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Paul's letter to Philemon is in 
general his considered his most 

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personal letter that he writes. 
It is a letter in which he does 

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some pretty unique things and it
is a letter in which he does 

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some things that he never does 
before. 

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One of the first things that 
Paul does is in his introduction

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in verse one of Philemon. 
He says he says Paul the 

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prisoner of Christ Jesus, and 
Timothy our brother to Philemon,

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our beloved friend and fellow 
labour, to the beloved Apiphia 

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Archopus, our fellow soldier, 
and to the church in your house.

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Paul very rarely does not start 
a letter by referring back to 

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his apostleship. 
It only happens one or two other

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times, and then throughout that 
letter, he refers to it. 

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And yet here Paul, and never 
will. 

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He throughout this book, really 
refer to his apostleship. 

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He'll hint at it once and we'll 
talk about that. 

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But this isn't a book in which 
Paul is laying the groundwork 

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for Apostolic or his authority 
as an apostle. 

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This is a personal letter. 
This is a letter in which Paul 

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truly loves Philemon and he 
truly loves this third 

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character, Onessimus, and he 
wants them to find harmony as 

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now they are brothers in Christ 
and there is meant to be harmony

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in Christ. 
He can do amazing works and he 

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can do amazing things within the
lives of those who once were 

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enemies. 
In fact, the book of Isaiah and 

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Isaiah chapter 6, the famous 
chapter that talks about the 

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coming of the Messiah, talks 
about how he will make the lion 

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and the lamb lay down together. 
He is this Messiah and this king

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who can bring enemies together. 
And Philemon draws our attention

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to that power within Christ, but
he does so not with authority, 

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but based on love and 
friendship. 

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And there's an impactful lesson 
there as we read through this 

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letter that more often than not,
building relationships with 

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people is an Ave. in which we 
can in fact or enact true change

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rather than just trying to get 
people to do what we tell them 

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to do because we have authority 
over them. 

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And that's the letter to 
Philemon. 

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He needs change to exist. 
But let's do this out of love 

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and not out of compulsion. 
And so Paul begins this letter 

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different and then he goes in to
let us know about his own life. 

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Paul, as he writes this letter 
is not in the best situation of 

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his life. 
He's not in a moment in which he

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is really at the top of his game
to be helping other people out. 

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In verse 9 he says, yet for 
Love's sake, I'd rather appeal 

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to you being such as one as Paul
the aged and now also a prisoner

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of Jesus Christ. 
In verse 13, he says on speaking

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on behalf of this other person 
whom I wish to keep with me, 

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that on your behalf he might 
minister to me in my chains for 

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the gospel. 
Paul's in prison, both as a bond

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servant of Christ, but also 
literally within a Roman prison.

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He is somebody in a difficult 
situation and yet he looks out 

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and is able to see the need 
within his brothers in Christ 

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and says that is more important 
than my situation. 

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And that's another lesson I want
you to take home, if you can 

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from this book, that just 
because you're in a bad 

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situation does not negate the 
fact that you have a 

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responsibility and an ability to
help others where you can. 

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Your situation does not give you
the right to not act as a 

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Christian should. 
Paul understood that deeply. 

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His situation did not mean he 
didn't have the responsibility 

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when he had the opportunity to 
help these two brothers in 

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Christ reunite and reconcile 
their relationship. 

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And so Paul's in prison. 
And so he writes his friend, and

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he says this in verse 3. 
Grace to you and peace from God 

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our Father and the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

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I thank my God making mention of
you always in my prayers, 

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hearing of your love and faith 
which you have toward the Lord 

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Jesus and toward all the Saints,
that the sharing of your faith 

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may become affected by the 
acknowledgement of every good 

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thing which is in you in Christ 
Jesus. 

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For we have great joy and 
consolation in your love because

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the hearts of the Saints have 
been refreshed by you. 

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So now Paul transitions from his
greetings into the topic or the 

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person of whom he wants to 
write. 

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This man Philemon, a man who is 
a man known for his faith. 

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He is somebody who helps others.
He is given a title that again 

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Paul doesn't give a lot of 
people. 

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When he says in verse one to 
Philemon, our beloved friend and

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fellow labourer may seem like a 
small phrase, but Paul does not 

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refer to people as fellow 
labourers very often and unless 

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they are actively participating 
within the work of the gospel. 

