and ungodly acts, rather than passively accepting tyranny.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must call every elected official and every unelected official into account for unconstitutional and ungodly conduct.'

Stand with those who fight for righteousness, even when it is uncomfortable.

Summary: Instead of criticizing those who challenge wickedness, believers should recognize them as friends and allies in the battle for justice.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'Anyone who is fighting for freedom... those individuals are not our enemies, they're our friends.'

Use whatever resources God provides for His purposes.

Summary: Like Samson with the jawbone, believers should trust God to use ordinary means and small numbers to accomplish great things for righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We can use whatever God places at our disposal. God in His providence will always place in our hands that which we need.'

Consider the legacy we are leaving for future generations.

Summary: Weaver challenges listeners to think about what kind of country they will hand to their children if they maintain a slave mentality.

Evidence: He asks, 'Unless you change from a slave mentality to a biblical, righteous, free man's mentality, what is going to be left for your children and your grandchildren?'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T23:20:01Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T23:20:13Z

Clean Transcript

From Freedom to Slavery

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Their marches through the centuries, the martyrs of the cross. All those who chose to follow Christ, who suffered any loss. And though their journey led them through the shadowlands of death, the song of their commitment they rehearsed with every breath: "I will serve our Lord, I will serve the Lord my God. And if God should choose and my life I lose, though my foe may slay me, I will serve the Lord." This program is dedicated to all who resist tyranny imposed by our government servants upon us.
#1 | 0:03 to 1:30 | cleaned
Many of these resistors have already lost their property and gone to jail. Probably many more will. Tyrants must learn that conscience and the God-given gift of freedom can never be overcome by tyranny. Pastor John Weaver, from years of research and travel, will show how we Americans have turned from freedom to slavery. Slavery is an issue that has been hotly debated over the ages. Most of us probably have never understood the fact that there is indeed a biblical doctrine of slavery. Most have only been aware of what we would call the humanistic view of slavery. But simply because there is a humanistic view does not negate the fact that there is indeed a biblical view of slavery. Now, it's not my intention today to develop the biblical doctrine of slavery, however applicable that may be to our present time.
#2 | 1:31 to 2:21 | cleaned
I do want to dwell for a little while on the slave mentality. You see, it really galls men to think that they're slaves, and certainly it upsets us to even think that we have been enslaved. We like to consider ourselves free men. We're much like those people in John chapter 8 who said to the Lord Jesus Christ, "We be Abraham's seed. We've never been in bondage to any man." Oh, how we like to think that we're free, when in reality, we are slaves. You see, Jesus Christ in John 8 and verse 34 said, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant or the slave of sin." You see, there is more than one kind of slavery. And Jesus Christ said that whoever commits sin is indeed the slave of sin. Sin brings a bondservitude. And those who commit sin are captured and captivated and enslaved by sin. But then there's another type of slavery. There is what you and I know as financial slavery. You see, the Bible says in Proverbs 22 and verse 7, that "the rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."
#3 | 2:21 to 3:33 | cleaned
Now, note those words carefully. The borrower is a servant or a slave to the lender.
#4 | 3:33 to 3:40 | cleaned
Now, you see, the Bible places a six-year limitation upon debt. Why in the world does the Bible place a six-year limitation upon debt? Because the Bible is teaching us that it is wicked and wrong and ungodly to mortgage or to sell our future for present gratification. I remember when I was a boy, even my grandparents and my parents, when they wanted something, they saved until they had enough money to pay cash.
#5 | 3:40 to 4:07 | cleaned
That's not the way it is today. Why? Because we're too present-oriented. We're too lustfully oriented. In other words, if we want something, we charge it. We put it on credit. We go out and get it. And what are we doing? We're mortgaging, we're selling our future for present-day gratification. In other words, we are most of us in hock literally up to our ears. And therefore, we are literally working not for ourselves but for others. We are the slaves to the lender. And unhappily,
#6 | 4:08 to 4:43 | cleaned
most people do not have the discipline, nor do they have the strength to live out of debt. Now, laying that aside, we've got to point this fact out. Not only is there a sin slavery, as our Lord talked about, and a financial slavery, there is also a political slavery. Our forefathers would probably be embarrassed to death if they were to see how we have destroyed our Republic,
#7 | 4:43 to 5:11 | cleaned
denied the Word of God, trampled under our feet the liberties and the freedoms that they so bravely fought for and gave to us, and how we have literally ripped the Constitution of the United States asunder and thrown it to the wind. You see, the Bible teaches us that God's people are to be free. In Galatians chapter 5 and verse 1, the Apostle Paul wrote, "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
#8 | 5:12 to 5:42 | cleaned
Now, very obviously, freedom comes in Jesus Christ. But we've got to understand this, that along with freedom comes responsibility. Along with freedom comes control, self-control. You see, the individual who will not exercise self-responsibility, the individual who will not exercise self-control, must inevitably be manipulated and controlled by someone else. You see, when we deny personal responsibility, we open ourselves up for enslavement, for governmental tyranny. Why? Because if we will not discipline ourselves, then inevitably someone must rule over us, must manipulate us, must control us to save us from ourselves. So he that will not be responsible, he that will not exercise self-control and discipline himself can never, ever be free. The first freedom in the Bible is based upon self-government and self-responsibility and self-discipline.
#9 | 5:42 to 6:55 | cleaned
Now, what in the world are we talking about when we mention the phrase, the slave mentality? You say, "Brother Weaver, I'm free today. I'm not a slave at all." The problem is we think like slaves, and we act like slaves, even though most of us move around without chains, and without shackles, and without getting permission every single day from our oppressors.
#10 | 6:56 to 7:25 | cleaned
