All right, in this little epistle
to Paul's epistle to Philemon, a lot of people go to church
for a lot of reasons. And I'm sure there's some that
if you ask, they couldn't even tell you why they go. But people
go for all sorts of reasons. And the fellowship is important. Music is important, the right
kind. But most of all, the word of
God is important. And we're studying in our Bible
class about music and the right kind of music. And I had this thought and I'll
just give this to you. I know people and have known
people and I know them now. That'll drive hundreds of miles
every weekend to get to singing without preaching. But I don't
know more than a handful that would walk across the street
for preaching without singing. So not only is there in defense
of that, not only is there the right kind of singing, there's
the right kind of preaching. And when I say that, I'm not
talking about eloquence of speech. Paul said, I don't have that.
I'm not talking about expertise in outlining and all
the history. Lord knows every preacher ought
to do our best in these areas. But the text of God's word itself. There is the literary beauty
of it. There is the spiritual value of it. And it is what God
uses to speak to our hearts. And along the course of life's
journey, you hear many things with your ears. Many things come
into our minds from various ways. But you'll never regret every ounce of God's word. You can get packed in here and
in here. It's so, so very important to live in us. In this brief
epistle, Paul writing to Philemon, consisting of just 25 verses,
which we've read in your hearing, It's one of the four one-chapter
books of the New Testament. We have 2 John, 3 John, and Jude,
and then this letter to Philemon. Philemon was a faithful man in
the church at Colossae, and most believe that he was
a convert under the ministry of Paul the Apostle, And he's
a dear friend of Paul, and Paul calls him felon laborer. And so Paul writes to Philemon,
his friend, from prison at Rome. It's the setting. And there at
the prison in Rome, he's met a man converted to Christ whose
name is Onesimus. And Onesimus has confessed to
Paul that he is a runaway slave from his master, Philemon. And the text implies that he'd
stolen some of his master's goods. But now, with his life changed,
he wishes to confess all. He wishes to make things right.
And so Paul writes to Philemon on Onesimus' behalf. Only a changed
heart will be willing to do that. The unchanged heart will continue
to run. He's a runaway, but he's through
running because the Lord has come into his heart and life.
Not the unchanged heart. The unchanged heart will continue
to run. Blow it one place and run somewhere
else and forget the other place existed. After a while, play
the fool there and run somewhere else. That's how most people
live life. But Onesimus is tired of running. And only God's redeemed elect
children ever get tired of running in this world. I hope I'm through
running. I hope you're through running. Since my life has not been so
perfect, I can love you as you are without yours being so perfect. That's just how it is. So Paul writes with a plea to
Philemon to forgive Onesimus and receive him back, not just
as a slave, but as verse 16 says, a brother beloved. Many have said there were as
many as 60 million slaves at the height of the Roman Empire. And slaves did all the work,
leaving lots of time to all the free people to conceive all sorts
of mischievous and ungodliness. My mother used to say when I
was young, an idle mind is the devil's workshop. So stay busy. We notice here that Paul does
not address or condemn the issue of slavery itself. That's very
interesting. If people would read their Bible,
it might change your thinking about some things. Paul does
not address it or condemn it. It is part of God's providence
in world history. I agree it's not all right, it's
not all wrong either. I don't see that society in general
is any better off without it than with it. Actually, I don't think we are
without it. To me, slavery has simply been
restructured and now it's called taxes. So there's different ideas
about this, and I don't want to get off the subject here.