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Philemon is a good man, someone 
who loves God, who loves people 

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around him, and he is in a 
difficult situation, but that 

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doesn't negate the fact that he 
is a good person doing his best.

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Good people go through difficult
situations and sometimes have to

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still make changes and make 
difficult decisions within their

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life. 
Just because he's doing his best

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doesn't mean he can't improve, 
and Paul understands that. 

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But Paul does something that's 
also important for us as we 

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discuss the character of 
Philemon, and that is before he 

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goes into what needs to be 
corrected. 

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The apostle Paul really works to
understand and show Philemon. 

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I see the good that you are 
doing. 

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I know you're doing your best. 
Just because there is something 

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that needs to be changed does 
not negate the fact that you've 

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done amazing things to help the 
church grow. 

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When people make mistakes, 
they've still done everything 

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else right. 
And we cannot forget the good 

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and the heartache and the work 
that they put into growing 

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themselves in the church and 
others around them just because 

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mistakes or difficult situations
happen. 

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And Paul wants to make sure that
he gives accommodation, that he 

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gives praise where praise is due
to Philemon. 

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And notice what he says. 
He says, I thank God, I make 

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mention of you always in my 
prayers, hearing of your love 

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and faith, which you have toward
the Lord Jesus and toward all 

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the Saints. 
And that's an important 

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distinction. 
Sometimes at we get into this 

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mindset of this chapter that 
says I have faith, I'm I'm 

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loving Jesus, and yet we have an
incomplete faith. 

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Sometimes we also get in this 
mindset that says I'm a good 

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person, I take care of other 
people and Jesus comes second. 

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But Philemon has figured out the
balance of loving Jesus and how 

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that in fact impacts how we love
other people. 

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If we're going to love Jesus, 
we're going to serve others and 

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help others and care for others.
It's a part of the Christian 

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life. 
Philemon again is a Christian 

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doing his very best and he has 
figured something out that many 

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people that I have struggled 
with in my own life, how do I 

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balance loving Jesus fiercely 
and helping other people? 

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And a Philemon has figured that 
balance out. 

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And Paul says, I pray for you 
always. 

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We are a group of people within 
the church who have been called 

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into a relationship. 
This isn't just an institution. 

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This is a relationship that 
Christ has called us into. 

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When he calls us into the body 
of Christ, we see that language 

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throughout Scripture. 
God is our Father, Jesus is our 

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brother. 
Jesus is the husband to us, the 

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bride of Christ. 
These are relationship terms. 

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Very rarely does the Bible talk 
about our relationship with God 

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in contractual or business 
terms. 

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There is a contract in the 
concept of a covenant, but very 

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rarely is our relationship with 
God or with one another 

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considered contractual. 
It is relationship based. 

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And so Paul tells them, I'm 
praying for you. 

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There are very few ways in which
you can encourage somebody more 

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than by telling them I'm praying
for you. 

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It is such a beautiful way to 
let others know they are a part 

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of an intimate moment of your 
life because that's what prayer 

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is. 
It is where we release to God 

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our problems, our worries, our 
fears. 

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And then to say, also bring in 
Philemon because he needs your 

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help too. 
And like I said earlier, that 

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some of the people here have 
some of the closest 

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relationships in my heart that I
hold dear. 

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And one of the reasons is 
because when my family moved to 

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Australia to do work there with 
the church, Wade constantly 

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would tell me, I'm praying for 
you. 

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And those words meant more to me
than somebody patting my eye on 

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the back and saying, you're 
going to do great. 

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Praying for people and praying 
for your brothers and sisters in

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Christ is an intimate and 
relationship building aspect. 

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And Paul understood that. 
And so Paul reminds him, before 

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he goes any further, I want you 
to know I'm praying for you. 

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I care about you in the most 
intimate way. 

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I'm praying for you. 
And I am thanking God because I 

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hear about your love and your 
faith toward Jesus and toward 

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the Saints. 
Verse 6 that the sharing of your

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faith may become affected by the
acknowledgement of every good 

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thing which is in you, in Christ
Jesus. 

