back to indexBerean Community Church Wednesday Bible Study 6/7/2023
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I know you guys are having end of the year party. 00:09:35.000 |
What we'll do is just give a minute for people 00:09:37.500 |
to get situated, especially if you're in the rooms, 00:09:40.500 |
And then we'll pray to get started with some worship, OK? 00:09:52.000 |
Well, please join with me in a word of prayer. 00:09:58.000 |
to lift up our heart of gratitude and thankfulness 00:10:03.500 |
God, we are so grateful that truly beyond what we deserve, 00:10:09.000 |
you grant to us much of your attention, care, instruction, 00:10:16.000 |
able to come together to join our hearts in the fellowship 00:10:19.500 |
around your word, and then also to worship together. 00:10:22.500 |
And we know that this is a true privilege for us. 00:10:25.500 |
And so we're grateful also that you cause it to be fruitful. 00:10:33.000 |
in the busyness of our workplaces and schools, 00:10:37.500 |
And so Lord, with the devotion of this time and singing, 00:11:01.520 |
♪ From the ends of the earth, from the ends of the earth ♪ 00:12:16.180 |
From the ends, ♪ From the ends of the earth ♪ 00:14:24.400 |
♪ The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend ♪ 00:14:37.420 |
♪ You, the perfect Holy One, crushed your son ♪ 00:15:08.080 |
♪ Once your enemy, now seated at your table ♪ 00:15:31.180 |
♪ By your perfect sacrifice I've been brought near ♪ 00:15:47.120 |
♪ Pouring out the riches of your glorious grace ♪ 00:16:15.560 |
♪ Once your enemy, now seated at your table ♪ 00:18:04.880 |
♪ Once your enemy, now seated at your table ♪ 00:18:41.840 |
for those of you who have missed the child safety training, 00:18:47.280 |
It's gonna happen 1 p.m. at the upstairs Sprouts Room. 00:19:15.240 |
today will be the last sign up for the BAM ministry. 00:19:26.080 |
share prayer requests, talk about important topics, 00:19:35.360 |
and we're gonna divide people up into different homes. 00:19:38.000 |
And so for the summertime, it'll just be once a month. 00:19:40.880 |
If you're interested in participating in that, 00:19:47.520 |
and enjoy your lovely snacks that you guys brought for today 01:01:11.200 |
All right, for those of you guys in the rooms, 01:01:20.440 |
I'm gonna go ahead and start our review of the passage 01:01:24.560 |
and do our final review of the Book of Philemon. 01:01:27.820 |
Just, I'm starting about five minutes earlier. 01:01:59.560 |
and then I'm also gonna be awarding some points 01:02:05.760 |
I'll throw up an easy one while people get situated. 01:02:24.320 |
It's actually, I looked up a band of brothers, 01:02:31.840 |
And the reason why is because as the book is ending, 01:02:43.040 |
and almost you could say even a host of witnesses, 01:03:00.200 |
you guys have been discussing all night already. 01:03:02.200 |
And it says, "Having confidence in your obedience, 01:03:06.780 |
since I know that you will do even more than what I say. 01:03:17.980 |
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, 01:03:21.180 |
greets you, as do Mark, Aristocras, Demas, Luke, 01:03:28.500 |
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." 01:03:40.660 |
I really, really enjoy seeing things in outlines 01:03:50.940 |
"I'm writing to you primarily because I know, 01:04:05.620 |
and ultimately though, what confidence he has 01:04:10.740 |
Verse 22, "At the same time, also prepare me a lodging." 01:04:16.440 |
Apostle Paul is intent on, but also is predicting, 01:04:24.960 |
Verse 23 and 24 has this long list of fellow workers, 01:04:32.420 |
These men, and then I hope you guys have just the time 01:04:41.780 |
and is it just maybe familiar pattern as any other letter, 01:05:09.060 |
greetings from fellow workers, and closing grace. 01:05:11.500 |
But, another way to see it is not just good wishes, 01:05:19.260 |
it's ending with just so much love and care, right? 01:05:22.500 |
That I have this trust, I have this faith in you, 01:05:26.460 |
but also the greetings of the brothers are with you. 01:05:33.180 |
are even further added weight and motive and encouragement 01:05:39.100 |
