All right, Philemon, a letter
to Philemon from Paul. This epistle of Paul is written
to a dear, dear friend and brother who lived down in Colossae. His
name was Philemon. I understand that Philemon was
a well-known man. Somebody wrote that he might
have been one of the 70 that the Lord Jesus sent out on one
occasion. But he was a man evidently who
had a very large house, household, sort of like a great ranch with
many servants. And he was a most faithful believer. in whose house believers gathered
to worship. I gleaned that from the first
two verses. He said, Paul, a prisoner of
Jesus Christ and Timothy, who was with him, my brother, writing
unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and fellow laborer, and to our
beloved Athia and Archippus, fellow soldier. Most people think
that Athia was the wife and Archippus was the pastor maybe down there
who led the people who met. He says, and to the church in
your house. That's where I got the information
that there was a church meeting in this man's home, this man
Philemon, and Archippus perhaps was the man who conducted the
services, the pastor in Appia, his beloved wife. But now Paul,
when he wrote this letter to Philemon, was a prisoner in Rome. He was confined the last two
years of his life to a rented house. in Rome. Let's turn to
Acts 28 and get that information, Acts 28. First we'll read verse
16, Acts 28, 16. Acts 28, 16. And when we came
to Rome, the centurion, the Roman centurion, delivered the prisoners,
of which Paul was one, to the captain of the But Paul was suffered
to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. Evidently, Paul
was along in years at this time. Now, look at verse 30 of that
same chapter, Acts 28, 30. And Paul dwelt two whole years
in his own hired house, rented house, as a soldier with him,
a soldier guarding him. He dwelt by himself, but a soldier
kept guard over him. But he dwelt that two whole years
in his own hired house and received all that came unto him. He wasn't
allowed to leave, but he was allowed to have vistas. And what
did he do? He preached to those vistas the
kingdom of God, teaching those things which concerned the Lord
Jesus Christ with all confidence. no man forbidding him. They didn't
stop him from preaching to all who came to him. And there was a young man, I
suppose a young man, named Onesimus. You heard as Brother Jim was
reading this book of Philemon, there was a man called Onesimus
who was a servant, a servant to this wealthy man Philemon. He worked for him, worked with
him a long time, evidently. And evidently he had robbed his
master and ran away. Look at verse 18 of Philemon.
Paul said, if he has wronged you or owes you something, the
only way he could owe Philemon was to have stolen from him.
That's what I judge. He wronged him. He was a rebel. He ran away. to Rome, and evidently
he stole some things because, Paul says, he owes you anything,
charge it to me. So this young man evidently had
worked for Philemon, he was a servant, and he had stolen some things
and he ran away, and he went to Rome. And I judge from the
book that while he was in Rome, he evidently, like the prodigal
son, realized what a mess he had made of his life. By the
grace of God, he came to himself, realized he had left a wonderful,
wonderful employer, a wonderful situation, a wonderful home,
and now he was in want and in need, like the prodigal, and
he sought out Paul. My feeling is that this young
man, probably being a rebel, being an unprofitable servant, But still
he knew Paul came to that house and preached, that Philemon was
a good friend of the apostle. So he looked Paul up and came
to this hired house where Paul was receiving people and preaching.
And evidently the Lord revealed Christ to this young man's heart.
For look at verse 10. Paul writing to Philemon, verse
9, he says, For love's sake I beseech you, being such a one as Paul
the agent, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. But I beseech
thee for my son Onesimus, my son." He called Timothy his son,
because Timothy was saved under his ministry. He called him his
son. And Onesimus evidently came there
and heard Paul, and God saved him. The Lord revealed the gospel
to him. And here Paul is going to send
him back to his master. And he says, I'm pleading, I'm
beseeching you on behalf of my son, whom I've begotten in my
bonds. He's been born again of the Spirit
of God. Paul was preaching to him the
Word of God, and he'd been born again. And evidently, he spent
some time there with Paul, which confirmed his faith and confirmed
his conversion. And Paul was so impressed with
this young man. He was so impressed with him.
Then he wanted to keep him, keep him there to minister to him
and help be his servant and help him. And so he says here in verse
11, In time past, Onesimus was to you unprofitable, an unprofitable
servant, a rebel. But now, now he's changed. He's born again. He's converted.
He's a son of God. He's my son, begotten in my bonds. And he's profitable to you as
a servant and to me as a brother. And so verse 12, whom I have
sent again, I'm sending him to you, and I'm sending this letter
along with him. Thou therefore receive him, you receive him,
like you received me, my own boss. You receive him just like
it was me coming in that door. I would, look at verse 13, I
would have retained him with me. That's what Paul thought.
He said, I'd have kept this young man with me. I would have kept
him. He's so, he's profitable. He's a fine man now. He was unprofitable now because
God's done a work of grace in his heart. He's profitable. And
I would have kept him. Would have. That in your stead, he might have ministered to me
in the bonds of the gospel. Been my helper, fellow laborer.
I'd have kept him here. But he said without, verse 14,
without your mind, without your permission, I wouldn't do that,
I'd do nothing. That if thy benefits should not
be, that thy benefits should not be of necessity, but willing,
I'd have kept him here. But not without your permission.
Because if he's going to help me and stay with me, I want it
to be because you are willing, not because you had to. You understand
what he's saying there? Maybe Paul sent him back. You
reckon maybe he did? I don't know. He doesn't. We'll
have to wait and find out later about that. But Paul sent him
back, and he sent him back with this letter. to whom it's written, Onesimus,
about whom it's written. But the central person in this
whole epistle I haven't named yet to you, and that's our Lord Jesus Christ.
And if a man properly preaches these 25 verses, he's going to
have to predominantly major on the person
of Christ. Philemon's name doesn't occur
but twice in this epistle, and Onesimus' name only twice. The
Lord Jesus Christ's name is recorded ten times in the fourteen sentences. There are twenty-five verses
in this epistle, but only fourteen sentences. And 10 out of the
14 sentences that come from the pen of the Apostle Paul records
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'll tell you why. You see,
Paul puts all things at all times concerning all people on the
basis of his relationship with Christ, not his relationship
with them. Remember that, all things at
all times concerning all people. Paul puts on the basis of his
relationship with Christ Jesus. For where Paul is and what Paul
has and all that Paul does and why he does it is because Jesus
Christ is his Lord and his Master. Paul bases everything he believes
and every relationship with others and everything he teaches And
everything he exhorts men to do on the basis of their union
with Christ Jesus. Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another. On what basis? God, for Christ's
sake, is forgiving you. That's the way, Paul. The love
of Christ constrains me. If he died for me, then we were
all dead, and we should live not for ourselves, but for him
who died for us. It's all the way through his
writings. It's Christ. That's what he says back here
in Philippians, in Philippians chapter 3. That's what he says
here. He says, verse 8, Christ is his life. Verse 8, Philippians 3, Yea,
doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency
and the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and I do count them but don't. that I
may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness of God by faith, that I may know
him, the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings,
and being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I
might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. So I've jotted down
about five or six things that Paul mentions in these fourteen
sentences, these twenty-five verses, and relates them to Christ
Jesus. Let's look at the first one.
His name is mentioned ten times now. Here's the first mention.
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy, my brother, who
was with him. Now, it was the wrath of the
religious Jews that put him in prison. And it was the power
of the Roman government that held him there. And it was a
soldier with a sword and spear who guarded him there. But Paul
says, I'm here not because of any of those three forces. I'm
here because my Lord ordained me to be here. I'm a prisoner
of Jesus Christ." And he says it again in verse 9, "...yet
for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul
the agent, and now a prisoner of Jesus Christ." And verse 23,
"...there salute thee, Epiphas, my fellow prisoner in Christ
Jesus." Let me read you a word over here. You can turn to it
with me, if you'd like, to Philippians 4. Paul is where the Lord ordained
him to be, and he always felt that way, that he was where he
was, doing what he was doing, suffering whatever he was suffering,
because the Lord ordained it. Look here at Philippians 4, verse
11. Not that I speak in respect of
want, I have learned in whatsoever state I am. therewith to be content. I know how to be abased. I know
how to do without. I know how to be persecuted,
afflicted. I know how to be abased, embarrassed. I know how to abound, to have
plenty, to prosper. Everywhere in all things I'm
instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer and eat. But I can do all things through
Christ. either a bounding or a base. He's my strength. He's
my strength. On another occasion, Paul said
this, he said, on another occasion, he said, I suffer trouble as
an evildoer, even to prison. But the Word of God is not in
prison, and I endure all things for the elect's sake. that they
might also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
the eternal glory. It would be interesting to know
how many people, how many of God's sheep he sent to that rented
house in Rome, and they heard the gospel. It would be interesting,
wouldn't it? I'm just sure this is not the
only one, O Nessimus. God had him there, a prisoner
on purpose. You know, Joseph gave us the
key to accepting our state. When after all that he suffered
at the hands of his cruel brothers, it was their fault, their responsibility that
he suffered these things. But when he came down to the
end, he said this to his brothers. He said, you meant it for evil.
God meant it for good. You put me where you put me because
of an evil heart, but God used you to put me there for his glory
and for good. So that's what Paul is saying
there. Here is a second reference to our Savior, verse 3. Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace. Are there any more two treasured
possessions than grace and peace? The grace of God and peace with
God. Can you think of anything, anything more treasured? And God has given them both to
us in Christ Jesus. Grace and peace. Now they grow.
Grace grows and peace grows, but they are permanent once for
all. mercies, grace and peace. You see, grace and truth come
by Jesus Christ. He made peace with God through
the blood of His cross. He said, My peace I give unto
you, not as the world giveth. The world doesn't give peace.
It can't give peace. There's no peace from the world. My peace. And I give it to you. Grace and peace. from God our
Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. All of these treasures
are from him. He's the source, he's the fountain
of all grace to us. We're chosen in him, Paul said
in Ephesians, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the
world. We're predestinated to be conformed to his image. We're
accepted in the beloved. in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins, in whom we've obtained an inheritance,
in whom we trust after we heard the gospel, the word of truth. All right, verse 5. Hearing of
your love, hearing of your love, Philemon, I've heard of your
love and your faith. which you have toward the Lord
Jesus Christ and toward all the saints. Now, the third thing
I see is Christ is the object of all faith. He's the object
of all faith. I hear of your love and your
faith which you have toward Christ. I want you to read two verses
of scripture with me from John. I want you to look at this while
we're reading it. What we're saying here, this is my point,
Christ Jesus and Christ alone is the sole object of faith.
Abraham, Christ said he saw my day. He believed God because
he saw my day and rejoiced. Moses, Christ said he wrote of
me. Moses wrote of me. Job, you've
heard of the patience of Job, based on what? I know my Redeemer
lives. And on this earth he'll stand.
And though worms destroy this body, in my flesh I'm going to
see my God, my Redeemer. David, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not walk. That's the
only reason I don't walk, because the Lord is my shepherd, the
Lord Jehovah. Peter, none other name unto heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved. Paul, I know whom I
have believed. Now watch this in John 3. Now
watch this carefully. Let's look at it. It says in
John 3, verse 18, read it with me now. He that believeth on
him is not condemned. He that believeth, but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He is the sole object
of faith. He that believeth on him is not,
now, nor ever will be condemned. But he that believeth not is
already condemned and always will be condemned. Look at verse
36 now. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. My friends, we're not being unkind to people. We're not being
fanatical. We're not being biased. We're
trying to be truthful. Eternal life God has given us,
and it's in Christ Jesus. And he that hath the Son hath
life. And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. I've heard, verse 5, of your
love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's it. Here's the fourth thing. Christ
is not only the object of faith and not only the source of all
grace to us, but he's the fountain and source of all grace in us. I want you to watch this sixth
verse. Back there in verse 5, he said, I've heard of your faith
and love which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward other
people, toward the saints. That the communication, now that's
not a period, that's a semicolon there, your love toward all the
saints. That the communication of your faith. What is the communication
of a person's faith? Well, the communication of faith
is the manifestation of faith. James says, show me your faith
by your works. That's the communication of faith.
Faith is a gift of God. And faith is a condition of the
heart. And faith is a person's own personal relationship with
God that nobody can see. But they can see the results
of it. They can see the communication of it. They can see the manifestation
of it. And that's what Paul is saying
here. I heard of your faith. How did you hear the faith? The
communication of it, the manifestation of it, the demonstration of it,
seen and enjoyed by others. That's right. Now, let's read the whole verse.
The communication, the manifestation, the demonstration of your faith
may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is
in you. Who acknowledged it? The people to whom it was shown.
They told me about it. The acknowledgment that your
faith is communicated and became effectual by the acknowledging
of every good thing which is in you in Christ, which is in
you in Jesus Christ. In other words, your works of
faith and your labor of love toward others parts them, not
so much to you, but to your Lord. And both you and those people
acknowledge that what you are and what you do and every good
thing that is in you is because you're in him. Isn't that what
he's saying? That's exactly what he said.
That's exactly. He said, I've heard of your love
and your faith, which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward
everybody else. And it's been reported. It's
your work of faith and your labor of love. And it points not so
much to you, but to your Lord. And everybody, you and I and
all the people, acknowledge that what you do and what you are
and every good thing in you is there because of Jesus Christ
in you. Everything good thing which is
in you in Jesus Christ. All right. Wherefore, though I might be
bold in Christ," here's the name of our Lord again, "...to enjoin
thee that which is convenient," I can be, what Paul is saying
here, is I might be much bold in Christ to just tell you what
to do, if I may. I'm sending Onesimus back, and
I want you to receive him and love him and forgive him. And
I could be bold in Christ. because I'm an apostle of Christ,
and my boldness is derived from Him. I could be bold and I could
command you, inform you, this is what you are told to do in
Scripture, this is what you ought to do, to receive Him, to restore
Him, and to forgive Him, because believers are subject to the
commandments of the Lord. We're commanded to love each
other. We're commanded to be good servants, good stewards.
