Many of us are aware that much of the New Testament was written by the Apostle Paul. 13 out of the 27 New Testament books are written by Paul. Romans, Corinthians, and Titus are some of the more popular books written by Paul. When written, Paul didnʼt divide the ʻbooksʼ into chapters or verses, and they were not actually called ʻbooksʼ. Rather, they are called letters and were written for specific churches or people. Often, someone wrote the letter while Paul spoke the words. Other times, Paul was the person dictating the letter.
This morning, we are going to focus on a letter written by Paul called a ʻPrison Epistleʼ or ʻPrison Letterʼ. While under house arrest in Rome, Paul encounters a run-away slave. After his encounter with the run-away slave, Paul writes a letter to his owner, Philemon, pleading on behalf of the run-away slave.
With this in mind, letʼs open up the Word of God to this specific letter called ʻPhilemonʼ, explore the text and ask God to show us who He is through the text and how we can give Him glory. Will you stand with me as we read Philemon.
Opening Prayer from Psalm 119:129-133
Father, Your statutes are wonderful; therefore we obey them. The unfolding of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. We open our mouth and pant, longing for Your commands. Turn to us and have mercy on us, as You always do to those who love Your Name. Direct our footsteps according to Your Word; let no sin rule over us. In the authority of the name of Your Son Jesus we pray . . . Amen.
Outline:
I. Paulʼs Greeting (Verses 1-3)
The Apostle begins this letter as he does with all of his letters, with a greeting. When reading the letters of Paul, understand this was a typical opening of letter writing within the ancient Roman civilization. Within his greeting, we are able to see who Paul is and who he is writing to.
First, Paul identifies himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. The book of Acts give us more detail about the reason of his imprisonment, but for the purpose of the sermon this morning, understand that Paul is writing from a house with a soldier to guard him (Acts 28:16). While under house arrest, Paul didnʼt use the time to mourn or hide the fact he is in prison, rather as a time to advance the Gospel.
Paul also makes known who he is writing to: Philemon. Within the greeting, Paul greets the family of Philemon and the church that meets in his home. Paul describes Philemon as a dear friend, someone who is esteemed, and a fellow worker. The work Paul is referring to here is the work of advancing the Kingdom of God (Colossians 4:11).
After the greeting, Paul shares with Philemon a prayer for Philemon and the thanks he gives to God in verses 4-7. Letʼs look at Paulʼs prayer:
II.Paulʼs Prayer (Verses 4-7)
Philemon is known by Paul for his faith in Christ and for his love for all the saints. Paul said he gives God thanks for the faith and love God has given Philemon. Paul also shares how he prays for Philemon: To be active in sharing his faith! Paul tells Philemon the benefit of sharing his faith is that he will have full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ (verse 6). Sure, sharing the faith can be intimating and may even cost you your life, but Paul gives Philemon a proper understanding of the purpose sharing his faith.
We can see here the characteristics that Philemon is known for doesnʼt just benefit who Philemon is, rather it encourages Paul and refreshes the hearts of the saints.
After his prayer and thanksgiving, Paul makes an appeal to Philemon in verses 8-22.
III.Paulʼs Appeal (Verses 8-22)
With his appeal, Paul begins by saying in Christ he has the freedom to speak without holding back, like he had done with other letters (like Corinthians). Rather, he appeals to him on the basis of love in the behalf of Onesimus. For Paul, the issue he is preparing to speak about is one of the utmost importance and needs to be addressed.
Onesimus, we learn in verse 16, was a slave for Philemon. Onesimus ran away and through the providence on God, came in contact with the Apostle Paul while under house arrest. When Paul writes and says Onesimus became his son, it means Paul shared the Gospel with him and he believed the Good News of Jesus.
At some point, Onesimus wronged Philemon which led to Onesimus running away. In some circumstances, this type of offense committed by Onesimus was punishable by death, depending on the owner. After conversion, Onesimus stays with Paul and becomes useful to the work of the ministry.
We then see Paul pleading to Philemon to forgive Onesimus and he said to treat him ʻno longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother (Verse 16).ʼ Paul is even willing to pay for any wrong doing Onesimus did and to put it on his own account.
You can see the love Paul has for Onesimus in this letter. First, Paul has become an advocate for Onesimus. He isnʼt excusing the wrong, rather Paul is using this as an opportunity for Gospel reconciliation between two brothers in Christ. Secondly, by “stressing spiritual equality between masters and slaves, Paul is undermining the evils of slavery by pointing out the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the master and slave.” -- John MacArthur
We do not have record of Philemonʼs response to the letter Paul wrote, however looking back at the greeting and the opening prayer, we can agree with Paul and have confidence that Philemon obeyed and did even more than Paul asked.
IV.Closing (Verses 23-25)
Paul finishes the letter by telling Philemon of those who are with him who are also fellow workers, and leaves him with a reminder of Godʼs grace. If you notice, Paul opens in verse 3 and ends in verse 25 with grace. Grace is Godʼs divine and free favor and is something that Paul wants to reflect in his letter and for Philemon to reflect in his life.
Which leads us to the application of everything we have heard today. Now that we have examined the text and received the context of the passage, what can we learn about God and how to live for His glory?