Now, let me turn to the Word of God and share with you from the book of Judges, chapter 15, beginning there with verse 9. The Word of God says, "Then the Philistines went up and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are you come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we now come up, and to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went up to the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No, but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand, but surely we will not kill thee."
#11 | 7:25 to 8:25 | cleaned
"And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock Etam. And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burned with fire, and the bands loosed from his hands. And he found the jawbone of an ass, and he put forth his hand, and he took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men."
#12 | 8:25 to 8:59 | cleaned
Now, it's important to note, as we study the Word of God, that there are certain evidences that demonstrate a slave mentality. What are they? Well, first of all, the slave mentality is uninterested in justice. I want you to understand that as these Judahites came to Samson, they not only asked, "What hast thou done unto us?" Samson said unto them, "As they did unto me, so have I done unto them." Now, I want you to understand that the slave mentality is not concerned about justice. It is not concerned about right and wrong. It did not matter to the Judahites that Samson had been wronged. It did not matter to the Judahites whether or not the Philistines were punished. They were simply uninterested in justice. Now, to understand Judges chapter 15, you have to go back to Judges chapter 14. You see, Samson goes down to Timnath, and he finds there a woman that pleases him very well.
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He tells his father, "Get her for me. It's a wife," and so the father protests, but yet they go down and set up an engagement. And Samson goes to this little festivity, this marriage feast that they normally had in those days, and there were 30 Philistines there that were given him as his companions. And he said, "Look, I'm going to give you a little riddle. If you can answer my riddle within the seven days of the feast, I'll give you 30 changes of garments and 30 shirts. If you can't, you give the same to me." They said, "All right, put forth your riddle." Well, Samson said, "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." Now everyone knows that came from the lion that he killed on the way to Timnath to visit his wife-to-be. Well, very obviously, the Philistine men could not answer that riddle. So they began to tell his wife, "Now look, did you invite us to take everything that we have? If you don't find out the answer and tell us, we will kill you and kill your father."
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And so his wife began to lay heavily upon him and say, "Samson, you haven't even told me the answer. You just don't love me." Samson answered, "Well, I haven't even told my father and my mother. What makes you think I'm going to tell you?" But she said, "Samson, you just don't love me." She kept pressing him and pressing him. And finally he broke in and gave her the answer.
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On the last day of the feast, the young men came and said, "What is stronger than a lion? And what is sweeter than honey?" And Samson said, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would have found out the answer to my riddle." And so the Bible says the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he went down to Ashkelon and he slew 30 Philistines. And he took their garments and their shirts and came back and paid his debt and went away angry and left his wife and returned to his father's house. Now, the father of the bride, supposing Samson did not want her, gave her to a companion. A little while later, Samson brings a young kid and he says, "I'll visit my wife." And he comes back, and the father says, "You can't go into her." "Why?" says Samson.
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"Well," he said, "I thought you altogether hated her, so I gave her to someone else." Well, the father said, "Here's her younger sister. She's much fairer. Take her." Oh, no. Samson would not have that at all. Now, Samson at that particular time went out and caught 300 foxes. He took their tails and tied them tail to tail, set a firebrand in their tails, set it on fire, and turned the foxes loose.
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They ran through the fields of the Philistines, burning their corn, burning their grain, just absolutely destroying it. Now, you see, what Samson was doing, he was seeking biblical justice. You say, "Now wait a minute, Brother Weaver, what in the world has that got to do with justice?" Let me read to you from the book of Leviticus, chapter 24, what God says. This is known as the lex talionis of Scripture.
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Literally, the law of retribution. God says, "And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. And he that killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast. And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it, and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. You shall have one manner of law, as well as for the stranger, as one for your own country. I am the Lord your God."
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You say, "But Brother Weaver, what in the world does burning the Philistines' harvest have to do with biblical justice?" Well, you've got to understand this. The Philistines, by their duplicity, by their oppression, had ruined Samson's marriage. He not only did not have a wife, he no longer had a home. The reason he brought that young kid to go into his wife was because young kids in the Bible represented children. And when Samson brought that young kid, he was saying to his wife, "I want to have a child." Well, not only now could he not have a child, he didn't even have a wife. So the Philistines now have destroyed his harvest. Likewise, he now turns around and takes these foxes, and turns them tail to tail, and destroys their harvest. Now let me show you another biblical principle here. You see, there is another law in the Bible, and that is the law of restitution. You see, when a powerful man oppresses a poor man, such as in 2 Samuel chapter 12, God demands a four-fold restitution.
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But when a weaker man oppresses a godly leader, God demands a five-fold restitution. Now, Samson was a leader. Samson was a judge. There were 30 young men. Samson went out, and he caught 300 foxes. He tied them tail-to-tail. That was 150 pairs. What does that mean? Five times 30 is 150. All Samson was doing was deriving and executing a biblical justice, a biblical restitution.
