Gospel Living

Introduction

It’s good to be back here at Abundant Life Community Church and to see you all. For many of you it’s been a year since I’ve last spoken to you. A year is a long time and a lot has happened in the last year in your lives and in mine. Because that’s the case, I’m not here to tear you down. Instead, I feel a burden to encourage you. I want to encourage you with the good news of the gospel. What we are going over this morning won’t be anything new. If what I’m about to say is new to you, then praise God that you are here because you are about to receive the most important truth that you will ever hear. If you’re on the other side of the spectrum and have been following Jesus for several years, then praise God that you’re here because it can be easy for foundational gospel truths to be forgotten in the mundane moments of life. Where ever you are at in your relationship with God, I hope that this morning will be an encouragement to point you to the good news of Jesus Christ.

With that said, we will be going over three points of what Gospel living looks like. Gospel living looks like...

Gospel living looks like...

1. Having Faith in Jesus

2. Sharing the Gospel with others

3. Loving others as Jesus has loved You

If you have your bible with you please open it and meet me in the book of Philemon.

To give some context to this book of the bible, Philemon is a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to a man named Philemon who hosted a church in his house. When Paul wrote this he was in prison in Rome. Paul’s reason for writing is more of a practical matter rather than theological correction. The situation at hand has to deal with another man named Onesimus, a runaway slave of Philemon.

Now you might be asking how can a man who is hosting a house church also be a slave owner? We need to understand that being a slave in first century during the Roman empire differed from what we may think of slavery based on 18th and 19th century slavery in America. Slavery of African Americans in America during the 18th/19th century was solely based on race. Being a slave in first century in the Roman empire was not based on race but it was an option for someone who couldn’t pay a debt, if a family needed money they sold their children as slaves, and slaves were often prisoners of war. Slaves in first century in the Roman empire had access to gain their freedom much more than anyone in the 18th/19th century slavery in America. Even though the title slave is the same, the situations how people became slaves are quite different.

There is much more that could be said on this issue but I don’t want it to take away from our main purpose but rather give a better understanding of the context of the letter we will be studying. If you want to go deeper and learn more about this issue here is a QR code to an article that will explain what the bible says about slavery more in depth.

With a better understanding of the context let’s read our passage.

Philemon v. 1-25.

Christian Standard Bible Philemon

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother:

To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home.

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8 For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, 9 I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, 10 appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him back to you—I am sending my very own heart. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me even your very self. 20 Yes, brother, may I benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 Meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, since I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings, and so do 24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my coworkers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Gospel living looks like having faith in Jesus.

- This means having faith in Jesus as our savior and Lord.

Having Faith in Jesus (v. 1-7)

What is Faith?

According to the Lexham Bible Dictionary, faith by definition is a reliance upon and trust in something or someone. People can have faith in many different things. I can rely on and trust in a vehicle to get me safely from point A to point B. I can rely and trust in my employer that I will get a pay check at the end of every pay period.

In our specific use of faith we are talking about having faith in Jesus. We rely on Jesus for our salvation and trust in Him as Lord of our lives. This means that there are a few things that we believe and confess when we say we have faith in Jesus.

a. We are sinners in need of salvation.

not just the sin we’ve committed in the past, but present sins, and future sins.

b. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross paid the penalty for our sins

The final thing we believe and confess when we rely on Jesus for our salvation and trust Him as Lord of our lives is that...

c. We submit every area of our lives to Jesus.

When we declare Jesus as Lord, we declare Him king of our life. Which implies that we obey his commands and submit to his leadership.

In our passage today we see two examples of people having faith in Jesus.

1. Paul

v. 3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Paul’s general greeting we see his faith in Jesus. Pauls calls Jesus Lord and when used next to “God our Father” it recalls the phrase “LORD God” in the Old Testament which means that Paul is clearly stating the divine nature of Jesus by calling him Lord. By doing this we see Paul having faith, having faith in the fact that Jesus was much more than just a good teacher or a good person. Paul has faith that Jesus is God the Son who came to earth and lived a sinless life, died on the cross, resurrected three days later, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding for all believers. This is the faith that Paul has.

2. Philemon

v. 4-5

Christian Standard Bible Philemon

4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus.

We see that Philemon also has faith in Jesus as Lord and savior. Paul knows this, as we’ll find out later, because he led Philemon to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Also it’s apparent of Philemon’s faith in Jesus is known because Paul has heard from other people the love Philemon has shown to other believers.

