Philemon 1:1

It was the kind of thing that eight-year-old and seven-year-old boys do. At least, it was the kind of thing that my friend Nathan and I did when we were seven or eight years old. Who knew that a pile of greasy rags would burn so quickly? We certainly thought we had it under control in the field behind my parents' house, surrounded by old orange groves and some dead orange trees. It was a nice little clearing with a small pile of rags and a lighter—just what a seven-year-old boy needs.

Now my son will be seven soon, and I’m a little frightened. Who knew that dried grass burns so quickly? It burns faster than a seven-year-old brain can process what to do. To this day, I don't know what it was, but it has to have been a miracle of God's grace that we got that fire out.

As we stood there in the middle of that newly blackened ground, two thoughts went through my mind. First, my short life is over. Second, it's over because I have to go tell my parents. Now, don't misunderstand. The impulse to go tell my parents was not some admirable desire to do the right thing. It was actually a compulsion fueled by fear that the fire might start back up. I needed to find my dad and tell him what I did so he could come out there and make sure that it was out.

You would think that such an event would reform a young, budding pyro, but it didn't. In fact, I think it just shifted my desire from wanting to be a firefighter as a kid to wanting to be a pyrotechnician, which stayed with me throughout high school. However, by the end of the day, the thing that shocked me more than anything was that I didn't get punished.

It was a strange thing to me at seven years old. But that fast confession led to a complete pardon. Now, interestingly enough, that's not the end of the story. The ironic end to the story came just about three years ago when I was standing in full uniform with a badge on, behind a podium, representing the Escondido Fire Department as a chaplain. I was opening a new station with them down here, Station 4, right by Kit Carson Park.

Opening Station 4, which was newly rebuilt just two or three years ago, was significant because it is the very station that services my parents' house here in Escondido. As I stood there to open the service, not ten feet to my right was the project manager of the construction company that had rebuilt Station 4. And who was it? None other than my friend Nathan, who had helped me light that fire. I'm not kidding. That's a true story. Forgiveness is a great thing. Amen? God is truly gracious, and forgiveness is awesome.

We're starting a new series today, as you can tell from the trailer at the beginning, called Unchained, based on the book of Philemon. Philemon is a really small book near the end of your Bibles, right before a big book called Hebrews. You can open there if you'd like to; we'll read from it in just a moment.

The title of our series, Unchained, will become clear over the next few weeks as we open up this book and walk through it. Just a brief headline about the book of Philemon: this book was actually a letter, a small letter, no more than 439 words, written nearly 2,000 years ago by a Christian pastor, the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul wrote many letters—13, in fact—in the New Testament. Most of those are written to churches, to gatherings of people like this. Some of those letters, three of them, were written to individuals. This is one of those letters, and it was written to a guy by the name of Philemon. An interesting name, and I'm sure it will come back.

It'll be really hip to name your kids Philemon someday. But Philemon was a man who lived 2,000 years ago in the city of Colossae, which is in modern-day Turkey. He was a wealthy man, and we know that because of some of the things we will find in this letter. He was a wealthy, free man who owned slaves in that day.

Now, I know as soon as we mention the word "slavery" in the 21st century, we cannot help but picture the slavery that came about in our own nation, which thankfully was done away with in the 19th century as a result of the 14th Amendment and ultimately the end of the Civil War. That's the picture that most of us have in our minds when we hear the word "slave" or "slavery."

Not condoning it in any way, but in the first century, slavery was quite different. In fact, the Roman Empire was made up predominantly of slaves. It's believed that there were in excess of 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire, making slavery the largest portion of the nation or the empire. It was the workforce of the nation.

Slaves in that day were not individuals who were kidnapped and compelled into slavery. They were not in slavery because of their race. Most of the time, they were in slavery because of a debt they owed. It was predominantly a form of indentured servitude. They served in the employ of a master, but they had many rights. The Roman government afforded them rights, including rights to property and rights to marry. These rights extended to themselves and their own personal property. Their job and task were to work to pay off their debt to their employer, their master, for the period of time they served. Most of them served an average of ten years.

