The Fullness Of God Part 2

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

In the Roman Empire, a vast number of people were slaves. While in prison, Paul wrote to a friend about a runaway slave he had led to Christ. Today, a glimpse into the heart of Paul like none other in the New Testament.

Stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Today, we continue a series on the legacy of a converted man. Now, we turn to the small book of Philemon, where Paul the prisoner shares his heart with his reader and with us. I'm going to begin today by asking you to turn to the book of Philemon. Now, the question is, how can you find Philemon in your New Testament? It's very difficult to find because it's a book of only 25 verses, but here's a clue. Find the book of Hebrews. That's usually very easy to find with all of its chapters, a much longer book. And then when you get to the book of Hebrews, turn to the beginning and then go a little bit beyond that because Philemon is the book just before the book of Hebrews.

That's the way you find it. It's necessary for you to have the text in front of you, given what we're going to talk about. The apostle Paul spent a great deal of his life in prison, now at least two years in Caesarea and another two years in Rome. And in between also there were other imprisonments. So we don't know what the total is, but notice with the book of Philemon before you, notice how he begins. He says, Paul a prisoner for Jesus Christ. Do you notice how Paul believed that God was sovereign over him, that even what the devil did was actually done for God's glory, even if it meant unjust imprisonment?

Imagine that faith. And I want to emphasize that when we hear today that Christians are being persecuted, we should do all that we possibly can to pray for them, to intercede for them, that they might know that even they, as believers, are there by divine appointment. That takes faith, but Paul had that kind of faith. Now what we're going to do today is to look at this very short letter that the apostle Paul wrote.

And I believe that for many of us it's going to be very interesting and enlightening. You know, the apostle Paul here in this short letter reveals his heart like he does not do in any other of his epistles. I mean, here is a letter that he writes where we see and when we also learn how to ask someone to do a favor for you.

It's all here in the text. But there's another reason why this book is so important, and that is it deals with the problem of slavery. Now it's fashionable today to say, oh, you know the Bible condones slavery, and because it condones slavery and we don't accept slavery anymore, why should we accept the biblical view of sexuality? That's the narrative that is in our culture, and we're going to end up dealing with that narrative today. And then in addition to that, we're going to see the power of the gospel in individual lives and in your life as well, and you're going to leave encouraged to trust in the Lord. That's where we're going. I believe that this very short book has within itself the power and the message that is necessary for the church, which in and of itself could wipe out slavery.

Well, we'll see whether or not it is so. Now here's what we're going to do. I'm going to give you the context of the book, and then we're going to walk through it, and then we're going to deal with the issues that I have raised. This happens to be number five in a series of messages titled The Legacy of a Converted Man.

When you are converted, the change is so transforming as it was in the life of the Apostle Paul that everyone notices it, your whole priorities change, and suddenly even your desires, because conversion is a great work of God. Well, with that background, what is the background of the book of Philemon? The book of Philemon? The answer is simply this, that evidently there was a runaway slave by the name of Onesimus.

I shouldn't say evidently, because there was a runaway slave by the name of Onesimus. His owner was Philemon, and Philemon was a great man in the church in Colossae. Philemon, the church in fact, met in his house. And somehow, and we don't know exactly how, but this slave by the name of Onesimus left Philemon's residence and made his way to Rome, and there he met the Apostle Paul. Paul leads him to save faith in Jesus Christ and then sends him back to his master.

Now with that background, let's walk through the text, and we'll see as it develops. The Apostle Paul says, for example, Paul, a prisoner for Jesus Christ, and Timothy, our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker, and Appiah, evidently his wife, our sister, and Archippus, perhaps their son, our fellow soldier, and the church in your house, grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. And now Paul begins to thank God for Philemon. Notice he says, I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and the saints.

Could I just stop there for a moment? Today there are so many people who say, well, you know, I'm into Jesus or I'm into God. I have this personal relationship with God, but I have really no connection to God's people. You may go from church to church, you never sink down roots, you never become involved, and you think that this is okay. Notice that the Apostle Paul says, your love of the Lord Jesus Christ and the people of Jesus Christ, his sons and his daughters. I'm sorry, but if you become a member of God's family, you have to put up with his kids. And sometimes they're not easy to put up with, but just think of your family and you'll understand that families sometimes have their squabbles, they have their weaknesses, but the commitment to God's family follows a commitment to Jesus Christ. And Paul goes on to say, I hear of your love for the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith, this is the generosity of your faith, may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. And then he says, for I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Have you ever met anybody like that? I know I have in my life. People that you long to be in their presence, you want to connect with them because when you leave, you are encouraged, you are refreshed, and you're so much better for having met them and connected with them.

I hope that you have friends just like that. And even our small group ministry is designed to help people to connect and all of our other ministries. Remember the statement that we have?

It is a promise statement. Moody Church is a trusted place where anyone can connect with God and others. And through that connection, we are strengthened. Paul says in Colossians that as you are strengthened with one another, you enter into the inheritance that is yours in Christ. And I don't think that we can get to that inheritance without that kind of involvement. Sophia Lehman is a great man, great Christian, evidently quite wealthy.

The church meets in his house. But now we get to the matter of Onesimus. Let's read what the Apostle Paul has to say here as he begins pleading for this boy.

I call him a boy. We're not sure that he was a young man, but I tend to think he was. So let's read the text. Verse nine, accordingly, though I am bold in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake, I prefer to appeal to you. I, Paul, an old man, and now a prisoner for Jesus Christ. I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. Formerly, he was useless to you, but now he indeed is useful to you and to me. I'm sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel. But I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might be not by compulsion but of your own free will, for this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while that you might have been back forever. No longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, and how much more to you, both in the flesh and of the Lord.

We have to stop right here for a moment. The Apostle Paul says that this young man met him there while Paul was in prison in Rome. Now when the gospel of Acts ends, the story of the early church, it ends with Paul in Rome, and he's actually living there at his own expense under house arrest.

And the Bible says that people were coming and going. So let's try to pick up the story as best we know it. Well, my friend, it's very important that you listen to Running to Win next time to hear the end of this marvelous story. I'm holding in my hands a letter from someone who listens to us in Egypt.

Now I need to emphasize that Running to Win is heard throughout the Middle East, thanks to people just like you. But this listener writes, I've been searching to understand the Bible and Christian teaching. Since I've found your program, I've been listening and taking notes for months. I have so many questions about how I can go to heaven, how I can be saved from my sins.

The episodes talk about wonderful things in Christianity, yet they all seem new and strange to me. Will you help me on my quest to know Jesus Christ and the Bible? I'm eager because it seems that living the Christ life is the real solution to the world and to me. Thank you for your work. And I want you to know that letters like this are followed up. All that to say, if you contribute to this ministry, you're a part of testimonies just like this.

And during this month, any gift that you give will be doubled. Here's what you can do. Go to OfferRTW.com. That's OfferRTW.com. And when you're there, you can also click on the endurance partner button to find more info, or you can call us at 1-800-215-5001.

Let me give you that contact info again, OfferRTW.com. And when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or call us at 1-800-215-5001. Erwin Lutzer, introducing A Prisoner for Christ, another message on the legacy of a converted man.

Next time on Running to Win, From Prison, the Apostle Paul greets Philemon regarding his slave Onesimus. Your gift to Running to Win is appreciated and can be doubled during this month. Help us take advantage of the Match and Gift Campaign by calling 1-800-215-5001. That's 1-800-215-5001. Online, go to OfferRTW.com. That's OfferRTW.com. Or write to Running to Win, Moody Church, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. Thanks for listening. For Dr. Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is a ministry of the Moody Church.