Blessings from Christ’s Fellow Workers

Transcript

GRM 869
7/20/2003
Blessings from Christ’s Fellow Workers
Philemon 19-25
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention to the book of Philemon. We will conclude this short letter from the Apostle Paul, written during the time, recorded at the end of the book of Acts, that he spent two years in Rome as a prisoner. According to Acts chapter 28 verse 30 he spent those 2 full years in his own rented quarters. So, he wasn’t imprisoned in Rome in jail or prison. But he would have had a Roman guard in attendance, but he could stay in his own rented quarters at his own expense. There he had the opportunity to receive visitors, to write letters and so on. He wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon during this time. A few years later he will again be imprisoned in Rome, he will write II Timothy and be executed.

When Paul wrote to the Philippians at this same time he challenged them with the importance of true humility, a willingness to put others before themselves. Turn back to the book of Philippians, just a few pages, a few books in front of Philemon, the letter to the Philippians. Written in the same environment on basically the same occasion and in Philippians chapter 2 he encourages the Philippians “to be of the same mind” in verse 2, “maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” Then note verse 4, “Do not merely look after your own personal interests but also for the interests of others.” I think we see the Apostle Paul manifesting this characteristic that he encouraged the Philippians to manifest in his letter to Philemon. The Apostle Paul, with all that rested upon his shoulders in responsibility of ministry, in representing Jesus Christ, in establishing churches, and yet he did not think that he was too important to take on the responsibility to enter in as an intercessor for a slave that had come to salvation in Jesus Christ. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Turn back to Philemon. Paul has been given the honor and privilege of leading this slave to Jesus Christ. You’ll note that Paul’s ministry as we have recorded various people saved and there would have been prominent people saved. But the Bible doesn’t play up the issue of worldly prominent people as being more important and more significant, someone like that gets converted, than a lowly slave like Onesimus. Here we have a letter entirely about Onesimus and his situation. All he is, is a slave. You might think that there would be some extensive records of powerful people dramatically converted. We see Paul testifying and giving the gospel to some powerful people, but we don’t see the record of their conversions if they every happened. But we do of Onesimus. He’s appealing to Philemon the master, the one who owned Onesimus, “for my child Onesimus.” “You would accept him as you would accept me,” he said in verse 10 and again in verse 17.

In verse 18 the Apostle Paul said that “if he has wronged you in any way, if he owes you anything, charge that to my account.” I want to wipe the slate clean; I want to remove any barriers to you welcoming him back with open arms. I don’t want there to be any lingering resentment or hard feelings. “If you are owed anything, if you believe that there is some restitution that must be made before the matter can be resolved, charge it to me.” Then Paul goes on to assure Philemon he will make this pledge good.

In verse 19 where we pick up, “I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will repay it.” No doubt, Philemon, I’m serious. Another indication in his conversion and after his conversion Onesimus may have shared maybe why going back to Philemon even as a believer was something of a fearful thing for Onesimus that took such a letter from Paul. There may have been significant loss incurred by Philemon through this process. Yet Paul says he’s just a slave. With all the responsibilities Paul had, all the people he cared for as he wrote to the Corinthians, on top of all the things he had to experience, the burden of the churches rest on him; and he’s willing to give a blank check to Philemon on behalf of a slave. If he owes you anything I’ll make it good and I’m writing this with my own hand. This was Paul’s practice. At the end of his second letter to the Thessalonians in II Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 17 Paul said, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand and this is the distinguishing mark in every letter. This is the way I write.” His pattern being to dictate to what we would call today a secretary, amanuensis, and then at the end to take the pen and write in his own hand that it would be recognized. That’s Paul’s handwriting, that’s the guarantee and seal of its genuineness. At this point Paul says I am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it. This is not just an empty promise. But there is a parenthesis. Not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well. Just remind you, Philemon, if we’re talking about debts, you owe me everything. You owe me your own self. Philemon’s debt to Paul is far greater than any debt that Onesimus could owe to Philemon. Paul was Philemon’s spiritual father, so he had a far greater debt to Paul. Humanly speaking where would Philemon be without Paul. He’d be lost and without hope, on his way to an eternal hell, his possessions would be nothing. This principle that those who benefit spiritually should be ready to give materially to those from whom they benefit spiritually is used by Paul on several occasions.

