Welcome to the Sunday school hour. Great to see you having Christian fellowship, but I'm going to interrupt it to begin our Sunday school and having some great fellowship myself during this time in between. Let me make this announcement. We're trying to make this loud and clear today, and then you'll hear it a few more times in the next couple of weeks, but not as much as today. Christmas Day, we'll be having all the regular morning services. And then after the second service in the morning, we're going to have a covered dish lunch on the grounds here, where people bring some food and we'll just all join in and eat together, and then go right into an afternoon service and no evening service. So if you typically come in the first service and want to go to the lunch, you can either go home and come back or you can come to the second service instead. So we will have 8.30, 9.45, 10.30 services on Christmas Day. We will go right into a lunch after the 10.30 service, and then a service to follow that. And for this year, first time we've ever done that, not have an evening service, just doing something different this year, see how it works, and just trying to minister to the needs of the people, and just prayed about, talked about, and that's what we came up with. Apologize if something doesn't work to your schedule. Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to the book of Philemon. This is just before the book of Hebrews. If you have trouble finding this little one chapter book, or you can always go to the front of your Bible to the index, and it will give you page numbers. If you're new to Christianity, new to follow along in your Bible, that sometimes people mark in their Bible the index, so they can find the index, and finding the index, you can find anywhere else you need to in the Bible. And this is in the New Testament. We have been actually, this is the third and final week, we've been looking at one chapter, but I think there's a lot of valued information there. And looking forward, every Sunday school lesson is at a little bit different of an impact, and hopefully this one will as well. I'm going to talk to you today about changing a person's life through forgiveness. We know that God forgives sin, but do we? And how do we help to accomplish that? How can we help to change someone's life? That's what we're going to talk about today. Let's begin with a word of prayer. Dear Father, I come to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So grateful for this little book, all the messages that it communicates and the help that it can give to every one of us. There's probably in every one of our lives someone that's separated from us because of sin. or we see that there is a gulf between us because of sin, that if we'd be willing to work with them and forgive, we can increase their usefulness. What a tremendous truth you've given to us, not just here, but in a number of passages in your Word, one that is really valued in our lives. So help us to see how we can help others to become more effective by granting forgiveness and working with people in Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Great little book. It's addressed to Philemon. This is one of what is called the prison epistles. This is the only prison epistle or an only epistle period that Paul is addressed to a single person who is not a pastor. Philemon was involved in the ministry by allowing his house to be used. It appears that he was, number one, a fellow laborer, as it's mentioned here, and his son also was one of the fellow laborers. His wife was involved in the ministry. They're all mentioned in chapter one, verse one, or in the first verse of this one chapter book. And Paul is kind of addressing what he sees in the life of Philemon. He sees here, it's a man of love. It's a man of faith. And it's a man who is able to refresh people. It's one of the things that really impacted me. And one of the questions I began to ask myself, are people refreshed after being with me? And I'm talking about spiritually refreshed. Sometimes I believe they are, sometimes I believe they're not. And that's something I need to be working on as a Christian. But what he has talked to Philemon about, he says, I've heard of your faith, I've heard of your love, and I've heard that people are refreshed by being around you. He then will get into an important part where he's beginning now to get really to the point of this small book where he is seeking for the reconciliation of Paul with Onesimus. Let me describe a little bit about what we talked about last week. Onesimus was a servant to Philemon, was believed that he has stolen something from Philemon. Onesimus did. And knowing that he would be punished for stealing, he ran away. Does anybody remember about how far he ran? About a thousand miles. Very good. About a thousand miles. Can you imagine that? And this isn't getting on a small plane and flying there. but probably getting on a boat, going around below the Isle of Crete there and sailing all the way up into Rome. So, you felt like, wow, I'm far enough away from Philemon, he'll never catch me here. I'm going to the big city, I'll get lost in the crowd. But as Psalm 139 says, whether can we flee from his