This leads me to my final point about having faith in Jesus. Having faith in Jesus is not only a good idea to believe but rather true faith in Jesus implies that you act out what you believe. We see Paul living out his faith to the point that he considered it worth it to even go to prison for what he believed about Jesus. We see Philemon living out his faith as he is hosting a church in his home and that he is known as someone who refreshes believes in their own faith.

My hope is that you and I can be known as people who refresh one another’s hearts.

Have you ever walked into a room that has just been cleaned? How it smells clean, you take in a whiff of air and it calms you to the point of relaxation. I want to encourage you to be someone who refreshes other believers. To have the fragrance of grace, love, and truth. To point people to Jesus with your counsel, to be someone who helps others encounter the restful truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Transition statement: One way that we can do this is by sharing gospel truths with others. This brings me to my second point this morning.

Gospel living looks like sharing the Gospel with others.

This means being a gospel witness to unbelievers as well as discipling believers in the gospel of Jesus.

Sharing the Gospel with others (v. 8-16)

1. Conversion of Onesimus

Christian Standard Bible Philemon

I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, 10 appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

Here we see Paul, an elderly man, in prison, and still living out the great commission of “as you are going make disciples.”

It’s here we see that there is no excuse for not sharing the gospel with people around you. Paul above all people could have any excuse. I’m old, I’ve been sharing about the gospel for a long time, I’m in prison, I’m tired. He could have said any of those things but instead Paul shares the gospel. This is implied as he writes he became Onesimus’ father while in chains. He is saying he became Onesimus’ spiritual father in that he was the one who took Onesimus under his wing and taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I want to encourage you to be like Paul, live on mission where ever you go. Be on a mission to be a gospel witness to unbelievers and to disciple believers with the gospel.

The first part of this mission is being a gospel witness to unbelievers. This implies that we are being relational with people who don’t know Jesus as their savior. This doesn’t mean that we shove the bible down people’s throats. This does mean that we must be aware of opportunities that God places right in front of us each day.

Share story about flight to Charlotte from Birmingham two weeks ago.

The second part of this mission is to disciple believers with the gospel.

According to the Lexham Theological Wordbook, Discipleship not only involves the process of becoming a disciple but of making other disciples through teaching and evangelism.

A major implications of this definition is this...

If you are a seasoned follower of Jesus, there is an expectation that you are discipling someone else. You are teaching someone else in the way of Christ on a consistent basis. There is an expectation that you are sharing the gospel of Jesus with others around you. Again we must be aware of the opportunities to speak gospel truths to encourage other believers.

If you are sitting here and don’t know where to start with discipling other believers. Start small.

Ask questions. How’s your relationship with Jesus? What has God been teaching you lately? What parts of the bible are reading for your personal devotion? How can I encourage you when you face temptations?

Spouse, child, grandchild, friend in the church, volunteer at an organization (Intervarsity at PNW in Hammond).

There will be times where discipleship will feel like nothing is going on. But be consistent. Keep planting seeds and be faithful.

Share story about Nehemiah.

We must move beyond living an isolated Christian life because I would say a true Christian life should not be lived in isolation. So I ask you, who are you going to be intentional with this week? Write a name down. Who are you going to get personal with about there relationship with Jesus? At the same time are you willing to get personal about your relationship with Jesus?

Gospel living looks like loving others as Jesus has loved you.

Showing sacrificial love in forgiving others.

Loving others as Jesus has loved you (v. 17-25)

1. Forgiving the debt of Onesimus

Here we see Paul asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus for anything that he might have done against Philemon.

Paul being Christ-like

In order to forgive others we first must realize how Jesus has forgiven us. Not just our past sins, but present, and future sins.

Signs of unforgiveness. Bitterness. Self righteous.

Share about counseling situations when forgiveness is an issue.

Conclusion

I know all this sounds like a lot. That Gospel Living can seem hard. My final encouragement to you is to rest in Christ while living out the gospel. Because we can’t do this on our own. We are called to be faithful as laborers for Jesus but we are also called to rest in Jesus.

Matthew 11:29–30 CSB

Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We are also called to rest in God’s sovereignty.

Psalm 139:14–16 CSB

I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

Yes we are called to be faithful was laborers in Christ and at the same time I want you to remember that we serve a big God, a gracious and loving God that is sovereign and in control of everyday of your life. That is a truth that bring my soul rest.

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Gospel Living is having faith in Jesus), according to the scripture alone (Gospel living is sharing the gospel with others), for the glory of God alone (Gospel living is loving others as Jesus has loved you).

Pray.

Song: Yet not I but through Christ in me.