Turn back to Romans chapter 15. Paul is writing to the Romans about his plans to come visit them but now he’s on his way to Jerusalem with an offering he has collected from the Gentiles, from Greek churches in Macedonia and Achaia, northern and southern provinces in Greece. Note what he says in verse 26, “for Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” Yes, they were pleased to do so. As Paul wrote about this in II Corinthians chapters 8-9 they did it willingly and gladly. They were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. “For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.” See that principle. We Gentiles have received blessings from the Jews, spiritual blessings, so it is fitting that we would give to the needs of these Jewish believers now, if we have received spiritual blessings which are always greater than material blessings. That’s what Paul says, the Macedonians, the Greek believers, gave willingly. But they had a debt to do it also. They had received spiritual blessings through the Jews, Paul himself being a Jew. All the spiritual promises that we have entered into by God’s grace through the covenant that God made with Abraham, the blessings we’ve received from a Jewish Messiah, so that they would give to them material things. That is fitting and a debt they owe.

In I Corinthians chapter 9 verse 11 the Apostle Paul regarding his own ministry said, “if we sow spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you?” So, to put it in perspective, the giving of material things was not as great as spiritual things received. That’s what he’s saying to Philemon back in Philemon verse 19, “you owe to me, even yourself as well.” Because it was through Paul that he heard the gospel, it was through Paul that he came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. While Paul wants Philemon to do this freely and of his own accord, he also wants Philemon to have a proper perspective on this spiritually. When somebody leads you to the Lord and then is in need of some money for food and you would have to think, would I want to give him money for food when he’s just led you to a saving knowledge of Christ. You say of course, anything you need I’ll gladly give you. Whatever I have is at your disposal. Well, that’s what Paul is in a general way reminding Philemon of. You have to get yourself, your eyes off yourself, off your loss, off what Onesimus did to you and so on, and be sure your eyes have been refocused on the great things God did for you, the one who has been forgiven much. That’s a reminder in a gentle way to Philemon.

Verse 20, “Yes brother let me benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” Paul’s approach through this letter has been as a fellow believer, as a brother in Christ, not as the authoritative apostle giving an order. But simply as one who loves the Lord and loves Philemon and loves Onesimus. So let me benefit from you. It would bring joy and pleasure and satisfaction to Paul’s heart for Philemon to act graciously, mercifully, generously in dealing with Onesimus. What an opportunity. I mean to repay Paul in a small way now for the spiritual blessings he’s received through him.

“Let me benefit from you.” Again, another way to move Philemon along. Now rather than grudgingly giving in and doing to Onesimus what I wouldn’t like to, here’s my opportunity to bestow my blessing on Paul. Refresh my heart in Christ. Back in verse 7, “for I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you brother.” Now just as you’ve refreshed so many of the saints, Philemon, refresh my heart, demonstrate the greatness of your love toward Onesimus.

Verse 21, “Having confidence in your obedience I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I have said.” You know Paul hasn’t written as an authoritative apostle, but here he uses the word obedience, “having confidence in your obedience.” Paul hadn’t commanded him to do anything. But there is only one right course of action for Philemon here, as one who is a servant of the living Christ, who would want to live his life in obedience to the Lord and what the Lord would have him do. Paul has made clear what he desires him to do, and it would be a crushing blow to Paul for Philemon to do anything but demonstrate forgiving love to Onesimus. “I know that you will do even more than what I say.” I take it what he’s saying here is, I know that you won’t just forgive him. There’s that kind of grudging forgiveness, it’s forgiven, it’s over, let’s get on. No, Paul is expecting that Philemon will be overjoyed in his forgiveness, that Onesimus is going to experience something of the generous love and true affection of Philemon in welcoming him back, in making clear to Onesimus that it is not a burden to me to forgive you. The joy in knowing you as a brother in Christ is far greater than any losses I have had. That kind of thing, you’ll do far more. You won’t just forgive him, but you will demonstrate the generous heart of one who is like Christ.

“At the same time, also prepare me a lodging.” Paul has a way of putting subtle pressure on, doesn’t he? While you are doing all this, get my room ready. Well, that’s just an added motivation to do it because Paul is going to be here sitting down at the table with me and I’m going to be looking eye to eye with the one who led me to Christ, from whom I received such spiritual blessings. I would do less than let him benefit from me? Less than refresh his soul? So, at the same time as you are showing this generous, forgiving, loving spirit to Onesimus, prepare me a lodging, prepare a place for me. For I hope through your prayers I shall be given to you.

