Tuesday Teaching: Philemon

Series: The Art of Being Unordinary
Sermon: Philemon 7/14/24

Happy Tuesday, all. 

Mark Fishel brought the word this past Sunday. Mark’s an MCCer - originally from Minier - who has been a missionary overseas for more than 23 years. Mark preached from Philemon, and then brought his wife Grace to join him on stage and talk about their ministry in Cambodia and, where he’s served for 16 years and she’s served for 14. Their faithfulness to the Lord and his work should encourage and inspire us all!

Philemon is a funny little book, isn’t it? Only one chapter, 25 verses long, and rather than including deep theological truths or church instruction, it’s a personal letter from Paul and Timothy to a group of three leaders in a small house church about a man named Onesimus.

Onesimus was a servant in the household of Philemon, and he became a Christian under Paul’s direction. Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus are leading a gathering of believers, and Paul is sending Onesimus back to them to help lead the church and do gospel work.

Paul tells Philemon and the others that Onesimus is like a piece of him, “my very heart,” and to welcome him as they would have welcomed Paul.

But they can’t welcome Paul, because Paul is in prison for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. But here’s what he says, in verse 22:

And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

Paul is in chains, but he is living in anticipation of his freedom, and he’s telling his fellow Christians they should do the same.

They’re not just to wait and whine and pout about Paul’s imprisonment, they’re supposed to prepare themselves so that they are ready when he is finally free and returns to them.

We will be free someday as well; free of earthly toil, free of sin, free of death.

But we can only celebrate this freedom if we prepare ourselves in anticipation of Jesus’s return to us.

This preparation looks like repenting of our rebellion against God, confessing our sins to him and to each other, being baptized in the name of Jesus, and living in step with the Holy Spirit and in community in his church.

Like the house church Paul and Timothy are writing to in Philemon, we can live in anticipation of the full realization of our future freedom, but that promise doesn’t mean there aren’t responsibilities for us in the present. There’s discipleship and evangelism and service and prayer and worship.

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus made all of this possible by his atoning death and triumphant resurrection.

Know Him and make Him known!
- Pastor Brady

Read for this coming Sunday: Ephesians

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