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To me, this is my favorite line 
within this verse within this 

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chapter. 
Here's why we sometimes, and I 

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especially get caught up in how 
can I do the best that I can do 

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in order to promote the gospel, 
to promote the Kingdom or the 

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cause of Christ in my life. 
You know what Paul says makes 

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the effective work of 
Philemon's. 

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What makes Philemon's sharing of
his faith effective? 

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Says every good thing you do 
says by being a good person, 

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you've made the sharing of your 
faith effective. 

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And to me, it takes the weight 
off. 

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We're not sitting here trying to
earn accolades. 

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You're trying to do all these 
things. 

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The simple thing that we can do 
in order to make the sharing of 

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our faith effective is be a good
person. 

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Because who wants to go to 
church with somebody who they 

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also think is evil or terrible 
or a liar or wicked? 

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Nobody who wants to talk about 
Jesus who transforms lives with 

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somebody who they can't even sit
down and have a meal with. 

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Paul says that your faith is 
effectively shared because of 

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all the good things that you do.
What does he do? 

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He takes care of the Saints. 
He welcomes them into his home 

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so that they can have church 
because that is a safe place for

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these individuals. 
He has faith and love. 

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That means he sacrifices himself
for others. 

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He puts others first. 
This is who Philemon is. 

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He is a good person doing his 
best in a bad situation. 

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But guess what? 
His faith is effectively shared 

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because of the good things he 
does. 

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Sharing our faith can be a 
daunting task. 

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Sharing our faith can be 
difficult at times, but the best

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way that you can start that 
process is by simply being a 

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good person, being kind of the 
people around you, being loving 

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to those who need it, caring for
your enemies. 

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Do not give someone a reason to 
discredit Christ because of your

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character. 
And Paul says, Philemon, you are

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outstanding at being a good 
person. 

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So my encouragement to you is be
a good person. 

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And I know you're trying that 
and I hope and pray that you are

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in everything that you do 
because it makes the effective 

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work of our sharing of our faith
effective and impactful in the 

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life of others. 
He says then in verse 8. 

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Therefore, though I might be 
very bold in Christ to command 

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you what is fitting, yet for 
Love's sake I'd rather appeal to

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you being such as one is Paul 
the Aged and now also a prisoner

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of Christ. 
This is the moment which Paul 

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does momentarily reference his 
apostleship. 

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He references that there is some
authority that he has that he 

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could make a commandment of 
Philemon here, but he says I'm 

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Paul the Aged. 
Whether that means that he has 

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been aged by experience or has 
an eldership over Philemon, I'm 

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not fully sure. 
But whatever it means, his 

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wisdom has come through 
experience in years. 

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And he says because of that, I 
don't want to command you. 

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I want to make you do something,
but out of love, I'm going to 

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appeal to you. 
Why? 

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Because he recognizes that he 
wants this to be done out of out

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of free will and not out of 
compulsion. 

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So he says in verse 14, he says 
without your consent, I wanted 

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to do nothing, that your good 
deed may not be by compulsion as

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it were, but voluntary. 
Paul also understands an amazing

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thing about transformation, and 
that is true change. 

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True transformation happens when
the person wants it to happen, 

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not when somebody is made to do 
something. 

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And so he makes Philemon accept 
this brother back and we'll talk

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about him in a moment. 
So we understand the full 

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narrative when he makes him. 
What's going to happen when Paul

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dies when Paul's not around and 
the letter doesn't get there 

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quick enough? 
What happens when this other 

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character wrongs him again? 
He's just going to slip back 

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into the old mindset and revert 
back to treating him with 

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disdain or treating him with 
distance. 

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But if there is voluntary 
willingness to change, Paul 

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doesn't need to be a watchdog. 
Paul doesn't need to sit there 

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and babysit the relationship. 
The relationship can grow and 

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flourish on its own. 
And so true change happens when 

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a person wants it to happen. 
And we have to cultivate that 

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within our heart too, because 
God wants us to change. 

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He's not going to make us 
change. 

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But when we want to change and 
when we let the Word of God 

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transform our lives and the Holy
Spirit work within our lives, 

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00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:28,600
however those two things 
amazingly work. 

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True change then can really be 
seen within our lives. 

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But Paul recognises that true 
chains doesn't come from making 

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people do something or 
commanding people to do 

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00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,840
something. 
But out of Love's sake, he 

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appeals. 
He says in verse 10, I appeal to

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you for my son Onessimus, who 
I've begotten while in my 

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chains, who once was 
unprofitable to you but now is 

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profitable to you and to me. 
Within the book of Philemon, the

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short letter of Philemon, 
there's three main characters, 

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00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,560
the apostle Paul who's in prison
doing his best, Philemon, who is

251
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a faithful servant of God in a 
difficult situation, and now our

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00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,520
third person, Onessimus. 
Onessimus is somebody who 

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00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,800
generally is understood to be 
what we would call a bond 

254
00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,280
servant, somebody who has taken 
out a large sum from a large 

255
00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:21,680
debt from Philemon he borrowed 
and couldn't pay back. 

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00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:27,360
And so the deal is within this 
structure of framework that this

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00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,240
individual would work as a 
labourer and whatever funds he 

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00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,200
earned within that time would go
back to paying off his debt. 

259
00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,160
But what has seemingly happened 
along this time is that 

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00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:43,440
Onessimus having too great of a 
debt possibly that he thinks I'm

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00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,080
never going to pay this back. 
So what I'm going to do is I'm 

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going to run away to a far away 
country. 

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I'm never coming back. 
I'm leaving this place and I'm 

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going to be free from the 
consequences in the debt. 

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00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:56,800
Although I can't go back, I'm 
going to be free. 

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00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,600
Now I'm going to point out who 
does that sound like? 

267
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It sounds like so many people 
throughout Scripture. 

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You might think of Jonah. 
I'm going to make a point at the

269
00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,880
end of this lesson that it 
probably sounds a lot like us in

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our lives. 
And so he runs away. 

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So we have a slave on the run 
who comes across a man in prison

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00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:33,120
and begins to listen to the 
message that he's preaching and 

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decides to change and give his 
life over to Jesus. 

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00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:40,840
Now on a backup to the Apostle 
Paul, when we talk about 

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character under pressure and in 
difficult situations, what's 

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00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,800
your character like when life is
not going your way? 

277
00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,920
Are you able to convert somebody
who is also in a bad state 

278
00:16:55,560 --> 00:17:00,480
because of your positive and God
centered focus? 

279
00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:06,480
Because what we have is this 
image of a runaway slave finding

280
00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,280
a man in prison and saying I'm 
OK with that. 

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00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,280
I'm fleeing change, but those 
change don't look that bad. 

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00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,760
And I think that tells me a 
whole lot about the character of

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00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:24,079
Paul in chains. 
To be so positive and uplifted 

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00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:28,680
and God centred that a runaway 
slave would say I'll take those 

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00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:32,560
chains any day tells us about 
the character of Paul. 

286
00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,920
But you know what also tells us 
about Paul's character? 

287
00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,320
That in chains he didn't become 
bitter, that in chains in 

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00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:43,440
difficult moments and in 
difficult times, he was still 

289
00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,680
somebody that you could open up 
to and talk to about your life. 

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00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:52,480
And I'm say that because at some
point within this narrative, we 

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00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,360
don't see it within Scripture. 
And so this is in my mind. 

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00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:58,000
You can think about however you 
want to at some point. 

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00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:03,320
Filene Onessimus, excuse me, is 
sitting with Paul and he seems 

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00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,440
to be converted. 
And Paul says, well, tell me 

295
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,800
where you're from. 
And he says, oh, I'm from this 

296
00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:10,920
country. 
I, you know, I had a hard life. 

297
00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,760
I took out a loan that I 
couldn't pay back from this man 

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00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:19,160
named Philemon. 
And Paulo Philemon, I know him, 

299
00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:27,520
you know, Philemon. 
And Onessimus then has to come 

300
00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:32,120
face to face with the 
consequences of his actions. 

301
00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,080
But Onessimus didn't have to 
share the difficult parts of his

302
00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,120
life. 
How often do we hide the 

303
00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:41,120
difficult and unseemly and ugly 
parts of our life because we 

304
00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:42,920
don't want others to think worse
of us? 

305
00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:50,720
Often. 
And yet in chains, in moments of

306
00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:54,600
distress, Paul is still somebody
that Philemon can just onessimus

307
00:18:54,600 --> 00:19:00,320
can just dump his burdens on. 
What a character to emulate when

308
00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,040
it comes to trying to be like 
Paul, to be somebody who could 

309
00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:08,680
be so burdened down by difficult
things and yet such a place of 

310
00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,920
rest for somebody else in a 
difficult time. 

311
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,320
That is the calling that we are 
called to as Christians to be 

312
00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,480
like Christ, who despite 
whatever difficult situations 

313
00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,840
we're going through, we are 
still called to be a safe place 

314
00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,720
for those who need refuge. 
We are called to be someone that

315
00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,920
the Sinner can come to and say, 
I've messed up and instead of 

316
00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,880
being, you know what, I've got 
my own stuff to worry about. 

317
00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,920
You deal with yourself. 
Paul says, all right, I'm going 

318
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:40,680
to write you a letter. 
You have to do the hard thing. 

319
00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:42,800
And one of the things that we 
haven't talked about yet is 

320
00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,120
Onessimus gets to deliver the 
letter to Philemon. 

321
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,720
So there's an act there of 
taking accountability for our 

322
00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,480
for our actions. 
The Bible is filled with a call 

323
00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,760
to take responsibility. 
Onessimus has to go back. 

324
00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,760
I don't know how awkward that 
exchange is when he knocks on 

325
00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,120
the door and he says, hey, 
Philemon, it's me. 

326
00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,240
I got a letter from Paul, our 
mutual friend. 

327
00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,200
Can you read it? 
And I don't know if he peeked on

328
00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,000
the way and said, what did Paul 
say or if it's new to him, too. 

329
00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,920
But there is this third 
character, Onessimus, a runaway 

330
00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:23,080
slave who decides that the 
bondage of Christ is a bondage 

331
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,200
that he is willing to take on. 
And so the challenge that 

332
00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:30,680
Philemon, the book of Philemon, 
gives to us is how can we make 

333
00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,600
the burdens of our life still 
seem so positive that others 

334
00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,440
going through difficult moments 
are willing to say, I want to 

335
00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,920
carry it like he's carrying it 
or like she's carrying it. 

336
00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:41,960
Let me give you an example of 
this. 

337
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,760
My grandfather died in in 
December. 

338
00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:52,400
And they were people I admired 
all my life. 

339
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,400
They had neighbors who knew 
about church. 

340
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:57,280
They had neighbors who would 
come to church at times. 

341
00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:03,000
And it wasn't until after he 
passed away and their neighbors 

342
00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:09,280
came to the memorial that a 
couple of them started to talk 

343
00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:14,120
to my grandma about Bible study.
Why? 

344
00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:17,080
Because they mentioned about 
her. 

345
00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:23,760
They said you were so at peace 
in the most difficult time of 

346
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,400
your life. 
Because I tell you, I do have 

347
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,400
this faith too. 
My grandma has it greater than 

348
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:38,240
I, that my grandfather is with 
God, and that peace that she had

349
00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:43,120
during that difficult time has 
drawn others into this fact of I

350
00:21:43,120 --> 00:21:46,440
want what she has. 
It is a difficult time, it is a 

351
00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,680
hard time, but I want that. 
And our faith in Christ is meant

352
00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:56,200
to then create that balance and 
that peace in others when they 

353
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,680
see it in US. 
And Paul has that. 

354
00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:05,160
Oneessimus wants it, but now 
there is conflict between two 

355
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,240
brothers in Christ. 
And so Paul says I'm sending him

356
00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,280
back. 
Verse 12 You therefore receive 

357
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,240
him. 
That is my own heart, whom I 

358
00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:16,600
wish to keep with me, that on 
your behalf He might minister to

359
00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:19,880
me in my change for the gospel, 
but without your consent. 

360
00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,080
I wanted to do nothing. 
That your good deed may not be 

361
00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,400
by compulsion as it were, but 
voluntary. 

362
00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,400
For perhaps he departed for a 
while for this purpose, that you

363
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,360
might receive him forever, no 
longer as a slave, but more than

364
00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:34,880
a slave, a beloved brother, 
especially to me. 

365
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,960
How much more to you both in the
flesh and in the Lord. 

366
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:43,680
Paul's point is that if we can 
reconcile, this relationship is 

367
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,920
going to produce greater fruit, 
be more impactful and more 

368
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,320
influential within your life and
the lives of others. 

369
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,800
If we can reconcile, the reason 
Paul spent so much time 

370
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,480
throughout the letters of 
Corinthians and his other 

371
00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,400
letters of warning against 
division and falling away is 

372
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,640
because he knows that when we 
are together and unified, the 

373
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,480
greatest of accomplishments and 
miracles can be felt and 

374
00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:11,960
achieved within the life of a 
Christian and within the life of

375
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:13,320
those who are influenced by 
them. 

376
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:21,320
Be united as beloved brothers. 
If then verse 17, if then you 

377
00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:25,720
count me as a partner, receive 
him as you would me wronged you 

378
00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:28,760
or owes you anything, put that 
on my account. 

379
00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:30,920
I Paul am writing with my own 
hand. 

380
00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,720
I will repay not to mention to 
you that you owe me even your 

381
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,520
own self. 
Besides, yes brother, let me 

382
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,640
have joy from you in the Lord. 
Refresh my heart in the Lord. 

383
00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,200
We talked about the personal 
nature of this letter. 

384
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:48,040
Paul drives home it's personal 
nature when he says, I'm writing

385
00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:52,200
this with my own hand. 
To someone who skims this, you 

386
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:53,880
might think, well obviously 
that's how you write a letter 

387
00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:58,760
with your own hand. 
Paul generally at this time is 

388
00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,280
understood to be going blind. 
His eyesight is going. 

389
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,120
When he writes his. 
Letter to the Romans In chapter 

390
00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:09,200
16 we are told that he has a 
penman for himself. 

391
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,000
He has somebody who is writing 
it for him because it's 

392
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,640
difficult for him to write. 
In Second Corinthians they mock 

393
00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:19,960
him because he writes with such 
large letters. 

394
00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,840
He's not talking about big 
words, but large letters because

395
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:27,160
that's how he's got to work. 
And so when Paul says I write 

396
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,560
this with my own hands, read 
that through the lens and with 

397
00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,920
the understanding that he's 
going blind, it is difficult for

398
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,840
him to write. 
And yet. 

399
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:41,440
In prison, blind, difficult to 
write, Paul still takes the time

400
00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,000
to make sure this letter says 
what it needs to say and that 

401
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:46,840
this letter gets to where it's 
going. 

402
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,720
Difficult situations do not 
remove the responsibility that 

403
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,400
we have as Christians to do what
is right. 

404
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:59,160
And so Paul reminds Onessimus 
and Philemon says whenever he is

405
00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:03,200
wronged you or owes you, put it 
on my account, I will pay it 

406
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,160
back, remembering that you owe 
me your own life. 

407
00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:08,600
And generally I'll say that 
that's understood that Paul 

408
00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:13,720
probably converted Philemon. 
And so in a sense, his spiritual

409
00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:18,200
life started because of Paul's 
work, similar to Onessimus. 

410
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,480
So you owe me your own life. 
But whatever that debt is, put 

411
00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:24,880
it on my account. 
Something that I didn't ever 

412
00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,200
think about. 
I gave this lesson one time in 

413
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:32,240
Africa with a translator, and 
the translator inputted 

414
00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,000
something into the sermon. 
And he said even if it's 

415
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,760
$1,000,000, because he wanted to
highlight something that I 

416
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,120
didn't highlight. 
And that is Paul does not put a 

417
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:45,640
limit on the price of the debt. 
He doesn't say, hey, if it gets 

418
00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:50,360
to this point, that's on him. 
I'll pay 90, he pays 10, Paul 

419
00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:51,960
says. 
Whatever the debt, put it on my 

420
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,400
account. 
Because Paul is doing. 

421
00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,560
Something within this book that 
is transformative in our 

422
00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,440
understanding or my 
understanding of Scripture 

423
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:02,440
because. 
What is? 

424
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,760
The purpose of this book, it's 
kind of where we started, right?

425
00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,880
And as we begin to wrap up, what
is the purpose of the letter to 

426
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,960
Philemon? 
Within Philemon, Paul does one 

427
00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:17,920
thing that he never does again 
or had ever done before and that

428
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,080
is Paul never mentions the cross
of Christ. 