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Now, after this was done, the Philistines turn around and what do they do? They burn his wife and her father with fire. And then the Bible tells us that Samson goes up and he slays those murderers hip and thigh. Now, if you'll study Leviticus chapter 7 and 8, you'll find that hip and thigh is sacrificial language. That is, Samson literally sacrificed or executed those murderers as unto the Lord. Then Samson goes up to the rock Etam to dwell there. It is at this time now that the Philistines come into the land of Judah to encompass that rock and to bind Samson. And the Judahites come along and they say, "Why are you coming to our land? What have we done?"
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"Why are you invading us?" And they say, "To bind Samson are we, therefore, come." And so the men of Judah now go up to Samson and said, "Man, you've upset these Philistines. Look what they're doing to us."
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Now, let me point out this. The Judahites were not interested in justice. Keep in mind that Judah was the royal tribe. Judah was the kingly tribe. It did not matter that Samson was a judge. It did not matter that Samson had been wronged. It did not matter that the Philistines were wicked and ungodly and reprobate. They were not interested in anything that had happened. You know, I saw a cartoon not so long ago, and here's a man standing like this with his hands up, and all around him are the issues like abortion and sodomy and crime and political corruption, and the guy is saying, "So what?"
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"None of it is happening to me." You know, that is exactly the attitude of the slave. That is the slave mentality. As long as corruption, as long as sodomy, as long as abortion, as long as wicked socialism does not affect us personally, we're not involved. We're not upset. We're saying, "Well, it has not happened to me yet. Why should I get upset? Why should I get involved?"
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Most of you have probably heard about Martin Niemöller, the Lutheran pastor in Germany. He's the man that said, "When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out, for I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Catholics, I did not speak out, for I was not a Catholic. When they came for the Jews, I said nothing, because I was not a Jew. When they came for the communists, I said nothing, for I was not a communist." He said, "Finally, when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out."
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You've got to understand, folks, that whatever a wicked, oppressive, tyrannical government can do to others, it can also do to you. Now, let me ask a simple question. Why in the world should we be interested in biblical justice?
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Now, let me give you several reasons. You've got to understand this. Not only is biblical justice a principle of Scripture, it just so happens that the original word for justice in the Hebrew is the same word for righteousness. He who is not interested in justice is not interested in righteousness. You see, if something is just, then it is right. If something is right, then it is just, because justice and righteousness are synonymous.
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You cannot have one without the other. The interesting thing is, God demands justice all throughout the Bible. He demands justice in our daily lives. For instance, in the book of Leviticus chapter 19, in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25, God says, "A just weight and a just measure shall you have." God says a false balance is an abomination unto the Lord. In other words, God is saying in our everyday dealing with society and our fellow man in economics, in our money, God is demanding a just weight and a just measure. He is demanding absolute honesty. You see, there is such a thing as an unjust money system. There is such a thing as an unbiblical and an ungodly money system. And the way our money system is today, very obviously, not only is it contrary to the Word of God, but it's contrary even to the Constitution of the United States. For the Word of God and the Constitution demands gold and silver as money. Why? Because you can weigh gold and you can weigh silver.
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And there can be a just weight and a just measure. You cannot do that with paper money. Moreover, God demands justice in the judicial system. The Bible, for instance, in Exodus chapter 23, Deuteronomy chapter 16, God says that we're not to countenance a poor man in his cause. Just because a man is poor doesn't mean that you have sympathy for him. It's just. It's right. What is right? What is just? That is what counts. Not whether a man is poor or whether a man has money. God says that you're not to pervert justice. God says you're not to justify the wicked. God says you're not to oppress the righteous. Unhappily, in our modern-day justice system, we see all kinds of injustice. God demands justice.
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Let me tell you something, people. There is something wrong with our judicial system when a man who opposes a political agenda is in prison for 5 and 10 and 15 years, and a man who is convicted of murder is given 2 years, or a man convicted of armed robbery given 3 years. There's something inherently wrong. We have got to come back to biblical justice. We have got to be like that widow woman in Luke chapter 18. Don't you remember?
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She came to that judge and she cried, "Avenge me of mine adversary." And though he wouldn't for a while, yet he said, "Though this woman weary me with her continual coming, I'll avenge her."
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Now let me tell you something. God demands justice. Let me explain this a little further. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 1 and verse 17, God says this, "Learn to do well, seek justice or judgment." Learn to do well. How do we learn to do well? By seeking judgment. By seeking justice. Now, he says it like this in Jeremiah chapter 22, verses 15 and 16, and this is a very important passage. Listen carefully.
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He asks, "Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar?" Now, just because you're rich doesn't mean that you're going to always be rich or be in control. So he asked, "Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not my father eat and drink and do judgment and justice? And then it was well with him."
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Now listen, "He judged the cause of the poor and the needy. Then it was well with him. Was not this to know me, saith the Lord." Now, what was it to know God? To know God was to judge the cause of the weak and the oppressed. To know God was to do justice and righteousness. You see, one of the charges that God levels against His people is found in Isaiah 59 and verse 4. God says that "truth has fallen in the land and none calleth for justice. None calleth for justice."
