JAIL BREAK (Breaking the Chains of Unforgiveness) -
The Restoration of a Slave
October 7, 2018
Philemon 1:1-25 (p. 837)
Introduction:
I believe love is the most powerful motivator known to mankind…I include something in all my wedding ceremonies that Kari and I included in ours 38 years ago.
The Power of Love
[Love makes you feel special. It changes everyone for the better…It is…the one commodity that multiplies when you give it away. The more you spread it around, the more you are able to hang onto it because it keeps coming back to you. Where love is concerned, it pays to be an absolute spendthrift. It cannot be bought nor sold, so give it away! Splash it all over! Empty your pockets! Shake the basket! Turn it upside down! Shower it on everyone - even those who don’t deserve it! You may startle them into behaving a way you never dreamed possible. Not only is it the sweet mystery of life, it is the most powerful motivator known to mankind.”]
And I believe forgiveness is one of the greatest demonstrations of Grace that anyone can extend to another person…or that can be extended to them…
But when you combine love and forgiveness something truly supernatural takes place.
Because only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we truly love people that need forgiveness…and only through the supernatural power of God’s Spirit working in others can we be loved and forgiven by them.
[Let me ask you have you ever received a letter asking for forgiveness…because I have. Shortly after coming to Gardenside, someone broke into our building…including my office, and stole the UK jerseys I had hanging on my wall…one of them signed by John Wall…ironic huh.
This young man talked about his addiction…his family and his faith…But he sincerely said he was sorry…He said he couldn’t got the jerseys back…but he asked for my forgiveness.
And I wrote back to him at Blackburn Correctional Institute and told him I absolutely forgave him…not to worry about the jerseys but to pursue Christ with the freedom of knowing forgiveness and grace can set him free. I believe I still have his letter in my desk drawer.]
Today we look at just such a letter. It’s a super short letter in the New Testament written by the Apostle Paul to a man named Philemon.
I would bet my buddy at Blackburn had some spiritual counsel as he wrote his letter to me. And Paul writes this letter for a man named “Onesimus.” Listen to the beginning of this letter…
PHILEMON 1-11 (p. 837)
Kerry Hanes writes…
Philemon, like many wealthy people of his time, owned slaves. In fact, some historians believe that nearly half the Roman Empire was enslaved during Jesus’ time, mostly because of debt problems or theft. One of Philemon’s slaves was named “Onesimus,” which means “useful” in Greek. We don’t know why, but Onesimus took off and became a runaway slave. Through the providence of God, Onesimus, like his master Philemon, met a man named Paul, and like his abandoned master, Onesimus too became a believer in Christ. Paul thought highly of him, but Paul was in a dilemma. He viewed Onesimus as a son in the faith but the law required him to return this runaway slave to his master. Paul chose to return Onesimus, but he helped him by sending with him a personal letter for Philemon imploring this slave master to recognize Onesimus as his brother in Christ and forgive him of any wrongdoing he had done.
This is a story about love and forgiveness…It’s a story about brothers in Christ seeking it and being asked to give it…
Paul has led both Philemon and Onesimus to Christ…He uses the word “Koynos” in his appeal to Philemon… “Partner” but it has a much deeper meaning…It means “fellowship” “unified love” “Koinonia.” One of the core 4 characteristics of the early church comes from this word… “And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)
It’s this fellowship or partnership that Paul calls Philemon to when he says, “If you regard me as your partner…accept Him as you would me.”
The great reformer Martin Luther loved this little letter and he said, “We are all His Onesimi if we really believe the gospel.”
And I agree…we are all escaped slaves that need love, forgiveness and restoration and we are like Onesimus in 3 ways. 1. We need a substitute. / 2. We have an unpayable debt. / and 3. We have had it paid in full.
I. WE NEED A SUBSTITUTE
Listen to Paul’s plea in verses 12-17:
PHILEMON 12-17 (p. 837)
Philemon was won to Christ while Paul was in Colossae…Paul has won Onesimus to Christ while in prison.
Let me ask you…which one do you think would benefit more from a “committed friend and servant” more…a rich business man in a nice city…or an old man in jail?
Paul would love to have his new son in the faith stay with him and help him…but Paul isn’t going to do what is easy and what would benefit him…He does what’s right…He sends him back…Forgiveness and restoration are more essential than our comfort!
Paul even says, “I know you would help me…He could even take your place while I’m in chains…but I will not do this without your consent.” (vs. 14) If I did that it would be forced upon you…real forgiveness and love and service have to be voluntary!