However, because the conditions were often so good for slaves, many who served in first-century slavery opted to remain under the employ of their master even after they were freed from their indentured servitude. They were well taken care of, and to be a free man who was poor was often a much harder life than serving in that capacity.

The reason I'm telling you this is that the nature and purpose of the book of Philemon is very clear. It's only 25 verses long, but the Apostle Paul is writing to his friend Philemon on behalf of a slave. This slave had been in the household of Philemon but was no longer there because he was a runaway slave.

As he ran away, Onesimus left the city of Colossae, where Philemon lived, and traveled about a thousand miles west, ultimately ending up in the city of Rome. By the sovereignty of God, he found himself in the presence of the Apostle Paul, who was in Rome as a prisoner at that time. By God's grace, Onesimus, the slave, became a Christian through the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

During this period in his life, Paul was writing several letters. He had already written letters to the church at Ephesus, which we studied at the beginning of the year, and to the church at Philippi, which we also studied earlier this year. Additionally, he wrote a letter to the church in the city of Colossae, known as Colossians, which we will study after we finish the book of Philemon.

In the midst of these three letters to churches, Paul wrote one letter to an individual, Philemon. He sent that letter with a group of men, and Onesimus was among them, to return to the city of Colossae and deliver the letter to Philemon. It is highly likely that the very person who would carry this letter to Philemon was the runaway slave, Onesimus.

Compounding the problem, it seems that not only did Onesimus run away from Philemon, but he also stole from him. This meant that Philemon had every authority to punish him, and the punishment could be very severe, potentially up to capital punishment. Thus, the Apostle Paul, in the city of Rome, wrote a letter and sent it with a runaway, thieving slave back to his master.

As we will see, the nature of the letter is one of liberty and forgiveness. Many people have taken this short letter and used it to argue that it serves as a New Testament treatise against slavery. Unfortunately, that is not its purpose. Some have referred to it as the abolitionist manifesto, but it is not really that either. Instead, it is a letter about liberty and forgiveness.

Point number one in your outline in your sermon guide is that forgiveness is the key to liberty.

And the gospel is the key to forgiveness. Forgiveness is the key to liberty, and the gospel is the key to forgiveness. I believe that this point is incredibly important. Why is this such an important point? Forgiveness is the key to liberty, and the gospel is the key to forgiveness.

Although this short letter is not a treatise against slavery and cannot really be the abolitionist manifesto, it needs to be stated that where the Bible has gone, where the gospel has gone for the last 2,000 years, and where Christians have gone over the last 2,000 years of Christian history, liberty has followed. Please understand this. Grasp this: where the Bible, the gospel, and Christians have gone over the last 2,000 years, liberty has followed. Liberty through better forms of justice, liberty from tyranny, liberty for women, liberty for slaves, liberty for all.

As we sit here in 21st century America, where every one of our children learns those words in the Pledge of Allegiance, we say that this is a nation with liberty and justice for all. We need to understand that there would be no nation with liberty and justice for all had it not been for a nation under a God who is gracious and forgives. The liberty and justice for all that we enjoy, and that we believe is important for all peoples in all places throughout the world, is only possible because of the saving grace and forgiveness of God.

As a whole, this nation at its founding understood that God is the one who brings forgiveness and liberty. Liberty is not just for certain races; it is not only for certain socioeconomic classes. It is not only for people who speak a certain way, look a certain way, or talk a certain way. That is liberty and justice for all, but it would not happen without the forgiving grace of God.

So this point—that forgiveness is the key to liberty and the gospel is the key to forgiveness—is essential.

Not only is it essential for that reason, but it's also essential and important for the fact that what was once branded slavery is now referred to as human trafficking. Sadly, in the 21st century, it's still a major problem—a problem throughout the world and even in our own nation. Unfortunately, there still is slavery. Although we've lessened the punch of the word by calling it human trafficking, it sounds different, but it's the same thing.

Here in the 21st century, especially in America, it's a hip thing. It's a trendy thing to be a modern-day abolitionist, particularly among those who are called the generation of millennials, born between 1980 and 2000. It's a pretty hip thing to call oneself an abolitionist and even wear shirts that say "abolitionist." But let me clue you into something: you're not an abolitionist merely by wearing a shirt that says "abolitionist." You're not an abolitionist by liking or commenting on things on Facebook. You're not an abolitionist by using the hashtag "abolitionist." It just doesn't work that way.

However, based on what we find in the Scriptures and what we're going to see as we go through this letter, the best way to be an abolitionist—the best way to be a promoter of liberty and justice for all—is to be a minister of the gospel. To be one who promotes and gives forth the gospel. Because forgiveness is the key to liberty, and the gospel is the key to forgiveness. There is no liberty and justice for all without the good news of forgiving grace in Christ through the gospel.

Please understand that this evil and wicked institution of slavery, or human trafficking, is normative to every culture throughout human history until the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the gospel that sets people free. It is the gospel that brings liberty. Therefore, if you want to be someone who promotes and sees the expanse of liberty and justice for all, then you and I need to be those who are committed to the work of the gospel and bringing forth the good news of the gospel.

Why is that? Because the greatest tyranny and the worst form of slavery in the world is not that which we see for one small group of people in one small area of the world.

But point number two on your outline is that all of humanity is subject to the tyranny of death because of slavery to sin. There are over 7.3 billion people on this planet today, and every single one of those people, including us, was born under the tyranny of death and in slavery to sin. All of us were born slaves to sin. The Bible speaks a lot about this, especially in the letters of Paul, particularly in Paul's letter to the church at Rome. All of humanity, because of sin, is a slave to sin, and as a result, they suffer under the tyranny of death.

But God. We love the "buts" of the Bible. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, sent forth His Son, born of a virgin, to die in our place on the cross, to redeem us by His blood from slavery to sin. He came to set us free and to make us those who have been unchained. If you're a Christian today, then you've been unchained from slavery to sin. You are no longer under the tyranny of death because the Redeemer, Jesus, has bought you back. That's good news.

Where that message goes, it transforms the world. It transforms people, and people who are a part of cultures transform the culture. Where we see the gospel go and the good news of the liberty that we have in Christ being set free from the bondage of sin and death, cultures are transformed for the better.

Now, I recognize that as you study through 2,000 years of church history, you can find all kinds of problems to point out and say, "That's an issue," or "That's a problem." There have been many people over the last 2,000 years who have called themselves Christians and done things in the name of the Bible and of Christ that are wrong. Even people who have promoted slavery using Scripture are wrong. Christians and non-Christians alike should be ardently opposed to human trafficking and slavery. We should be completely against that because of what we find in the Scriptures.

However, predominantly, when you look at what the gospel and the church have affected in the world, it has been a positive influence in almost every level of society where the gospel has gone.

Whether it's science, technology, education, medicine, exploration, the arts, or music, or even the emancipation of minority peoples under oppression, wherever the gospel has gone, it has had a positive influence. Yes, there have been wicked people who have used the name of Christ and the church to do wrong things. However, predominantly, in large part, where the gospel goes, it has a positive influence. And that's a good thing.

The gospel brings liberty from the tyranny of death because of the slavery to sin. I really cannot think of any area in society where the impact of the church has not ultimately been for the good. Though there are modern-day sociologists and anthropologists who like to say differently, when you begin to peel back the big red herrings they throw up—asking, "What about this in the name of the church?" or "What about this in the name of Jesus?"—you cannot argue with this point: the greatest good in the world is the grace of God through the gospel.

The greatest good in the world, in any age, is the grace of God through the gospel. If you're a Christian today, you need to grasp this truth. We are constantly being told by a certain mindset and worldview in our culture today, which is very vocal, that the church has a negative impact on society and that God is bad for the world. There have been all kinds of people who have promulgated and propagated this mindset. One of the most well-known, of course, died a few years ago of throat cancer. Christopher Hitchens wrote a book called "God is Not Great," and his whole point was that God and the church have had a negative impact on the world.

But the fact is, that's just not true. The greatest good in the world is the gospel of grace. We need to stand upon that truth and not be browbeaten by people who have an agenda against God and simply do not like Him. Most of those people who write things like that just do not like God. If you start to go back a little further, you often find there is a reason why they do not like God.

I was having a conversation with an atheist one day while we were both running on treadmills. We were talking about various topics, and one thing led to another. He knew that I was a pastor and started asking me some questions. He very quickly told me that he was an atheist.

And I think he was hoping that he'd get some sort of shock value out of that. However, when you're running on a treadmill, you don't want to be shocked too much; you might fall down, and it could be painful. I'm not really shocked by atheists. I've met a lot of those over the years.

As we were talking, I wasn't starting any major issue with them. What it came down to was that this atheist's father died of lung cancer. He prayed that his lifelong smoking father would be healed, but he wasn't. This man's atheism stemmed from his anger at God, rather than a reasonable discovery as he looked at the evidence. The gospel is the greatest good in the world, and we need to understand that and stand upon it. I believe that this is one of the things we're going to see in these 25 verses.

So, would you open your Bibles to the book of Philemon? It's right near the end of your Bible, just before a big book called Hebrews. If you got to Revelation, you've gone too far; back up. Philemon is just a small book with 25 verses. Would you stand with me? We're going to read just the opening words. It's on page 1993 in my Bible, but that will be of no help to you whatsoever.

Philemon, verse 1: "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, our brother. To Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow laborer. To the beloved Aphia and Archippus, our fellow soldier. And to the church in your house. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and your faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, His people. That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you, in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother."

Father, as we take a few weeks to unpack and look at the words in this letter, I pray that you would speak to us and that you would give us insight and understanding.

Not just into what is written in this text, but how it applies to our lives. These 439 words, written 2,000 years ago, have a bearing on our lives living in Southern California in 2015. God, would you speak to us?

Lord, as we look at the world and see the terrible things happening in places throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Syria, we witness people seeking refuge in Europe. The events occurring all around the world, including those involving ISIS, Iran, and Iraq, are heartbreaking. Our hearts are broken, Lord. I pray that you would help us see that the gospel, the good news, can bring transformation and great things. I ask that you would use even this text to reestablish in our hearts and minds a love for the gospel. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, Amen. You can be seated.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, wrote this letter while he was in a prison or probably under house arrest in the city of Rome. The story began, and you can look back at it in the New Testament, specifically in the book of Acts, chapters 22 through 28. Those last six or seven chapters of the book of Acts give us the story. We studied it together about a year or a year and a half ago here at the church.

Paul had taken a financial gift from Christians in Asia down to the Christians in Jerusalem. While he was there, a group of people opposed his ministry and the work of the gospel. They came against him, laid hands on him, beat him up, and threw him into jail. They wanted to kill him. He found himself protected in an odd way in a Roman jail cell. This started a series of trials against Paul, where his accusers claimed he was seditious against the Roman Empire. Of course, he was not; he was just a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As things continued to unfold over the course of two to two and a half years, he faced trial over and over again.

Finally, Paul, at the end, having Roman citizenship, appeals to the highest court of the land. He says, "I appeal to Caesar," like the Supreme Court of the day. On the dime of the Roman Empire, the empire takes him back to Rome. Now he's sitting there, waiting for trial, waiting for his appeal before Caesar, who at this time was one of the craziest Caesars of Rome ever, a guy by the name of Nero. This is referred to by most Bible teachers as Paul's first imprisonment.

It's believed that he was jailed for a period of time, then released, and later brought back into incarceration. Ultimately, he was martyred for his faith in Christ. During his first imprisonment, Paul wrote the letters of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and this letter to his friend Philemon. He introduces himself as "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus." He knew that he was where he was because Christ Jesus had placed him there.

Every time I read these words, "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus," I am reminded that many people feel like they are in a stuck position. They feel incarcerated in a bad job, a bad class, a bad marriage, or any number of difficult situations. However, Paul understood that the difficult situation he was in was for the glory of God. This is an important encouragement, I think. There are times when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances and we cry out, "God, just get me out of this! Is there any way out of this?" Yet, God responds, "No, my grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in your weakness." This was Paul's experience at that moment as he went through these trials.

Still, with joy, he writes these letters: Ephesians and Philippians, which we studied earlier in the year, Colossians, which we will study after this, and Philemon. He continues, "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, our brother." We have been introduced to Timothy in the past. If you've been with us, you know that Paul met Timothy for the first time on his first missionary journey when he was planting churches in what is modern-day Turkey, known as Asia Minor back then, in a region called Galatia.

Ultimately, Paul asked this young man, Timothy, to come with him. At the time, Timothy was a young man, but by this point, he was probably in his 30s, maybe even his 40s, when Paul writes this letter. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and so Timothy became a student of the Apostle Paul, a disciple of Paul's ministry. Ultimately, the mantle of Paul's ministry would be laid upon Timothy. After Paul's death, Timothy would go back and pastor the church at Ephesus, continuing the work that Paul was doing in that city.

And so oftentimes we see Timothy with Paul. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, which we will study next year. He begins by saying, "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, our brother." Timothy is with him as he addresses Philemon, their beloved friend and fellow laborer.

Now, Paul is ultimately going to get to what business salespeople call "the ask." He is going to make an audacious request. Philemon, I know that Onesimus, your former slave, has run away from you. When he ran away, he stole from you. However, he is a believer now, and you are a believer. You should treat him better. I want you to forgive him and free him, even though you have the authority to kill him. That, my friends, is an audacious ask.

But if you know anything about making requests, you don't just jump into the ask. Paul, being a good pitchman, says, "Philemon, you are my beloved friend and fellow laborer." Philemon isn't your average Roman citizen of the day; he has special, beloved character. Why does he have this special character? Because the gospel of Jesus Christ has transformed his life. He is a changed man, one who, through the work of the gospel and the ministry of the apostle Paul, has come to faith. Paul alludes to this later in the letter, indicating that Philemon came to faith because of his preaching. Philemon was changed and transformed by the gospel of grace, so much so that Paul refers to him as his beloved friend and fellow laborer.

Then he writes, "to the beloved Athia and Archippus, a fellow soldier, and to the church in your house." This short letter, although written personally to Philemon, was meant to be read aloud to a group of Christians who gathered in Philemon's household. For all intents and purposes, Philemon was a connect group host, having a gathering of Christians who met there.

A couple of other people are mentioned here. Athia is believed by most Bible teachers to be Philemon's wife, while many believe that Archippus was Philemon's son. Archippus is also mentioned in the last words of the book of Colossians. In Colossians chapter 4, verse 17, Paul tells the church at Colossae to encourage Archippus to be faithful to the ministry that God has called him to.

Philemon was a connect group host in the city of Colossae, living there with his wife, Athia, and his son, Archippus, who was probably an adult at this point in time and might have been an elder in the church at Colossae. Paul instructs Philemon to read this letter aloud to the church that meets in his house, with his son and wife present.

Philemon was a good man and a leader in the church in Colossae. As a connect group host, he was a Christian, hospitable, and a minister. We can infer his wealth from the fact that he had a house large enough to invite guests and that he owned slaves like Onesimus.

Paul continues in verse 3, saying, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Nearly all of Paul's letters, of which he wrote 13 in the New Testament, begin with these words: grace and peace. This indicates that over the last 2,000 years, there has been a lot of teaching on the concepts of grace and peace, with many interpretations offered.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, the common greeting was "grace." Among the Hebrews, however, the typical greeting was "shalom" or peace. Perhaps Paul is addressing both Greeks and Hebrews in his greeting. While this interpretation sounds appealing, it may or may not be the case.

Bible teachers often refer to grace and peace as the "Siamese twins" of the New Testament, always found together, with grace being the firstborn. Grace must always precede peace. For us to have peace with God, we must first be recipients of the grace of God. Thus, Paul emphasizes grace and peace.

Additionally, Bible teachers highlight that this grace and peace always come from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The grace that brings peace between God and man is given to us by God through Jesus Christ. He who knew no sin became sin for us, a gracious gift and sacrifice. On the cross, He took our sins upon Himself so that we could enter into a relationship with God, no longer at war with Him, but instead experiencing grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whatever we teach on these two words, we have to at least highlight this truth. Point number four on your outline: Grace is the means of forgiveness. I know it says salvation; I changed it later and forgot to change it there. Grace is the means of forgiveness, the way unto forgiveness, and peace is the result. Forgiveness is an act of pure grace.

There I was, seven years old, expecting the rod of correction. Have you been there? Anticipating the rod of correction? There is foolishness bound in the heart of a seven-year-old, but the rod of correction drives it far from Proverbs, updated to modern-day language. I anticipated the rod of correction, but I didn't get that. Even to this day, almost 30 years later, it still lingers in my mind— that act of pardoning grace. I didn't deserve it at all. I was at fault. It was a foolish act. I should have received punishment, and I didn't. It was an act of grace. Forgiveness is always an act of pure grace.

To support this with scripture, would you turn in your Bibles to the left from Philemon? You will pass Timothy, Titus, Colossians, and Philippians. Go back to the book of Ephesians, chapter one. Ephesians chapter one, verse seven: There, the Apostle Paul, the same author of the book of Philemon, writes this: In Him, capital H, in Jesus, we Christians have redemption through His blood. He died on the cross; His blood was spilled, and He redeemed us. That is, He purchased us slaves back to Himself. He redeemed us by His blood, not with corruptible things like silver and gold, but with His precious blood. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. According to the riches of His grace, forgiveness is an act of pure grace.

And Paul, in those simple words, "grace and peace from God, our Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord," is reminding us of this very important truth. The position that we have at peace with God is because of His great grace and that He has forgiven us.

Paul continues in verse four of Philemon. You can turn back there if you'd like; Philemon chapter one, where there is only one chapter. In verse four, he writes, "I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers." Philemon was a praiseworthy individual, a person for whom the Apostle Paul gave thanks to God. He says, "Philemon, when I think about you, every time you come to my mind, I just praise the Lord for you. I give thanks. God, thank You for a guy like Philemon."

I wonder, do you have friends like that? Are you a friend like that? A friend for whom people give thanks to God when they think about you?

Why was Philemon a praiseworthy individual? Why did Paul give thanks to God for him? Well, look at what he says in the next verse. In verse five, he writes, "Hearing of your love and faith, which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints." Philemon had the marks of Christian maturity—at least two out of three of them: faith and love. The marks of Christian maturity, I would say, are faith, hope, and love. Here, Paul acknowledges that Philemon had faith and love for God, but also towards God's people.

For Paul to be able to acknowledge that Philemon had faith and love for God and God's people, it must be true that Philemon's faith and love were tangibly expressed. We all recognize and understand that we can have mental faith, where we accept something as true, and we can have verbal love. Yet, we can believe something and say something, and it never really affects the way that we live; it never affects our actions.

We all know that someone can say to us, or we can say to another, "I love you," but then that is just blind, empty, vain words that mean nothing. But with Philemon, that was not the case. His love toward God, his faith toward God, and his faithfulness and love toward others were expressed in the way that he lived. So much so that Paul, a thousand miles away in a prison cell in Rome, says, "I've heard about your faith and your love. You're a praiseworthy person, and I give thanks to God for you because you have active faith and love."

A faith that works. James in the New Testament says that faith without works is dead. But not this guy, Philemon. He had an active, vibrant faith that overflowed into tangible expressions of love to others. Paul gives thanks to God for Philemon's tangible love and his faith. Additionally, he says, "I pray for you." Not only does he give thanks to God for Philemon, but he also prays this prayer for him.

In verse six, this is Paul's prayer for Philemon: that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Paul's prayer for Philemon was that his faith and love would increase and abound, overflowing in more expressions of faithful love to others. He prayed that it would become more effective. Paul could pray this prayer for Philemon with absolute faith and confidence that it would come to pass because, point number five on your outline, forgiving grace is a seed that produces sweet fruit.

When God's grace and forgiveness come into the heart of a person who has suffered under the tyranny of death because of the slavery of sin, that grace cuts the chains. The cross of Christ destroys that bondage and enters your heart. When grace takes root, it imparts the DNA of the goodness and grace of God into your life, transforming us from the inside out.

You see, a lot of people think that they can't come to God or to church until they clean up and fix their lives. But the reality is that you'll never be able to clean up and make your life all better. If you're waiting for that to come to God, you'll never come to God. What the Scriptures reveal is that as we come to God totally broken and just say, "God, I set the fire, and it burned everything. Everything's charred and black. Help!" He forgives us and gives us His grace, which goes into our hearts and transforms us from the inside out, making us different. The seed of God's forgiving grace...

