Stone's Hill Community Church
Letters from Prison - Philemon
Our series is called "Letters from Prison" - which is a study of Paul's prison epistles or letters. We've covered Philippians. Now, we look at Philemon. Philemon. 335 words. One chapter only. You'll never find it if the pages stick together! Onesimus was a slave belonging to Philemon, a Christian of Colosse. This slave had opportunity to run away and seized on it. He took some things he shouldn’t have. He made his way to Rome where he expected his identity and past life to be swallowed up by the great metropolis. One day he chanced upon a gathering where an incarcerated Paul was teaching people from his apartment-jail. Paul led "Onesimus" to Christ! He gave Paul the update on everyone back in Colosse. And Paul mentored him. In the course of that mentoring relationship, Paul had to deal with this run-away, fugitive situation between the household of Philemon and Onesimus. It had legal and social and even spiritual complications. Paul, after teaching him a little while, says, “Now, you must go back and make amends to your master for the wrong you have done.” This letter is about that... and it's about us...Welcome to "Philemon". And welcome to Stones Hill Community Church and Online Notes!
Locations & Times
Stone's Hill Community Church - Ligonier Main Campus
151 W Stones Hill Rd, Ligonier, IN 46767, USA
Saturday 9:02 PM
We welcome you to Stone's Hill today!
A typical Stone's Hill service has music (feel free to sing out); some announcements (things that are upcoming that you can be a part of); a message out of the Bible (God speaks to us through his Word); and an opportunity for you to respond to the message (either immediately in the case of a decision that needs to be made OR in the future as you live out the message in your life.)
So relax and enjoy your morning! We're so glad you are here!
Letters from Prison
PowerPoint Slides
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fa0m2vj3gce1n3k/lettersfromprison10.pptx?dl=0Pay close attention how Paul treats Philemon in this letter and the power of his example. For in this, we have insight into what you and I can do with others - appeal on the basis of love (verse 9).
Philemon 1:8-10 8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.
Consider what Paul the prisoner did:
*He led Onesimus to Christ—You can do that.
*He risked a friendship to help a new believer–You can do that.
*He took a stand in a small way—You can do that.
*He applied the gospel to a personal need—You can do that.
*He saw God’s hand at work and gave God all the credit—You can do that. *He personally intervened to help someone in need-You can do that.
*He offered to pay the debt Onesimus owed—You can do that.
*He didn’t complain about an unjust system and about how he unfairly imprisoned and he didn’t focus on anything but the problem at hand—you can do that.
*He didn’t try to be a hero and change the world. He just tried to help out wherever he could—You can do that.
Paul didn’t do anything unusual, strange or extraordinary. He simply did what any Christian should do—and could do – on the basis of love. That’s the power of individual example.
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