To do and carry out this gospel motivated desire to forgive. 01:05:44.540 |
And one is, yes, there is great trust, right? 01:05:47.820 |
If I'm looking at someone like a coach saying, 01:05:55.620 |
to trust you, because already he's been trusted with much. 01:05:59.620 |
Already he's involved with ministry in so many ways. 01:06:05.500 |
If let's say, you just imagine that you're a parent 01:06:12.860 |
I need you to talk to each other and get done. 01:06:15.940 |
I'm gonna check on you by the end of the day, okay? 01:06:20.740 |
The witnesses around us, the fellow laborers and workers, 01:06:26.420 |
And Christ's empowerment being the ultimate one, 01:06:32.820 |
Even if you feel like, I don't know if I can do it, right? 01:06:39.180 |
I don't know if I can reconcile with such and such person. 01:06:48.180 |
How can I abide in the Lord when I don't do this, okay? 01:06:58.940 |
let's talk about this idea of having confidence. 01:07:07.140 |
one can imagine Apostle Paul talking like a coach, you know? 01:07:12.020 |
Are we to imagine this portion just the same way 01:07:18.140 |
You know, it's the underdog, it's unlikely scenario, 01:07:22.180 |
but there's this true belief that you can do it, you know? 01:07:26.860 |
If we are we allowed to say those kinds of things, 01:07:31.460 |
Or conversely, I think on a flip side of that, 01:07:40.340 |
but conversely, we sometimes, a lot of us are pessimists. 01:07:49.860 |
I think about instances where people have been at odds, 01:07:54.420 |
think about instances where there's relationship strife. 01:07:58.340 |
Do we have a lot of pessimism that this could all work? 01:08:06.500 |
especially if they're long held traditions in their family, 01:08:11.500 |
deeply held cultural differences in the family, 01:08:14.260 |
and then they'll tell me, yeah, that would never work, right? 01:08:22.420 |
Now, I don't wanna discount the things we know, 01:08:25.700 |
the things we've experienced, and the things that, you know, 01:08:28.700 |
that have been like the typical circumstances 01:08:37.260 |
here, Apostle Paul is challenging Philemon to do something 01:08:56.300 |
and the person who has disrespected, offended, 01:08:58.740 |
and then transgressed you is your slave, right? 01:09:02.860 |
And so we began, actually, in the early portion 01:09:09.140 |
this is truly, actually, an unlikely scenario. 01:09:21.460 |
Apostle Paul here is being not just optimistic, 01:09:27.580 |
And what's more, something to observe within this passage 01:09:35.700 |
primarily because I have this confidence and hope in you. 01:09:44.020 |
Naturally, someone should be asking the question, 01:09:48.340 |
such a heavy, like, dude, you're gonna be able to do this, 01:09:51.420 |
and beyond even what I say, you're gonna be able to do it, 01:09:54.300 |
then why would you even write this long, exhaustive, 01:10:05.340 |
is there is this operating principle within Scripture 01:10:21.060 |
when an individual, their heart's already open 01:10:23.300 |
to the blessings of God, not the earth's blessings, 01:10:26.460 |
not his own plans, but the glories and the blessings of God, 01:10:35.820 |
more of the opportunities to experience his blessing. 01:10:43.180 |
is going to experience a kind of redemptive relationship, 01:10:46.620 |
he's going to experience a different kind of fruitfulness 01:10:49.060 |
in his life, and he's gonna be an inspiration 01:11:02.540 |
And in that way, there's this idea of possibly, 01:11:11.340 |
and obedient heart, Apostle Paul is just laying more 01:11:14.980 |
and more of his heart's wish and desire and wisdom. 01:11:22.580 |
where Apostle Paul is talking to the church and says, 01:11:27.980 |
"that I would not come to you in sorrow again, 01:11:31.060 |
"for if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad 01:11:51.060 |
"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, 01:12:04.780 |
So, as I think and meditate about this very first verse 01:12:10.980 |
what I hear here when Apostle Paul is saying, 01:12:24.380 |
but has so much love and intentionality to it 01:12:31.580 |