It affects our lives, produces sweet fruit, and makes us different. That was most certainly the case with Philemon, I guarantee. After he had been a recipient of the grace of God and the forgiveness of God through the gospel preached by the Apostle Paul, there was a transformation in his life—a huge transformation.

Paul says in verse seven, "We have great joy and consolation in your love." Who is the "we"? Paul, Timothy, and whoever was with him. He says, "Listen, we've been hearing reports about your tangible expressions of love. We've heard about your faith, and it makes us happy. It comforts us. It encourages us. It fills us with joy." Why? Because the hearts of the saints, the people of God, have been refreshed by you, brother. People have been overjoyed and filled up because of your life and the expression of God's grace moving through your life. We have been made happy by it.

The interesting thing is that Paul writes in one of his other letters, written at the same time, in Philippians chapter one, verses 15 and 16. He mentions that there were some people, while he was in prison in Rome, who were acting spitefully. They apparently called themselves Christians, but they were trying to make Paul's day worse, to make it more miserable, as if it wasn't bad enough that he was facing execution for crimes he didn't commit. They were working against him to make his life more miserable. Yet, while those people were doing that, Philemon was one who was making him happy. He was living his life in such a way that it brought joy to the Apostle Paul and to Timothy as well.

The forgiving grace of God is a seed that produces sweet fruit or should produce sweet fruit in our lives. How has God's grace changed you or me? Has it affected us and transformed us? It should be evident in the way that we live our lives.

As we close, we only have a minute or so left, but I want to leave you with a few questions to ponder this week as we go from here. What is the effect of your life upon the lives of others? That's a challenging question. What is the effect of your life upon the lives of others? Philemon's life, his beloved character, was a result of the work of God's grace in his life.

Had so transformed and changed him that people were refreshed by him. Paul was encouraged by him and given joy by him. What is the effect of your life, my life on others around us? How have we been so affected by the grace of God to affect others? Are people refreshed by your beloved character, or are they repulsed?

Finally, has God's forgiving grace influenced you to be gracious, forgiving, faithful, and loving to others? Has God's forgiving grace affected you so that you are more gracious, loving, faithful, and forgiving to others? I ask this question because if it hasn't, you're not a Christian. If God's grace and His forgiveness have not affected you to also be gracious and forgiving, you're not a Christian. It's not me saying it; Jesus said it in the Gospel. If you forgive men their trespasses, He will not forgive you yours. Jesus said that.

Now, this does not mean— and I don't want you to misunderstand me— this does not mean that you just easily forgive everybody. It doesn't mean there's not a struggle because we've all experienced that struggle where someone has done something to you, and you're struggling with being gracious and forgiving. That struggle is real, and that struggle is the struggle of a Christian. I guarantee you that Philemon had a little bit of a struggle when there at his door, standing before him, was Onesimus, the slave who had run away and stolen from him, handing him a letter from the Apostle Paul. I can guarantee you there was a little bit of a struggle in his heart, and we've all felt that struggle.

But listen, here's what's going to happen Monday. Actually, it probably happened before this day's over. Remember, God is going to give you and me a chance to try this out. By 10 a.m. tomorrow morning, you're going to have 30 different people that are going to upset you. Pardon my French, but it's going to happen, especially if you're driving south on the 15 tomorrow morning like I will be when I take my kids to school. So, you're going to have people really annoy you tomorrow, and we're going to have an opportunity to see if this works out.

How has the forgiving grace of God affected you and me? It may be a struggle, but His grace should transform us. Amen?

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? God, I thank You that You have given us liberty through the gospel. I pray this morning for anyone who might be standing here that has yet to experience the freedom of being unchained from the tyranny of death and slavery to sin.

Lord Jesus, I ask that You draw them to Yourself, because You are the one who, there on the cross, made that possible. The cross destroys the binding chains of sin and death. I pray that You would use us to be those who carry that good news to others. In our workplaces tomorrow and on school campuses around the county, we will come into contact with many people who are still under the tyranny of death, shackled in slavery to sin.

The gospel sets them free. God, give us a passion for sharing that good news. We praise You and thank You in Jesus' name. And all those that agree said, Amen.