Server Outage Notice: TheSeed.info is transfering to a new Server on Tuesday April 13th
| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Sjirk Bajema > When Saying Good-bye Doesn’t Leave You Behind! | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) |
PHILEMON 23-25
(Reading: Philemon 1-23; Colossians 4:2-18)
When Saying Good-bye Doesn’t Leave You Behind!
Beloved Church of our Lord Jesus Christ...
The end of the letter is very close.
The main purpose for it being written has been clearly explained.
Indeed, the whole thrust of this personally hand-written letter from Paul left no doubt as to how Philemon is to receive Onesimus.
But now to the end.
The business is done.
Still, how do you exactly conclude a letter?
Actually, wouldn’t this have to be one of the hardest parts of letter writing?
Naturally getting started is difficult.
Though figuring out how to finish would be just about as difficult.
Well, think about your telephone conversations.
Don’t you find it awkward when you finish?
It’s hard to end your conversations in a way you really feel happy about.
And, afterwards, haven’t many of us been left with lingering doubts as to how we handled the whole thing?
Lots of people don’t like talking on the phone for this very reason.
And who likes an answering machine?
Finishing a communication is the stage where Paul’s at.
And let’s not think that ordinarily this would be a piece of cake for the apostle.
I’m sure he would acknowledge many times that if it wasn’t for the Spirit of the Lord giving him the words it wouldn’t have worked out.
Because these words are divinely guided, the way he ends this letter now will be exactly for the best.
And already he’s been leading into this conclusion with his request to have a guest room prepared for him.
That moved the subject matter of the letter away from Onesimus into a more house-keeping type of request.
“Life goes on.”
And Paul prays that his life will still include visiting this precious church at Colossae.
But that wasn’t just yet.
So what follows fits in nicely.
In the words of the first part to this text... FOR NOW THEY SAY GOODBYE.
Indeed, they all do say goodbye, don’t they?
“Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.
“And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.”
It’s Paul’s letter.
But they’re family there.
They are the family of faith.
So just as we often write the names of our whole family at the end of a letter, so Paul did it, too.
FOR NOW THEY ALL SAY GOODBYE.
But, now, who are they?
Yes, who are the people with these five different names, joining together with Paul and Timothy’s names at the beginning of the letter?
Well, there is Epaphras.
His name was very well-known to Philemon.
You see, Epaphras was the founder of their church.
When Paul writes to this Colossian church - in the letter of Colossians - about the tremendous thanks they have because of the good news now in their lives, he adds in chapter 1 verse 7, “You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf.”
In fact, Epaphras is so involved in the eternal welfare of this church that Paul writes in Colossians 4, verse 12, this about him, “He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
And in verse 13 there, Paul also adds, “I vouch for him that he is working hard for you.”
Now Epaphras - their own founder, their first minister - is in prison with Paul.
So, in the same way you would have warm memories of your past ministers, that’s what Paul conveys as strongly as he can.
Notice, he didn’t join with their past minister in beginning this letter.
That would have been wrong to do in connection with the pastoral case of Onesimus, and especially because of the role that Paul has.
He won’t use the political manipulations of this world.
He speaks truthfully - in all sincerity.
To bring this letter to a most loving end, though, he draws in the continual concern their imprisoned former minister has for them.
“We’re all thinking of you,” is the same kind of thing.
And what a loving thought this would have left in their hearts.
Then there are the others in the family.
Next ‘Mark’ is mentioned.
Mark was also called John, or John Mark.
He was the nephew of Barnabas, who had gone with Paul and Barnabas on the apostle’s first missionary journey.
If we know the story, we know that Mark’s involvement in that journey ended sharply.
He deserted part-way through.
A desertion which caused Paul to later refuse to take him on a subsequent journey.
So Barnabas took him instead.
But it’s the same Mark of whom Paul writes about quite differently in his second letter to Timothy.
There in chapter 4, verse 11, he says, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he’s useful to me in my ministry.”
So the last letter Paul wrote tells us about a restored Mark.
A believer who struggled to fulfil his calling to preach the gospel, but who was enabled to do it.
What a hope for Philemon and the Colossian church!
How about that example for grace at work?
Then there’s the name ‘Aristarchus’.
Of Aristarchus little is known.
He was a Macedonian, and one of Paul’s close associates who had gone to Rome with him.
Perhaps for the church at Colossae, which was in present-day Turkey, his name was a reminder of how far the gospel had spread since they first heard it.
His name could have brought back to their minds the vision of Paul, in Acts 16 verse 9, where a man from Macedonia calls him to come over to Greece and preach the gospel to them.
That was certainly the grace and leading of the Lord at work.
But whatever his name would have meant, it was clear he was with Paul.
And from Colossians 4, verse 10, we know that he too was imprisoned with Paul.
So Aristarchus also sends the warmest Christian greetings.
Though I wonder whether we should think the same of the next name?
Because that name is ‘Demas’.
Demas, a name which holds so much sadness for Christians.
Why?
Congregation, this is the same Demas of whom Paul writes in his last letter to Timothy, chapter 4, verse 10, “Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.”
These are words of pain.
At a most difficult time in his ministry, such a close fellow worker takes off!
Though when Paul wrote to Philemon, he was one of the team!
It certainly takes all-sorts!
And even within the church there are unbelievers as well.
Perhaps it’s not obvious yet.
They still seem to be genuine and committed Christians.
Or maybe it’s clear they’ve gone off the rails!
Still - they are found within the church, though spiritually they aren’t one of us.
And then there’s Luke.
Good and faithful Doctor Luke.
“Our dear friend Luke,” as Paul described him.
He who wrote the Gospel of Luke, and the Book of the Acts of Apostles, was faithfully helping an apostle now.
Indeed, it would be Luke later; when Paul was in prison the second and worse time, when Demas deserted, and all the others were serving elsewhere; it was only Luke still with Paul.
Luke, though mentioned last, was by no means least!
And yet all these men - despite whatever they did or didn’t do - had nothing in themselves.
The genuine believer can only confess to God’s grace making all the difference.
FOR NOW THEY SAY GOODBYE.
This company of Christians - wise and diligent leaders though they be - can only send greetings from afar.
FOR NOW THEY SAY GOODBYE... BUT IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THE SPIRIT IS ALWAYS THERE.
This is our second aspect to this text.
BUT IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THE SPIRIT IS ALWAYS THERE.
Friend, there is no Christian anywhere who can do anything for you on his or her own.
Despite the talents they may have, regardless of their wealth, in spite of their physical strength - they can’t do a thing!
The verses 23 and 24 have been a kind of class photo.
Like we do with our old class photos, we look at each face in turn and there comes to mind what they used to be like, and even what they’ve become since, if we know that.
But now we turn to the One who started the school.
The One who still has that school today.
The One who through our ministers and elders and teachers and parents and leaders still teaches the same syllabus right now!
IN JESUS THE SPIRIT IS ALWAYS THERE.
The point of our passage, the strength of this sermon, lies in the simple words of verse 25, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit.”
From this band of ministers comes the ministering Spirit.
The source of everlasting life is confirmed.
It’s “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace - we’ve met that word in Philemon before.
Grace - the word we find already in verse 3 when this letter begins.
Grace - that’s the source of our salvation.
Grace - that’s where it all comes from.
Because it has been God’s free favour to save us.
Nothing we did, or anything we could ever do, counts at all!
In the famous words of Horatius Bonar’s hymn,
“Not what my hands have done
Can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.” (1959 PH.389:1)
It’s a hymn we all know well.
It’s a confession we should have said often.
Because unless we come clean with the Lord, and acknowledge how dirty with sin we are, there is no grace.
What is grace?
Grace is when... IN JESUS THE SPIRIT IS ALWAYS THERE!
Friend - have you seen it’s his Spirit?
Do you know it’s his love in your heart?
And how can you know - how does it show?
Well, what are they doing?
Which action do these servants of the Lord express as they conclude this correspondence?
They’re praying!
Around the almighty throne of God, below his mercy seat, they cry their deepest need.
Paul began his letter with a prayer for “grace and peace” upon them, and he closes now with a prayer for the continuation of grace with them.
And the “you” is plural.
So he moves to include all the church at Colossae, as well as Philemon.
He makes this personal to all who receive “the Lord Jesus Christ” as their Lord.
That faith unites them in a common spiritual bond.
That faith makes them all parts of the whole, which is Christ’s Body - the Church.
It’s Christ himself who bestows - he gives - his grace upon them.
Congregation, look back over the letter.
Aren’t we impressed again by its loveliness?
It really did what it was meant to do!
And what simple dignity; what refined Christian courtesy; what tactful considering of others; and what warm personal affection.
It proves the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in the life and work of the apostle Paul.
Our eyes of faith are lifted up.
In the words of Hebrews 12, verse 2, our eyes are fixed “on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
That’s why the next verse – Hebrews 12, verse 3 - says, “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that [we won’t] grow weary and lose heart.”
For in him, the Lord Jesus Christ, we have all we’ll ever need.
His grace is all-sufficient.
It’s enough.
The Lord Jesus Christ who gave infinitely much to redeem Philemon and you - to save and to change - will give him, and you, grace to do all that has been asked and more.
So which better way to end than to go back to the beginning?
In fact, to keep going back to the One who is the only Someone!
Dear person in the pew - is this how we conclude the letter of your life right now?
As you reflect on where you are with the Lord, do you know him?
Are you praying verse 25 for whoever’s sitting next to you, or two rows in front or back of you?
And are you praying it because it’s true for you?
Because you know the only One you can do it through!
To quote the second verse of Bonar’s hymn:
“Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy power alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
No other work save Thine,
No other blood will do;
No strength save that which is divine
Can bear me safely through.”
With him - the Greatest Teacher – there’s the grace to learn the lesson of love, and the spirit of obedience.
May it be that when this Lord Jesus Christ returns, as he will so very soon, that we’re still learning in his School!
Amen.
PRAYER:
Let’s pray...
Lord God, we thank you for the teacher of this Letter of the apostle Paul, and for all the scriptures.
In your Word there is true History, because it is your Story - the good news about the doing and dying of your Son, our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Please give us your Spirit to help us to listen carefully, and to respond gratefully.
May we offer up what you love to see.
In fact, may we be what you have re-created us to be.
In Jesus’ name, 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
Please direct any comments to the Webmaster