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You say, "Brother Weaver, I'm helpless. Man, I can't control Congress. I can't control judges. I can't control the presidency. What in the world can I do?"
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Now, I understand, in one sense of the word, we're helpless in that point because we can't make a judge do right. We can't make a congressman uphold his oath to the Constitution. We can't make the president be faithful to his oath. But there is something we can do. We're not absolutely helpless. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, go back to Luke 18. Here was this widow woman. She came to this judge and said, "Avenge me of my adversary." And what does the judge say? The judge said, "Though I fear not God, nor regard man, shall I not avenge this widow woman?" Why?
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"Because by her continual coming, she is wearying me." He said, "I'll give her what she wants just to get her off my back."
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Now, listen to what our Lord said. In Luke 18, our Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall not God avenge his own elect who cry unto him day and night, yea, I tell you verily, he shall avenge them speedily?" Did you hear what he said? God is not like that unjust judge. God is interested in justice. God is interested in righteousness. God says part of the injustice and part of the wickedness in our land today is because you and I have not cried out and said, "Oh God, rise up and make things right." If we, his people, cry to him for justice, I can assure you the judge of all the earth shall do right.
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You study the prayers of the psalmist. Over and over, David prays, "Arise, O Lord, and show thyself. Let not the wicked triumph." You and I may not have any influence over our congressmen and over our judiciary. But as Christians, we do have power with God, and certainly God has power over each and every one of them. For "the king's heart is in the Lord's hand. As rivers of water, he turneth it, whithersoever he willeth." We need to learn to cry to God for justice.
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Secondly, I want you to note that the slave mentality views any action against the government as a personal threat. The Judahites came up to Samson and asked, "What is it that thou hast done to us?" Now, in reality, Samson had not done anything to the Judahites. But they ask, "What is this that thou hast done to us?" You see, the slave mentality is the mentality that says, "Don't rock the boat." The slave mentality says, "You can't fight City Hall." The slave mentality says, "You know, why fight against tyranny, even though it is tyranny?" In other words, submit to authority even though that authority is usurped and tyrannical. You see, the slave mentality does not wish to call government into account for its actions.
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Now, the Philistines were wrong. It's true they were the governing authorities in those days, but they were wicked and they were wrong. And the Judahites, rather than say, "Look, here is wickedness in its highest degree," looked at Samson and said, "What is it thou hast done unto us?" You see, the truth of the matter is, the slave mentality always wishes to follow the course of least resistance. The slave mentality is the attitude, "I don't want the boat rocked." This same slave mentality prevailed in Moses' day as well. For instance, in the Bible, in Exodus chapter 5, if you would take the time to read it, you will find that God had sent Moses down to deliver Israel. Of course, Moses had gone to Pharaoh and said, "Let my people go." And Pharaoh said, "I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." And finally, the elders of Israel went in and said, "Now you let us go that we may go and worship and serve the Lord our God." And Pharaoh said, "You be idle.
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You be idle. Get out of here. You're going to make the same number of bricks, but you're going to make them without straw. You'll have to get your own straw. And if you don't, we're going to beat you." Well, very obviously, when the elders left, they were very upset, and they saw Moses and Aaron, and they said, "The Lord look between you and us and judge, because you've made our savor to be abhorred, that is, to be hated in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, to put a sword in
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his hand to slay us." In other words, here they are criticizing their Deliverer. Here they are attacking the man that is fighting for their freedom. In other words, they were saying, "You have disturbed our personal comfort. You've upset our safety zone and our comfort zone."
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Now, Moses, "The Lord look between you and judge." You see, the problem in America today is this. We have a slave mentality. What we want is comfort and convenience. You see, the slave is not interested in justice. The slave is not interested in righteousness. The only thing he's interested in is making his slavery as convenient and comfortable as possible. You see, what we want today is this. We want all the benefits of a welfare state. We want all of the state holidays, and the state vacations, and the state parks, and the welfare, and the food. We want all the conveniences of a welfare state, but we don't want the control that comes with it. You see, now, our forefathers did not have this slave mentality.
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In fact, I want to take just a moment and read to you some words that were penned by our founding fathers. I'm sure you will recognize these words. Listen carefully. Here is what our forefathers said: "We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude, that is, for the justice of our intentions, due in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and in right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be totally dissolved, and that as free and independent states they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may have right do.
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And, for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance upon divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Now, the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did exactly that. They not only lost their fortunes, they not only lost their sacred honor, many of them lost their lives as well. Have you ever stopped to think that our founding fathers were called kooks and rabble-rousers and troublemakers?
