Open your Bibles with me to Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1. Now if you look to the page to the left you'll find a little letter written by the Apostle Paul titled Philemon. Philemon. The little tiny books in the Bible are sometimes hard to find so I figured it would be easier to locate Hebrews. We're not going to actually be in Hebrews. We're going to be in Philemon.

One thing I know about sinners is that they need an intercessor. They need an advocate with God. They need one who will plead their case before God Almighty. John wrote In 1 John, he said, my little children, I write these things unto you that you sin not. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one, who himself is the propitiation for our sins.

The book of Philemon, is a story about a runaway slave who needed an advocate. He needed one who was able to intercede for him with his owner, the man that he had run away from. His name was Onesimus. Onesimus.

My hope this morning is that we will see ourselves in this runaway slave and that we will see in the words of the Apostle Paul writing to Philemon, Onesimus' owner, words of grace, words of hope, words of life appealing to Philemon to receive Onesimus back into his home.

Paul, as you remember in the last chapters of Acts, appealed to Caesar. The Roman governor at the time, Agrippa, reluctantly sent him back to Rome. He told Festus, he said, this man's done nothing wrong. We should let him go. But he is a Roman citizen, and he has appealed to Caesar. So we have no choice but by the law to send him back to Rome.

Now Paul is in Rome. He's under house arrest. Everyone knows he's no threat. But in the keeping of the law, They put him in the guard of a Roman soldier. And in God's providence, there's a slave who has escaped his owner. And he's run to the big city of Rome. And in God's providence, he crosses paths with the apostle Paul. And by God's grace, he hears the gospel preached by Paul and he's brought to believe on Christ.

Paul is in Rome and he's there with Mark and he's there with Luke. Yes, same Mark and Luke that wrote the gospel accounts. And he's there with Demas as well. Demas has not yet departed from him. Demas was a a helper of the Apostle Paul who would later leave the gospel and depart. We were reminded of that last Sunday when we considered true disciples of Christ will remain in the gospel. But Demas, because of his love for this present evil world, deserted Paul and deserted the gospel and fell away. But he's yet still with Paul. Paul mentions him in this little letter.

There was a man in Colossae, the same city that the letter to the book of Colossians was written. He was a man of means. He was a man who had provided much financial support for the work of the gospel and for the poorer churches. His name was Philemon. He had a church that met in his house. Onesimus surely had attended many services in the house of his master before he fled. He had heard the gospel, but had more interest in his own personal freedom. than he had in the freedom that he would or could have in Christ in the gospel.

But he was one of God's elect. He's one of God's elect. And though he ran away from Philemon, he could not escape. He could not escape the hand of the Lord. The scripture tells us that God's hand is not short, that it cannot save. He knows where all of his wandering sheep are, and he will either bring the gospel to them, or like here with Onesimus, he will bring them to the gospel.

Paul is now going to write this one of the shortest books that we have in the Bible, as a letter of appeal to Philemon to receive Onesimus back into his home, not just as a servant, but now as a brother in Christ.

Let's read the letter together. It's just 25 verses.

a prisoner of Jesus Christ and Timothy, our brother, and unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and fellow laborer, and to our brother Apheus, our beloved Apheus, and Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus Christ and toward all saints, that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

" Paul is acknowledging that Philemon has been a great encouragement and provider for the work of the gospel.

Verse eight, wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee, that which is, that word convenient means your obligation. What Paul's saying here is that I have the right to obligate you to what I'm about to ask you, but I'm not going to appeal to you on the basis of the law. I'm going to appeal to you on the basis of grace and love. Yet for love's sake, I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ." Oh, the only way to be free is to be a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Paul's boasting in being a prisoner of Jesus Christ. All men are either a prisoner to sin and Satan, or they're a prisoner to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no exception to that, none.

I beseech thee for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds. Paul's saying, was the one that God used to preach the gospel to him. And he, Paul now, as an older man, is recognizing this young runaway slave as his child, as his spiritual son.

Which in times past was to thee unprofitable. The interesting thing about Onesimus is that his name translated means profitable. That's what his name means. It means profitable, useful. But he was just the opposite while he was in the home of his master, Philemon. But now, profitable. Now by God's grace, he's profitable to you, and he's even more profitable to me.

whom I have sent again, thou therefore receive him that is of my own vows, my own affections for him. When I would have retained him with me, he's been so profitable to me in the work of the gospel that I wanted to keep him. I want him to stay here. He's been instrumental in preaching the gospel, in providing and helping me and the other brethren.

that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. But without thy mind would I do nothing, that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. Philemon, I need your approval to be able to keep Onesimus.

