Embracing Forgiveness: A Reflection of Christ's Love

We are so happy to have visitors this morning! We have been encouraged to pray at 10:02, as Luke 10:2 commands us to pray for laborers to come and labor in the harvest. We use this time to pray for missionaries, those serving in different places, and bringing the gospel to the nations. We also use this time as our pastoral prayer.

Father in Heaven, we come before you thanking you for your incredible grace and mercy. We thank you for the gift of the gospel and salvation. We ask that you grant us opportunities to share the gospel with others and compel us to have the same eyes that Jesus had for the lost. We lift up our brothers at Brutes Church, thanking you for their service in the city of Stanwood.

We thank you for the work of the Antioch Initiative and our brother Mike Gone and his staff. We thank you for the visit of our brother Justin Reimer and the work they are doing with Guidelight, supporting people in Ukraine and those affected by disabilities. We pray a blessing for them and their family.

We also lift up the nation of Laos, praying for the gospel to be spread, churches to be established, and believers to grow in that nation. We pray for the government to treat people with justice and that they will come to know you as their personal savior.

As we go to this time of worship, we ask for your blessing. We will worship you through prayer, the exposition of your word, and through song. Amen.

All haven't seen it yet; it's on the website, and then of course you can talk to Sarah about that as well. So that's all I have for announcements this morning. Let's turn to Philippians 4:10-20, and I'll read it out loud.

Good morning, Crossway! It's good to see you all this morning. I encourage you to turn to Philippians 4:10-20. It's going to be our scripture reading this morning. Cam and Kristen Coughlin will be taking a handful of international students to the Mariners game next Saturday, June 17th, at 1:10 PM. We encourage you to join and be a light for the gospel.

Children's ministry is in need of some people to serve. We need two nursery adult leads, two preschool adult leads, and three helpers that are age 13 and up to assist those leads. Women's line dancing is coming up in a couple of weeks, June 23rd, from 6-9 PM. Sarah Deaner will be leading, and more info and registration is in the newsletter.

Let's turn to Philippians 4:10-20, and I'll read it out loud:

"I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Please be seated.

Good morning, everyone! Please grab your Bibles and go to the book of Philemon. After church today, there is a Disabilities Ministry meeting in the Parsonage. There are a couple of opportunities to serve Johnny and Friends coming up this summer. The annual Johnny and Friends and Young Life Capernaum Family Camp is coming up June 24th to 27th. This is a great opportunity to serve families with special needs. If you have any interests about that, please reach out to Nathan Novion for more information. There is also another Johnny and Friends Family Retreat coming up August 20th through the 25th. More info is available on that in the newsletter.

We also have prayer cards and information cards in the seats in front of you if you are new. We encourage you to fill that out, and we'd love to get your email. Lastly, if you have kids in Nursery, Preschool, or Kindergarten and up, please grab them right after communion so that they can join us for our last set of worship. We would love them to be here for that.

Please stand with me, and we will read out of Philippians 4:10-20.

"I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I've learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. You Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the things you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen."

You may be seated.

Philemon is a book in the Bible that has been neglected and rarely preached. It is a document about forgiveness and restoration of relationships in a Biblical way. It is a very small book, and one of the reasons why it is not preached often is because of the slavery component of it. Philemon is a letter to a slave owner about his runaway slave. However, the purpose of the book is not to talk about slavery or racial tension, but to talk about forgiveness, reconciliation, and diligent action. The letter of Philemon was meant to be read after the book of Colossians, as it is an application of the new life that the Lord Jesus Christ has given us through his sacrifice. Paul aims to make the theological implications something that people can live out in their daily lives.

Philemon was probably a very wealthy slave owner who was converted by Paul's ministry during his third missionary journey, and he established a church in his house or a professor's house. One of his slaves, Onesimus, was a runaway slave. At the time, the punishment for a runaway slave was death. Onesimus ran away from Philemon for unknown reasons, but he went to Rome, a massive city, in order to hide. In God's providence, Onesimus ended up meeting the Apostle Paul and being converted by the preaching of the Apostle Paul. Paul had a very good relationship with Philemon, so he wrote a letter to him, along with the letter to the Colossians, to be delivered by both Titus and Onesimus.

The letter to Philemon is incredibly personal. It almost feels like we are opening Philemon's phone and checking his texts. There's a beauty about it in how we bring the theological content to daily life application. Paul is laying out high Christology and eschatology in Colossians and making it applicable. This is what the book of Philemon is about. Some people question why it is limited to the canon, but once we read it, we will see there's not a lot of theology in it, but a lot of application. It is a very personal letter, different from Titus or Timothy, which are very robust letters with a lot of instructions that have some personal content.