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They were mocked. They were jeered. They were maligned. They were made fun of. But I want you to note that they were not interested in personal comfort and personal convenience. If all our forefathers had been interested in was comfort and convenience, we would not have the United States of America today. Thank God our founding fathers did not have a slave mentality. Unhappily today, the average citizen of America is happy as long as he has a six-pack of beer, a color TV, and a boat, and a four-wheeler. And that's all he's interested in. You see, the slave mentality is not interested in justice. It's not interested in righteousness. It's not interested in freedom, in principle. No, the slave mentality is only interested in comfort and convenience. Now, there's a very important third point that I want you to recognize, and that is this, that the slave mentality views any action against the government as a personal threat. What?
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Well, these Judahites said to Samson, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us?" Oh, Samson, you have really royally fouled up. You've upset our rulers. You have those in charge angry with us. Why, they have invaded our land. Samson, don't you know you can't fight city hall? Samson, don't you know all you're doing is make it harder on us? Samson, don't you understand that these individuals are the individuals with control and power and authority?
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Ah, the slave mentality does not wish to call government into account for its abuses, for its usurpations, for its tyranny, and for its wickedness. You see, the slave mentality does not recognize that government was ordained by God and established by God to be God's servant. You study Romans chapter 13, you'll find in verse 4 that the civil authorities are called the minister of God twice. And that word minister is diakonos. It's where we get our English word deacon. And a deacon is actually a servant. So God has ordained government to be His servant. But the slave mentality does not recognize that government is a servant. The slave mentality views government as a master and as a tyrant. In other words, the slave mentality only recognizes force.
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Now, no doubt you've heard the expression, "Well, you better not say that. Well, they can put you in jail. They can confiscate your property. They can make it hard on you." Who is the "they"? The "they" happens to be the powers that be or the rulers. In other words, to the slave mentality, right and wrong do not matter. To the slave mentality, freedom and justice are a moot point. To the slave, you just don't rock the boat. You don't make things hard on yourself.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. In 1 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 25, God said it like this, "But if you shall continue to do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king." You see, God holds rulers accountable as well as each of us. It's not just the ruled that are accountable to God, the rulers as well are accountable to God. Do you see, every citizen, any citizen, has a biblical and constitutional right for a redress of grievances in this country. We have the right to hold any elected or unelected official responsible for his unconstitutional acts. You see, the Constitution of the United States is our covenant.
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It is our contract with our government. And our government has agreed to be constitutional. And, of course, even the Supreme Court has ruled over and over when there is any law, any statute, any ordinance that is promulgated that is contrary to the Constitution, that it is null and void from its inception. It has no binding power, and no one is obliged to obey an unconstitutional law. But what we have done in America is this.
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We've said, "Whatever they want to do is right with us. Well, they have the power, they have the swords, they have the judicial system. Let them go." No, dear friend. We must call every elected official and every unelected official into account for unconstitutional and ungodly conduct. To not do so is to evidence a slave mentality. And one of the problems in this country is we've let people, our rulers, get by with ungodly and unconstitutional acts over and over and over.
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Now here's the thing that is so disturbing about this account in Judges chapter 15. The Judahites, remember now, the Judahites are the royal tribe. They're the kingly tribe. They come to Samson and they say, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us?" My dear friend, God had never called the Philistines to rule. God had called Israel to rule. Israel was to be the head, not the tail. Israel had been called to dominion. We, as God's people, have been called to dominion. Well, listen.
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The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5, that every thought is to be brought into subjection and captivity of Jesus Christ. What in the world do you think the Great Commission is all about? We're to go into all the countries and make disciples and teach them to observe all things whatsoever Christ has taught us. We are to be a dominion-oriented people. And here the Judahites come and say, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are our rulers?"
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Dear friend, we've got to understand that God has called us to rule. God has not called the wicked to rule. God has not called the wicked to reign. We, as God's people, are to be the head and not the tail, as we obey Him and bring our lives into conformity to His law. The slave mentality, though, says, "Let it go." The slave mentality does not wish to call government into account. You see, dear friend, we've got to learn this, that anyone who is fighting for freedom, and fighting for righteousness, and fighting for justice, no matter how much it upsets us, and disturbs us, and makes us uncomfortable, those individuals are not our enemies, they're our friends. And we need to learn that the enemy is the oppressor. The enemy is the tyrant. The enemy will be the one who goes contrary to the Word of God and contrary to the Constitution of the United States of America. The slave mentality is so prevalent in our country today. The slave mentality is also willing to deliver God's man into the hands of the enemy in order to save oneself.
#57 | 37:21 to 38:40 | cleaned
3,000 men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam. Why? To bind Samson. Samson was God's man. Samson was God's judge. Samson was anointed with the Spirit of God. And yet, what did these men do? They went up to bind Samson in order to deliver him into the hands of the enemy. You see, the slave mentality is only interested in self and self-preservation. You find this mentality all throughout the Bible. The Bible in 1 Samuel chapter 23 tells us about David and the Philistines. The Philistines had attacked Keilah and robbed the threshing floors. David inquired of God, asking, "Shall I go up and smite the Philistines?" And God told him to go. The men were afraid, and David checked with God again, and God said, "Yes, go, and surely I'll deliver the Philistines into thy hands." And the Bible tells us that David went up and defeated the Philistines, yea, with a great slaughter, and delivered every one of the men of Keilah and all of their possessions. David then and his men were treated very royally into the city.
