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.
In fact, if I were to operate in such a way I would be disqualified from pastoral ministry; for the Bible says, “(a pastor) must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (I Timothy 3:4-5). I have seen far too many men sacrifice their marriages and their families in an effort to “build a church.” When this happens, God is not pleased!
You may not be a preacher or a pastor but if you are saved you must not underestimate the importance of serving the Lord by ministering to your own family. Ensure that you are teaching the people within your own home the Word of God and training them in the ways of God.
To do this it is important for us to evaluate our priorities. Men, does your wife know that the Lord is more important to you than your career or your favorite hobby? Ladies, do your children know that your relationship with the Lord is the most important relationship in your life? Parents, do your children know that you belong to the Lord and that honoring Him is more important than sports leagues, scholastic events, and recreational activities?
Many Christian parents in our day are doing a pathetic job ministering to their own children. They attend church from time to time and profess to love the Savior, but more often than not they allow the things of this world to take precedence over the things of God. Then, when those children get older and have no interest in the Church or the Lord the parents will struggle to grasp why. Tragically, it will be because they failed to serve their children by teaching and modeling Biblical Christianity.
While we cannot sacrifice our family for the sake of the church, we must not neglect our responsibility to serve the church. Let’s take a moment and consider the fact that:
WE SHOULD SERVE THE CHURCH
Philemon welcomed the Colossian believers into his home, (that is where the church met for worship). This faithful servant didn’t just provide a place for the church; he invested in the members of the church. Word of his faithfulness reached Paul in Rome. He said, “I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (v4-6).
Notice that Paul referenced Philemon’s “love toward all the Saints.” He was a man who loved “all the Saints,” this obviously included the members of the Church at Colossae, but it also involved his brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. There is an indication that he was loved by them in return. This letter closes with the words, “ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
If we are to be a Christian who pleases the Lord it is imperative that we serve the Church. This involves serving those within our local assembly, as well as serving saints all over the world.
Serving in the local church is vital, but our service should not be limited to the body of Believers that we meet with each week. We have many opportunities to join with sister churches, parachurch ministries, and other saints that we encounter on a regular basis in an effort to advance the cause of Christ. On top of this is the ever-present opportunity to support missions in the community and around the world. (Thankfully, many of you are faithful to serve the broader Church in such a way!) Philemon had a positive impact on people that he never met. We have the opportunity to do the same.
A faithful church member is one who serves their family, the local church, and the universal Church; when we do this we are serving the Lord. This leads us to the fact that:
WE SHOULD SERVE THE LORD
In Philemon’s various areas of service, he brought honor and glory to the Lord. He was used to point people to the Savior and to assist them in the process of spiritual growth. The Lord was pleased with his service and He has been using his story to benefit the Church for two millennia.
We have the opportunity to do the same! When we serve our families and point them to Christ and teach them the ways of God, we are serving God. When we serve our brothers and sisters in the local church, ultimately we are serving the Lord. When we serve alongside our fellow Christians outside the walls of this building, God is pleased and glorified and we are serving Him. When we share the gospel with the lost and support local, state, national, and international missions, we are actively serving the Lord.
Philemon would have been amazed if he had known that God would be using his story for two thousand years. Similarly, there is no way for you to know how God will use your service to Him for His glory.
Often when we speak of “serving” in the church, people assume that to be a reference to preaching, teaching, serving as a deacon, leading a ministry, or holding a specific position in the church. While we are exceedingly thankful for those who do these things there are many ways to serve that do not involve titles. One of the most important ways that we can serve is by simply being a friend to others.
A faithful church member is one who is saved, one who serves their family, the Church, and the Lord, and finally we will consider the fact that:
A FAITHFUL CHURCH MEMBER IS A FRIEND TO OTHERS
All who are born again are part of the family of God. God is our father and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Though we have a “default” familial relationship, we are blessed to have certain relationships in the Christian life that are exceedingly special. I am referring to those special Christian friendships.
Paul and Philemon possessed such a relationship. In his salutation Paul refers to Philemon as “beloved friend.” The love between these two men is apparent throughout this letter.
Many of us would testify that the most important and special relationships in our lives have been cultivated within the local church. As we examine the character of Philemon we see what kind of friend we should be. Notice that:
WE SHOULD BE AN ENCOURAGING FRIEND
In verse 7 Paul says, “I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” Philemon’s labor among the saints brought great encouragement and joy to the Apostle Paul. I am sure that if he had a choice, Paul would have rather been ministering in Colossae than imprisoned in Rome. However, Philemon was faithful to do what Paul could not. Philemon’s life and labor was a great encouragement to his friend Paul.
Like Philemon, we should seek to serve the Saints and do all that we can to “refresh their hearts.” One of the best ways to do this is to be an encourager. A little encouragement goes a long way!
- We should be an encouraging friend, and:
WE SHOULD BE AN HONORABLE FRIEND
The majority of this letter is Paul’s appeal to Philemon to forgive his runaway slave Onesimus. Paul did not feel that it was necessary to demand Philemon to forgive Onesimus, he was confident that Philemon would do “what is fitting.” Paul was able to possess such confidence because he knew the character of his friend; he knew that Philemon was an honorable man.
Likewise, we should be the kind of person that our friends can trust to respond to conflict in a Christlike manner. When we are wronged, we forgive. When faced with difficult situations and when we are tempted to act harshly, we look to the scriptures and respond in a way that honors the Lord and produces confidence in our Christian friends.
- This leads us to the fact that:
WE SHOULD BE A TRUSTWORTHY FRIEND
Paul possessed full confidence that Philemon would not only listen to his counsel, he would go even further that what Paul said. In verse 21 he said, “Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
We should live in such a way that people will be able to see our character and trust that we will do what is right and even go above and beyond what is expected of us as Christians.
- We should be encouraging, honorable, trustworthy, and:
WE SHOULD BE A HOSPITABLE FRIEND
In verse 22 Paul asked Philemon to, “prepare a guest room for me”. The Apostle didn’t have to ask if it were okay, he was close enough to his friend that he could say, “as soon as I am released from prison, I am coming to stay with you for a while.”
This exemplifies the closeness that we should enjoy as brothers and sisters in Christ. We should look out for each other and be ready to take care of one another. Many of you possess such relationships and this is one of the numerous benefits of being actively involved in a local church.
When people possess such close and special relationships with their Christian brothers and sisters, it goes without saying that they are the kind of people who regularly pray for each other. This leads us to the fact that:
WE SHOULD BE A PRAYING FRIEND
In verse 22 Paul says, “I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.” Earlier in this letter Paul described his prayer on behalf of Philemon, now he declares that he was confident that Philemon was praying for him as well.
One of the most important things that we can do for our fellow Church members and Christian friends is to pray for them. When Christians pray with and for one another their relationships are protected and strengthened. It is always special when we know that someone cares enough about us to take us before the throne. It is important that we do the same in return. God can do great things in a praying church!
There is much that we can learn about being a church member by examining the life of Philemon. We see that a faithful church member is one who is saved. Moreover, a faithful church member is one who serves their family, the church, and the Lord. A faithful church member is also a friend to others. Such a person is an encouraging, honorable, trustworthy, hospitable, and praying friend.
The things we have seen in the life of Philemon should be prevalent in our own lives. I ask you to assess your life and ask, “when one looks at me, do they see A Portrait Of A Faithful Church Member?” Are you saved? Are you a servant? Are you a friend to others? If not, I encourage you to make things right today.
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