When Paul wrote to the Philippians in Philippians chapter 2 verse 24, he said he expected to be able to come to visit them soon. It was Paul’s confident assurance that he was going to be released from this Roman imprisonment and most New Testament scholars believed that that is what happened and then a few years later he was reimprisoned. He looked forward to visiting the churches and the believers that had been such a part of his life. He looked forward to coming to visit Philemon in the city of Colossae.

Look at the last part of verse 22, “I hope that through your prayers I shall be given to you, I will be given to you.” That passive, “I will be given to you,” again is that confidence that the Lord will do this. It’s not just that I shall come to you, but I will be given to you. In a gracious act of God, I expect that He’s going to bring me to you. It’s going to be a gift of blessing to Philemon to have fellowship again with Paul. I think it’s interesting that Paul said I hope through your prayers I will be given to you. We usually struggle with the concept of the sovereignty of God and the will of man. How do my prayers fit in with the plan of God. If He is sovereign in doing His will and His will shall be accomplished, what good are my prayers? But here is the Apostle Paul who has written more thoroughly and clearly on the subject of God’s sovereignty than any other New Testament writer. Yet he believes it is going to be the prayers of Philemon that God will use to bring His deliverance and enable him to come. Paul believed in the effectiveness of prayer. He believed that “the fervent prayers of a righteous man accomplished much.” James wrote about the Old Testament prophet. We sometimes put too little in the power of prayer. You know, we fuss, fret, plan, worry, work, and there’s a place for working, there’s a place for doing what we must do. But we often overlook the most effective thing. He doesn’t ask Philemon to mount a letter-writing crusade, he doesn’t ask Philemon to get as many people to come to Rome and be character witnesses as he can. “I’m confident that your prayers will do the work that needs to be done. And as a result of your prayers, I’ll be given to you.” So rather than the last thing we do, probably we ought to reverse our thinking and say before I do anything, I’m going to fervently, earnestly, diligently commit myself to prayer.

Listen to what Paul wrote to the Philippians during the same imprisonment. Philippians 1:19, “For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” He believed that the prayers of God’s people were used in the plan of God, and I’m going to be delivered from this imprisonment through your prayers. That was James 5:16, “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much,” Elijah being the example.

He saw the providence of God and the prayers of believers coming together. I don’t have an understanding of every detail; I don’t need it. I know my God is sovereign, His hand is at work in everything. I know that God says my prayers are effective in the accomplishing of His purposes. When believers just sit back and look if God wants him delivered from prison he’ll get delivered from prison. Let’s just leave it in the hands of God and get about our business. No, Paul says get praying, and I believe your prayers are what God will use to bring about my deliverance. If there’s one thing we can do, it’s pray. The one most effective thing we can do is pray because what is more powerful than the work of God? Whatever else I do I want to be sure that whatever I do is saturated with prayer.

Paul is ready to close. Some greetings from some friends, from those who were with him, those that Philemon would know. Like we would do, at the end we’d say so-and-so-and-so says, hi. That’s what Paul is saying. Here are the greetings from five friends that are with him in Rome. These are also mentioned at the end of the letter to the Colossians. That’s not surprising because Philemon lives in Colossae. So here were five men that are known to the Colossians and would be known to Philemon.

Epaphras my fellow prisoner in Christ greets you. Epaphras. According to Colossians 1 it was Epaphras who brought the gospel to Colossae, so he would have been precious to many of the Colossians. He may have been the pastor at Colossae for a while, he had a genuine concern for the people. Colossians chapter 4 verse 13 Paul mentions the intense concern of Epaphras for the believers at Colossae. Paul centered himself, remember, during his Asian ministry in Ephesus. While he centered his ministry in Ephesus his fellow workers went out through the region of Asia Minor carrying the gospel. Epaphras would have been one of those workers. He’s called my fellow prisoner. That may mean that he was in prison with Paul as a prisoner. In light of the fact that Paul was in a unique situation, he was under house arrest, if you will, in his own rented quarters. Probably means that he is here with Paul in his imprisonment, he was one who has stood with Paul during the time of his imprisonment, if you will.

You’ll see Aristarchus mentioned in verse 24. At the end of the letter to the Colossians, Aristarchus is mentioned as my fellow prisoner. While these men may have been arrested with Paul and going through imprisonment with Paul, more probably they are just those who are paying the price of willing to be identified with Paul and remain with Paul during this time of imprisonment.