Now, Onesimus himself is taking this letter in hand back to Philemon. It seems clear from the next thing that Paul's going to say that Onesimus didn't just run away, which was a capital crime. Slaves were, we have a hard time identifying with this, I understand that. Slavery to us is something wicked and evil, and it is, and the history of it in our country is bad. But this was the common thing. People just had slaves. However difficult it might be for us to identify with it, in the Roman economy and government, a slave was nothing more than property. And as property, you could do with it whatever you wanted. And if it was rebellious, you could beat it. If it ran away, you could kill it. It was just a slave.

Verse 15, for perhaps he therefore departed for a season that thou should receive him forever. Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother, beloved, especially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord. He's going to be the best servant you ever had. He's going to serve you willingly and lovingly, and you're going to love him as a brother in Christ.

If thou count me therefore partner, receive him as myself. Philemon heard the gospel through the Apostle Paul when Paul traveled through Colossae. Paul was the one that planted that church. And Paul is going to remind Philemon of that.

And if he hath wronged thee, or owed thee aught, if he stolen anything from you, Put that on my account. Charge it to me. Impute it to me. I, Paul, have written it with my own hands. I will repay it." Now, many of the letters that Paul wrote were penned either by Luke or other men. And Paul would only put his signature at the end of the letter in order to authenticate it as coming from him. But he didn't actually write the whole. This one, he wrote the whole thing.

I will repay it. Howbeit, I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord, refresh my vows in the Lord. Having confidence in thy obedience, I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou also will do more than I say. I am confident, Paul's reminding him that it was through Paul's preaching that he heard the gospel. But he's confident that Philemon is going to receive this letter and receive Onesimus as a brother. Onesimus couldn't have written this letter. Onesimus couldn't defend himself against his owner. He needed an advocate. He needed someone to intercede for him, someone who was trusted.

Verse 22, but with all, prepare me also a lodging, for I trust that through your prayers, I shall be given unto you. In addition to receiving Onesimus, prepare me a room in your home. Now, Paul was imprisoned in Rome twice. This is his first imprisonment and he will be released and go back to be put to death. But in this case, he tells Philemon, I'm coming to visit you. I know you've been praying for my return and prepare me a room. I'll be there soon.

In verse 23, there salute thee, Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. Epaphras was there with Paul, Marcus, that's Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow laborer. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

In Luke chapter four, there's a verse of scripture that says this, and without a parable spake he not unto them. And the disciples asked the Lord, Lord, why do you speak to them in parables? And the Lord said, because it is for you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. For them, it's not unknown. The truth that I'm communicating in this parable will be lost to them because they won't understand. A parable is an allegory. A parable is is a natural event that's placed alongside, that's what parable means, it's placed alongside to illustrate and to reveal the truth of the gospel.

And without a parable, he spake not unto them. He only spoke to them in parables. And he gave the reason to them. He said, because it's not for them to know. the mystery of the gospel is hid in this parable. This story is a parable. It's a gospel story. But men will read it and they will come to conclusions of, you know, well, you know, we ought to support the underdog or we ought to be generous in our, in our, you know, with whatever means that we have or we ought to be peacemakers and intercede for one another and do whatever we can to bring them together. In other words, they'll just read it as it is historically a natural story of a runaway slave and an owner and a brother who has preached the gospel and that's all they'll see in it. That's all they'll see in it.

When the Lord told the disciples, because it's not for them to know the mystery of the kingdom. The disciples said to the Lord, Lord, we don't know what the parable means. And the Lord explained it to them. And so when we come together and when we preach the gospel, and particularly when we look at these allegories, these parables, we explain them. in hopes that the Lord will take the explanation of this parable and teach us what no man can teach us. That we'll be able to say, I've heard from God. I've learned of him. I see, I understand what this parable means. And yes, I am a runaway slave. And yes, I need an intercessor to go before God on my behalf and to plead my case. Because though the scriptures have been written, as we saw in 1 John, that we sin not, if any man sin, and oh, sin is my daily experience, I need an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one, to plead my case before God.

Philemon's name, Onesimus the runaway slave's name means profitable, and he was unprofitable until he was converted. Philemon's name, and you see the word philo, that we have it in our English word Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. Philo is a Greek word for love. And Philemon's name means one who loves. One who loves, that's what it means. And in this parable, Philemon is a picture of God the Father. God the Father, what manner love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and gave his Son as a propitiation for our sins. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.

If, as a runaway slave, we're to be reconciled to God the Father, we're going to need one to do for us what Paul did for Onesimus. All of God's elect are or were runaway slaves. We often are reminded from scripture that there are only two kinds of people in the world. There's lost and there's saved. There's sheep and there's goats. And that's true, there's God's elect and the reprobate. But among God's elect, there are two categories. There's the lost sheep and there's the found sheep. And when the Lord makes this story true to our hearts, we will see ourselves as sheep that have gone astray.

