How We Pray for One Another
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Big Idea
Big Idea
Tension: Why and what does Paul pray for Philemon?
Resolution: Both because of Philemon’s reputation of love for others and faith in God and because he has been comforted from this news, Paul prays that Philemon may know “every good thing” that is in us for Christ’s sake.
Exegetical Idea: Both because of Philemon’s reputation of love for others and faith in God and because he has received comfort from this news, Paul prays that Philemon would know “every good thing” that is in us for the sake of Christ.
Theological Idea: Because of our common love for one another and faith in God and the joy that we get from this, we should pray that we would know “every good thing” that is in us for the sake of Christ.
Homiletical Idea: Because of our Christian affection for one another, we pray that we would come to know all the depths of what Christ has done for us and in us.
Big Idea: My joy over Christ in you compels me to pray that you would know all that Christ is for you.
Outline
Outline
Introduction: Some 25% of atheists say that they pray. What does Christian prayer look like?
Christian Prayer Assumes…
We’ve been adopted by a loving Father (Ephesians 1:4-5)
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
That the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ is interceding and that we can draw near through him (Hebrews 7:23-26)
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
That we are seated with Christ in the heavenly place (Ephesians 1:3). Just as he is ascended, he is ascended.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
That the Spirit seals us as the children of God who therefore can draw near to God (Rom 8:15-17). We are there by right.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Why we pray for one another - Our affection for one another’s faith
I hear of your love… for all the saints - Philemon had genuine love and affection for other Christians. He a heart of compassion. He was already in line with Paul’s instruction in Col. 3:14, to “put on love”. But notice, it is love for the saints. Philemon had a genuine affection and fellowship for other Christians, specifically. I don’t think Philemon hated unbelievers, I think he just felt this sweet, sweet affection for fellow Christians.
Which is why he says in vs. 7, that the “hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”
Now, Paul’s going to draw on this a little later as he’s going to make his big ask. He’s going to request that Philemon actually fulfills his heart. But let’s focus on what he’s talkig about here. This word “heart” is that great Greek word that we talked about earlier, the word σπλαγχνα, or “splagchna” from which we get our word “spleen.” And you can tell it means something extremely physical and visceral. I would call it affections or pangs of love.
And he’s drawing attention to the fact that those affections have been “refreshed” or “fulfilled” or “put at rest” through you. He’s saying that Philemon’s ministry has been such that his church genuinely loves him, that he’s counseled them, ministered to them, shared in their highs and lows, he’s been part of their lives. That he’s comported himself well.
And this fact that Philemon has been a faithful pastor has made Paul’s own heart rejoice. Look in vs. 7, he says that he has derived “much comfort and joy.” There is something that comes when we see other Christians serving others, when we see them using what gifts God has given them to serve bless the people of God, that should make our heart rejoice.
Paul’s heart here for Philemon is not competitive but supportive. He’s not anxious that Philemon will have more attention or respect. He’s supporting and highlighting and holding up as an example Philemon’s genuine love and comfort for other Christians.
Part of Paul’s deep reasons for praying for Philemon is simply that he rejoices to see the ways God is working in Philemon’s heart and through Philemon’s ministry. Paul is motivated by his deep love for Philemon and his joy at the gospel’s work in Philemon’s life.
the faith that you have towards Jesus Christ
But he also rejoices because he knows that Philemon has a faith. Now, a couple of important things to point out about this phrase that are interesting. First off, the object of Philemon’s faith is the “Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, if you were here last week, you will remember that when Paul uses the word “LORD” in reference to Christ, he is including him within the Old Testament name for God, “Yahweh.”
Second, you will notice that the word “have” here is in the present. Rather than saying, your faith in Jesus Christ, he makes a point of emphasizing that Philemon’s faith is an ongoing reality. It is not something that Philemon continues to possess. It’s something that Philemon continues to cultivate and water and shape. It’s something that Philemon continues to possess and hold onto. For Philemon, putting your faith in Jesus was not just something that happened when he was 5. It wasn’t just an event in the past. Rather, to continue to believe in Jesus was an ongoing, ever present reality.
And it is because of these realities, of Philemon’s faith and his love, of his deep, genuine trust in the Lord and his overflowing love for all the saints that Paul is overwhelmed with joy. And it is out of the overflow of his joy for Philemon that Paul prays for him.
We can learn this lesson: our prayers for others are a consequence of our joy in them. Maybe you think, “Can Paul really pray this way for other Christians?” And I would say, you and I could too, if we rejoiced the same way Paul does. This brings us to a deeper conclusion: Our prayer is the overflow of our joy. The reasons we pray for someone or ourselves and what we pray for, reflect the the things that we find joy in. The key to praying like Paul is to find deep, penetrating, lasting joy in the gospel. And if we do that, we cannot help but rejoice when others have that same joy, and pray that that joy would only go deeper.