Turn back to Colossians 4 and maybe you can keep your finger there and you can read and just see what Paul says about these men in a little more elaborate fashion. In Colossians 4 verse 12, “Epaphras was one of your number, a bond slave of Jesus Christ sends you, his greetings.” Note this, “always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers that you may stand perfect and fully assured in the will of God. It says always laboring earnestly, agonidzo, agonize. He agonized, he strenuously, he just didn’t have great prayers that he mentioned as they came to mind. Here is a man who poured his heart and soul into prayer for the Colossians. “I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for all who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.” So, a godly man, a man of prayer, a man who prayed for the Colossians.

Keep something in Colossians and come back to Philemon. He mentions just quickly then. Epaphras, we mentioned may, since he founded the church at Colossae, may have functioned as the pastor there. He gets a little more extensive notice; we noticed in Colossians and even here in Philemon. Then he mentions Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers, my fellow workers. Philemon was identified in verse 1 of Philemon as a fellow worker. To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker. Now these also are fellow workers.

Some of these we’re familiar with. Mark is the cousin of Barnabas. Come back to Colossians 4 verse 10, “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner sends you, his greetings; also, Barnabas’ cousin, Mark, about whom you received instructions. If he comes to you welcome him.” Mark was the cousin of Barnabas. He’s mentioned a number of times in the New Testament. Let me just read them to you. Acts 12, he’s mentioned a couple of times, Acts 12:12, 25; Acts 13:5, 13; Acts 15:36-39; here in Philemon; in Colossians 4:10; I Peter 5:13; II Timothy 4:11. I mention this because he’s a man who stands out in the book of Acts for failure. Remember he accompanied Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey, but he didn’t have the stomach for it. He turned around and went back. When it came time for the next missionary journey Barnabas wanted to give him another chance. Paul’s attitude was the work I have to do is too demanding and too serious. I can’t take someone I can’t trust; and the division was so great Paul and Barnabas go separate ways. But that doesn’t mean that Mark’s life and ministry is over. He’s going to be greatly used of God. In fact, in Paul’s last letter in his last imprisonment in II Timothy chapter 4 verse 11 he asks for Mark to come to him. He is someone who is profitable to him. Then of course the Lord’s stamp of approval. He is used to write the gospel of Mark. Stumbles, even serious stumbles, do not mean that a person’s life and ministry are over. Praise God for His grace with John Mark. As we saw when we were in the book of Acts, I don’t think that Paul was mistaken in not taking Mark, because the ministry that Paul has needs men who can stand firm in the midst of intense opposition. Paul had a seriousness about his ministry, he did not have time to babysit Mark. But that did not mean that there were not others that God would use in Mark’s life to mature him and bring him along; and he becomes a mighty servant and is used to write the gospel of Mark.

Aristarchus. He’s mentioned in chapter 4 of Colossians verse 10, “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner sends you, his greetings.” He’s mentioned in Acts also. He first appears in Acts 19:29 as a companion of Paul who is being dragged into the theater in Ephesus in a riot that was sparked by the silversmiths. He was from Thessalonica; he was one who traveled with Paul to Jerusalem to deliver the offering from the Greek churches. He is seen traveling with Paul and Luke in Acts 27. Here he said my fellow prisoner and one evidently whose ministry was broad enough to have impacted the Greek churches and the Asian churches. Here he is, identified with Paul. You know it says something that there are these kinds of individuals who were willing to step up and be identified with Paul. That could be a costly thing. You don’t know how this will go, and if things go hard for Paul, then you have the danger that those who are closely associated with him will be caught up in his trouble as well. You see a man like Aristarchus who is willing to be identified with Paul.

The next name is Demas. Demas is a man who had a great ministry, a great ministry with the Apostle Paul. But sadly, his life is remembered for his failure, because there is nothing recorded after his failure. That does not mean that he never did anything that God used him in. But he’s mentioned in Colossians, here again in chapter 4, down in verse 14. Luke the beloved physician, and then you have Demas also mentioned. He’s mentioned to Philemon, someone that Philemon would have known. The sad thing about Demas, as you are aware, is in Paul’s last letter. II Timothy chapter 4 verse 10, “for Demas having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” What a sad testimony to leave. Again, we don’t know what happened to him. Perhaps God used him in the church at Thessalonica. God is so gracious. But we do know, the last recorded thing we have of him is he’s a deserter. That’s how Paul saw it, he deserted me. He’s writing under the inspiration of the Spirit here. He didn’t stand when he should have stood. There may have been all kinds of reasons you could offer to go to Thessalonica, but the reality of it is he belongs with Paul in Rome. So, to be anyplace else other than your place of appointment means you are a deserter. You have deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. There’s a church in Thessalonica, a good church. Paul wrote two letters to the church at Thessalonica. Demas doesn’t belong in Thessalonica. Sad testimony of one who did not finish well.