So the story is, here where we're reading, about Philemon, Paul writing
to him, not only about the need for and
the blessedness of forgiveness, it's a story not only about the
beauty of Christian fellowship between brethren. But there's
a beautiful and blessed picture of mediation, and that's what
I want to talk about. Paul as the mediator. I want to read a brief paragraph
written by Reverend A. H. Drysdale, printed in London
and written in 1879. He says Paul had confessedly
a delicate cause to plead. There's a definite subject to
this little epistle. Paul's got to deal with this
difficult situation. He's got a delicate cause to
plead, and he stood in such a delicate relation to both the parties
at variance. He has to conciliate Philemon
without humiliating Onesimus. He has to commend the wrongdoer
without extenuating his offense. He has to balance the claims
of justice and mercy, overcoming the prejudices of the master,
yet securing the rights and privileges of the bondman as a brother beloved
in Christ. So that's the That's the task. That's the challenge before the
apostle Paul. If I had to choose one verse
of scripture to define the message of this little epistle, it would
be first Timothy 2.5. For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. This is
a most blessed thought and subject, mediation, a mediator, a go-between. A mediator is one qualified and
capable and willing of stepping between two parties who are at
odds with each other. And this one in the middle, this
mediator, he is able to reach both ways. He is able to identify
with both sides, lay hands on both sides and work a healing
miracle to bring the two together as one. See, Paul and Philemon
were very dear and close in the work of the Lord. And now Paul
and Onesimus had become close in prison as Onesimus' converted
to Christ is of much benefit and comfort to Paul the Apostle. So this thing of a mediator,
a middleman, is a precious thought. And that's what Christ is to
us. That's what he did for us. Our condition was such that we
were cut off from God. We were in enmity with God. And
we were without any desire to do anything about it and no ability
to do anything about it. And God was cut off from us in
his infinite holiness and perfect righteousness. He couldn't have
anything to do with a character like you. And without a mediator,
he still couldn't. He'd have to be something less
than God to identify with sinful creatures as we are. So, He,
the Eternal God, was made flesh, Immanuel, God with us. He was made flesh, became man
without ceasing to be God, and He became a fit mediator. And in the person of Jesus Christ,
he was both God and man. And as man, not just to represent
the best of men, but the worst. He said in Psalm 22, 6, I am
a worm and no man. A reproach of men. and despise of the people. David
wrote that talking about himself, but it's divinely inspired and
it applies to Christ. Psalm 22 in its entirety. And
he said, all they that see me, laugh me to scorn. They shoot
out the lip. They shake their heads. As if
to say, if God will have anything to do with that, so be it. But
we won't. And of course, that's what they
said to him on the cross. If God will have him, let him
save him. We got no use for him. So the coming of Christ into
this world was the divine initiative to mediate between God and men,
to reconcile men to God. No wonder Paul said, there is
one God. And he alone took the initiative
to become the one and only mediator between God and men. And he's
the man Christ Jesus. Now this is what John was talking
about over in the epistle of John, 1 John 4, 3, when he said,
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God. Now, John didn't just mean you
believing that there was a man named Jesus Christ. Most people
believe that. But see what John's talking about.
Christ, the title Christ, means the anointed of God. And literally, Christ Jesus was
the anointed God made flesh, taking the initiative. to mediate,
to mediate. On God's behalf, to reconcile. On our behalf, to be reconciled. Those who are staunch proclaimers
of free will, they deny John's statement in 1 John 4. They deny
God's initiative. They assert that what God did
in sending his son was worthless, apart from their so-called free
will to make it worth something. That's the spirit John calls
Antichrist. Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus, the Christ, God, the anointed, made flesh, has
come in the flesh, every spirit that confesseth not that God
took the initiative Every spirit that confesseth not that salvation
is of the Lord. Every spirit that asserts it's
up to you to let God do something instead of asserting that God
does as and all He wills to do. John said that's the spirit of
Antichrist in religious society today. All around us, not on
the other side of the world, but all around us. carried on
this morning in a vibrant Antichrist spirit. Give yourself credit for everything.
If you're smart enough to accept Jesus, that's to your glory. If you're good enough to earn
a good religious reputation, that's to your glory. You're
to be praised. Give God credit for nothing.
