Greater than Restoration
Notes
Transcript
Spring—greater than restoration
Spring—greater than restoration
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This morning we are going to study an entire book. If you have never read an entire book of the bible you will be able to check it off your bucket list. In all the books of the bible nothing speaks so much in so little. The entirety of this book is 25 verses—a little of 300 words in the original language. So with that lets get reading.
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker
and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints,
and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.
For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—
I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.
(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.
For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.
Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker
There are several note worthy principles in this tiny book. First we must consider that Philemon was a wealthy man as the Colossae church met in his home. He found his salvation under Paul’s ministry. Onesimus was one of Philemon’s slaves who stole from his master and then hit the road running. To ensure he get far enough he ran what is to be believed 1500 miles where he met Paul. We aren’t sure how he met Paul as Paul was under house arrest at the time and couldn’t get around. One would have to assume he went looking for Paul as they couldn’t have accidently bumped into one another. We also don’t know the twists and turns in Onesimus’ life that led him to receiving Christ.
Some theologians even state that Onesimus would have more than likely been a what we would consider to be a backslider by today’s standards. We know he heard the gospel at-least, whether he believed it or not prior to Paul isn’t really discussed.
We do find out in this book that Paul is the master of the Oreo affect. In Psychology when giving they state people are more receptive to correction of you sandwich the corrective statements between two positive thoughts. This leaves you entering the conversation on a positive note and leaving the conversation on a positive note. Paul starts out in verse 1 buttering up Philemon with how much of a true believer he is. He tell him in verse 7 that Paul recieved much joy and comfort from the Salvation of Philemon. In doing this Paul isn’t just buttering him up though he is showing the position of Authority he has in Philemon’s life. Then we get into verse 8. Verse 8 is one of those verse that if any Pastor would say this to most if not all Christians today the person receiving the Criticism would leave the church.
Read V8
Paul says Although I am bold enough to just tell you what to do and expect you to comply
However He doesn’t want Philemon acting out of a command but rather out of obedience to the message of Jesus Christ.
There are three possible ways this could go down?
Judgement, Mercy, Grace
Judgement, Mercy, Grace
Paul states that he knows Onesimus wronged him and fled for his life, has come and found Christ. He even goes onto state that Onesimus’ offense might have been for both their benefits.
Mercy
Mercy
Judgement gives you what you deserve.
Paul
But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Grace
Grace
This is very much the OT way of living. This is why Jonah runs from Nineveh-They were killers and deserved to be killed.
Mercy restores that which you already had
We see this in the prodigal son. Jesus told this parable in an attempt to show the Jews that acceptance of Him, and by extension the father, would free them from their Spiritual bondage giving them back the right of sonship they once held.
Grace-Grace is new and comes with the induction of the gentiles to the Jewish family tree.
Philemon as book is an entire book of grace. If you’re ever struggling to show someone what grace looks like this is the book you need to point them too.
A sinning slave, not forgiven and restored, but forgiven and then given a position of brotherhood he didn’t deserve.
Understand slavery then wasn’t slavery as we know it. People weren’t just shipped in as slaves stolen from a home country.
Slaves were usually taken in 1 of two ways. Either a person owed a debt they couldn’t repay and gave themselves to work the debt off (which isn’t actually slavery since they are earning money they already spent) OR It was a result of war—usually people who surrendered prior to war.
There is also faith and order in this book. Paul knows Onesimus is technically still Philemon’s. Paul also knows that keeping Onesimus from Philemon is also a crime and goes against the law of the land. This got me looking into my life—how many times have I sinned thinking or desiring to do good. Even with this letter Onesimus’ fate belonged to Philemon. This is a true Christian conundrum; one I have faced many times. Is temporal bad ok in the sight of ultimate good or is rather root showing a lack of trust in God?
It’s as if saying Lord, I trust you with my life and then lying to cover for a friend when police come banging at your door.
Onesimus leaves Paul and this had to be the longest journey of his life. Imagine—put yourself in Onesimus’ shoes. You’re trying to live this new life of Jesus Christ, but you have this monkey breathing down your back— a consequence from your life prior to salvation. A consequence because you didn’t trust God in your circumstance. You’re left with a choice—do I live right or do I hope that God will accept me into heaven even though I wasn’t obedient in all areas of my life.
Both have consequences, but one eases the immediate future in acceptance of bringing on a later curse--
Onesimus, walks back to Philemon. Philemon, now I’m taking some writer leeway here, sees this man who wronged him coming back— can you image the flood of emotions. Just as Philemon is about to snatch up Onesimus he gets handed Paul’s letter.
He reads through the letter getting to the part where Paul states—look incase this man owes you anything charge it to my account. If you demand repayment in order to let Onesimus live I’ll pay the ransom, but also remember you owe your salvation to me. You owe me your life.
Now I can see every christian—Oh no he didn’t. I don’t know how Paul pulled off some of the things he did because I can imagine this today. If I tried this most people would leave the church or punch me. I’d hear for months God saved me not you. You think you’re God you can forgive sins? How dare you.
Paul is saying your enlightened because we Jews obeyed Christ. We went into a gentile nation and shared our God with you. Through our obedience to God’s word you will know eternal life. Just as Onesimus now does. Don’t be like the guy who went to the debtor begging forgiveness of his billion dollar debt and then kick some poor guys butt over $100. Remember what happened to him? Yeah he lost his salvation-boom. He went to jail to pound rocks.
Then Paul closes the Oreo reminding Philemon— I know you’re a true fellow believer and I know you’ll do the right thing.
So what’s our application--
No more can we say I will forgive, but not forget. It doesn’t matter if the offense is from a believer or a nonbeliever—we must understand if we are truly following Christ we don’t get to pick and chose what offenses we forgive. We are mandate to forgive them all.
and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
In this one sentence Jesus links our forgiveness of sins not just in believing in God, but also in forgiving others.
For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
Alter call for harboring unforgiveness.