Refreshed
Doxologies, Salutations, & Benedictions • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
What is your reputation? If someone was going to write you a letter to you describing your reputation, what would it say?
What if that letter was going to appeal to a need that would help build up the Kingdom of God? Would it be a lengthy letter or short and to the point?
The Letter to Philemon is shortest of all Paul’s writings. In the original Greek manuscripts, it only has 335 words. It is only 25 verse long in the translations we have today.
However, the insight that we can receive from this letter is worth much in the development of our Christian lives.
First let me mention what this letter does not do:
It does not advocate slavery but it is about a slave that robbed his master and ran away. Onesimus robbed Philemon and away. As a person on the run, somehow he came in contact with Paul in Rome. It is not clear how these two met. He could have knocked on Paul’s door asking for money or he could have had a guilty conscience concerning the crimes he had committed. Somehow, Onesimus became a Christian through Paul’s ministry and began to work for Paul in some capacity.
Paul learned of Onesimus still being the legal property of Philemon and Paul wrote to help smooth the way for Onesimus to return. Paul wanted to emphasize to Philemon that Onesimus was a brother in Christ and not merely a piece of property.
If one calls himself or herself a Christian, it ought to be evident in their relationships. Christianity revolutionizes relationships. True Christianity erases class structure.
I want to encourage you to read this powerful letter. It will only take a minutes. For the sake of time, we are only going to look at four verses, 4-7.
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
The very last phrase on these verses indicate to us that because of Philemon, the hearts of saints have been refreshed.
When you need refresh your computer screen, you click on the circular arrow and the refreshing takes place.
The word refresh means to rest, revive, and to given the opportunity to remain quiet and still. Paul uses it in at least 2 of his letters:
so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.
1 Corinthians
Jeremiah the prophet used it in his writing in the Old Testament when God gives us the promise:
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
Jeremiah
Think about this with me! In order to be refreshed, at some point you have to be “freshed.” Now I know that is not a word, but stick with me. In order to be refreshed, there has to have been a time when you first were fresh. There has to be a time when you said “yes” to Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
Sometimes we get burdened with stuff in this life. Sometimes even when we are the salt of the earth we get weary and lose our saltiness. Sometimes we forget that we are the light of the word and allow our light to become dim. Sometimes what was fresh becomes stagnant. Every time that happens, it is not God who moved! We need refreshing on a daily basis.
When you need refresh your computer screen, you click on the circular arrow and the refreshing takes place. I am certain it is not intended, but the circular arrow goes away from the start and eventually points up. That is what happens when we follow the idea of refreshing through prayer, faith and love.
These are three beautiful aspects of these verses. We would do well to allow ourselves to be rooted in them and these aspects to be rooted in each of us.
First, we can be refreshed through prayer.
Refreshed Through Prayer
Refreshed Through Prayer
In Philemon verse 4, Paul states, “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers.” There is much we can see in just that phrase.
We see here that prayer is personal. You and I can express personal prayers to a personal God. Paul says “I thank MY God.”
God is personal and He allows us to make Him so! There is much evidence of this throughout scripture.
Arise, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
Psalm
O Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psal
There are many more that I have included on your outline for further study.
Prayer is personal and prayer is also proactive. Paul uses the word “always.”
It means at all times and forever. There is intention in his prayer. In order for one to be intentional, one has to be proactive in doing so. Proactive is acting in advance and anticipating. Do you anticipate your prayer time? Do you schedule time in your day for prayer? Do you pray without ceasing? Or do you throw up a prayer only in your time of need?
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
There’s more evidence of prayer being personal and proactive, but I am reminded even in that verse from Jeremiah that prayer is purposeful.
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Paul shows Philemon the purpose of his prayer is to thank God for him. Have you ever had someone thank God for you? Is your life such a life that can happen? Do you thank God for those in your life? The example given here shows that we should be in the practice of thanking God for people He has placed in our lives. How often should we participate in such practice? Paul says “as I remember you.” In other words, we should practice prayer as God brings that person to mind. I am convinced that there have been many lives protected because of such timely prayer. When God brings someone to your mind, pray for them.
Paul also shows why he prayed for Philemon. He had heard about Philemon’s faith.
Refreshed by Faith
Refreshed by Faith
Paul, and others, were refreshed by faith. Notice four things here in verses 5-6 that we can learn about a refreshing faith.
First, a refreshing faith is one that speaks.
because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
First, a refreshing faith is one that speaks. Paul says he heard about the faith of Philemon. Do people hear about your faith?
Do you remember the commercials from the late 1970’s, “When E.F. Hutton talks, everybody listens.” The commercials would have restaurants come to a hush and busy city streets come to a complete stop. Your faith, whether you want it to or not, speaks loudly. It can be something that is good and worthy of modeling or it can be damaging to those who hear it.
shows many examples of how faith was spoken and lived out. A refreshed faith is one that speaks.
A refreshed faith is also one that is secure. Paul says that he hears about a faith that is in the Lord Jesus. If your faith is in the Lord Jesus, it is pretty secure. Jesus was pre-existent.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:1-2
Jesus introduced the Kingdom of God.
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
The
Sounds like He is Lord to me!
His followers acknowledged who He is:
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
Jesus became the atonement for our sins and once and for all made us secure so that we can approach a Holy God cleansed and righteous!
If your faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have a faith that is secure!
A refreshed faith is also one that is sentimental. Philemon has a faith that is known for his “love for all the saints.”
This indicates there was
Are you one that is known for your love for others?
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
How’s your love life? Is it one that you are known for? A refreshing faith is sentimental. and it is one that is shared.
Paul challenges Philemon in this text to be active in sharing his faith. If you had the awesome privilege to share your faith with someone, what would you do?
Could you present the gospel to them? Could you lead someone to Christ? When you share your faith, there are basically 4 steps.
God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life, abundant and eternal.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
2. We must acknowledge our problem. Even though God created mankind in His own image and gave mankind an abundant life, He did not make mankind as a robot to automatically love and obey Him. He created us with a will and a freedom of choice. Mankind chose disobey God and go his own willful way. We still make this choice today and it results in separation from God. The Bible says:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6
There is only one remedy for this problem of separation.
3. Step 3 is recognizing God’s Provision.
Jesus Christ is the only answer to the problem of separation. When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, He paid the penalty for all the sins of mankind and bridged the gap from God to man.
1 Timothy
For,
There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
The Bible says,
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Ephesians
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
God has provided for you and me the only way and we must make a choice.
4. Step 4 is Our Response.
We must trust Jesus Christ and receive Him by His personal invitation.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
That’s the 4 steps to Peace with God: God’s Purpose, Our Problem; God’s Provision; Our Response.
Paul challenged Philemon to be active in sharing his faith. If Paul wrote me and you a letter, we could certainly be sure that he would ask us to be active in sharing our faith as well.
The last thing we see in this beautiful passage in Philemon, is that we are refreshed by love.
Refreshed by Love
Refreshed by Love
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Love is practical. It gives joy and encouragement.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
How refreshing it is to receive joy and encouragement from other believers. There is nothing better than you and I can do than to encourage someone joyfully! Who in your life do you need to love practically?
By all this we are encouraged.
In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
2 Corinthians
This love is portrayed as refreshing. Every movement you and I make in response to God has a ripple effect. Love effects our relationships.
Do you refresh other or do you make it worse for them?
Sinners prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that you died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite you to come into my heart and life. I want to trust you as Savior and follow you as Lord.
Amen.