Then there is Luke. Luke is one of those beloved servants of God and beloved companions of Paul. He is called the beloved physician in Colossians chapter 4 verse 14. He is only mentioned by name in three passages in the New Testament. He’s mentioned in Philemon 24, he’s mentioned in Colossians 4:14, and he’s mentioned in II Timothy 2:11. But he is a very prominent person. He wrote the gospel according to Luke; he wrote the book of Acts. He is a traveling companion of Paul during the “we” sections that we saw when we studied the book of Acts where Luke doesn’t mention himself by name; he refers at times “we” did this and “we” did that, indicating when he joined Paul and traveled with him. What a comfort and encouragement he would have been to Paul. Here is a man who gave up many possible material blessings to be identified and travel with Paul. Let me read you what one writer wrote. Luke was a man of genuine culture. As a doctor he stood in the middle of higher planes of contemporary society. The practice of medicine, an old and venerable profession, had reached a high level of achievement in the days of Luke. By the second century A.D. medical science had more knowledge than at any time in history before the 19th century. Here you find Luke doing what? Traveling from place to place with the Apostle Paul. What a blessing for Paul, Luke must have been. Paul who was beaten so many times and had illnesses to contend with and so on, and here he has his own personal physician traveling with him. Did Luke pay a price? Well, I guess that depends on how you measure cost. Did he have less materially than he would have had if he had settled down and been a physician, been a godly man who maintained a testimony for the Lord and could have said who else will be a testimony among these people. But here he is traveling the world with a hated man, being identified with a hated message, staying with Paul while he is a prisoner in Rome. He’s used to write significant portions of the New Testament under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Did he pay a high price? I don’t think so. No matter what kind of house he has, what kind of income he had, what kind of chariot he would have had. I mean no one cares about those things now. What an honor to be so used of God.

You know he couldn’t make those commitments deciding well I think I will commit to give up the pleasures and comforts of the world to travel with Paul because the fame and the way God will use me will be worth it. He didn’t know. How could he know as he is going from place to place with Paul and seeing what Paul suffers, what he has to go through and the imprisonment and all of that, that he would be an instrument so mightily used of God. We don’t know. All we can do is commit ourselves to the Lord to be faithful and do whatever is required, whatever God would have us do, whatever the price and trust that the Lord will do with us as He sees fit and brings honor to Him.

I’m always encouraged by these names that often just are listed as we have here in Philemon. Just names, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, Epaphras. I think there is a whole world of ministry going on. The Bible doesn’t focus particularly on many of these individuals, men and women greatly used of God. That in eternity I’m sure we’ll meet them and say my I didn’t know they were having that kind of ministry. I didn’t know their life had that kind of impact. But they were faithfully serving the Lord. D. Edmund Heber wrote a book, I believe it is called The Lesser Lights around Paul. An encouraging book for you to read because there he develops all the New Testament does say about these relatively unknown individuals, pulling together those bits and pieces of scripture to see God’s grace.

Well at the end of Philemon, verse 25, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” What else could I desire for you. The grace that saved you, may that grace continue to sustain you and keep you. We are saved by grace; we live by grace. We begin by grace, and we keep on by grace. It’s all by the grace of God. What Paul desires for Philemon is that the grace of God that will enable him and empower him to do anything and everything God calls him to do. If Philemon draws upon the grace of God, he’ll find it abundantly sufficient to do for Onesimus what is the right thing to do, what Paul has encouraged him to do. It won’t be a burden that’s too big, it won’t be a request that’s too great. Because when you draw upon the grace of God, you’re no longer focused on your loss, on your difficulty, on your pain. That’s what the grace of God does, it lifts us above that and sustains us.

Now in these few verses at the end, verses 19-25, there are several things that have been covered here. I just want to mention them. In verse 19, obligations. Good for us not to lose sight of our obligations. “You owe to me, even your own self as well.” What I owe to others who have been a spiritual blessing to me, who have been used in my life in so many ways. What would I do? Good to remember our obligations. The debt is never paid. I’ve been the recipient of so many blessings from so many people. Sometimes I need to be reminded of that. I can become a small person, occupied with myself and my little world and my little hurts. But it’s good to be reminded. You owe to me even your own self as well.