My dad used to tell me about how you got volunteers in the Army…The Sergeant would say “I need 3 volunteers” and then he would look at the company and say “I pick you…you…and you.”
That’s not really a volunteer, huh?
In verse 18 Paul says, “If he has done anything wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.” Secondly…
II. WE HAVE AN UNPAYABLE DEBT
Philemon had lost the financial benefit of Onesimus’ service…some believed Onesimus stole from his master to finance his escape…Both are probably true. By the way…the price of a slave back then was about 500 dinari (1 1/2 year’s wage).
Onesimus has a debt he can’t repay…He can’t return the jerseys.
Also, the penalty for an escaped slave was severe…anyone want to guess what it was? Yep…Death.
Onesimus couldn’t pay this debt…no matter how long he worked, or how good he behaved in the future…He’d broken the law…justice demanded his life…
Pretty bleak picture huh?
Yet this is the exact picture of every one of us… “We are all Onesimus” as Luther said.
Romans 6:23 says: “We all have sinned and the wages of sin is death.”
Spiritual death equals eternal separation from God because of sin…The separation from Creation from Creator.
ROMANS 5:12 (p. 785)
Just like Onesimus…we are all runaway slaves…under a death penalty…a debt we cannot pay.
But Paul says, “Charge it to me.” Paul’s not using a secretary…He says… “I write this with my own hand…charge me his debt.” (vs. 18-19)
Paul accepts the debt of another…I’ll pay whatever the price for there to be reconciliation.
We won’t pick up the phone or write a letter…but Paul says “I’ll die for Him.”
Wonder where he got that?!!
Jesus became our substitute…our atoning sacrifice…He paid our unpayable debt.
John the beloved writes:
1 JOHN 2:1-6, 9-11 (p. 855)
Does it sound like God expects His children to remember Jesus’ sacrifice…obey His truth…and one of the biggest proofs of that is how we forgive our brother or sister? You betchya!!!
I don’t know if you are familiar with Elizabeth Browning. If you have been to any of the weddings I’ve done you have heard me use some of her poetry. Elizabeth was raised by a tyrannical father. It is said that when she married Robert Browning, their wedding was held in secret because of the father’s disapproval. After the wedding the Brownings sailed for Italy, where they lived for the rest of their lives. But even though her parents had disowned her, Elizabeth never gave up on the relationship. Almost every week she wrote them letters. Not once did they reply. After ten years, she received a large box in the mail. Inside, Elizabeth found all of her letters; not one had been opened.
It would be foolish for me to ask if you have ever been hurt. We have all been hurt in some way over the years.
We have all had to make tough decisions when we could have taken the easier way.
This is not about easy - it is about the love of God for us. It is about doing the right thing. It is about seeking or giving forgiveness and relying on the power of God to help us.
In our story today you have one person seeking forgiveness, Onesimus the slave. You have one person who needs to forgive and move on in partnership of the gospel…Philemon…and you have an encourager helping them to do it…Paul. He wants to honor Christ with a real story of forgiveness and restoration…It takes all 3.
Let me end with why we should seek the supernatural power of love and forgiveness joined together…
III. OUR DEBT HAS BEEN FULLY PAID
Go back with me to verse 6. Paul says: “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.”
“Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.” (C.S. Lewis)
Remember that quote.
Deep hurts usually come from people close to us…People who shouldn’t hurt us…People who should love us…family…friends…Brothers and sisters in Christ. Strangers might tick us off…but rarely have the power to cut us deeply…because they aren’t close enough.
Jesus came to His own…and His own did more than not welcoming Him…we crucified Him.
God loved us so much He gave His Son for us…He became our substitute…He paid our unpayable debt…He paid it all.
We should remember this truth when it comes to forgiving others…Paul’s point completely.
Conclusion:
[As Jesus dies on the cross…After asking for a drink…He says, “I’m thirsty,” and as that moisture allows Him to speak one last word…He says, “Father, I surrender my Spirit to you” and then “It’s Finished.”
The last word Jesus speaks… “Tetelista.” It means a lot more than “I’m done.” It’s literally the word that would be stamped on your mortgage after you’ve made every payment…it means “Paid in Full.”
Jesus Paid for every sin…committed by every person…In all time for all time…Paid completely…totally…debt free.
Those who understand this truth live in that freedom…and seek the freedom of others…whether it’s a slave, 10 dollars, or some jerseys.