And that's what I'm gonna ask you later on to meditate on, 01:12:37.540 |
and directions in which love should go, okay? 01:12:51.100 |
"At the same time, also prepare me a lodging, 01:13:08.160 |
as a theme that I mentioned throughout the study, 01:13:12.480 |
I said, man, as an individual that kinda has struggled 01:13:20.960 |
but if, when I went from high school to college, 01:13:31.680 |
When I went from college to young adult life, 01:13:36.600 |
a lot of those relationships were lost, right? 01:13:45.440 |
actually your pool of friends just start to shrink, yeah? 01:13:49.240 |
Apostle Paul, I keep telling myself, the guy is human. 01:13:53.280 |
He's not a machine, and he's not like the Holy Spirit 01:13:59.000 |
But clearly, because of the burden of love on his heart, 01:14:05.400 |
and even to this very precise, I guess you can say, 01:14:16.680 |
But the other part is, his longing and desire 01:14:19.440 |
to see people face to face, in an age and generation 01:14:23.360 |
when that kind of travel is difficult, that's inspiring. 01:14:27.600 |
For us, in an age and generation where we can hop 01:14:29.680 |
in our car, drive to someone's house in 15 minutes, 01:14:36.640 |
We prefer, you just text me what you need, right? 01:14:46.120 |
Kind of ironic that we have now such an ability to connect, 01:14:51.920 |
we have great, great privileges to connect with one another, 01:14:54.720 |
and the way that we're thinking about it is online, right? 01:15:05.440 |
Reports from his fellow workers was not enough. 01:15:11.360 |
In verse 23 to 24, here we have this interesting passage 01:15:20.680 |
So, in my mind I was thinking, part of the reason 01:15:24.720 |
why I highlighted the people hugging each other 01:15:30.800 |
our hope and prayer at our church is that you, primarily, 01:15:40.680 |
and that you would be the light to the world, yes? 01:15:44.760 |
You are going to be the carrier of the gospel 01:15:46.460 |
to your coworkers and you're going to be the carrier 01:15:48.440 |
of the gospel to your family, your classmates, et cetera. 01:15:53.440 |
You as individuals, we are all individual members 01:15:59.360 |
And then by doing that, you're the inspiration 01:16:02.480 |
that shows other members it can be done, yes? 01:16:06.520 |
Our church, a lot of times, will have our leadership meeting 01:16:10.920 |
and will say, guys, how many times have we actually done 01:16:14.040 |
prayer seminars, evangelism seminars, and teaching sessions? 01:16:18.400 |
Do we need another one to motivate people to move? 01:16:34.280 |
that it can be done is the biggest part of the game, right? 01:16:41.880 |
is challenging Philemon to forgive, to reconcile, 01:16:46.880 |
and more specifically in the book, to accept, yeah? 01:16:54.880 |
his name comes up several times in the book of Colossians. 01:17:07.360 |
they're both faithful servants of the kingdom, 01:17:10.280 |
and so for Philemon, what a big weight of accountability. 01:17:27.360 |
and interesting relationship with the Apostle Paul. 01:17:31.320 |
As a matter of fact, actually, the person Mark 01:17:41.940 |
but in the Gospel of Mark, it records an individual 01:17:44.680 |
who, at the face of persecution, ran away naked. 01:18:13.840 |
When times got tough, Mark actually abandoned the two 01:18:19.100 |
The second missionary journey, Apostle Paul says, 01:18:24.880 |
And the two actually fight over Mark so much so, 01:18:35.220 |
So then what's really interesting about this story is, 01:18:39.560 |
but Paul himself experienced being separated for some time, 01:18:44.560 |
but later to have Mark come back and become useful. 01:18:47.900 |
Thankfully, later in the letter of 2 Timothy, 01:19:04.680 |
So, you think about this then, all of these guys, 01:19:13.620 |
You look at the book of Acts and these individuals, 01:19:20.440 |
These individuals all went through the various lumps 01:19:25.880 |
And through that, even, yes, betrayal, yes, abandonment, 01:19:37.680 |
is a huge indirect source of an encouragement to Philemon. 01:19:46.440 |
And so, finally, there is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 01:19:49.940 |
be with your spirit as the encouragement to do all things, 01:19:53.560 |
which is, I remember this idea that in order, obviously, 01:19:58.560 |
to abide with Christ and to dwell with him in such a way, 01:20:05.160 |
there can never be this quieting of the conscience, right? 01:20:15.000 |
and also challenge to say, for us, intimacy with Christ 01:20:24.280 |
Nothing else is supposed to be as rewarding, fulfilling, 01:20:27.780 |
and secure and hopeful as abiding in Christ, yes? 01:20:37.240 |
are struggling with reconciling with someone in the church, 01:20:46.400 |
I'm just gonna cross different sides of the road, 01:20:52.760 |
that kind of intimacy and daily walking with Christ 01:21:03.800 |
Okay, so then I wanna do review with you guys 01:21:11.080 |
Apostle Paul added several various layers of persuasion 01:21:31.360 |
and then addressing various people in the church, 01:21:51.020 |
I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become, 01:22:24.620 |
that was the first way when I did my overview study 01:22:42.600 |
to put into effect the kind of mercy that we received? 01:22:46.860 |
one of the ways that I was thinking about this book was 01:23:08.300 |
remember, a payer, a person who carries the burden 01:23:19.100 |
I mean, sorry, Apostle Paul gave for Philemon, okay? 01:23:26.500 |
in the encouragement and affirmation of Philemon, 01:23:29.100 |
he was saying, you are actually already effective. 01:23:32.140 |
You're giving me joy, your love for all the saints, 01:23:38.340 |
And then it says, the hearts of the saints have been, 01:23:42.660 |
Refreshed, excellent, okay, 10 points for you guys, right? 01:23:50.820 |
That the people were refreshed already by the faith, 01:23:54.060 |
and one of the things I highlighted and challenged to you, 01:23:59.220 |
As a point of challenge to you guys and for me, 01:24:02.460 |
it's one thing to ask, what does the Lord require of me? 01:24:05.900 |
It's another thing to ask, what is the Lord refreshed by? 01:24:11.260 |
even when we think about people in our lives, 01:24:14.340 |
people who are our bosses, your parents, your friends, 01:24:26.200 |
Versus you thinking, how can I refresh you, yes? 01:24:32.740 |
So in this first half, what you have is there's greeting, 01:24:35.320 |
there's encouragement, and then Apostle Paul explaining 01:24:39.060 |
why this appeal is coming to Philemon in this way. 01:24:43.580 |
And so, in verses eight through 10, he starts to describe, 01:25:10.140 |
Excellent, for love's sake, I rather appeal to you, okay? 01:25:14.840 |
And so in this way, if you were to do like a summary 01:25:21.400 |
this book actually is one of the more lovely, 01:25:30.000 |
This is actually like, I want you to go above and beyond 01:25:36.860 |
And Apostle Paul's love for both parties shines, 01:25:42.020 |
I almost keep thinking like, this is not a normal person, 01:25:47.080 |
The kind of love that a person has for another individual 01:25:55.220 |
one person who's a grown adult to love another person 01:26:09.780 |
it's gonna be of its own goodness and free will. 01:26:13.200 |
Next, in the second half, now it goes boom, boom, boom, 01:26:16.740 |
boom, boom, and the persuasions get listed off, 01:26:19.420 |
and he starts talking about just the weight of his character 01:26:22.180 |
that he's now the age, the prisoner of Christ, 01:26:32.620 |
It says, "I appeal to you for my blank, Onesimus, 01:26:41.100 |
Okay, wait, wait, who wants to raise their hand and do it? 01:27:22.800 |
and then for that to sound really encouraging. 01:27:31.420 |
before he was just this useless, just dead weight, 01:27:36.300 |
Remember, Apostle Paul's saying that was to say, 01:27:47.380 |
and in that way, his heart was pure in what he was doing. 01:27:51.800 |
like, it's not my problem, it's your problem, right? 01:27:55.020 |
He was saying, no, I want you to keep Onesimus. 01:27:57.260 |
Okay, so then, he started to talk about Onesimus 01:28:01.400 |
in this way, and then he talked about, in verse 14, 01:28:05.400 |
again, that this has to be of your own free will, 01:28:08.720 |