We don't know the exact nature of the issue between Onesimus and Philemon, but what we know is that some conflict happened and Onesimus is running away from Philemon. This is interesting, and you might think, and this is why it's so important to read the Bible in context. I'm sure that many of us will be like, "Well, why is Paul not describing more the problem? Why is Paul not saying, 'Hey Philemon, I know that Onesimus took your iPad and your TV and that money that you have under the couch?'" Well, Paul is writing a letter to someone that already knows what's going on. He doesn't need to describe and satisfy our curiosity. And that's something that is very significant for us to understand. The original author and the Holy Spirit, as the main author, have a certain intent when they are writing these letters, and it's our job as contemporary readers to dig deep to try to find the meaning of it. What is the original author trying to communicate? And that's the best way in which we don't find ourselves taking books like this absolutely out of context. And that's why it's very important to do so.

As we study this epistle, I want to encourage you to think on two main things as we're going to go into very deep application. Who are the people that you need to ask to forgive you? Just consider that. Who are the people that you need to approach and say, "Will you forgive me for X and Y?" I'm probably like Paul; you don't have to describe a lot. They already know what you did, so you can just say, "Would you forgive me?" The other one that sometimes is even more challenging is who are those people that you need to forgive? Who are the people that you need to forgive today? And that's what I was saying, application 101. You can do this this afternoon. We can consider this this afternoon.

So it's very important for us to understand because in the church we talk about forgiveness. That's a common topic in the church, but the question is how is it that we actively forgive each other? How do we come to a place of active forgiveness? How do we approach our lives with an intent of forgiveness every single day? How are we compelled not just to forgive theologically, but to cultivate a personal discipline of forgiveness? Who said we do that? As we study this book, we're going to find four dimensions of forgiveness. Because of the language of Philemon, I titled it "Refreshing Hearts Through Forgiveness." Today we'll focus on the first one. You'll say you're crazy; you're going to break Philemon into three. Yes, why? Because I love Philemon. No more theological reasons than that. I get the chance to choose, and I chose to spend three weeks on Philemon. It's probably my favorite book by Paul.

Paul is writing a letter to Philemon, his wife Afia, and their son Archipus. He is also asking that the letter be read to the church. Paul is thanking God for Philemon's love and faith towards the Lord Jesus and all the saints. He is also expressing joy and comfort from Philemon's love. Paul is saying that the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through Philemon. Paul's salutation is not just an expression, but he is connecting the effects of the Gospel with the nature of the Gospel. He is saying grace to them and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is because of the grace given freely by the Father in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, which has allowed us to have peace with God.

Paul is giving us a beautiful example of how to exercise forgiveness in the new life that Jesus has offered us. He is actively praying for the people of Colossi and encouraging them to do the same. One of the best ways to break away from our self-centered society is to pray for others. It is very easy to say, "I'll be praying for you," and then not actually do it. We should be compelled to pray for others and let them know that we are doing so. This is a great gift to give to our friends and family, and to our brothers and sisters in the church.

I learned this from a friend of mine, Ben. He is loud and obnoxious, but his passion for prayer is inspiring. He stops anywhere and prays for people, and I have seen him stop traffic and pray for police officers in their cars. We should all strive to be like Ben and actively pray for others. "Sorry, I was praying for the officer. Can I pray for you?" Like, we're in the street thing. Ben, stop it, but that's a beautiful way to believe and trust and understand. This is the most important thing that I can do.

The Apostle Paul is saying that in verse 4, he remembers Philemon and is thinking of him in his prayers. Verse 5 is suggesting that Philemon's faith in Jesus and love for the saints are intimately intertwined. Philemon loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and this informs the way he loves the saints, how he loves the disciples, and how he loves those who are part of the church. So, it is likely that Paul is commending Philemon's deep faith in Christ to result in the love for the brothers and sisters in the church. True faith in Christ must find its expression in the love for the church. There's no possible way to love Jesus and not love the church. People say, "Oh, I like Jesus, but I don't like the church." Like, probably you don't really like Jesus. It's like coming to one of you and saying, "You know, I really love you. You're the best. I cannot stand your wife." That conversation is not going to go well if that person loves his wife. So, the way Jesus loves the church, you cannot just come and say, "Hey, Jesus, I love you. Your church sucks." True love for Christ informs the love for the church.

Verse 6 observes what he's saying here. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective. The Greek text here says the fellowship of your faith, which is a better translation. The fellowship of your faith, the brotherhood of your faith. Paul seems to be inviting Philemon to become a partner with him. In other prison letters, when the Apostle Paul uses the term Koinonia Fellowship, he's implying a partnership in the gospel. There's no possible partnership with the Apostle Paul that is apart from the gospel. So, true partnership, true Koinonia, true fellowship of the faith has to do with the gospel.

