More Than a Bondservant

Philemon 1:1-25
December 8, 2019
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a beloved fellow worker named Philemon. And it is a heartwarming letter about the grace of God and his eternal salvation.

Philemon was a believer who loved the Lord Jesus and his church. He was cause for much thanksgiving to God in Paul’s prayers. And he brought refreshment to the hearts of many brothers and sisters around him.

Philemon had a bondservant named Onesimus. But something bad happened. We do not know the details, but we do know that Onesimus committed some kind of wrongdoing against his master Philemon. And we know that Onesimus fled to Rome.

Paul was there too, in prison and awaiting trial. Somehow, Onesimus came across Paul during his time there. And Onesimus became a Christian. He repented of his sins and had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Onesimus became like a son to Paul as Paul became like a father to Onesimus.

But Paul knew Onesimus’ story. And although it would have been nice to keep Onesimus for useful service for the gospel, Paul knew that something else would have been nicer.

Onesimus needed to go back. And Philemon needed to take him back - not as a bondservant, but as a brother. Philemon was reconciled to God through Christ. But so was Onesimus. Now the question was whether or not the two men could come back together in the Lord. Now the question was whether or not Onesimus would be more than just a bondservant to Philemon. Now the question was whether or not Philemon would see Onesimus as a beloved brother.

And so Paul wrote this letter. His letter to Philemon was a request, an appeal. And his reason for everything was for the sake of love.

As we read this letter today, there are many things that we should praise God for.

First, let us praise the Lord for how he changes us and how he changes our relationships with others. Jesus graciously transforms sinners like Onesimus. According to verse 11, Onesimus was once useless, but he became useful. Jesus graciously transforms relationships between people. According to verse 16, Onesimus was once a bondservant to Philemon, but he became more than a bondservant - he became a beloved brother. The Lord changes us and he changes our relationships with others.

Many people struggle in their relationships with others. Husbands and wives often fail to love one another. Parents and children often endure much drama. Masters and workers often just don’t care. And so we might wonder if our relationships can get better. If people can change. If we ourselves can be different. If things can start over. If what is dead can come back to life again.

But Jesus Christ is powerful. He can change who you are. And he can change how you relate to others. And if you don’t think so, then you’ve forgotten that he made the most important changes already. You were once a sinner. But now you are a saint. Your relationship with God the Father was once a relationship of sin and death and wrath and darkness apart from him. But now your relationship with God the Father is a relationship of righteousness and life and honor and light in Christ Jesus. Jesus has the power to make your relationship with your spouse better. Jesus has the power to make your relationship with your parents or your children better. Jesus has the power to make your relationship with your bosses or workers better.

So therefore, go and make all of your relationships better. Forgive your enemies. Reconcile with old friends. Become friends with people that you normally wouldn’t be friends with. Love one another as Christ loved you.

Praise the Lord for how he changes us and how he changes our relationships with others.

Second, let us praise the Lord for how he is sovereign. Paul made a remarkable comment in verse 15. He thought that perhaps the running away of Onesimus to Rome was meant to be.

Perhaps it was meant so that Onesimus would end up meeting Paul. Perhaps it was meant so that Onesimus would repent and believe in Christ. Perhaps it was meant so that Onesimus would be with Philemon together as beloved brothers in Christ.

Perhaps all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). The Lord is sovereign.

Many people try to fix their relationships with others on their own. People often rely on their own human wisdom. People often go through a lot of stress about their relationship problems. And people often act foolishly or impatiently in trying to fix things in their relationships and ironically end up making things even worse than before.

But the Lord is sovereign over all of our relationships. He is in control of everything. And he is doing things in our relationships that we don’t know about, things that we cannot see, things that we cannot predict, things that we cannot fully understand.

You are not God. So therefore, do not trust in your own wisdom or power or strength to make your relationships better. Instead, trust in the Lord and in his wisdom and power and strength to sovereignly guide you and your relationships.

Praise the Lord for how he is sovereign.

Third, let us praise the Lord for his work in Paul’s heart. By God’s grace, Paul knew what was important in life. He did not selfishly keep Onesimus. He let Onesimus go.

He setup a reunion that would bring great witness and honor to Christ. And he knew that Onesimus would be more useful to Philemon than to himself. It was not easy. Paul would pay with his own money whatever damages and penalties the Roman law required.

Verses 18-19. “If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it….”

Even though Philemon owed Paul for so much, here was Paul writing these words to Philemon. And according to verse 12, when Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, he sent back his very heart. But it was a heart that was worked on by the Lord Jesus Christ.

So much of good relationships come down to good peacemaking and paying the price to make things right again. Our Lord brought us peace. And he brought us peace by buying us at a price. Jesus gave his body and his blood. Our sins were charged to his account. And Jesus paid the price for our redemption. He suffered and he died. The Son of God took the form of a servant and received humiliation. And he brought us peace. Whatever damages or penalties the law required are now gone. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So therefore seek peace in your relationships and be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Consider the possibility that God might be calling you to be a peacemaker for other people who are struggling in their relationships. And if a price is required to make things right again in a relationship, and there usually is, then pay it. Pay it with godly grief and sorrow. Pay it with genuine repentance and obedience. Pay it with sacrificing or giving up things in your life. Pay it with a humbled heart that is willing to be worked on by the Lord Jesus Christ. Pay it by showing that you really understand what is important in life and by showing that you are not doing any of this for yourself, but rather you’re doing all of this for the witness and the honor of Christ.

Praise the Lord for his work in our hearts.

Fourth, let us praise the Lord for how he loves and grows and deals with Philemon. Yes, it was true that Philemon had love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. Philemon was already an example of what it looked like to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.

But Philemon was tested yet again. He had every right to bring punishment to Onesimus. But Paul asked him to give up his right to do so. Philemon loved everyone. But would that include Onesimus? The Lord loved and dealt with Philemon by giving him yet another person to love.

For many of us, life is pretty nice until someone comes into our life and challenges us in our faith and hope and love. This is so often the case with friends you meet in college, or with parents-in-law, or with new bosses or coworkers, or with church members, or with your very own kids.

But one of the most basic ways that the Lord loves you and grows you and deals with you is by putting certain people in your life in order to see if you really understand his gospel. Because the person and work of Christ is supposed to change the way that you see and treat others in relationships.

Thus, do not avoid people or relationships. Do not think of struggles or conflicts or issues with people in a negative manner. Instead, think of struggles or conflicts or issues with people in a positive manner. And instead, love everyone. What if you are actually being tested by the Lord Jesus Christ? You say that you love God? Really? Alright, then prove it. Prove it by the way that you do relationships. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother (1 John 4:20-21).

Thus, embrace all the stuff of relationships. For the Lord loves you. And he puts people in your life so that you would grow in his grace. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

Praise the Lord for how he loves and grows and deals with us.

Fifth and finally, let us praise the Lord for how bad earthly relationships die and are replaced by good eternal relationships. There is one word that Paul uses that is a game-changer. It is found at the end of verse 15. “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever.” The word is “forever.”

With the salvation of Christ comes newness. We are guaranteed new resurrection bodies. We look forward to a new heavens and a new earth. We are a new creation. And unlike the time and the testing of Adam, the new creation is marked by permanency, incorruptibility and eternality.

Sin and suffering and pain and death are all temporary and will all be gone one day. These are all things of the old creation. But when Paul wrote this letter, he was also reminding the church that the master and bondservant relationship and the sin and the separation between Onesimus and Philemon was something of the old creation as well.

Thus we read in Galatians 3:26-28 these words: “… for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The gospel and the grace of Christ empowers us to forgo our right to what is temporary (even if it is good and lawful) so that we might relate to one another on the basis of what is eternal. Paul asked Philemon to forgo his right to what is temporary so that he might relate to Onesimus on the basis of what is eternal.

Brothers and sisters, is there an Onesimus in your life? If so, I invite you in the name of Jesus Christ to take him or her back.

Brothers and sisters, do you see each other here at Highland as just that? Brothers and sisters… in Christ? I hope so. Let us be in awe of the church. The relationships that we have here at Highland are good eternal relationships. The relationships that we have here at Highland belong to the new creation. And our relationships will continue into eternity. We are united as one family forever. The Lord has you back forever. The Lord has his church back forever. We have each other forever. 

The word forever means that our relationships are on solid ground. The word forever means that there are not real goodbyes in funerals. The word forever means that our relationships are different from the relationships of the world. The word forever means that we are more than just a church behind a gas station, more than just KM and EM, more than just married couples or young adults or college or youth students, just as Onesimus was more than just a bondservant.

May Christ be exalted. May the hearts of many be refreshed.

Soli Deo Gloria