Philemon - A Contagious Christian

Introduction

I would like to begin by saying good morning to each of you joining in with us today! I hope and pray that each of you are doing well!

I want to begin by saying I can’t wait for next weekend when we can all get back together again and I know the majority of you feel the same way!

Our prayer is by taking these last three weeks here and going online only, it hopefully has given everyone time to recoup and get healthy again!

For those joining online who may not know, we had a little bit of an outbreak here at New Home and had 15-20 people test positive all within a matter of two weeks. So, that’s why we have been online only for the last couple weeks but I believe by the end of this next week everyone who had it should be out of quarantine and back to normal we pray!

So, the plan is, next Sunday, December 6th to be back live in person. We will be sectioning off the pews as we did before to ensure that we are doing our part on the social distancing side of things and masks will be provided at the door for anyone who would like to wear one.

The least we can do to ensure that we don’t have to go online again is do our part to help stop the spread.

With that being said, the only other announcement I can think of is our Men’s Conference coming up in February.

If you have not signed up but would like to go, please let me know today as we will be purchasing tickets this evening or tomorrow to make sure we get the best rate.

You can either shoot me a text, or message us on this post and let us know if you are interested in going. Again, today is the deadline for letting me know on the Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference which we will be attending Feb. 5-6.

Now that we have all the announcements out of the way, I’d ask you to take your Bible's and turn with me to the book of Philemon.

It’s located right after the Book of Titus and just before the Book of Hebrews and if you flip to fast you’re sure to breeze right by it as it’s just 25 verses!

Philemon is a very small book containing only a little over 300 words in it’s entirety. But this small book has some very powerful lessons of which most important is the birds eye view of substitutionary atonement.

The book is about a slave named Onesimus who ran away from his owner of whom the book is named after (Philemon) Not only did Onesimus run away but he stole from Philemon on his way out the door.

Then, by the sovereignty of God, which never ceases to amaze, Onesimus ends up in the same jail with none other than the apostle Paul and after being witnessed to by Paul, ends up giving his life to Christ!

The ironic part of this little book though is the fact that after getting to know Onesimus a little bit, he finds out that he actually knows his owner Philemon and also led him to Christ some time before!

So, Paul sends a letter by the hand of Onesimus himself, asking his fellow laborer Philemon to forgive Onesimus for his wrong doings and basically give him a second chance!

He even says to Philemon in Verse 18, if he has wronged you or owes you anything, put that on my account!

Now, upon first glance, one might say, well if the slave did the man wrong and stole from him he ought to be punished! Who is Paul to demand forgiveness for him?

The problem with that thought is the fact that in the grand scheme of things we, you and I, are just like Onesimus!

You and I were once slaves, bondmen in our own right! Before coming to know Christ as Lord, we were also slaves, slaves to sin!

God is our Master, the creator and sustainer life! We are His creation, created unto good works. But like Onesimus here, we all went astray, every one to his own wicked way!

We ran away from our creator and sinned against Him! But then, somewhere along the way, as Onesimus met Paul and was converted, you and I also heard the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus preached and we too were converted!

And the best part is this…Just as Paul told Philemon to put Onesimus’ wrongdoings on his account, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came to this world and shed his perfect blood on a cross at Calvary so that our wrongdoings could be placed on His account!

He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made righteous through Him!

And because of His substitutionary atonement, made for you and I, when we stand in front of our creator, our master and owner, we stand cleansed, pure and white as mid-winter’s snow!

All our sins forgiven, cast as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered again! The greatest story ever told right here in this tiny but oh so powerful Book of Philemon!

And now that we have seen the main point of the Book of Philemon and have a good understanding of the backdrop, I want to look at another underlying point found here in verses 1-7.

The title I’ve given to today’s message is:

Philemon - A Contagious Christian!

And what I want to take just a few moments here this morning and look at is that fact that we all need to be a little more like Philemon.

The goal for every Christian should be to be a Contagious Christian and we can do that if we follow the example left behind by our good friend Philemon.

So, with no further ado, look with me if you will at Philemon Verse 1.

The Place the Letter was written — (Vs. 1a)

Paul begins his letter to Philemon by referring to himself as a Prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Most believe Paul wrote this letter from place of house arrest Rome but instead of referring to himself as Paul, a prisoner of Rome, he refers to himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Paul shows us here that our location and situation shouldn’t influence our outlook on life!

