Filet Mignon
(but without the ign)
Philemon 1-7
• Who: Paul to Philemon
It’s Paul’s shortest book. Written from imprisonment in Rome.
• What: Not doctrinal but practical
Colossians, Ephesians, & Philippians are doctrinal.
Philemon isn’t absent of doctrine, but has a more practical side.
• When/Where: 60-62 AD (with Colossians)
This letter was written at the same time as Colossians
From Rome. It was sent back to Philemon with Colossians
• Why: A request to Philemon
Onesimus had run away. It’s likely taht he was a lazy slave and apparently made off with some of Philemon’s money.
Onesimus met Paul somewhere along the way and got saved.
Now, he needs to return and make ammends for his sin.
Kent Hughes - a commentator - says this: The letter to Philemon was the most brilliantly nuanced, compelling letter of reconciliation in ancient history. It is a model of grace and charm. As such, it can be a great help to us all if we care to enhance our human relationships—especially those in the Body of Christ where we have special stake in each other’s lives.
• We have a special stake in each other’s lives.
As believers - as fellow members of Fellowship Baptist Church - we have a special stake - a special interest - a special connection to each other’s lives.
There’s a central theme in Philemon
The Theme: Forgiveness
And along with that – Fellowship.
• True forgiveness will lead to fellowship.
When you have fellowship - it will both require and be a result of forgiveness.
• Forgiveness should be a primary characteristic of a believer.
If you don’t forgive:
1. It locks you in the past - what they did to you, how you were treated. It keeps your focus in the wrong direction.
2. It makes you bitter. The more you dwell on what someone has done to you, the more bitter you will become. Bitterness and anger, while not the same thing, are certainly brothers.
3. Opens the door to Satan.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 – what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
It opens the door to what he would do in our hearts
4. It affects our relationship with God (negatively)
You can’t be right with God if you don’t forgive others.
There are at least 75 different word pictures of forgiveness in the Bible.
• Forgiveness must saturate who we are
as believers and especially as fellow members of Fellowship Baptist Church
We are to be intimately involved in the details of each other’s lives.
The primary thing we see here is
The Character of Philemon
• Here we have a profile of the character of someone who is worthy of emulation.
Paul is pointing out all the good things he’s heard about Philemon right here in the beginning. He’s thankful for these thing.
verses 4-5 – I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints,
• Strong faith (in the Lord)
Paul knew Philemon. He had led him to Christ.
Epaphras was with Paul and as Philemon’s pastor, could tell him what he was really like.
• Faith in Christ is faith that He has saved you and that every detail of your life is from Him.
• Love for the church (the Body of Christ)
One of the things that was evident in Philemon’s life was that he loved the church.
He had a love for Christ - and right along with that - for all the saints - for the church. He’s talking specifically about the Colossian church - Philemon’s church.
We should have this kind of love for those in our church.
• The most practical ways our love for Christ demonstrates itself is in and through our love for the brothers and sisters in our own congregation.
We need to love what Jesus loved and hate what He hated.
verse 6 – and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective
• Desire for Community
the sharing of your faith -
The word for sharing here is koinonia - fellowship.
The idea is fellow participation. Participating with each other.
• Technical Definition - an association involving close mutual relations and involvement
You know these people. You’re involved in their lives.
It’s more than just enjoying each other’s company.
The verse goes on to say:
for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.
• Knowledge of Scripture
We’ve talked many times about being saturated with Scripture. It’s a theme that comes up again and again.
The word for knowledge is epignosis - a deep, rich, full, experiential knowledge. It’s a thorough knowledge. Not just you know a little about it.
• When we follow the truths and instructions of the Bible, it brings spiritual maturity.
But when we turn around and forgive ourselves, when we forgive others - we’ll have a deeper knowledge of and understanding of forgiveness.
• No matter where you are, you need a deeper, fuller knowledge of Scripture
The end of verse 6 - for the sake of Christ
• The Glory of Christ
• Everything we do should be done for the glory of God.
Westminster Shorter Catechism asks,
Q: What is the chief end of man?
A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him
forever.
verse 7 – For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
• A Genuine Encourager
Ephesians 4:29 – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear
In Philemon 7, we see one way that passage is worked out. One way it is experienced in community.
Joy - the result of someone whose desire is to build up and give grace.
Refreshed means – to cause someone to become physically refreshed as the result of resting from work
Now what is refreshed is the heart. In the deep core of who we are we have been refreshed.
And how were they refreshed?
Through Philemon, someone who has:
• Strong faith (in the Lord)
it’s expressed through:
• Love for the Church (the Body of Christ)
• Desire for Community - wants to see people drawn together and deeply involved and invested in each other’s lives.
• Knowledge of Scripture - growing in this.
• The Glory of Christ - seeks to glorify Christ first.
• Remember Forgiveness
Remember at the beginning of this message when we talked about what forgiveness is not?
What it doesn’t look like?
• bitterness
• wrath
• anger
• clamor
• slander
• malice
BUT
• forgiveness looks like
• Kind, • tenderhearted and • forgiveness
just like Christ forgave you.
The Theme of Philemon is forgiveness. We have to keep that in mind.
• We never look more like Christ than when we forgive others.
You will be wronged.
You will have people do things against you.
Sometimes it will be intentional.
Sometimes it won’t be.
If claim to be a believer, being a forgiver MUST be something that can be said of you.
Remember - Forgiveness and Fellowship are not synonymous, but they do feed each other. They’re like two halves of a circle that go together and lead to each other.
• Forgiveness leads to fellowship leads to forgiveness leads to...
• Don’t miss this: Prayer is a Must
All of this is framed and wrapped by prayer.
We see prayer over and over in Paul’s writings.
Just like forgiveness is part of the picture, so is prayer.
Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers
We must be devoted to prayer.
Reflection Questions:
• How would you characterize your faith?
Are you convinced of God’s sovereignty in your life?
Do you really believe that what is happening is for your good?
Are you trusting in Christ for forgiveness?
• Do you love the Church?
Specifically - Fellowship Baptist Church Do you love the congregation here?
Do you wrap your life around this place? Around these people?
Are you genuinely involved in their lives?
• Are you making effort toward Koinonia?
This goes with loving the church.
Are you fostering connectedness?
What specific things will you do this week toward the goal of being knit together in love more than you are right now? When you come in to this room next week, you should be closer to someone in here because of something you did this week.
• Are you growing in knowledge of the Scriptures?
How? What have you learned? How are you learning it?
How are you becoming more saturated with Scripture?
• Are you becoming more and more focused on Christ and glorifying Him?
Remember - Christianity is about Christ
If you’re truly devoted to glorifying Christ, how should that change things? Daily decisions, details, etc.
What are the details that should change?
• Are you encouraging others?
Is your life a picture of Ephesians 4:29 and Philemon 7?
Make plans right now to encourage others.
• Are you praying with others?
Specifically - your brothers and sisters at Fellowship Baptist Church?
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