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But Saul, King Saul, David's enemy, said, "God has surely delivered David into my hands by shutting him up into a city of walls." And so he gathered all of his men and were going to attack the city that David was in, the city of Keilah. What happened? Abiathar escaped and came to David and said, "Saul is coming with all of his men." And Abiathar, the priest, checked with God for David. And David asked, "Will Saul certainly come to this city?" And God said, "He will come." And then David asked this startling question, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand?" And God answered, "They will." Did you hear that? David had just saved Keilah. He had saved the entire city. Moreover, he saved all of their possessions. And now God is saying to David, "The men of Keilah will deliver thee up in order to save themselves."
#59 | 39:47 to 40:43 | cleaned
You see, the slave mentality isn't concerned with justice and righteousness and freedom and liberty and principle. The slave mentality is only interested in self. Let me show you from the Bible just how wicked, how perverse the slave mentality is, and let me show you how far the slave mentality will drive a man. There is a passage in the book of John, John chapter 11, and this passage is in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now listen carefully to what the Pharisees said. "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees of councils and said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles." In other words, we can't deny the miracles. We can't stop them. What are we going to do? And here's what they say, "...if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Now, pray tell, what were these men interested in? They were interested in their place. They were interested in their position of power. They were interested in their party affiliation. In other words, these men were willing to crucify the sinless Son of God in order to save their jobs.
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I hope you understand this principle. If wicked, ungodly men would crucify the Lord Jesus Christ in order to stay in power, what in the world will wicked men do today to anybody just to stay in power? You see, the slave mentality is this, we will deliver this man up, we'll deliver that man up, just to keep our position, just to keep our power, just to keep our influence.
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In other words, truth is irrelevant. I hope you understand here is a very vital principle. You and I must understand that we can never sacrifice an innocent and a righteous man just simply to save ourselves. We cannot turn an innocent, righteous individual over to a wicked, tyrannical, abusive government just to get some little dole or some little welfare or even deliverance for ourselves. It's the mentality of a slave that will sacrifice freedom and principle for self-preservation. The slave mentality has infected all of America, and unhappily, most of us are just interested in ourselves and not in justice and righteousness. Now, here's a very important point, and that is this, the Lord is on the side of those who are seeking biblical justice. What happened?
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Samson said to those 3,000 Judahites, "Just promise me that you will not kill me yourself. I don't want to have to fight with you." The men of Judah said, "No, we won't kill you, but we'll deliver you over to the Philistines." And so they bound him with new ropes. When Samson came down, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Bible says, the Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson, and he snapped those ropes as if they were flax. The bands were burst asunder, and Samson reached down and picked up the new jawbone of an ass, and with that jawbone he slew a thousand men. The interesting thing is this, that God and one man make a majority. In fact, the truth is, God is a majority in and of himself.
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He really doesn't need anyone. But you see, we are so infected with the attitude, "Well, the majority is always right." No, dear friend. You study the Word of God, you'll find the majority is usually wrong. Truth is usually with a minority. Justice and righteousness are usually with a minority in the Word of God. But you see, we do not need a majority of the people to affect a biblical change in our country. We do not need all of the nation to affect a righteous and a moral change. What we need is men who are dedicated and surrendered and sold out to Jesus Christ and who are willing to stand and willing to do what is right.
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It's been reported that George Washington never had over 3,000 men at one time under his command. Now, there were more men in general, but the highest number at once was 3,000. And with 3,000 men, George Washington, with the blessings of God, whipped the greatest military and the power in the world at that time. What in the world do you think can happen today? Jesus Christ took 12 men and turned the world upside down.
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You see, we don't need a lot of people. We just need individuals who are sold out to God, who are interested in justice and righteousness, who are interested in truth and liberty and freedom. Men who are willing to take and use what God places at their disposal. Someone says, "But Brother Weaver, I don't have a million dollars. I don't have twenty million dollars." It doesn't matter. Samson did not pick up a Mini-14 or an AK-47.
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He picked up the jawbone of an ass. We can use whatever God places at our disposal. God in His providence will always place in our hands that which we need at His time for righteousness and justice if we seek it. Let's not think like slaves. Let's think like free men. Let's not think of self-preservation and comfort and convenience. Let's think of justice and righteousness and liberty and freedom and truth. I'm so thankful. There are things in this land worth dying for, and truth and liberty and freedom are just some of them. I'm so thankful that our founding fathers did not have a slave mentality.
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And here's the question, dear friend. Unless you change from a slave mentality to a biblical, righteous, free man's mentality, what is going to be left for your children and your grandchildren? What kind of country will we hand over to our posterity? Free men are interested in justice and righteousness. If you would like more information, or to order other books and tapes, write to Pastor John Weaver at P.O.
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Box 394, Fitzgerald, Georgia, 31750.
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Oh
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T23:20:01Z