Application:
Without even using the word, the letter to Philemon gives you and I today a beautiful definition of forgiveness. Throughout the pages of Scripture, Godʼs Word points us to the subject of forgiveness. For example, when Jesus gives us a model prayer in Matthew chapter 6, included within the prayer is “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors...” Another instance includes Peter. The disciple approached Jesus with the subject of forgiveness and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he forgives me? Up to 7 times?” Listen how Jesus responded,
“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” -- Matthew 18:21-22
So if Godʼs Word instructs us to forgive, how does this happen? I want to be honest with you this morning, I am a sinner, saved by the grace of God. Yet, my sinfulness comes out often and makes it difficult to forgive. And I am looking out in the audience this morning and I donʼt see any ʻhaloʼsʼ, so I assume we are all in this together.
You know what I am talking about. Maybe our spouse says something hurtful on the way to church this morning, or your mom or dad doesnʼt let you go to a sleepover at a friends house, or a family member did something years ago that offended you. The list could go on and on and on. Iʼm not a prophet, nor and I the son of a prophet, so I cannot speak to your specific circumstance. But I can share with you from Godʼs Word about forgiveness.
So, how can you and I forgive each other? Do we simply learn to be compassionate? Do we just ʻLet it go, let it go, when you canʼt hold it back anymore, so you turn away and slam the doorʼ? -- Frozen lyrics to Let it Go. Forgiveness doesnʼt come from our own strength, rather forgiveness comes from an understanding of who we are and who God is!
I. Our Forgiveness (The Gospel)
First, letʼs talk about our forgiveness. In the beginning, God created mankind and said ʻThis is very good.ʼ But man sinned and rebelled against God. Since then, the Bible says ʻAll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.ʼ -- Romans 3:23. As an unbeliever, we were ʻslaves to sinʼ. Jesus said, ʻI tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.ʼ -- John 8:34. Paul writes in Romans 6:16, “Donʼt you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the the one you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Because of our sinfulness, we were dead and without God. There was no way we could earn our ʻfreedomʼ, or pay for our redemption with silver or gold. Rather, the plan of God from the foundation of the world was to send His Perfect Son as a sacrifice for our sin. You see, we shouldʼve paid the penalty for our sin. Like Onesimus shouldʼve paid back for the wrong he did against Philemon, Paul said to put it on his account. The penalty we deserved for our sin against God is death, eternal separation from Him. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! --Romans 5:8.
Christ came and put our sin on His account and paid our debt in full with the blood He shed on the cross. You may say, “Pastor Drake, this is for beginners in the faith, give me more!” I am sorry, I cannot give you more than the blood of Christ! Isaac Watts wrote, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!” -- When I Survey the Cross
II.Our Identification (The Church)
Because of Christ, we are forgiven. Our sin was paid for on the cross and now we are redeemed. We are no longer a slave to sin, now we are free. Remember Jesus said ʻEveryone who sins is a slave to sinʼ? Jesus continued to say ʻNow a slave has no
permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. Not if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” -- John 8:35-36
Because we are forgiven in Christ, our identification is no longer a slave to sin, rather a slave to righteousness.
Paul writes again, “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you receive leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -- Romans 6:19-23
Because of Christ, who we are a new creation. Godʼs Word says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!” -- Second Corinthians 5:17. Because of the work of Christ, we no longer hold grudges and we forgive because God has forgiven us through Christ Jesus.
III. Our Response (The Call)
So, what is our response? What do we do now?
1. Worship God for our Forgiveness through Christ: Donʼt just wait for Sunday to worship God. This evening or in the morning, sit down with the Word of God, read about who He is and give Him praise. When otherʼs sin against us, and others will sin against us and we will sin against others, because of our view of God and the work He has done, our response will be God-honoring.
2. Forgive as you have been forgiven: When left to our own strength, this is the hard part. Someone says something negative about our kids, our friends leave us out of a fun weekend trip, or someone lied to us, whatever it may be, on our own strength forgiveness is difficult. But first remember we have been forgiven by God through Christ. Because we are forgiven, we are ambassadors for Christ. Listen, “God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation...And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore, Christʼs ambassadors.” -- Second Corinthians 5:18-20. In Christ, I appeal to you on the basis of love: Forgive as you have been forgiven.
3. The goal of forgiveness: What is the goal of forgiveness then? For you and I to sleep better at night?
a. So we can have peace and feel better about ourselves? No! First, the goal of forgiveness is for the glory of God. When we forgive our brother or sister in Christ, we imitate God and the forgiveness He has given to us in Christ. The picture the world will see when we forgive each other will be different from world tells us. Advice like “You have to think about yourself” or “Do whatʼs best for you.” is self- centered and not God-glorifying.
b. Also, when we forgive our brothers, we refresh the hearts of the saints. When we do not forgive, the body of Christ is affected. Sin doesnʼt just affect you and no one else. No, sin affects the entire body! Just as sin affects the entire body, obedience honors God and encourages the saints.
Conclusion: If you are hear today and you are not a Christian, I want you to know that you can be forgiven in Christ. We will sing a song in just a moment and this will be your opportunity to repent of your sin and turn to God for redemption. Even if you have questions about salvation and what Christianity is all about, we will have people here that would love to talk with you about your questions.
If you are a believer and are struggling with forgiveness, this is your opportunity to cry to God! Like Philemon had Paul to encourage him and pray for/with him, I encourage you to grab another brother or sister in Christ and come to God, asking Him for strength.
Letʼs Pray:
Father, I come to you today thanking You for Your Son. Before Your Throne, I have a strong and perfect plea. A Great High Priest whose name is love, who ever lives and pleads for me. I come to You today asking for Your Spirit to work in the lives of those who are here at Wildwood. May Your Will be done in their lives and may You receive the glory this day and forever more. Amen.