That's where we are. Have you ever considered while
Jesus Christ walked this earth, he made no effort to be approved
by the religion of that day. He was too busy seeking out sinners. Sinners that the religious world
wouldn't allow in their midst. That's who he is. If Jesus Christ
came to Hendersonville this morning, this Sunday morning, what church
would he attend? He'd probably be sitting on the
street corner down on Seventh with a half a dozen winos gathered
around him to talk. Why would he prefer that over
church? Because there's no hypocrisy
there. They know what they are. They
know everybody else knows what they are. And they don't pretend
to be anything else. But church folks are not like
that. The whole idea is to come together, trying to convince
everybody else that you're something better than what you are. Why don't God smack the whole
business into hell today and forget it? I don't know. But
he's God. He's God. Mystery. Mystery. Mystery is
solved in the mediatorship of Jesus Christ. There is one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. And if you go looking
for him, it's because he's looking for you. And that's the only
way you'll go and the only time you'll go. People who think they're not
going to hell because of who they are and what they've done.
I promise you they're well on the way. And yet millions across this
country are being told right now that the whole business is
up to you. God's doing everything he can possibly do. If you just
jump on the wagon. That's Antichrist spirit in full
force. The truth is, if God don't have
mercy on your wretched soul, you'll perish in your sins. In
church or out of church, who cares? Now, I want to talk about this
picture in Philemon. I'm slow getting there, but we're going
to get there. This is so very precious. Christ
Jesus, the one and only mediator. between God and men. He's the
only hope for any of us. I have four thoughts. Stay with
me just a few minutes. Number one, the mediator who
pleads. Paul the Apostle is here in the
place of Christ as he mediates between Philemon and Onesimus. He's the mediator. And number
two, the master to whom he pleads. Philemon, he is Onesimus' master. slave owner to do with as he
pleases. He can restore him, or he can
punish him, or lawfully he can even execute him. So Philemon
is the master Paul pleads to. And number three, the motive
with which Paul pleads. And number four, the mercy for
which he pleads. So we'll talk about these four
things for just a few moments this morning. Number one, the
mediator who pleads. You may have at some point been
caught in a situation where you were the mediator. It's not something
we ask for. The common term is getting caught
in the middle. That's what it is, caught in
the middle. And on the one hand, that's where Paul was here, but
he was qualified. He's the mediator who pleads.
The letter begins, as was customary in that time, with the name of
the writer, Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Three things
about him. First, he's become a new man. This is not the old man. He was
called Saul of Tarsus, you remember. He's of the tribe of Benjamin,
and he was named, no doubt, for that first king of Israel, also
of the tribe of Benjamin, King Saul. which means the tall one,
the strong one, head and shoulders above every man in Israel, the
Bible said. He's the people's choice, but
not God's choice. So this man, Saul of Tarsus,
on the road to Damascus, he tells his story three times, Acts 9,
Acts 22, and Acts 26. how that he there is struck down
by a vision of Christ in his glory, who appeared brighter than the
noonday sun. And he's changed that moment
from Saul, the great one, to Paul, the little one. He's become a new man. Second
thing about him, he's bowing to a new master. He calls himself
here the prisoner of Jesus Christ. What a profound statement. Not
the prisoner of Rome. He is. He's in prison when he
writes this. And what a strategic statement.