spirit or whether can we flee from his presence. If I say I will send, and I'm not quoting exactly, but we can think we're getting away from the Lord, but you can't get away from the Lord no matter where you run. And Philemon, or excuse me, Onesimus did not get away from the inner working of the Lord. In fact, Paul is believing that God was in all of this, of course, and directing, and that's the appeal that he is going to be using when he approaches Philemon. Now, what is really interesting, and I brought this out last week, and it won't take a lot of time there, but a quick summary of that. What he really expressed last week was a real carefulness with his wording. He really, I think, is convinced that Philemon should forgive Onesimus and allow him back. but he's also gonna approach that very carefully. He is one brother trying to help another brother to reconcile now to a third brother now that Paul has led him to Christ. So look at verse number eight. I'll walk us through this really quickly. For though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin, now it sounds like to get you two together, but that's not what it means. The word enjoin means to what? To command. Very good. To command. Several of you gave it. So I could be bold and just command this. Command thee that which is convenient, that which is fitting, that which is proper. Yet for love's sake, I rather beseech thee. So I'm going to plead with you. I'm going to come alongside you and help you to come to this conclusion. which being such and one as Paul the aged." I just love that phrase. I'm not sure exactly what he may have been thinking, but here's the elder Paul thinking, I could tell this Philemon really to do this, and I think he would obey just because of my age, but I don't want to approach it that way. And I could command him, I could enjoin him, but that's not what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna try to use that which is proper, which is beseeching him. Look at verse number 10. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus. Now, could you believe the first time that Philemon would read it, his son Onesimus? So this is news to Philemon. I don't think news traveled a thousand miles back that Onesimus is now saved. And it didn't get back to him until this letter that he has now received. And he says, I beseech you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bond. So in my imprisonment in Rome, I have now led him to Christ. Which in time past was unprofitable. but now profitable to thee and for me." So what's made him profitable? Well, it should be salvation. Salvation is not just to change your destiny, salvation is to change your life. How many times, and Becky and Karen and myself were talking about this recently, sometimes our appeal for salvation is on the appeal of destiny. Wouldn't you want to go to heaven? In fact, I was with someone in Mentor, Ohio. Karen and I were out in Mentor, Ohio one time, and I was asked to speak in a church, and we went on visitation on Saturday. Went out with a 16-year-old son. He said, oh man, we should be, I think he used the word bag, but I'm not sure. We should be able to bag a number of souls today as we go out there. And I think that's a terminology, he's a 16 year old, you know, they don't know any better. And so he says, this is what I do. He says, I get to him and he said, I keep everything brief. He said, I tell him, now, just before I leave, I'd like to just share with you briefly. And wouldn't you want to go to heaven? And he says, man, they all say yes. And so I, as soon as I can get them into prayer, because if I talk very long, they're not going to want to go into prayer. And so he says, you know, I kind of, he didn't say it this way, but I kind of trick them into getting saved. And he says, so then as I'm praying for their soul, so he says, I talked to them a little bit more about Jesus Christ, and I said, let's bow together for a word of prayer, and then I say, now if you want to go to heaven, put your hand on my hand as I'm holding the Bible, and they put their hand on my hand and I pray, and they're saved and they're in heaven and they don't even know it. Or they get saved and they don't even know it. Is that true salvation? Not at all. And if we're not careful, we can take that type of a wrong approach. And sometimes our fix is on the destiny and not on the relationship with Jesus Christ. What I love most about my salvation is my present relationship with God. The icing on the cake, if I wanna put it in those rotten terminology, especially for those of you who don't like icing. The ultimate wonderful glory that we'll have in heaven, it goes just beyond what I already have in my relationship with Jesus Christ. And so Paul has had the opportunity in prison now to lead Onesimus to the Lord. And by the way, Philemon is not fighting anything. He didn't know anything. It's not like Philemon, but maybe in his spirit was saying, boy, if I can ever get my hands on Onesimus. Now last week, so then I taught on when the law is confronted with grace or when grace confronts the law. Because under the law, he was guilty of being put to death. But under grace, Paul was asking Him to forgive him. To put it behind him. To