429
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,360
Paul never once draws our 
attention to the death, burial, 

430
00:26:24,360 --> 00:26:27,160
and resurrection of Christ, 
which is something he does in 

431
00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,280
every letter moving forward and 
in the past depending where you 

432
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,760
timeline Philemon. 
Why does Paul never? 

433
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:37,400
Address the death, burial and 
resurrection of Jesus Christ, 

434
00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,760
the centrefold of his life, the 
most transformative moment of 

435
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,400
his life, the seed or the heart 
of the Gospel message that Jesus

436
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,640
is King. 
Why? 

437
00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:53,480
I think the Philemon is placed 
within the narrative of 

438
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:57,480
Scripture to teach us what the 
death, burial and resurrection 

439
00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,600
of Christ looks like in human 
terms. 

440
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,160
And this is what I mean by that.
When you read the story, there's

441
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,840
three main characters. 
You have Philemon. 

442
00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,720
Who's Philemon? 
Philemon is a master, he is in 

443
00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:15,360
charge of his house, and yet he 
is wrong to such an extent that 

444
00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:17,880
the debt will probably never be 
paid back no matter how much 

445
00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:20,280
work is put into it within the 
narrative. 

446
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,200
Finally, even he takes on the 
picture of God. 

447
00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:27,840
You have a runaway slave who 
cannot and will not pay back his

448
00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,120
debt for whatever reason, and so
he runs away from the 

449
00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:32,360
relationship. 
John says that those who love 

450
00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:35,680
darkness flee from the light, 
and that is what Osmus is doing.

451
00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:39,000
He is fleeing from the right 
relationship in which he is in 

452
00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:43,680
because he cannot bear the 
burden of his actions. 

453
00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:47,040
He cannot pay the. 
Price. 

454
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,120
And then you have. 
Paul, who stands in the middle. 

455
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,480
And what does Paul? 
Do if Philemon takes on the 

456
00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:01,160
picture of God in the narrative 
story, Odessinus takes on us the

457
00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,560
runaway slave who has sinned, 
who cannot pay the price. 

458
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,320
Romans 323. 
The wages of sin is death. 

459
00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,360
Romans 623. 
Death is our consequence. 

460
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:13,720
We cannot pay that. 
Back. 

461
00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:17,600
And yet Paul stands. 
Between them and what does he 

462
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,720
tell Philemon? 
He says Philemon, whatever is on

463
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,880
his account, I'll pay for it. 
I'll cover it. 

464
00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,680
Did he put an? 
Extent to how great of sin or 

465
00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:28,760
how great of debt? 
Nope. 

466
00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,800
Did he make Philemon? 
Or Onessimus. 

467
00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,520
Excuse me? 
Earn it and work it back, no? 

468
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,240
It was grace it. 
Was a gift given without our 

469
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,480
merit. 
Onessimus had to go back. 

470
00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,120
He had to go back and receive 
the blessings and receive the 

471
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:50,480
reconciliation. 
Onessimus says I'll pay. 

472
00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:52,240
The debt or Paul says I'll pay 
the debt. 

473
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:57,240
Paul is playing the role of 
Christ on the cross within the 

474
00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:01,240
narrative story of Philemon. 
When we run away from God 

475
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,200
because of sin. 
When we break that relationship 

476
00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:08,280
or build a wall of separation 
between US and God because of 

477
00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,320
sin there. 
Is a debt that. 

478
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,880
Has to be paid. 
And yet Christ is saying I'll 

479
00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:21,080
pay it, just come back. 
I will take care. 

480
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,520
Of the cost. 
If you just come. 

481
00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:28,640
Back. 
God loves us tremendously. 

482
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,960
He cares about us without 
qualification. 

483
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,640
And the. 
Book of Philemon shows us what 

484
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:43,120
that looks like in human terms. 
Sometimes it's hard to visualize

485
00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:45,680
how that relationship and how 
that connection with God works. 

486
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,560
And if Philemon so perfectly and
naturally fits within the 

487
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:52,560
narrative of Scripture and shows
us we've run away from God, we 

488
00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,600
have incurred that That is too 
great for us to bear. 