Paul understood that the reason he was in prison was for the cause of Christ and he was ok with it. He counted it an honor to be in imprisoned for the cause of Christ!

He may have been a prisoner of Rome but he belonged to Jesus!

Who do you belong to this morning? Are you a prisoner of the world or a prisoner of Christ?

So we see the Place the Letter was written. Next, let’s look at who the letter was written to.

The Person the Letter was written to — (Vs. 1b-3)

Paul’s main recipient of this letter is Philemon and he refers to him as a dearly beloved fellow laborer. Philemon’s name means "friendly" & comes from the word (phileo) which means "to have affection for".

Philemon was a very friendly affectionate man and well thought of by all who knew him. Not only was he highly thought of and well loved but Paul also refers to him as a fellow laborer.

Philemon stayed busy being about God’s business! Everywhere and in every situation Philemon was found he was found doing something or saying something for the cause of Christ!

His labor was a labor of love for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

How many times do we get tired of doing things for the cause of Christ. We get wearied and worn out and sometimes discouraged being busy about the Lord’s business but what we need to remember when these times of tiresome come is what the Lord went through for us!

He was mocked & spat upon. He was scourged and beaten. The flesh ripped from His bones to the point that His insides were almost visible. The very hairs of His beard were plucked from His beard to the point He wasn’t even recognizable. And if that weren’t enough, He was then crucified to a wooden cross. The most painstaking death imaginable at this time reserved for the vilest of criminals! He was beaten, battered and bruised for a crime He never committed!

We are the offenders! We are the criminals! It was for our sins that our Lord and & Savior suffered and died and the next time you get tired or weary from being about the Lord’s business remember what He went through so that we could inherit eternal life!

Now even though Paul’s main recipient was Philemon, he also references Apphia who most commentators believe was probably Philemon’s wife and then he also mentions Archippus who many believe could be their son.

He refers to Archippus as a fellowsoldier and when you look at the Book of Colossians Paul says Chapter 4 verse 17… “take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it.”

Archippus is said to have filled in as the Bishop of the Church in Colossae when Epaphras went to see Paul in Rome.

And finally Paul references the church in thy house.

Philemon apparently hosted the Church at Colossae or at least a portion of it in his house and so even though Paul writes this letter primarily to Philemon he mentions in passing Apphia, Archippus and the Church gathering together in Philemon’s house.

The introduction of his letter to these fine folks in Colossae begins with “grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Every time Paul addressed his audiences in the introduction he used grace and peace and also in that order and there is a good reason for doing so. Grace is the means of salvation and peace is its result.

Can I just say this morning friend before we move on any further that there is no way to gain peace with God unless you first accept the grace that God has provided through His Son Jesus.

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior this morning? If not, why don’t you make that move today! There’s no better time than the present to put your faith in the one who died for you!

The free gift of salvation has been shed abroad in our hearts through the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and if you will believe upon Him today, you can experience this grace that brings salvation!

So, we’ve looked at The Place the Letter was written and The People the Letter was written to. Now, let’s look at the Praise of Philemon.

The Praise of Philemon — (Vs. 4-5)

Paul begins here by saying every time you come to mind I thank God for you and pray for you dear friend! I continuously hear of the love and faith that you have for Jesus and the saints!

Paul says two things about Philemon here that will help us to be contagious Christians as well if we will follow his example!

He said every time I hear about you I hear of your faith and love for Jesus and your faithfulness and love toward all the saints!

Philemon was an expert at fulfilling the two greatest commandments which Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 were

Matthew 22:37-40 — 37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Philemon was a friendly, affectionate fellow who expressed his love of Jesus and his love for the Saints by pouring out what God had put in!

He was a man who took the testimony which God had given him and shared it with as many people as possible and his work had been witnessed and spread abroad for all to see!

Even Paul, under house arrest in Rome some 1300 miles away had been hearing of the work being done by his faithful friend! Philemon had a very fruitful faith brought about by his love for Jesus and the Saints!

His love for God and those around him was the driving force that made this man named Philemon a Contagious Christian!

He loved God and he loved his neighbor! And his desire was to share with others the love that God had for them! He genuinely cared for their eternal destiny and his love and care for others was a contagious trait that brought joy and happiness to all those around who knew him!