let it go. To cast it out into the sea like casting a ball. Separating it as far as east and from the west. You're not going to remember it against him anymore. The fact that he stole from you and the fact that he ran away from you, I want you to let it go. For the sake of this man, Onesimus. Yeah, sometimes it's hard for us to let things go, isn't it? Sometimes it's hard for us to be involved in the restoration of someone who has fallen. In fact, I put in my notes to forgive a fugitive. I mean, that's really what he's asking him to do. Someone who's a criminal, someone who's in trouble with the law, Someone who tried to run as far as he could and hide away, but could not run from the Lord and ran right into almost literally the arms of Paul. Because I'm sure at one point Paul wrapped his arms around him and welcomed him as a brother of Christ into the kingdom of God. So let's pick it up in verse 17. I haven't talked about these verses to this point. If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. Paul has already expressed in verse number one the relationship that they had as being fellow servants, fellow laborers for the gospel. So Paul is now giving this appeal. This is maybe what I termed as the request for reception. wanting to try to give points to this message so you can follow it maybe a little bit easier. Thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. Receive him just like you'd receive me. If he hath wronged thee, or owes thee aught, put it on my account. That's interesting. Someone brought up last week that under the law, he would be required to repay, depending on what it was, fivefold, sevenfold, he'd have to repay. Paul said, okay, if he owes you anything, put it on my account, I'll take care of it. Put it on my bill, put it on my tab, Paul might say. I, Paul, verse number 19, have written it with mine own hand. I will repay it. Albeit, do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord. Refresh my bowels in the Lord. Remember, this is a man earlier where he says you're known for refreshing people. He's saying now refresh me. It would be really refreshing for me if you would receive him back, if you would be willing to reconcile and really beyond reconciliation, have a relationship you've never had with him before. I've often said to people who have been sinned, especially devastatingly upon, And they say, well, I just couldn't have the same relationship with them. And I said, you're right, you can't. But you realize you could have even a better one. You'll never have the same relationship because of the injury, because of the sin that was committed. We could actually have a better relationship. Because it's no longer then focused on the sins and the physical and the natural realm, it's now all spiritual. The relationship that Philemon could have with Onesimus was one that could become then totally spiritual. He could still be a servant, but a brother besides. That was one of the comments that Paul had made earlier that I didn't take that. A brother beloved, verse number 16, he actually states that. So he's appealing to him, he's requesting. He says, refresh my bowels in the Lord. Verse number 21, having confidence in thy obedience, I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou would also do more than I say. Wow, that put the weight of burden on Philemon, didn't it? It was like, I know you're gonna do this and even more. But shouldn't that be the understanding of any of us as Christians? Shouldn't we really be expected because of Christian love that we would be willing to reconcile with anyone? And that we would be willing to go far and beyond and do even more? The Lord does exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, correct? Shouldn't we? Shouldn't we as children? be willing to work toward that reconciliation that is needed in a brother or sister in Christ. Paul says, so this isn't Paul's writing to Philemon thinking he's already refused to accept him back, or I know he won't take him back, I'm gonna try. No, Paul knows he's gone too, but just notice how careful he is with this letter. So when you're involved in trying to reconcile people, understand there needs to be a lot of carefulness. There needs to be a lot of grace. There needs also to be a willing heart, a willing mind to work through this. And I think Paul is describing this well, again, in a short 25 verse letter. I know you'll do more than I should say, verse 22. But with all, prepare me also a lodging, for I trust that through your prayers, I shall be given unto you." So he said, I'm hoping to be able to join you as well. So if you would prepare some lodging for me. Paul there in house arrest. As I remember, I don't remember that opportunity ever availing itself, but that may not be biblically recorded, it may have happened. Their salute the Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. Marcus, and he goes on listing various names of those who are fellow laborers and ending with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Again, this then becomes a spiritual thing. What does it take for you to become spiritual? I remember this being taught by one of my college professors more years ago than I want to admit at this point. But