First Peter chapter two verse 25 says, for you were as sheep gone astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and the bishop of your soul. In the eternal covenant of grace, in the eternal covenant of grace, God elected a particular people. in Christ before time ever was. And in that eternal covenant of grace, God's elect have always belonged to him. They've always been seen in Christ. They've always been his Children, his people. Like the prodigal and like Onesimus, they flee from their Heavenly Father. They go into a far country, and they waste their inheritance on riotous living, and they indulge themselves in the pleasures of their own will. The Lord knows who they are, and He knows where they are. and he will bring them to confess themselves as prisoners of Jesus Christ.

Turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter two, Ephesians chapter two. And look, if you will, at verse 1 in Ephesians chapter 2. And you hath he made alive, quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, by nature were spiritually dead, unable to believe, unable to save ourselves, unable to stand in the presence of a holy God, But God quickens us by His Spirit. He births us from above into the kingdom of God. Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.



By our physical nature, we were the children of wrath. We didn't live any different from the reprobate. the goats of this world. But God, and here's the only difference. But God, God made the difference. We didn't make a difference. We didn't decide one day that we were going to come to Christ. But God, who is rich in mercy and in his love, in his great love wherein he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, that by grace are you saved, and has raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his knowledge toward us through Christ Jesus, for by grace Are you saved? And not, not of yourselves. It's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

" All of God's elect eventually will confess themselves to be runaway slaves. They will rejoice in knowing that they were chosen, elected by God, not by our choice, but by his choice. And they will rejoice in the day that the Lord redeems them, that the Lord makes them willing and reveals the work of redemption that he accomplished for them at Calvary's Cross.

There's a another encouraging word in this little letter of Philemon to parents and grandparents and those who have runaway children, those who have left the gospel, those who, like Onesimus, perhaps sat and listened, but when they became of age, decided they would flee and go experience the world on their own. Pray for them. God's hand is not short that it cannot save. God is able to bring them unto the sound of the gospel. God is able to bring the gospel to them. And God is able to save to the uttermost. Plead to the Lord, cry out. Scripture says that the Lord bottles up the tears of his children that he keeps them in heaven. What a blessing it is to be able to pray and hope and wait on the Lord for his mercy. What a successful intercessor we have.

We're not told how Philemon responds, but I think it's Pretty clear from what we see here that Philemon in reading this letter would have immediately embraced Onesimus and received him. Paul's advocacy, Paul's intercession would have been effectual. And if that's true between Paul and Onesimus, how much more true that is between the Lord Jesus Christ and his heavenly father.

Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 59, Isaiah 59. Look at verse one. Behold, look now, give your undivided attention to this next truth. The Lord's hand is not shortened that he cannot save, neither his ear heavy that he cannot hear. Pray for your children. Pray for your grandchildren. God's ear is open to the prayers of his saints and his hand is not short that he cannot bring his runaway slaves under the sound of the gospel and bring them to Christ.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. And the next several verses goes into detail about how Sinful, we are. But then if you'll skip with me to verse 16. And God, that's who the he is there, and God saw that there was no man. And he wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore, his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness, it sustained him. These sinful men, though God's hand was not short that he could not save, nor his ear deaf that he would not hear, these men were so sinful that God could not overlook their sin. He could not just ignore the sin of, they needed an intercessor. They needed one who would present himself on their behalf, one who was not sinful, one that was righteous, one that was able to save.

Turn with me to Hebrews chapter seven. He looked and he saw that there was no intercessor. And so he became the intercessor himself. Hebrews chapter 7, verse 24, but this man, the Lord Jesus, because he continueth ever hath an ever unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, who needeth not daily as those high priests of the Old Testament to offer up sacrifice first for their own sins and then for the people's. For this he did once when he offered up himself."

One time, he offered up himself to his heavenly father. We often are reminded of this, but how important it is in this world of religion that promotes a gospel. It promotes a gospel that says that Jesus is offering himself to you to either be accepted or rejected by man. That is not true. What the Lord Jesus Christ was doing on Calvary's cross was making himself an offering to his heavenly father. He offered himself up to God for the sins of his people. And God saw the travail of his soul. And God said, I'm satisfied. Intercession has been made. Once and for all, he offered himself up for the sins of his people. And in so doing, he bore their sins in his body upon that tree and put them all away by the sacrifice of himself once and for all. We have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. We have one who has gone before his heavenly father And he has said to his father what Paul said to Philemon. If you count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. And if he have wronged thee or owed thee anything, charge that to my account.

Romans chapter eight, let's look there just briefly. Romans chapter eight. Look at verse 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? We did not justify ourselves before God. We did not make a decision or provide something to God to justify us in the presence of God. If that were the case, God could charge us. It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. The Lord Jesus Christ. God Almighty said to the Lord Jesus when he ascended back into glory, sit down here at my right hand until I make all thine enemies thy footstool. And the Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. He's seated because he's finished the work and he's advocating for his people. He's pleading their case.