We're commanded to. That's what Paul said. I could
be much bold in Christ and command you to do that which is right.
Yet, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. I'm
going to base this request on that upon which it ought to be
based, for love's sake. Yet for love's sake, instead
of commanding you boldly in Christ, for love's sake I beseech you,
being Paul, your old friend, and now prisoner for the gospel's
sake. And this is a true and proper
motivation for all that we do. This is it. What is this for love's sake?
Well, I tell you, it's for the sake of God's love to us, because
of his love to us. Secondly, it's for the sake of
our love for him. We love him because he first
loved us. And thirdly, it's for the sake of love that Paul had
for Philemon, and Philemon had for Paul. He said, Receive him as you would
me. You love me, and I'm asking you
to do it, so do it for my sake. Do it because you love me. But
fourthly, for the sake of the love which I know Philemon had,
now especially for this young man. So this is, all of us need to work with people on this basis. Do it for love's sake. If you
can't do it for love's sake, then do it anyway, but it won't
profit you. All right, here's the next thing
I see here. Christ is the transforming power
that changes the lives of people. He says in verse 10, I beseech
thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds,
in times past He was to you unprofitable. What's that word? Useless. This
young man was useless. He was offensive. He was a bad
character. He wasn't good for anybody or
anything. He was unprofitable to all people. And that's the way he was. But
now, oh, look at that, but now, but now, I put that right along
with, but God. You have to acquaint them who
were dead in trespasses and sin. When in times past we all walked
according to the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye
and the pride of life, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience. But God. But God. But now. But God. With Christ. But now. He's profitable. He's profitable as a good servant
to you. And he's profitable as a good
brother to the Church. What made the difference? He
came to know the Redeemer. That makes the difference in
anybody's life when it comes to know Christ. And listen to
what Paul says about him here. Let's read verse 12 through 16.
Whom I have sent again, thou therefore receive him. That is,
receive him like you're receiving me. whom I would have retained
with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered to me in
the bonds of the gospel of Christ. But without your mind would I
do nothing, that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity,
but willingly. For perhaps he therefore departed
for a season, that thou shouldest receive him forever. Maybe, no
question, but I know maybe about it, all that is ordained of God. the turmoil, the disappointment,
the thievery, the running away, and all this. The steps of a
righteous man are ordered by the Lord. And every step he took
toward Rome was ordained of God. Paul being there to preach to
him the Word of God, ordained of God. Now he's going back home. Perhaps he departed for a little
while that you should receive him as a brother forever. Not
now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, especially
to me. But how much more unto you, both
in the flesh. He's part of your household now
in the Lord. Oh, brothers in the flesh and
brothers in the Lord. Now that's a combination that's
hard to beat. If thou therefore count me a
partner, receive him as myself." Now, if he's wronged you, if
he has wronged you, if he owes you anything, put it on my account.
You know what Paul is talking about there, don't you? If he's robbed you, owes you
anything, I'll stand good for it like the Lord Jesus stood
good for our debts and paid them and canceled them, paid them
in full. Now then, verse 19, I, Paul,
have written this with my own hand. I'll repay you. If he owes you anything, I'll
repay you. But I'm not going to remind you
of what you owe me. I'm not going to remind you. He did, but he's not going to.
I'm not going to remind you of what you owe me, your own self.
I can't even preach the gospel to you, and God saved you. Let
me have joy of you in the Lord. Refresh my bowels in the Lord."
There's no greater joy than to see the Lord show mercy to a
sinner in Christ Jesus. There's no greater joy than to
see real conversion. Not reformation and not getting
religion. I mean like this young man was
unprofitable and now he's profitable. No greater joy than to see the
Lord show mercy to a sinner, as he did on Nessimus. And no
greater joy than to see believers manifest forgiveness and grace
and mercy to others, like Paul knew Philemon would do. The reason I know he'd do it
is because he says in verse 21, I have confidence in your having
confidence in your obedience, I wrote to you, knowing that
you'd do more than what I said." Now, that's something. I knew, I knew you'd do more
than I said. Now, if you would prepare me
a lodging, I trust through your prayers I'll be given to you.
Paul wanted to go back and see them. There salute thee Epiphus, my
fellow prisoner." Now, here's the fellows that were with him.
Mark was with him. Aristarchus was with him. Demas. You reckon Demas came back, or
was this after, before he left? You think he came back? Maybe
he did, but he was there. He was there when he wrote another
book, too. Lute, my fellow laborers, they're with me. The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.