From Freedom to Slavery

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines the 'slave mentality' that has overtaken America, using the story of Samson and the Judahites in Judges 15 to illustrate how a people can become uninterested in justice, view resistance to tyranny as a personal threat, and even deliver God's man to the enemy for self-preservation. He contrasts this with the biblical call to freedom, self-government, and justice, urging Christians to cry out to God for righteousness and to reject the comfort-seeking mindset that leads to political and spiritual slavery.

Opening

Introduction: The Reality of Slavery

Weaver introduces the concept of biblical slavery, distinguishing it from the humanistic view, and asserts that many who think they are free are actually slaves to sin, debt, or political tyranny.

Scripture Reading — John 8:33-34

"We be Abraham's seed. We've never been in bondage to any man."

Oh, how we like to think that we're free, when in reality, we are slaves. You see, Jesus Christ in John 8 and verse 34 said,

Scripture Reading — John 8:33-34

"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant or the slave of sin."

Three Types of Slavery

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1

"Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

The Slave Mentality Defined

Scripture Reading — Judges 15:9-16

"Then the Philistines went up and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are you come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we now come up, and to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went up to the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No, but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand, but surely we will not kill thee."

Evidence 1: Uninterested in Justice

Using Judges 15, he shows that the Judahites were unconcerned about the wrongs done to Samson, reflecting a slave mentality that ignores justice as long as it does not affect them personally.

The Biblical Demand for Justice

You say, "Brother Weaver, I'm helpless. Man, I can't control Congress. I can't control judges. I can't control the presidency. What in the world can I do?"

Evidence 2: Viewing Action Against Government as Personal Threat

The Judahites accused Samson of harming them, illustrating how the slave mentality sees any challenge to tyranny as a personal disturbance, preferring comfort and convenience over freedom.

Evidence 3: Willing to Deliver God's Man to the Enemy

God's Deliverance and the Call to a Free Man's Mentality

From Freedom to Slavery

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	329241330243814
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: War in the Gates
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-03-29
Dictation Name
Book	Book 009: Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order — Chapter 20
Source Timed Segments	71

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Reality of Slavery: Weaver introduces the concept of biblical slavery, distinguishing it from the humanistic view, and asserts that many who think they are free are actually slaves to sin, debt, or political tyranny.
Three Types of Slavery: He outlines three biblical forms of slavery: slavery to sin (John 8:34), financial slavery (Proverbs 22:7), and political slavery, emphasizing that God's people are called to freedom with responsibility.
The Slave Mentality Defined: Weaver explains that the slave mentality is a mindset of thinking and acting like a slave even without physical chains, characterized by a lack of interest in justice and a preference for comfort over principle.
Evidence 1: Uninterested in Justice: Using Judges 15, he shows that the Judahites were unconcerned about the wrongs done to Samson, reflecting a slave mentality that ignores justice as long as it does not affect them personally.
The Biblical Demand for Justice: Weaver argues that justice and righteousness are synonymous in Scripture, and God demands justice in economics, judicial systems, and personal conduct, calling believers to cry out to God for justice like the widow in Luke 18.
Evidence 2: Viewing Action Against Government as Personal Threat: The Judahites accused Samson of harming them, illustrating how the slave mentality sees any challenge to tyranny as a personal disturbance, preferring comfort and convenience over freedom.
Evidence 3: Willing to Deliver God's Man to the Enemy: The 3,000 men of Judah bound Samson to hand him over to the Philistines, demonstrating that the slave mentality sacrifices righteous individuals for self-preservation, a pattern seen also in the Pharisees' plot against Jesus.
God's Deliverance and the Call to a Free Man's Mentality: God empowered Samson to break his bonds and defeat the Philistines, showing that God supports those who seek justice. Weaver concludes by urging believers to reject the slave mentality, embrace biblical freedom, and trust God to use them for righteous change.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Slavery is not merely physical but spiritual, financial, and political.

Weaver argues that the Bible teaches multiple forms of slavery, and many Americans are enslaved without realizing it, particularly through debt and submission to tyrannical government.

He cites John 8:34 for sin slavery, Proverbs 22:7 for financial slavery, and Galatians 5:1 for political freedom, stating, 'The borrower is a servant or a slave to the lender.'

The slave mentality is marked by indifference to justice.

The Judahites' question 'What hast thou done unto us?' reveals a mindset that ignores the wrongs done to Samson and focuses only on personal disturbance, a hallmark of slavery.

Weaver says, 'The slave mentality is not concerned about justice. It is not concerned about right and wrong.'

God commands His people to actively seek justice.

Scripture repeatedly calls for justice in all areas of life, and believers are to cry out to God persistently for it, as the widow did with the unjust judge.

Weaver references Isaiah 1:17, Jeremiah 22:15-16, and Luke 18, stating, 'God says, Learn to do well, seek justice or judgment.'

The slave mentality views any challenge to government as a personal threat.

The Judahites accused Samson of harming them, reflecting a fear of rocking the boat and a preference for comfort over confronting tyranny.

Weaver says, 'The slave mentality is the mentality that says, Don't rock the boat... You can't fight City Hall.'

The slave mentality sacrifices righteous individuals for self-preservation.

The 3,000 men of Judah bound Samson to save themselves, and the Pharisees plotted against Jesus to protect their positions, showing the extreme wickedness of this mindset.

Weaver states, 'The slave mentality is only interested in self and self-preservation... We can never sacrifice an innocent and a righteous man just simply to save ourselves.'

God empowers those who seek biblical justice.

Samson's supernatural strength and victory over the Philistines demonstrate that God is on the side of those who pursue justice, and He can use ordinary means to achieve extraordinary results.

Weaver says, 'The Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson... God and one man make a majority.'