And now Paul is about to show Philemon how this private personal devotion has implications for the outside world. 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. It is in the fellowship of the faith that we get to know and understand Christ better. Then, we'll see starting in verse 8 next week how Paul will start listening to Philemon. What are the ways in which he gets the opportunity to share his faith in action? Indeed, how is it that you can actually live out your faith? Our small personal actions have an implication for the cause of Christ, and that's basically what verse 6 is saying. It's in the devotion of our faith that we, as ambassadors of Christ, as representatives of Christ in the world, make an impact on those around us. In other words, there is no possible way to exercise true faith in Christ and have no effect on those around you. And this letter gets to the core of that, and it's forgiveness.

A very good way of the Gospel, and that's what Paul is saying here to Philemon; that's what he's saying to us today: Assurance of salvation has to do with forgiveness. How is it that we forgive? How is it that we're prompt to forgive or not will show where we are at in our relationship with the Lord? A crucial component of the Gospel is forgiveness. If we remove forgiveness from the Gospel, there is no Gospel, so that's why it's so significant. Paul's message to Philemon can be paraphrased as follows: Philemon, what I'm about to ask you is to demonstrate in an active way the fellowship of your faith. That faith that you say that you have, now the time has come to put it to practice, show it, make it evident, make it tangible. Your faith will become evident, and you will understand Christ even better when you understand forgiveness is the benefit of the Gospel, and we do this for the sake of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, we don't forgive just based on what we think or feel; we forgive for the sake of Christ. When we forgive someone, as personal as it can get, it is for the sake of Jesus Christ that we do so. There's practical implications here. This letter of Philemon is not just personal correspondence, but it's a beautiful application for the Christian journey today. It is not impossible to think about this, but in our minds, we find a lot of obstacles. Let's break this down into three basic elements of what Paul is saying here in verse 6. First, Philemon has a faith. There's a faith that Philemon enjoys and must be sharing. Part of that faith is that Philemon will have the knowledge of all good things. It is because of the faith that Philemon has that he will have a knowledge of all the good things which must be or must manifest the faith that he has. Finally, our faith will produce fruit that ultimately serves for the purpose of glorifying Christ.

That's how our faith works. Our faith is not just our personal kind of mantra that allows us to go through certain situations, but it's for glorifying Christ through making it evident in the nature of the Gospel, and forgiveness is part of that nature of the Gospel. It's faith in action for the sake of the Gospel; it's faith in action for the sake of Christ. That's what the Christian faith is about. The Christian faith forces you to get outside of yourself. Your actions are to serve others and to glorify God. I mean that perfect economy; that's the most beautiful blessing that you can ever receive, is not thinking of yourself when your actions are directed to someone else and the glory is lifted up to Christ. That's the best thing you can do for yourself. That's the nature of the Gospel. A lot of churches are suffering because this is lost. Everything should be for me, and the glory should be for me. Why? Because I'm super cool, some very nice person, and God knows that; that's why he sent Jesus to die for me. That's not the nature of the Gospel, but even though when I'm saying it, it sounds like a little bit of a joke, the problem is that most people are not understanding the nature of the Gospel. There's a theology of the Gospel, and that's what Paul is saying here to Philemon; that's what he's saying to us today.

Paul is calling Philemon to forgive Onesimus regardless of what he has done. This is similar to the Gospel, where forgiveness is given to us as a gift that we do not deserve. Paul is preparing all the armor against Philemon's heart, and he is saying that Philemon has a very good reputation. He has found joy and comfort in the love of Philemon, as the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through him. Paul is saying that Philemon should leave Onesimus free, as he has the right to kill him.

Colossians 3:13 says to bear with one another and graciously forgive each other, just as the Lord graciously forgave us. This crushes any possible argument that forgiveness is only given if we do something first. Paul is saying that we should restore relationships because of the cost of Christ and the Gospel.

Interestingly enough, the word heart in Greek is "cardia." That's not the word that Paul is using here in the book of Philemon. It's not "cardia," but it's a word that actually means "gut" or "stomach" in the ancient world. Power, like powerful emotions, strong emotions, was something that happened in the stomach. They believed that the origin of deep emotion was in the stomach, and we understand that, right? You get butterflies where? In the heart? No, in the stomach. Emotions are felt down here, not just for food, but strong emotions are in the stomach. That was the understanding here. Of course, our translators need to make a little bit of work because if it said, "Philemon, the stomachs of the saints have been refreshed through you," we'll be like, "Oh, if I even had like an important recipe here."