What do people say about you this morning friend? Would you say they think your attitude for Christ and towards others is contagious or not?

If not, then friend you have a problem! You see if your love towards others is lacking it’s because there is a disconnect in your love toward God!

You see, notice how Paul positions this statement. “I’ve been hearing of your faith and love towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all saints.”

Paul starts with a faith and love towards God and then towards others, right? What we need to understand is that there has to be a right faith and love for God before there can be a right faith and love towards anyone else and the reason this is so is because as the disciple whom Jesus loved said, “God is love!”

You can’t understand love until you understand God and what He did for you to deliver you from the bondage of sin and when you understand that my friend, then and only then can you begin to love others the right way!

Philemon understood this and it’s what caused him to be a Contagious Christian! And if you want to be a Contagious Christian this morning all you have to do is follow Philemon’s example.

Love God first and foremost. Shore up your relationship with him and in the process, your love for others will begin to grow as well and then before you know it, your attitude toward God and man will be contagious just as it was for our dear friend Philemon!

So we have looked at The Place the Letter was written, The Person the Letter was written to, and Paul’s Praise for Philemon. Now, let’s look at Paul’s Prayer for Philemon.

The Prayer for Philemon — (Vs. 6)

Now we come to the crux of the message. Paul says I pray that the communication of your faith may become “effectual” by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Basically Paul is saying, Brother I pray that as you share your story with others they will see what good things God has done and is doing in and through you and that your testimony for God will be effectual!

The word effectual can also be translated effective and active! In Brother Bobby’s terms, I believe Paul was saying in essence, “I pray that your testimony for Christ will be contagious!”

Listen friend, your testimony can be contagious as well! Do you realize that your testimony is unique to you? God called you in a specific way, dealt with your heart in a specific way, saved you in a specific way and that way was specific to you so that you can share it with someone else who may be going through the same specific situation you did!

Your testimony, like Philemon’s, can be contagious but you have to be willing to share it without reservation! Philemon was thankful for what God had done for him and he wanted everyone to know it and it was this disregard for everything but Christ that made him to be a Contagious Christian!

Status Quo Christianity is plaguing the Church of the living God today! Everyone wants to be Christian as long as it doesn’t interfere with their way of life, their job, their friends, their family and their social status! If it causes friction in any of these areas they immediately put their views on mute if you will to keep everything status quo, even keel.

Very few are willing to be outspoken for their faith in God! Very few are willing to risk it all for the cause of Christ and therefore there are very few Contagious Christians in the world today!

You want to know how 12 men turned the world upside down? They did not love their lives unto death and were all in for the cause of Christ!

Could you imagine this world today if all the self professing Christians had the same mindset as those 12 disciples? The difference in this world would be night and day!

Abortion, homosexuality, divorce, alcoholism, drug abuse, pornography, pride, lying, cheating, stealing, cursing, hatred and evil of kinds would be almost nonexistent!

But we’d rather keep quiet and let the evil rage!

We need more Philemon’s in this world today! We need some more Contagious Christians! Are you willing to be one of them?

We’ve seen The Place the Letter was written, The Person the Letter was written to, The Praise for Philemon, Paul’s Prayer for Philemon and finally this morning let’s look at Paul’s Propensity for Philemon.

The Propensity of Paul towards Philemon — (Vs. 7)

Paul finishes out this section of his letter by telling his good friend Philemon that what he’s been hearing brings him great joy and comfort because the bowels of the saints are being refreshed by him.

The work Philemon was doing for God was bearing fruit! He was meeting the needs of the saints spiritually and some commentators say that there’s a good possibility that Philemon was a wealthy businessman and if this is the case, he was probably meeting the needs of the saints physically as well!

Philemon was fulfilling his calling from God and the thought I leave you with is this…are you? Are you fulfilling the call of God upon your life?

The work Philemon was doing for God had caught fire and all who were around were thankful for this man’s work and his testimony of what God had done for him!

Philemon had become a Contagious Christian without even meaning to! This is what happens when your faith and love for God and people coincide in perfect harmony!

Do you want to be a Contagious Christian today? If so, follow the example left behind by our dear Brother Philemon.

Put God first in everything you do. Love him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then love your neighbor as yourself!

Love God genuinely. Love others genuinely. And before you know it, your testimony for Christ will become contagious as well!

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