Scripture References

John 8:33-34: Weaver quotes Jesus' words to show that committing sin makes one a slave to sin, contrasting the Jews' claim of never being in bondage.
Proverbs 22:7: Used to establish the principle of financial slavery: the borrower is servant to the lender.
Galatians 5:1: Paul's exhortation to stand fast in liberty and not be entangled again in bondage, cited to show God's desire for His people to be free.
Judges 15:9-16: The primary narrative text: the Philistines come to bind Samson, the Judahites cooperate, and Samson's Spirit-empowered victory.
Judges 14: Background to Judges 15: Samson's marriage, riddle, and the Philistines' treachery, leading to his acts of justice.
Leviticus 24:17-22: The lex talionis (law of retribution) establishing eye-for-eye justice, cited to explain Samson's actions as biblical restitution.
2 Samuel 12: Referenced for the principle of four-fold restitution when a powerful man oppresses a poor man, used to explain Samson's five-fold restitution.
Leviticus 19, Deuteronomy 25: Commands for just weights and measures, showing God's demand for honesty and justice in economic dealings.
Exodus 23, Deuteronomy 16: Instructions not to pervert justice or show partiality, cited to argue for a just judicial system.
Luke 18:1-8: The parable of the persistent widow, used to encourage believers to cry out to God for justice day and night.
Isaiah 1:17: God's command to learn to do well by seeking justice, cited to show that knowing God involves doing justice.
Jeremiah 22:15-16: Knowing God is equated with judging the cause of the poor and needy, emphasizing justice as a mark of true knowledge of God.
Isaiah 59:4: God's charge that none calls for justice, used to indict the modern church's silence.
Proverbs 21:1: The king's heart is in the Lord's hand, cited to affirm God's sovereignty over rulers and the power of prayer.
Exodus 5: The Israelites' complaint against Moses for making their bondage harder, paralleling the slave mentality that resists deliverance.
Romans 13:4: Civil authorities are called God's ministers (servants), used to argue that government is meant to serve, not tyrannize.
1 Samuel 12:25: Warning that continued wickedness will consume both people and king, showing rulers are accountable to God.
2 Corinthians 10:5: Bringing every thought captive to Christ, used to support the call to dominion and cultural engagement.
1 Samuel 23: David's deliverance of Keilah and the men's willingness to betray him to Saul, illustrating the slave mentality of self-preservation.
John 11:47-48: The Pharisees' plot to kill Jesus to save their place and nation, showing the extreme of sacrificing the innocent for self-interest.

Historical References

Martin Niemöller: Weaver quotes Niemöller's famous poem about not speaking out as various groups were taken, ending with 'When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out,' to illustrate the danger of indifference.
Declaration of Independence: Weaver reads an excerpt to show the founding fathers' commitment to justice and freedom, pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
56 Signers of the Declaration: He notes that many signers lost their fortunes, honor, and lives, contrasting their sacrifice with modern comfort-seeking.
George Washington's army: Weaver reports that Washington never had over 3,000 men at one time, yet with God's blessing defeated the world's greatest power, illustrating that a small dedicated force can prevail.

Important Quotes

Whosoever committeth sin is the servant or the slave of sin.

Establishes the biblical basis for spiritual slavery, a key concept in the sermon.

The borrower is servant to the lender.

Introduces the idea of financial slavery, which Weaver uses to critique modern debt culture.

Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Calls believers to maintain their freedom in Christ, a central theme of the message.

The individual who will not exercise self-responsibility, the individual who will not exercise self-control, must inevitably be manipulated and controlled by someone else.

Links personal discipline to political freedom, a foundational argument.

He who is not interested in justice is not interested in righteousness.

Equates justice with righteousness, making indifference to justice a spiritual failing.

Learn to do well, seek justice or judgment.

A direct biblical command used to urge active pursuit of justice.

The slave mentality is only interested in self and self-preservation.

Summarizes the core selfishness of the slave mindset, a key diagnostic point.

God and one man make a majority.

Encourages believers that they do not need numbers to effect change, only God's empowerment.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways might we exhibit a 'slave mentality' in our own lives, prioritizing comfort and convenience over justice and righteousness?

[Context]

Weaver describes the slave mentality as uninterested in justice and focused on self-preservation.

[Question]

How does the biblical concept of justice differ from modern secular ideas of social justice, and what practical steps can we take to 'seek justice' as Isaiah 1:17 commands?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that biblical justice is tied to God's law and righteousness, not partiality.

[Question]

Why is personal self-government and self-discipline essential for maintaining political freedom, according to Weaver?

[Context]

He argues that without self-control, people invite external control and tyranny.

[Question]

How should Christians respond when government actions are unjust or unconstitutional, and what does it mean to 'cry out to God for justice'?

[Context]

Weaver uses the widow in Luke 18 as a model for persistent prayer for justice.

[Question]

In what ways might we be tempted to 'deliver God's man into the hands of the enemy' today, sacrificing righteous individuals for our own safety or advantage?

[Context]

The Judahites bound Samson to save themselves, and the Pharisees plotted against Jesus.

[Question]

What does the example of Samson's jawbone teach us about using whatever God places at our disposal for His purposes?

[Context]

Weaver notes that Samson used a simple jawbone, and God can use ordinary means for extraordinary victories.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a 'free man's mentality' that values truth, liberty, and justice over material comfort and personal peace?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts the founding fathers' sacrifice with modern American complacency.

[Question]

What role does the church have in holding civil rulers accountable to God's law and the Constitution, and how can we do so biblically?

[Context]

Weaver argues that government is God's servant and that citizens have a right to redress grievances.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T23:20:13Z