November 3, 2021
What are Your "No, No's" to God's "Yes"?
Philemon 1-25
Shelby Shanahan
Central Truth
When God calls us to serve Him, we should not expect an easy, breezy life. We will be called to serve outside of our comfortable, predictable lifestyle; and our love for God should motivate us to step outside of our comfort zone and push past our self-imposed limits.
Key Verse | Philemon 1:14-16
[B]ut I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this is perhaps why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother . . . .
Philemon 1-25
Greeting
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon's Love and Faith
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 1 1:6 Or for Christ's service 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Paul's Plea for Onesimus
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, 2 1:10 Onesimus means useful (see verse 11) or beneficial (see verse 20) whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 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, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant 3 1:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
Final Greetings
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Dive Deeper | Philemon 1-25
Whenever my family took a long road trip or spent a considerable amount of time in the car, my siblings and I would pass the time with the "would you rather" game. We would choose between ridiculous situations, but the one giant "no, no" that would prevent me from choosing a certain situation was if it involved bugs. No exceptions. My own childish limits remind me of the limits Christians put on themselves when it comes to serving the Lord. We all draw invisible lines in the sand; and if God asks us to go beyond those lines, we either shudder or respond faithfully.
In Paul's letter to Philemon, Paul asks his brother in Christ to serve both God and him by welcoming Onesimus back into his house. This task of hospitality may seem simple and natural, yet in Roman times it was exactly the opposite. Onesimus was an escaped slave who had formerly served Philemon, and in this period of history escaped slaves were punished brutally. So, allowing his own former slave to stay in his house meant Philemon had to serve God in an uncomfortable situation. And Paul was "[c]onfident of [Philemon's] obedience" (Philemon 21). Philemon overcame whatever limits tested him to serve well.
Philemon had a choice: welcome his new brother in Christ, or reject Paul's request in fear. As Christians, we have a similar choice each time we are called to serve. This choice, as Paul reminds Philemon, should "not be by compulsion but of [our] own accord" (Philemon 14). We should be motivated to serve by our love and gratitude toward God, knowing that we can do NOTHING; God has done EVERYTHING (Titus 3:4-6).
When our love for God is our motivation, we can overcome all the limits we have placed on ourselves, whether consciously or unconsciously. We can serve God wholeheartedly. God's Word reminds us that we need not fear the unknown. He will be there. Not only that, but Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33)! Why should we be fearful of submitting completely to God's service if our Champion is beside us?
Discussion Questions
1. Think back on all the times you felt called to serve God in a difficult situation and chose not to. What "no, no's" did you use to answer God's "Yes"? What kept you from serving Him?
2. What limits may be holding you back from full surrender and service to God today? Do those self-imposed limits stem from fear, pride, or laziness?
3. Paul appeals to Philemon "for love's sake," even though he had the apostolic authority to command Philemon to respond in a godly manner (Philemon 8-9). Does God's abounding love and mercy motivate you to serve Him well? If not, how can you reevaluate your faith and relationship with God to see if you truly believe, in your heart, that you need God, that He wants you, and that He has done everything for you?
4. Read John 16:33, Matthew 28:19-20, and 1 John 5:4-5. What do these verses tell us of God's presence in our lives? How can you use this knowledge and truth to combat your own fears of the unknown?