so I don't want to do anything without your consent, 01:28:10.880 |
and then he pointed Philemon's eyes and says, 01:28:15.120 |
you see there are greater results at hand, primarily, 01:28:19.640 |
because you need to understand how God is working, right? 01:28:24.000 |
One of the primary things that needs to happen in our mind 01:28:27.820 |
to overcome our flesh and to overcome our calculating, 01:28:34.780 |
is to always look out and see, how is God working? 01:28:38.080 |
That as much as this is gonna cost me, burden me, 01:28:40.700 |
and be an inconvenience to me, my God's sovereign in this. 01:28:49.980 |
So then, he says, in verse 16, no longer a slave, 01:29:03.500 |
I thought that was so beautiful, the contrast, 01:29:15.900 |
You have a connection that you did not have before, 01:29:20.960 |
It makes entirety, the entirety of difference. 01:29:33.260 |
ideological divide, divide on agenda, all this stuff, right? 01:29:38.260 |
We believe as Christians, yes, we can talk it out, 01:29:42.140 |
hash it out, and we can talk about which system is better, 01:29:45.140 |
which ideology is proven to be more effective, 01:29:50.180 |
what we're hoping for, because what we're hoping for 01:29:53.380 |
is true unity, and that can only come in Christ, 01:30:03.640 |
Apostle Paul just goes boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, 01:30:06.500 |
and he starts talking about, I want you to see him 01:30:11.260 |
Accept him as you would me, and then he starts saying, 01:30:22.980 |
but I'm saying now, you owe me your life, right? 01:30:34.340 |
I have confidence that you could do even more, 01:30:39.140 |
I'm just kidding, I don't think that he said it that way, 01:30:45.860 |
and he points to, look at all the fellow workers, 01:30:55.100 |
he has a flock in his house, and it was so necessary, 01:31:05.240 |
Object lesson of the gospel, to receive a repentant sinner, 01:31:22.360 |
one of the things I do want you to meditate on 01:31:24.840 |
is think about the effectiveness of faith in this. 01:31:31.980 |
know-how, ingenuity, and the fact that he happens 01:31:37.760 |
and it's been evident because he's a loving man. 01:31:46.720 |
think about the fruit and effectiveness of faith 01:31:53.440 |
I think, sometimes, we don't seek repentance enough 01:31:58.280 |
to have the kind of reconciliation the Bible talks about. 01:32:03.640 |
God is not okay with, "I'm sorry, it's okay." 01:32:12.440 |
God wants people to be washed with repentance. 01:32:19.440 |
I see how it offends God, I see how there's a better way. 01:32:29.060 |
It leads us to a repentant heart, and then change. 01:32:33.120 |
And then, so this person is not saying, "It's all right." 01:32:49.240 |
there should be a lot more hugging, and all that stuff. 01:32:53.040 |
The fruit of faith for the offended party for Philemon, 01:32:56.480 |
and then the fruit of faith as the peacemaker, Apostle Paul. 01:33:05.640 |
He could have ended up losing two friends, right? 01:33:08.920 |
Ended up losing both Anissamus and Philemon in some sense. 01:33:12.220 |
But he took the risk to put his name on there 01:33:14.920 |
to be an advocate and a sacrificial party in this mediation. 01:33:26.120 |
you guys have some good verses to think through. 01:33:50.120 |
Lord, we recognize that some of the most painful things 01:33:53.760 |
that happen to us, actually, is not just physical, 01:34:00.460 |
We pray, Father God, that we would see this as a microcosm, 01:34:19.240 |
help us, Lord, to be empowered by the gospel, 01:34:26.200 |
beyond just human capacity and out of this world. 01:34:43.300 |
next week, 6.30 is facilitators meeting here in the cafe. 01:34:53.000 |
and there's limited house locations to meet at, 01:35:15.760 |
and then post it up on Facebook just momentarily. 01:35:37.920 |
in order for us, right, to seek reconciliation? 01:35:50.120 |
And then number three, review what are the key verses 01:35:53.520 |
and the specific themes that stand out and convict you 01:35:56.080 |
now that we've done, finished the study of the book, okay? 01:36:00.640 |
please just share prayer requests and pray for each other.