What we pray for one another
Paul says that his prayer for PHilemon is that the “sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is inust of rthe sake of Christ.” Let’s take a minute and try to understand that.
Look at this word “sharing of your faith.” Now when we read this, we might be tempted to think that he’s talking about evangelism. And while evangelism is good, that’s probably not the right understanding of this word.
Now, he’s reusing the word faith that we saw before. So it’s the same idea, it’s faith that is in the great divine Lord, yahweh, Jesus. And it’s ongoing and progressive.
And I think that the best way to understand this is the “sharing” that comes from faith. This same word for “sharing” reflects a deep fellowship and participation. So, in the letter to the Hebrews, a similar phrase is used to describe the incarnation (Heb 2:14…). It also describes our salvation in Christ (1 John 1:3) and our unity with one another.
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
So this word is a very rich word that means this deep participation in Christ, this union with Christ, this fact that we’re united with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly places, coming through our faith. It is a faith-union. IF you want to have deep Christian fellowship with Christ and wiht each other, we can only be saved by faith alone.
And Paul’s prayer is that it woudl be effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us
Paul’s prayer that this deep participation would not just be true, but that it would lead to this deep knowledge of every good thing. Paul’s prayer is that the salvaiton they have had because of their faith would come to “full knwoledge.”
Now hwen Paul says “full knwoledge here” he is not just saying information. We often think that to “know something” means to have an informational knowledge. But, really this idea of “knowledge” involves experience and emotion. And The point of this is that Paul is asking God that not only would give Philemon a fuller understanding, but a fuller experience of “every good thing that is in us”
Now, what is “every good thing that is in us”? Well, in Ephesians 1:3 that, he has “blessed us in Christ wiht every spiritual blessing in the heavnely places”, And if you read Ephesians, that includes the love of God, predestination, justification, justfication, reconciliation, sanctification, adoption. All of those things are ours in Christ. Paul wants Philemon to have a full knowledge, a full experience, a full affection of these things.
But one more thing that he says in Colossians, which might be more important than all of these things. It is something we read in our responsive reading, that “glory of the mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.” And if you’ll remember that Colossians is the backdrop for Philemon, we can begin to grasp what Paul is praying Philemon would know, and experience, Christ in him the hope of glory. He wants him to have the full knowledge and experience of the believer’s deep union with Christ.
And this is of course, “in us”. Notice, this is in the plural. Paul is not only praying that PHilemon would know Christ in him, but Christ in us. Paul has no category, no conception, no understanding of a Christian who is not in real, concrete, community with others. If you and I share in Christ, we also share in each other. Our union with Christ leads to a deep union with each other. And Paul’s hope is that Philemon would know and experience all of this together.
And this, of course, only comes for Christ’s sake. It only comes because Jesus bought it with his own blood. You and I are only in Christ because Christ has, in the words of Colossians, nailed your sins to the cross. He made peace by the blood of the cross. This deep union, this deep participation and fellowship that we have with the Christ and each other, only comes because Christ bought it with himself. And the only way you can have it, the only way you can be iunited to Christ, the only way you can have genuine relationships with other Christians is by faith in it. We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone.
And Paul’s deep, earnest, heartfelt prayer is that this Philemon would not be ignorant of this. That Philemon would come to understand all the implications, all the applications, all the depth and the knowledge and experience that comes when you can say with Paul, “For to me to die is gain and to live is Christ” or as he says in Galatians, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who gave himself up for me.” Paul wants Philemon to know that in his bones because he has great joy in him. cf. Eph 3:14-19
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now, I want us to think about how Paul think sabout this in relationshiop to what Paul is going to ask Philemon to do. In a little bit, Paul is going to ask Philemon to free Onesimus. So why does Paul start here? Because Paul knows that for Philemon to do this, he’s going to have to have a massive shift in how he thinks about the world. He’s going to have to chagne. And Paul knows that for Christians to change, they have to start with grace. That if he has a shot of PHilemon not being conformed to the world, to the patterns of thinking that would have dominated his society, he’s going to have to be transformed by renewing his mind. He’s going to have to meditate deeply on the mercies of God if he’s going to have a single shot at this deep heart change. And Paul loves Philemon and rejoices over Philemon and so he earnestly, eagerly, joyfully, asks God to reveal all of this to Philemon so he can indeed change.
Application
Christ purchased the right to give himself to you by faith.
If we want to change deeply, we need to know Christ deeply.
If we share in Christ by faith, we will share in each other.
How we pray for others reflects what we find joy in.
The best thing you can pray for in each other is that you would know the fullness of Christ.
Conclusion: