Wednesday 020525
Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.
Since the beginning of this study, our vision has been that we are ONLY going to follow what is found in the Holy Bible, that pertains to us, and we realize that it’s ONLY from our own effort that we put into this study, that we’re going to take anything away for our own use.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
Philemon 1:1, :2, :2c; Romans 16:5; Philemon :3, :4-7, :8a, :10-11, :12-14, :15-16, :17-19, :20-22, :23-25.
We’re going to be reading the small book of Philemon tonight.
Philemon :1 ‘…This letter is from me, Paul. I am in prison because I serve Christ Jesus. Our Christian friend Timothy is here with me. We are writing to you, Philemon. You are our friend, and we love you. You work on behalf of Christ, as we do…’ EASY (Easy English Version)
The book is one of Paul’s prison letters, this letter was sent to Philemon, a leader in the Colossian church. It deals with the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.
What better of a way for me to teach a lesson on forgiveness, other than by myself forgiving ‘ME’ for losing the paper to this lesson I had written earlier.
I pray to Jesus that this version of this paper would be superior to the first, or I ask that it too would come up missing as well.
Our lesson tonight is on FOREGIVENESS.
That should be one of those obvious clues that we have received through the Word …
WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN
It also should be just as obvious; we have to accept that forgiveness for us to be forgiven.
We are able to accept that GIFT, as well as the other GIFT’s that God has given us, ONLY by BELIEVING IN HIM.
Philemon :2 ‘…We say hello also to Apphia, who is like a sister to us. And we say hello to Archippus, who serves Christ like a soldier, as we do. We also say hello to the group of ‘Christians’ who meet in your home…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
I remember from my first paper on this letter, I focused in on this one part of this verse …
Philemon :2c ‘…We also say hello to the group of Christians who meet in your home…’
This is a group of people, a church, an assembly of ‘believers’ that meets at Philemon’s house.
This can also be found in the book of Romans, where the ‘believers’ met at Priscilla and Aquila’s house.
These ‘believers’ are what we know today as CHRISTIANS.
Romans 16:5 ‘…Also say hello for me to the group of ‘believers’ who meet in Priscilla and Aquila’s house…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Philemon :3 ‘…I pray that God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to help you. I pray that they will give you peace in your minds…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
We should make a mental note to us all, Paul always prays for these groups. As we should also always remember that we should pray for those groups in our life. This should be nothing but smart sense for us.
Philemon
:4 ‘…When I pray for you, I always thank my God when I think about you…’
:5 ‘…I thank God because people tell me good things about you. You love all God’s people, and you trust in the Lord Jesus…’
:6 ‘…We each have the same faith in Christ as we serve him. So, I pray that, as a result, you will become strong. I pray that you will understand more about every good thing that is ours because of Christ…’
:7 ‘…My friend, you have helped God’s people to feel stronger. Your love for them has made me very happy. It makes me feel stronger too…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
And as we begin in vs8, Paul gets into the MEAT of his letter to Philemon.
Philemon was an owner of slaves, he was a ‘slave master.’ One of his slaves, Onesimus, had apparently stolen some money from him and fled to Rome where he met Paul and heard the Good News that Paul was teaching. Paul, in turn, is writing to Philemon, in this letter, about Onesimus.
Philemon
:8a ‘…I want to ask you to do something…’
:10 ‘…So I am asking you to help Onesimus, who is like my own child. I taught him about Jesus while I was in prison. Because of that, he now has life with God. I am like his father…’
:11 ‘…Before he trusted Jesus, Onesimus did not really help you. But now he can help both you and me…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
So, it should be with us to today, if we have accepted the teaching of Jesus Christ, we too, should be changed. People around us should notice a difference.
This is exactly what Paul is telling Philemon. He should be able to see and notice a difference when he sees Onesimus again.
Philemon
:12 ‘…So, I am now sending him back to you. Because I love him, it is like I am sending you my own heart…’
:13 ‘…I wanted to keep him here with me, to help me on your behalf. I am in prison here because I taught people the good news about Jesus…’
:14 ‘…But I did not want to do anything unless you agreed. I wanted you to help me because you really want to help. I did not want to make you do it…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
These next two verses should be examples of how we act today towards our ‘masters,’ those that today might be our bosses at work.
Philemon
:15 ‘…When Onesimus ran away from you, perhaps God let that happen. Onesimus left you for a short time so that you could now have him back forever…’
:16 ‘…You can have him back again not only as your slave. He will be something much better than a slave for you. He will be like a brother that you love. I love him very much. But now you will love him even more. He will serve you as a slave, but he will also serve the Lord, as you do…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Our jobs today, our source of income, that is a gift that we have been given from God to help us in this life we live in.
How many do you think are going to complain about their jobs right now? The thing is, maybe there was a reason God put you in that position, in that job because He needed you to TEACH someone the Good News. Maybe God is using you to do something for Him, right now in that ‘crappy’ ‘good for nothing’ place of employment.
DO YOUR BEST and allow God the Glory and who knows, maybe one day you’ll find what it truly is that you’ve been looking for.
STOP living your life for what you want. STOP doing what you want to do.
BEGIN living your life the way Jesus wants you to live your life. Live it for Him. Spread the Good News onto others. Let everyone around you notice the difference. Give God ALL the Glory.
Philemon
:17 ‘…I am your friend. Together we serve God. If you agree with that, please be kind to Onesimus. Accept him in the same way that you would accept me…’
:18 ‘…If Onesimus has done anything wrong to you, I will make it right again. If he took money from you, I will pay it back…’
:19 ‘…I, Paul, am writing this myself: I will pay the money back to you. But you should remember what I have given to you already. You have life with God because I told you the good news about Jesus…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
There is so much to learn from in this tiny, short letter that the apostle Paul sent to a believer in Jesus Christ. Just think of the letter he has waiting for you.
Philemon
:20 ‘…Yes, my friend, please help me now, because we both belong to the Lord. As a Christian friend, help me to feel happier…’
:21 ‘…I am sure that you will do what I ask. That is why I have written this letter to you. I know that you will do even more than this to help me…’
:22 ‘…I want to ask you one more thing. Please prepare a room in your home where I can stay. I know that all of you are praying for God to let me go free. As a result, I hope that I will be able to visit you again…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Here is another lesson, the apostle Paul was in prison, and he is asking for plans when he gets out so he can travel.
So, too should be our outlook. If we’re old and in a nursing home, we shouldn’t be focusing on dying, we should be planning on traveling somewhere.
If we’re in a low grade, useless job; we shouldn’t be thinking about quitting or giving up; we should determine if there’s something we need to do before we leave this place.
The end is the end, it’s OVER. We should make sure everything is right before thinking about leaving.
To finish the book of:
Philemon
:23 ‘…Epaphras is also here in prison with me because he serves Christ Jesus. He says hello to you…’
:24 ‘…Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, who work with me here, also say hello to you…’
:25 ‘…I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to be very kind to all of you…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Keep your Bibles always open and continue to study the Words He has given us. Keep your Bibles within arms reach so they can be easily gotten to at night as you’re sitting in your easy chairs.
I love each one of y’all. Remember that day when Jesus is going to teach us exactly what that word means.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen
InHIM. ><)))o>