Rooted in Relationship

Text: Philemon 1:1–7 Theme: Genuine Christian faith is lived out and strengthened through Christ-centered relationships. Big Idea: Just as Paul’s relationship with Philemon was grounded in love, faith, and partnership in the gospel, so our relationship with Christ must be rooted in the same qualities.

Introduction to series:

So for these next few weeks, we are going to spend some time in the book of Philemon. To start I want to give you some back story to this book that is important.

First, this is one of the few letters from Paul that is address to an individual. That individual, Philemon we don’t know too much about beyond what we can discern from the letter. First, we can likely draw the conclusion that Philemon was fairly well off. He was at least wealthy enough to own slaves. Two, we know that Philemon had given his life to the Lord likely through an interaction with Paul and was now a big part of the local church, the Colossian church. Churches in the early days of Christianity were actually not buildings, but rather communities that had been formed, connected and then met in the homes of their members or leaders. One of these home churches met in Philemon’s home which allows us to understand that he was at least a somewhat prominent member of the Colossian church.

And then we learn a few things about Paul. The most important of which, and one of the main things we will examine this morning, is the personal relationship that we see between Paul and Philemon. See, Paul is not writing as the “Apostle Paul”. Typically in his letters to the churches, thats how he refers to himself. Colossians 1:1 “1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,”. Here we see a distinctly different introduction of who Paul is. First, he states his location, he is writing from Prison “a prisoner of Christ Jesus”. But then a little further on, he address Philemon as a “dear friend”. This likely isn’t just superficial pleasantries, but rather reflective of how Paul saw his relationship with Philemon. And it serves as an important context around the relationship that will influence how we read and interpret this letter. This is not the apostle Paul, with spritual authority, giving instructions to a church. This is a friend, almost an equal, whose message is wrapped and rooted in genuine relationship with th recipient.

What we will see unfold, is how Paul leverages his relationship with his dear friend to speak reconciliation and grace into a situation. That situation: Philemon’s slave Onesimus has surfaced with Paul. Onesimus had run away from Philemon and likely taken some of his former masters money or belongings in the process. This is an act of ultimate betrayal and one that was punishible by death. What we will see unfold throughout this text is Paul speaking reconciliation into this very broken relationship.

So today, we start with the idea that Reconciling Grace is Rooted in relationship. This morning I want us to look at the relationship between Philemon and Paul and how it parellels our own relationship with Christ. It is my hope that as we go through the series, you are invited to reflect on the Reconciling Grace you have been offered in Jesus, but also that you reflect on the relationships in your own life and feel the invitation of the Holy Spirit to bring reconciling grace into those.

And so we continue with our text for today, looking at 3 different aspects of the relationship between Paul and Philemon we see presented in our text.

Their relationship is grounded in fellowship

Their relationship is marked by love and faith

Their relationship serves to refresh others.

I. Relationship Grounded in Fellowship (vv. 1–3)

A. Paul’s affectionate greeting

Paul calls Philemon “our beloved fellow worker.”

Their relationship is not casual—it is built around shared labor in the gospel.

Commissioner Floyd Tidd- “partners in the gospel”. I loved this expression because it highlights our shared purposed. We all might come with different skills, gifts, personalities. But when the church works well its because we are united by one purpose! In this letter, we see Paul emphasizing this with Philemon. He is essentially saying “We are united!” “We are aligned!” “We are in this together!”

Paul also includes others in the household, showing the communal nature of faith. Again, this is deeply personal, These are people Paul knows! And he reminds Philemon of not just the close personal relationship he has with him, but also how intertwined their families are. Apphia, Philemon’s wife, is referred to as a sister! Archippus, likely Philemon’s son, is referred to as a “fellow soldier”. Again these terms are intentional, to create a level playing field for their conversation to unfold. There is likely a power dynamic because of who Paul is, but Paul wants that to take a backseat for this conversation. To Philemon, the Paul in this letter is just a guy, a friend, a brother.

He greets them with a typical Pauline greeting. “Grace and peace”. Again, typical but not superficial. Paul wishes to impact grace and peace to Philemon and his family. Leading the letter with this bring a sense of intentionality as we know Paul is going to speak into a likely tense situation. Paul’s intention is not to chastise, or even command. But to bring grace and peace over Philemon and his family through this communication.

B. Parallel: Our fellowship with Christ

Jesus calls us friends (John 15:15). John 15:15 “15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Our relationship with Him is not distant or formal but rooted in shared purpose—His mission.

Grace and peace flow from our connection to Christ, just as Paul prays grace and peace over Philemon.