given the subject of this letter. He's writing about a slave, and
he calls himself a slave of Jesus Christ. He's become a new man,
he's bowing to a new master, and thirdly, he's bearing a new
message. He says, I'm the prisoner of
Jesus Christ, not of any man, I'm not a prisoner of religious
tradition, That was the old me. I'm not a prisoner of pharisaical
legalism. That was the old me. But now
I'm a prisoner of Jesus Christ. And I bear a new message. And
my new message is a person. Got a little rumble here. My new message is a person. Not
a plan. Not a program. but a person. And so Paul can now say, we preach
Christ Jesus the Lord. So this is the one who mediates
Paul the Apostle. Number two, the master to whom
Paul pleads. It's Philemon. Paul addresses
Philemon in verse one, as dearly beloved and fellow laborer. He reminds Philemon that we're
in this work of God together. We're on the same side, fellow
laborers in the Lord. And through the course of this
brief epistle, Paul gives proof of his respect for Philemon with
the four C words in particular that I see as I read this little
epistle. First in verse two, the church. in thy house." Philemon is a
church man. They didn't have church in buildings
in those days, they met in houses. And such was Philemon's, the
church in thy house. Second verse six, the communication
of thy faith. Paul treasured Philemon's fellowship
in the faith and he prayed for the effectual working of it. Thirdly, he said about Philemon,
verse 7, the consolation in thy love. Paul was comforted, consoled
by the love, the support, the friendship of Philemon. And the
fourth thing he said about him in verse 21, the confidence in
thy obedience. Paul is confident that Philemon
will do what's right. So Philemon's character is well
acknowledged, and he's the master to whom Paul pleads. Number three,
the motive with which Paul pleads. This is so good. I'm here right
now, this little epistle to Philemon, it would be a good study in law
school. Sure would. He very strategically and under
divine inspiration, writes all this. The motive with which Paul
pleads. Now in verse 8, Paul says to
Philemon, I could come to you on almost a legal ground to enjoin thee. Which means command thee. Just
tell you what I want you to do. But I choose another motive.
Verse 9, Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee. What wisdom this was on Paul's
part. It's a blessed thing when you
get to the place in life, and I'm not saying I'm all the way
there, where you can bear your pride and say, look, neither
of us knows how long we have left in this life. Why don't
we agree for Christ's sake to make the best of it from here
on in? I've experienced and am experiencing
right now such an agreement to make a relationship
pleasant and precious regardless of the past from here on in. I've also been refused and rejected
on occasion, and that makes for unpleasant memories and meetings
that obviously will hound me and somebody else to the grave. But Paul's motive was for love's
sake. He's saying If Christ had not
brought us together, we wouldn't even be in this situation. But His bringing us together
in Him is so precious. It should outweigh anything that
might separate us. And he mentions several things
relating to his motive. Verse 10, he mentions relationships. with Onesimus. Paul calls Onesimus, my son. Not in the flesh, but in the
faith. Philemon is made to see right
off here that Paul thinks differently about this man Onesimus than
I think. And here is Philemon's first
knowledge that Onesimus is now a brother. in the Lord relationship. Then he mentions the resourcefulness,
verse 11. Philemon, no doubt, has labeled
Onesimus worthless. But look what Paul says. In time
past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and
to me. In verse 12, representation,
Paul says, receive him as you'd receive me. Receive him that
is mine own bowels. In verses 12 through 14, Paul
relates his respect for Philemon. He sends Onesimus home and he
says, I would have liked to have kept him with me. But he said
in verse 14, I wouldn't do that without thy mind. In other words,
it wouldn't be right without you knowing, without your consent
and your blessing for me to keep him with me. My respect for you
calls for me to write to you and tell you this. All this is
involved in Paul's motive. Love's sake, love's sake. And then in verse 15, Paul suggests
the reason for it all. The providence of God in it all.
Perhaps, he says, it could be, perhaps he therefore departed
for a season that thou shouldest receive him forever. In other words, he is now more
valuable than he ever would have been had he not run away. and in time met Christ. Give God glory that it's happened
just as it has. So Paul is really, he's really
progressing in this plea. And then the fourth thing, the
mercy for which he pleads. Verse 16 again, receive him. 15, receive him forever. Verse 16, he says, do it on the
basis of our redemption in Christ. Not now as a servant, but above
a servant. In Christ, he's something more
now than a slave. He's a brother beloved in the
Lord. Paul wrote in Galatians 3, I
believe it's Galatians 3, 28, there is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free,
that is, slave or slave master. There is neither male nor female,
for you're all one. in Christ Jesus. There's no big
I's and little u's. So he pleads, receive him as
you'd receive me. Verse 17, if thou count me therefore
a partner, receive him as myself. Receive him just like you'd receive
me. Be as friendly to him, making
him as welcome Set your heart, Philemon, on treating him just
like you'd treat me. And finally, receive him with
my promise of full restitution. Verse 18, if he hath wronged
thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on my account, mine account. I, Paul, have written it with
mine own hand. I will repay it. Here's my, I
owe you. Albeit I do not say to thee how
thou owest unto me even thine own self besides." I don't think Paul is expecting
to have to send Philemon money, but he would if he had to. Paul
says, I'll gladly pay his debt, even though you owe me your life.