he says, being spiritual is being right with God because of the current relationship of the spirit in your life. That's interesting. Because at times I'm not very spiritual. because I'm not currently in a right relationship with the Holy Spirit. So I'm not in the right relationship with God. So being spiritual is being in a right relationship with God because your current relationship with the Holy Spirit is right. So what Paul is presenting here to Philemon is for him to be spiritual. In fact, he goes on and by saying, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. So God's grace help your spirit in the appeal that I made to you. So what would have happened if Philemon would say no? We don't even want to think about it, do we? It's a possibility if Philemon would say no, you could easily have him ordered back from Rome. He's in Roman prison. You know how they sometimes will move them from the prison in Mexico back to the United States or some foreign prison back to a local prison to be tried for the crimes that were committed there. That's nothing new. Could have been done back in that day as well. The transport would have been different. The time period would have been different, of course. But he very easily could have demanded that he be returned from Rome, from that Roman prison, back to Colossae, which we determined last week, which is where Philemon was located. And he could be tried there and could have been put to death. If nothing else, he could have showed some grace and allowed him merely to go back into harsh servitude and cause to repay everything that he had owed Philemon. How do we know that isn't true? How do we know that he did forgive him? What is the biblical evidence? Anybody know? It's already been given last week, but Becky? according to Philemon or according to? Okay, yes, okay. Yeah, and by the way, there had to be a willingness in Onesimus as well. There had to be a willingness on both sides to work through this. Is there a scripture verse reference we can turn to? Well, there is. What is it? Who said it? Brother Brad, did you? Colossians 4, let's go there. I'm gonna start before verse 9, but that's the exact verse. Let's go to Colossians chapter 4. Now again, the title of my message is this, title of my Sunday school lesson is this, Changing a Person's Life Through Forgiveness. Now ultimately God has to forgive sins and ultimately we've come short of the glory of God until his forgiveness of sins. That puts us into a life journey such as I will talk about in the morning service, a course that we are to run for the Lord. But throughout that journey there also needs to be combined with the Lord's forgiveness is our willingness to forgive. our willingness to help people along that journey as well. If we as Christians are unwilling to forgive, the great work of God will in some way be limited. You say, how can you say that? Well, God charged the children of Israel by limiting the Holy One of Israel because of their disobedience. So I would say if God or the children of Israel could limit the holiness of God, we can as well. And we can of course grieve them and there are several other descriptions in the scriptures. So I'm gonna begin with verse number seven of chapter four. Now, does anybody know, I need to do a little research, found a little bit of discrepancies here, but does anybody know how much time there is between the writing of Philemon and the writing of Colossians? We've got some great Bible scholars here. They ought to be just snapping off this information. Anyone? Yeah, it's about a year. It's about a year's period of time. It could be as much as two. Some actually have Colossians written before Philemon, which the writing could be before, but it doesn't make chronological sense for it to come before. But actually it could happen that the writing of Colossians could actually come before we had the writing of the book of Philemon, but it appears that it was about within a period of a year. So kind of envision that as I read, all my state shall Tychicus, By the way, you think I'm stuttering or having trouble. That's actually how it's pronounced there. I've done a whole sermon on him. Tremendous man of God that the Lord used greatly. Declare unto you who is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord. whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate and comfort your hearts with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother who is one of you." Wow, what a statement. So now what is evident in the life of Onesimus is that he has actually gone back to Colossae, back to Philemon, has been reconciled with Philemon, but beyond that, he's now become a church member. He's part of the church in Colossae. So look again, I wanna start from verse eight, just working our way through it, because I think it's an awesome truth. By the way, when you're reading the book of Colossians, it may not jump off the page at you. This is one of the truths sometimes that in our lack of carefulness, or we're just not overly focused, we just kind of miss what is being said here. But whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, he sent Tychicus for the same purpose, that he might know your estate and comfort your hearts.