489
00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,920
And yet Christ sits. 
There and stands between US and 

490
00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:05,120
God and offers us a way to have 
a relationship with God in which

491
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:10,120
we are called back into a 
relationship with Him that is 

492
00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:14,280
perfect and good once again. 
And so as we close, I'm going to

493
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,120
leave you with four quick 
thoughts just to remind you #1 

494
00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:22,000
bad situations are not an excuse
to not act as a Christian should

495
00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,760
throughout this letter. 
Paul's in a bad situation, and 

496
00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,920
yet he acts faithfully #2 your 
good deeds make the sharing of 

497
00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,640
your faith effective #3 the way 
to deal with difficult 

498
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:37,560
situations is with love and not 
force or authority. 

499
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,720
And #4 forgiveness from God does
not remove earthly consequences 

500
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,000
of our mistakes. 
An estimate still has to go 

501
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:50,520
back, but there is a middleman 
standing between us who is our 

502
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:54,440
advocate, who loves us deeply, 
who does not care what we did, 

503
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,560
but just cares that we come 
back. 

504
00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,800
And so this morning as we 
conclude and as we close, my 

505
00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:05,160
encouragement is to you is to 
reflect on and consider your 

506
00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:08,360
relationship with God. 
Where are you at within the 

507
00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:12,840
story of Philemon? 
Are you near the end in which 

508
00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,440
reconciliation has happened and 
you're back in a great 

509
00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,200
relationship with God? 
Hallelujah. 

510
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,000
Because that's. 
Where you're supposed to be. 

511
00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:24,480
Have you run away to a? 
Far off country. 

512
00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,800
And need to come. 
Back at times that coming back 

513
00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,720
can be scary. 
I mention I don't know how nerve

514
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:36,040
wracked Onessimus was on the 
walk to Philemon's house. 

515
00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,360
He's got the letter. 
If it's me, I'm peeking. 

516
00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:42,440
I'm seeing what his polls say. 
But he goes back. 

517
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:46,640
Why? 
Because being back in a 

518
00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,000
relationship with God and with 
our brothers and sisters in 

519
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,760
Christ is a far greater 
experience than living a life of

520
00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:55,880
regret and sin. 
And. 

521
00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:02,200
We don't see the end of the 
story, but I like to think that 

522
00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:07,000
Philemon welcomes him home and 
welcomes him back with open arms

523
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,120
because what does God do? 
John says in first John one 

524
00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:12,520
verse 9 that if we confess our 
sins, he is faithful and just to

525
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,840
forgive us our sins and to 
cleanse us from all 

526
00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:18,200
unrighteousness. 
God says if we confess, if we 

527
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,080
come back, He. 
Is faithful and he. 

528
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,480
Is just and He will forgive us 
and cleanse us and we are back 

529
00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,560
within the right relationship 
again in which we get to walk in

530
00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,480
the light. 
Now that relationship begins by 

531
00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:33,800
hearing his word. 
Romans 10/17 says that by faith.

532
00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:37,160
Faith comes by hearing and 
hearing by the word of God by 

533
00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,640
believing. 
John 316 for God to love the 

534
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,760
world that he gave his only 
begotten Son, but whosoever 

535
00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,280
believes in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting 

536
00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:49,440
life by repenting in Acts 3 
Peter says repent and be 

537
00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,520
converted. 
That is, change your mind and 

538
00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,920
change your life. 
By confessing that Jesus. 

539
00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:56,720
Is the Christ the Son of the 
living God? 

540
00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:02,160
And by being baptized. 
For the remission of our sins in

541
00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:07,480
Acts 9, the Ethiopian says, what
doth hinder me here in water? 

542
00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:13,120
And he and Philip there go into 
the water, and he returns out 

543
00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:16,960
rejoicing in his relationship 
with God, which is now 

544
00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:18,960
established. 
And maybe you've taken those 

545
00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,720
steps, but falling short again, 
like Eileen. 

546
00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:25,800
If we come back to Him, if we 
ask for forgiveness, it is 

547
00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,960
offered without consideration of
the sin and the consequence it 

548
00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,160
is offered. 
There may be consequences we 

549
00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,320
have to deal with in this earth,
but it forgiveness and right 

550
00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:37,360
relationship with God is 
offered. 

551
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,520
If you're either case, please 
come as we stand and sing the 

552
00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:40,880
song that's been selected.