A Portriat Of A Faithful Church Member Series

A PORTRAIT OF A FAITHFUL CHURCH MEMBER

Philemon 1:1-25

(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday Morning, July 13th, 2025)

You have all heard the old adage that says, "A picture is worth a thousand words". It has been almost two thousand years since Paul penned his letter to Philemon, as a result we do not have access to a portrait of the man. However, the words that Paul recorded in this short letter paint a picture of the kind of church member that we all should aspire to be.

The majority of people in attendance today are church members, in fact most of you are members of this local assembly. However, there is a major difference between those whose names are on the role of Antioch Baptist Church and actual (faithful & active) church members.

If you are a Christian, you have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God purchased you with his own blood and He has placed you into His Church. With that being said, there are many who are part of the Church Universal (the Body & Bride of Christ) that are not part of a local assembly of Christ followers. It is apparent when reading the New Testament that the Lord expected His people to gather together on a regular basis and worship, pray, study, serve, and observe the ordinances.

It is one of the great mysteries of ministry; why would someone seek to join a local assembly yet never really “plug in” and become part of that assembly? I have seen numerous people profess their desire to unite with the local church and then never return. I have seen a host of others go through the process, join the church, yet only attend sporadically. Then there are a multitude of others who have joined a church, they attend regularly, but that is all they do, attend! Being a faithful church member involves far more than simply filling a space on a pew.

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We find a great example of what a church member should look like in the life of Philemon. There are several attributes that he possessed that should be seen in each and every one of us. I would like to conclude our study of this letter by examining “A Portrait Of A Faithful Church Member.”

As we consider the characteristics of a faithful church member we must begin with the reality that first and foremost:

A FAITHFUL CHURCH MEMBER IS SAVED

There are several references throughout this letter that prove that Philemon was a born-again follower of Jesus Christ. In verse 1 Paul speaks of the fact that he, Timothy, and Philemon are “brothers” in Christ. In verse 3 he says, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”; as a Christian, God was Philemon’s “Father”. In verse 5 Paul references the “faith which (Philemon) had toward the Lord Jesus”. How was Philemon saved? The same way we were, “by grace through faith.”

The reason that so many people are not “active” members of the church is because they have missed the first and most important step, they have never truly been saved. If you have no desire to be a part of a local body of Christ followers this should cause you to pause and assess whether or not you actually belong to Christ. If you would be honest enough to admit this reality, the wonderful news is that God’s grace abounds and salvation is available.

When one is truly saved, he/she will serve the Lord, their family, the church, and even strangers. Let’s take a moment and consider the fact that:

A FAITHFUL CHURCH MEMBER IS A SERVANT

If you are saved, God expects you to serve Him. Interestingly, one of the most important areas of service is not performed on the campus of a local church. I am referring to the fact that:

WE SHOULD SERVE OUR FAMILY

Paul addresses this letter to “Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house” (v1-2). We don’t know for sure, but it is widely believed that Apphia was Philemon’s wife; and Archippus was his son. It is also believed that Archippus had a significant ministry in Colossae. In Colossians 4:17 Paul encouraged him to “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” If in fact the two individuals were part of Philemon’s family, they were the most important mission field in his life. It also appears that his service had been productive because his wife and son were actively involved in serving the Lord themselves.

The same is true for us! There are various ministries that the Lord may allow us to be a part of in our lifetime, but none is more important than our own family. If I devote my life to serving the church, the community, and beyond; and if God were to use me to benefit this assembly and to reach a vast multitude with the Gospel, yet I were to neglect my family in the process, I would be a tremendous failure.