Application: Are your relationships in the church merely friendly—or truly rooted in gospel fellowship? Is your walk with Christ characterized by shared mission and mutual affection?

II. Relationship Marked by Love and Faith (vv. 4–6)

A. Paul’s gratitude for Philemon’s love and faith

Paul continually thanks God for Philemon’s character: his love for the saints and faith in the Lord Jesus.

His faith in Christ overflows in tangible love toward others.

In verse 5-6 we see one of our Wesleyan distinctives on display. John Wesley spoke on the idea of a “Social Holiness”- a holiness that grows through the process of shared fellowship and service. It is through Philemon’s journey with his church community, sharing their experience of life and mission, that Paul is citing as evidence of Philemon’s faith. This resonates with me as a Salvationist, and I hope it does for you to. I want to be known personally, and I want our church to be known by the way it loves others!

Paul’s prayer (v. 6) is that the “sharing of your faith” would deepen understanding and effectiveness. This is a specific prayer of Paul for Philemon’s ministry. It is affirming of his faith and his calling. And again, with intentionality from Paul, because as Paul gets into this conversation with Philemon about Onesimus he wants this calling and expression of his faith to be at the forefront of the conversation. Not to be manipulative “so you say you’re a Christian eh?”, but rather to present Philemon with a new opportunity to express his faith and live out his calling. Philemon’s witness is good in the eye’s of Paul. This part of the letter simply aims to affirm that. But there will be opportunity to come for Philemon to further develop his sense of mission and the effectiveness of his witness as the letter progresses.

B. Parallel: Our relationship with Christ produces love and faith

True faith in Christ always bears fruit in love for others (Gal. 5:6).

When we truly experience Christ’s grace, it transforms how we relate to others.

Our “sharing of faith” is not just evangelism, but living out a relational faith that draws others to Christ. See, Paul demonstrates this with Philemon. He doesn’t just tell him how it needs to be. He invites Philemon into the idea of reconciling grace. Jesus does the same for us. We are not compelled, we are not forced, we are not manipulated. We are invited. And so how does that impact our approach to sharing Jesus with others? Are we inviting, not just through our words but also our example?

Application: Is your relationship with Christ producing visible love and faith? Would someone thank God because of the way your faith blesses them?

III. Relationship That Refreshes Others (v. 7)

A. Paul’s encouragement

Philemon’s love “has given me great joy and encouragement.”

The hearts of the saints “have been refreshed through you.”

Philemon’s relational faith brings renewal to others—it’s life-giving.

Another Wesleyan theme within this text: Practical Divinity. See theology isn’t just what’s in our heads. It’s not just the ability to interpret the bible. It’s how we LIVE OUT our faith. Real “Christianity” is love in action. Real “Salvationism” is the ability to impart hope through sharing the love of Jesus, meeting human need and being a tranforming influence to those around us. Philemon has clearly captured some of this as Paul describes Philemon’s faith. Great joy, encouragement, and refreshment has been imparted to Paul and others!

Again, intentional, because Philemon is going to be given another opportunity to be these things in the situation with Onesimus. But for now, again, Paul seeks to affirm. This is what Christian relationships should look like: they refresh others, they build them up. And in Paul’s eyes, in his little house church as part of the Colossian church, Philemon has done just that.

B. Parallel: Our relationship with Christ refreshes our souls

Christ invites us: “Come to Me… and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

His love restores and refreshes us—then calls us to extend that same refreshment to others.

A life rooted in relationship with Christ naturally overflows with encouragement and renewal for others.

What does this look like in practice? An example of this is 911 operators. When someone calls in frantic, needing assistance at some of the scariest moments in life, one of the first thing the operator does is provides the calming reassurance of “I am going to help you”. While the panic isn’t completely alleviated, its reassurance provides a sense of hope, a moment to take a deep breath, a moment to refresh the mind and focus on what needs to happen next.

And so as Christians, we are invited to do the same. In our worst moment, Christ came and said “I am going to help you”, he offered us refreshement and renewal by giving us our salvation. We are now invited to be able to do the same for others.

Application: Are people refreshed by being around you? When others encounter you, do they experience the refreshing grace of Christ flowing through your life?

Conclusion: Rooted in Relationship

Paul’s relationship with Philemon was marked by fellowship, faith, and refreshing love.

These qualities flowed from both men’s rootedness in Christ.

Our relationship with Jesus is the soil in which all other relationships grow.

Call to Action:

Be rooted in relationship with Christ so that your relationships bear gospel fruit.

Be rooted in your relationships with others so that grace and peace flow through you to those who need it.

Aim to be a person whose faith and love refresh the hearts of the saints.