Brethren, God's not going to ask you and me when we step into glory, why should I let you into heaven? Philemon didn't ask Onesimus that. And Onesimus didn't offer an excuse or make an argument. I can see the scene now. Onesimus knocking on the door, and Philemon opening the door, and Onesimus bowing his head and handing Philemon the letter. And Philemon read the letter, and that's all he needed. And Onesimus would have reached out and took Philemon's head and raised it up and embraced him as the father embraced the prodigal. and received him into his home as a brother. Onesimus did not speak a word. Paul advocated for him. The Lord Jesus Christ will say to his father, when each one of his children enter into glory, that's one of mine, receive him. I paid his debt. He's ours.

Look at verse 17 again, Philemon. If thou count me therefore a partner. Now that word partner means one together, if you and I have the same heart, the same spirit, the same common goal, the same purpose, receive him as myself. The Bible says this is our boldness in the day of judgment. This is our boldness in the day of judgment. What confidence do I have that when I depart from this world that I'll be received into glory? This is our confidence in the day of judgment, for as he is, so are we right now in this world. That's our confidence in the day of judgment. If I have a common spirit with you, Father, if we're If we're in unity on this, and they are. God the Father elected the people that God the Son redeemed, and God the Holy Spirit regenerated those whom the Son redeemed. It cannot fail. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Turn me to John 17. Here's another example of the Lord Jesus interceding on behalf of his church before his father.

John chapter 17, look at verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. The Lord Jesus is praying to his heavenly father for us. He prays for the disciples and then he says to his father, father, I'm not just praying for these, but for all those in the future that will believe because of their testimony.

That they may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou has sent me and the glory which thou gave us me, I have given them. that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me."

There's our confidence in the day of judgment. There's our confidence now in being able to come before the throne of grace, the throne of grace, confidently, boldly to find help in our time of need. We have an advocate. We come before God Almighty in the same way that Onesimus came to Philemon. We hand him the letter. written in the very hand of God. The promises of God given to us in the word of God. This is God's word. This is our hope. This is all we have.

We can't look to our law keeping. We can't look to a decision. We can't look to an experience or feeling that we might or might not have. We lay all the hope of our salvation on the precious promises God has given us and fulfilled for us in Christ.

Verse 18, and if he is wrong thee or owe thee aught, put that on my account. Justice must be served. The books must be balanced. The debt must be paid. God cannot overlook sin. He will not allow one infraction of his law to go unpunished. Our sin will either be punished in Christ.

This word means to impute This word, charge it to my account. Count it, count it to me. Or what he owed you, put that on my account. God laid on him the iniquity of us all. God made him who knew no sin to be made sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The two, when the Lord speaks of the marriage union in Ephesians chapter five, he talks about husbands loving your wives as Christ loved the church and wives submitting unto their husbands. And he concludes that whole passage by saying, and the two shall be made one flesh. But I speak to you as of unto a great mystery, a parable concerning Christ and his church. Those are the two that are made one.

And I love what Paul says. Look at verse 21. Having confidence in thy obedience, I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou will also do more than I say. Turn with me to Ephesians 3.20, Ephesians chapter three. Verse 20, now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, amen. Exceedingly abundantly above all that we should ask or think.

Paul says to Philemon, I know that you're going to receive my intercession on behalf of Onesimus, and you're going to do even more than I'm asking. We have no understanding or appreciation of how much the Lord does for his children. David prayed this, he said, Lord, forgive me and my presumptuous sins. We live so much of our life presuming upon God. And yet he has done exceedingly abundantly above all that we should ask or think. The law has been kept, justice has been satisfied, righteousness has been established, far above what we can only imagine.

And then in verse 22, Paul says to Philemon, prepare me a room, I'm coming to see you soon. How can we read those words in this parable without being reminded of what the Lord Jesus said in John chapter 14, when he said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, but I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself so that where I am there, you may be also.

Prepare me a room, Father, I'm coming home. I'm bringing all those who've I've redeemed with me. I'm going to sit at thy right hand and I will intercede for them until they're all gathered together with me in glory. This is our boldness in the day of judgment. We have an advocate with the father and he has heard and done exceedingly abundantly more than all that we should ever dream to ask or think.

It's a parable, isn't it? Not just a story about a runaway slave, it's my story. And the one who before he ran away was unprofitable is now profitable. He's now become a servant, a willing servant. He was a rebellious servant before, but now he's a willing servant. Now he's a loving servant.

Our heavenly father, bless your word. Cause us to be reminded of what you have done for us and what you are doing. We ask it in Christ's name. Number 27 in the spiral hymnal, let's stand together, 27.