thine own self besides." The scholarly order of this letter
is second to none. The passion, affection is vibrant
and real and the symbolic message is a clear picture of the gospel. Paul's plea to Philemon on behalf
of Onesimus is like Christ's plea to the Father on your behalf
and mine. Did Onesimus desire justice? Oh, no. Neither do I. Did Onesimus need mercy? Oh,
yes. So do I. How valuable was Paul the mediator,
one who could bridge the gap, one who could address Philemon
whose wrath against Onesimus was certain and was justified,
and Paul was able to appease that wrath with a plea for mercy,
probably nobody else in the world could have done it. How valuable is Christ, our Mediator? Oh, do you realize that apart
from Him, You couldn't speak one word before God in your own
defense. He's our mediator. And in a world
today that's saying boldly, we don't need him and we don't want
him, God's little children are saying we need him and we want
him. In a world of crooked politics,
As we know it, you pad my pocket, I'll pad yours. It's very important
to understand that the gospel of Christ is not like crooked
politics. In our unjust judicial system,
it's who you know, what you can pay, and who your lawyer is that
determines the outcome. Not so with the gospel. You see,
Christ never offered to pay our debt if God required it. God did require it. He demanded
it. And Christ actually paid all
we owe. And because of that, Paul wrote
in Romans 8.1, there is therefore now, right now, no Condemnation,
not one little bit of condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Christ never brought us halfway out of the pit. Oh no. You must
climb the rest of the way. Oh no. He delivered us completely from
the wrath to come and the wrath of God is coming. on this ungodly
and unbelieving world. He's our deliverer. He's our
redeemer. He's our mediator. He bridged
the gap. What a savior he is. What a champion
he is. Hollywood can't even come close.
Oh, no. Roy Rogers the Lone Ranger, Superman,
and my favorite, Rambo. Christ, our Redeemer. Christ,
our Mediator. He is a million times more than
all those wrapped in one. The old songwriter wrote, not
too old, I remember when it come out, still pretty old. Once my soul was astray from
the heavenly way. I was wretched and vile as could
be. They don't sing that much nowadays
because people are not that bad off. But I was wretched and vile
as could be. Then my Savior in love, reached
down from above. He reached down his hand for
me. It's not when I reached up, it's
when he reached down. The old truck wagon gang, 50
years ago, my daddy had the old record player, the old 78 record.
He'd play this all the time, the old truck wagon gang. When
I looked up and he looked down, his rhythm It's rhythm, it's
emotional, it's soulish. It wasn't gospel. Dead men don't
look up. And then there was one in more
recent years, not too many years ago. His hand reached further
down than I could reach up. Dead men can't reach up at all. He reached all the way. See, it wasn't just a little
refreshing we need. It wasn't a little Gatorade.
And it wasn't a little shove in the right direction. We needed
quickening from the dead. Didn't know God and didn't care
to. Didn't want to go to hell, of
course. You've never wanted to go to hell. But you just want
everything to be pleasant and live your life the way you want
it to. But thank God He came my way. He came my way. Reconciled us to God. Called
us by His grace. And we praise Him for it. And
then Paul closes this little epistle. Let me just drop down
to the last verse. He closes this epistle with the most precious
thing any child of Adam has ever experienced. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Let's stand together.