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| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) |
PHILEMON 7
(Reading: 2 Cor.7:2-16; Matt. 11:25-30; Phil.1-21)
It Really Revives!
Brothers and sisters...boys and girls...
Imagine yourself in Philemon’s position.
Put yourself in his shoes - or is his sandals?
Anyway - you’ve just got this letter.
A big surprise!
Because even before you open this scroll you’ve been so shocked!
It was Onesimus himself who gave it to you!
Onesimus, your runaway slave!
The last person you expected to see.
But the shock doesn’t end there.
For who is the letter from but Paul - yes, the apostle himself!
Then you began to read it.
You carefully take in all of those words, because you know this has got to be something special!
What this letter begins with, though, are words full of praise for you!
In fact, the whole letter is exactly for you!
And completely out of the blue!
We aren’t sure from history how much Paul and Philemon knew each other, but it does seem this would have been quite unexpected.
The only real connection is Onesimus.
It’s really because of that run-away slave Paul is writing this letter.
Let’s not think, though, that Paul is writing some nice-sounding words to soften up Philemon for the real crunch.
Nor either is this like so many modern references where you have you look carefully for what isn’t written to see what this person is actually like.
This is no con.
Because Paul doesn’t need to trick Philemon.
Philemon’s not going to dismiss this letter.
You see, Philemon is a humble man.
He was a man who knew that Paul wrote a true word.
Not that knowing this made accepting these words any easier!
And especially not with the verse of our text.
After all, what could Philemon possibly do in far-away Colossae that would help Paul in prison at Rome?
Well, taking verse 7, the apostle says that the great joy and encouragement he’s receiving is because Philemon has refreshed the hearts of the saints.
So Paul is speaking to him about how THIS LOVE IS SHOWERED UPON OTHERS.
And so here we have our first aspect to this sermon.
This naturally flows from the verses 4 and 5 where it was mentioned in a general way.
And yet Paul seems to have a specific thing in mind.
Moving on from the general thankfulness for faith, he points to a certain way that Philemon has been living out his faith.
It could have been a ministry of mercy.
Perhaps he was quite involved with the poor.
Or he provided the accommodation so desperately needed by believers on the road.
Whatever it was, it was well-known.
Philemon was highly regarded throughout the surrounding churches for what he was doing.
This is the sense in which Paul writes.
Here’s no generalised ‘slap on the back’, with those vague words, ‘keep up the good work!’
It is quite spelt out.
Philemon would have known straightaway what it was about.
In fact, he is so committed to what he’s doing that Paul even uses a special word for “heart”.
For it is not the normal word.
This isn’t that word for physical heart Paul usually uses.
Instead, this ‘heart’ is about the vital centre of our being.
This is the very core of our whole physical and especially spiritual life - the soul itself - being blessed through him.
He would have been some man!
But far more importantly is how others were blessed through him.
The focus isn’t on Philemon at all - it’s on what the church has altogether!
And it’s exactly what we are together that becomes shown through that thing Philemon does.
Because the Lord Jesus is glorified!
He’s given the praise which is rightfully his!
Isn’t that how we respond when we celebrate such a thing as a wedding anniversary, or the life of someone who’s lived to a ripe old age?
Like the Queen Mother or Prince Phillip when they had their 100th birthdays.
And how about when Queen Elizabeth herself commemorated seventy years upon the throne?
Something that took so long, something with many set-backs and hold-ups, even now still - and yet there’s great joy and encouragement.
Because with such an answer to regular and persistent prayer we will pray again, and again!
We’re refreshed!
It’s an action which has happened to someone else, but which blesses us all.
Though it’s a specific person or couple or family which is celebrating, we’re all joined that much more in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even if we don’t have that!
The glorious picture of Psalm 133, with that oil flowing down Aaron’s body and touching every part of his high priestly gown, is also true for us today, too!
Friends - have we taken it in?
Are our lives so full of thanks to our Saviour God that we’re realising his blessings everywhere?
In fact, could that be why you’re having so much struggle in your spiritual pilgrimage?
You’re not thanking God!
And as J. H. Jowett noted, “Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.”
Our basic nature is to look to what we don’t have.
When we pray isn’t it nearly always asking for things?
It’s so hard to count your blessings.
And especially the blessings of others!
But Paul does!
The apostle sees what’s really happening underneath all this.
Congregation, compare these phrases:
From Paul in our text, “you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints;”
And from our Lord Jesus, in Matthew 11, the verses 28 and 29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
How could Paul possibly be refreshed by a blessing on someone else?
It could only be because he was joined in some way to that someone else, and so what they received was also what he was getting as well!
That’s why what Jesus says is the link.
You see, the word Jesus uses which we read as “rest” in Matthew 11, is the same word for “refresh” in our text.
So when Philemon refreshed the hearts of the saints he wasn’t giving them a cold shower or a can of drink.
These are only temporary things.