Blessings, verse 20, “Yes, brother let me benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” What an opportunity to be a blessing to others. I’ve received so much, here’s my opportunity to be a blessing to someone, to be used of God to refresh their soul. They’ll benefit from me spiritually, what an honor to be used that way. Now here remember this is an honor that was costly to Philemon evidently. To put it in proper perspective, I could be a spiritual blessing to someone. That’s far greater than any material issues at stake here.

Obedience, verse 21, “Having confidence in your obedience since I know you will do even more than I say.” Obedience. Not just an obedience that will satisfy just to get by with doing the right thing. But an obedience that is overflowing, an obedience that is far greater than what is expected of required or demanded. “I’m confident of your obedience and you’ll do even more,” an overflowing obedience, if you will. A joy and a gladness in being obedient, not a grudging obedience but an obedience that thrills our hearts.

God’s providence at work. It will be given to you. The sovereign hand of God is at work. We live in that providence; we’ve mentioned it in our study. Our God is at work in all the circumstances, all the situations of life. There is nothing that is not under His care and guidance. We have that full confidence; we rest secure and at peace because our God is in control. I will give it to you. In that same verse, through your prayers. God’s providence, God’s sovereign working in every situation does not exclude my prayers. But by the marvelous grace of God my prayers become part of His work of providence, His work of accomplishing His purposes. That means I ought to be praying all the more diligently. How dependent we are upon our God and the prayers of God’s people.

Friends, verse 23 –24. Christian friends, godly friends, what a blessing. Paul writes here about his friends; and you know who his friends are? Those who are joined with him in ministry. My fellow prisoners, fellow workers, those who share with me in the ministry of truth. What a blessing friends are in that ministry, to be part of my life in this crucial foundational way. What a difference they make. Here Paul, you could call a low point in life. He spends two years in house arrest, but he spent three years as a prisoner of Rome leading up to those two years, remember in our study in the book of Acts. He’s had five years of confinement. There are friends who haven’t grown weary, haven’t grown tired. They are friends who are with him and encouraging his heart and sharing the ministry.

God’s grace, verse 25, which is always our provision. Our desire for our lives and for the lives of our family, friends, fellow believers, that they experience that sustaining, enabling grace of God which is the realm in which we live our lives. We live in the realm of God’s grace, in the ministry of His Spirit in grace in our lives.

You know this letter being included as part of our inspired canon, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Philemon responded as Paul encouraged him to and continued to be a source of blessing and encouragement and enrichment to the Apostle Paul. The letter continues to be a blessing and an enrichment to us. When we get to glory, we’ll bump into Philemon, we’ll say thank you, Philemon, for being a godly man. I don’t know a lot about your life, only what was recorded in that letter. But it was part of the New Testament. Thank you for being a godly man that refreshed the souls of many. Tell me, how did it go with Onesimus? Oh, it went wonderfully. Of course, I knew it would and may that be the testimony of our lives. What are we leaving? What is the testimony of our lives? You know every day is adding to it. It is this kind of legacy, this kind of testimony. You know life goes by, it’s gone, 2000 years have passed since Paul’s gone off the scene. Philemon’s gone off the scene. Onesimus has gone off the scene. But lives that counted. May God give us the grace to draw upon His sufficiency to have such lives as well.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your great grace, the grace that is the enabling provision for all that we are and all that we can do now that we’re your children. Grace that brought us salvation and grace that sustains us and keeps us and enables us to be faithful. Thank you for Paul and his concern for a lowly, insignificant slave that he would pour his life into this man, that he would give of himself and be willing to sacrifice if necessary that he might be restored to favor. Thank you for Philemon. Thank you, Lord, for those who stood with Paul. Thank you, Lord, for the encouragement to our hearts as a church and as individuals. Lord, may we continue to walk faithfully with you, be a blessing to others. Use us in one another’s lives. Lord, keep our eyes off ourselves, keep our attention on the spiritual riches we have in Christ and the multitude of spiritual blessings that you have graciously brought to us and our hearts and lives through the faithfulness of so many of your servants. Lord, may we count it a great blessing, a covenant privilege to be a blessing to others as well. We ask it all for your honor and your glory. In Christ’s name. Amen.