Just like our feelings can so easily change.
Rather, Philemon was being used by the Lord Jesus to join these believers that much more to him - their Saviour!
So what they have already is made even better!
Then the verse before Jesus speaks of giving rest in Matthew 11 opens up what’s going on.
As verse 27 says there, “All things have been committed to me by my Father.
“No one knows the Son, except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
What a picture this would’ve been for Philemon!
He was helping the church to be joined to eternity!
God’s plan for his people had a part that he was fulfilling right now!
That’s what Paul sees.
This life is not a series of sad blunders and broken relationships.
There’s good news!
And that good news is exactly because we’ve come to know the Gospel personally!
THIS LOVE IS SHOWERED UPON OTHERS.
And that’s why, we see, in second place, THIS LOVE RAINS DOWN ME TOO!
Boys and girls, when you’re really tired, or sore, or feeling really upset, where do you like to be?
Go on – be honest!
It has to be home!
That’s the same for all of us.
We all like to be in a place we feel safe and secure.
The place we call ‘home’.
That’s where your favourite blanket is.
And don’t forget your special soft toy, your own bed, and so many other things that tell you you’re home!
There was Paul in prison.
And before he goes on to make his plea for Onesimus, he shows how much he depends on someone just like Philemon.
Because what he hears about Philemon makes him feel at home exactly when he is so tired and sore and frustrated.
There he is in Rome.
He’s waiting for his trial to be heard sometime.
Like our courts today, that could sometimes take years to get done.
Meanwhile the one accused has to wait.
Though he may not have been in one of their harsh prisons, yet even under house arrest he couldn’t move about.
So he’s out of touch with many of his fellow believers.
Sure he gets visitors but only on their time - not his.
That’s helplessness.
Because you couldn’t help yourself.
Paul would have been hanging out for whatever news he could!
Anything to remind him of his real spiritual home.
And what he hears about Philemon does that!
The Lord is still doing his work through believers like him.
How that news would have wafted as a breath of fresh air into Paul’s prison!
He would’ve been so moved to thank the Lord.
And from that thankfulness - that prayer - Paul would have asked for even more blessing through Philemon.
He would have been moved to talk that much more with his Heavenly Father.
Because that’s who Paul lived with.
This was the very life breath he needed or else he found himself so far from the Lord!
This is definitely how THIS LOVE RAINS DOWNS ON ME TOO!
Congregation, this is how Paul starts off verse 7: “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement.”
“Look!” says Paul, “I’m at where you’re at!”
“We’re in this together!”
This is proven by Paul calling Philemon “brother”.
And let’s note also where he calls him “brother”.
Because in the original text “brother” is at the end of this verse.
That shows an impulsiveness.
This is no calculated word designed to get something out of Philemon.
Because then don’t people begin by calling you “friend” or “brother”?
In the words of one commentator, “by its unusual position at the end of the sentence, this assumes the character of a sudden irrepressible shot of love from Paul’s heart to Philemon, like the quick impulse with which a mother will catch up her child, and cover it with caresses.”
The same rest - that refreshing - in Christ, is being poured out.
And our growing in the Lord will show that more and more.
In fact, we’re practising right now for the Heavenly Choir.
Because everyone up there will sing!
That might seem quite out of our touch.
We’re far from being what we should be.
But the Lord - all the same - is working very precisely through us to bring the ultimate in refreshment.
With this in mind, there couldn’t be a more vivid scene of what true refreshment is like than Revelation chapter 14.
In this chapter the Lord, through John, describes two kinds of people.
Here’s the first kind, “There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image.”
Their future is as black as black can be.
But what a contrast with the second kind, who are also described in that same chapter!
As John wrote further on, just two verses later, “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.
‘“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.”’”
Now that’s refreshment!
To be pointed again to where you’re going and how we’re going.
We’re being shown clearly how the joy and encouragement Paul has received through a brother in the Lord, is from the Lord who joins them both by His saving work.
It was the Son of God who died in a most un-restful way, so that we would never be apart from the home we have in his Father.
And it’s his finished work - his doing and dying - which is refreshing our hearts as we’re built up by our fellow believers.
The Spirit of Jesus is knitting us together into the most wondrous fabric of Christ’s Body.
The Bride that will be fit for the Divine Groom.
Congregation, we are the Church that will live with him in everlasting refreshment.
What a marvellous thing it will surely be!
That’s a state of heart, dear believer, which even now we can see!
It’s all there in Jesus Christ - through you and me!
Amen.
PRAYER:
Let’s pray...
O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
What a work you did through him on that cursed cross.
What a price he paid so that we would never be left by you as he was.
So, please, by your Spirit always point us back to him.
In his death we have true life.
Make us live it like he showed.
For his precious name’s sake, we pray, Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Sjirk Bajema, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
The source for this sermon was: www.rcnz.org.nz
(c) Copyright, Rev. Sjirk Bajema
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