Once you eat a lot. So, for us to get it, they went through heart, but the main point Paul is communicating here is that place where the center of big emotions happened. You have refreshed that; you have covered that and protected that. How is it he does that? He comforts with love. Philemon is well known to comfort through love. The center of the big emotions of the believers in Colossians now will see the request next week. We'll see what Paul is telling Philemon to do. It has to do with forgiving, forgiveness, forgiving Onesimus, and we'll see the use of this word "heart." The core of the emotion of the big, important, significant emotions, and Paul will be talking about that with a lot of detail.

But what is important for us to consider today, this morning, is that this life that we have received from the Lord Jesus Christ is not our own, and forgiveness is tough. And it's tough because of the complexities and hardship that people endure for forgiveness. And I really don't want to underestimate mental health or trauma or scars from the past. I really don't want to do that. But the problem, if it's a problem, is that the gospel is bigger than that. The message of the gospel and the Cross of Christ, because that he paid on the Cross of Christ, and please hear this with all the love that I can say, is bigger than anything in your past or your present. It is, and I want to encourage you that if you don't believe that today, you might believe that theologically, but you don't get it in your heart. I want to encourage you to look upon the cross and observe Christ, because when we get a full understanding of the expression of the love and grace that Christ displayed on that cross, we understand that nothing in our past, present, or future is bigger than that, and we can trust then our pain, our suffering, or trauma to Christ that deals with all this that is crushing the head of the serpent that is reversing the curse of sin for us to forgive.

Forgiveness is an expression of the new creation. Forgiveness is an expression of the Gospel. It is the most pure expression of the Gospel. The message of the cross is that a righteous, holy, good, and tender God is forgiving people while they are still sinners. Romans 5 tells us that God shows His love by dying for us while we were still actively sinning. Repentance is fundamental, but our calling is not to convert people; it is to display the gospel.

Brothers and sisters, if you are like me, your head may be far away from what I'm saying. You may be thinking of the people who have wronged you, and you may be thinking that if you forgive them, they will keep hurting you. I'm not telling you to put yourself in a place to be injured and hurt again, but what I'm telling you is that forgiveness from the Cross of Christ will grant protection because the Lord Jesus protects those who He loves. We are in His hand, and no one can damage, hurt, or injure us if we are resting in Christ.

Christians should never forgive waiting for someone to ask for forgiveness or when the other person earns it. We are losing the opportunity to show the gospel when we forgive someone who does not deserve it. I'm not saying to put yourself in dangerous situations, but to put it at the feet of the Cross, and the Lord will take control. Diligent love is that love that takes a step ahead and goes beyond. I have not mastered this, and it is painful to think how difficult it is to let go when I want to.

We have the opportunity to share the gospel, but my lack of forgiveness makes it difficult for me to do so. In Christ, you can do it. In the strength of Christ, the grace and mercy of Christ, you will be able to be known like Philemon and have a reputation of being the one who refreshes the heart of others through forgiveness. We can start today, even as we close up right now. Trust in Christ and don't try to do it on your own. It's not going to work, but if you trust the Lord, it will work.

Father, we recognize how small we are and that we cannot do this on our own. But what a beautiful message of forgiveness, what a beautiful display of the Gospel. Father, we need You to live up the faith the life that Jesus gave us. Father, help us to understand that this life is not our own, but we are called by You to display the Gospel. Father, that Crossway Fellowship will be known as a church that is refreshing the hearts of others through the forgiveness that only comes from You. We don't want to be known; we don't want to be big; we just want to be faithful. Help us to be that church; help us to be those believers. We love You, and we thank You for Your forgiveness in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in His holy name, we pray, Amen.

We find ourselves with the institution of the Lord's Supper, and there's something interesting that is happening here because we observe that the Lord Jesus Christ drinks of the cup or looks records that he drinks from the cup two times. It's probably he was drinking more than twice, but Luke decides to record these two moments in which he is drinking.

And in the first one, he mentions, he says, "And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, 'Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God has come' (verse 19)." And he took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it.

No day of my life has passed that has not proved me guilty in Your sight. The best I have to offer are all these filthy rags, yet You love me. All things in me called for my rejection; all things in You plead my acceptance. I am guilty but pardoned by grace; I have been set free. I am ransomed through the blood You shed for me. Oh, I was dead in my transgressions, but life You brought to me. I am reconciled through mercy to the cross, to the cross of redemption; that was where mercy found me.

Jesus took the bread and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In verses 19 and 20, we get the institution of the Lord's Supper with the bread and the cup. In verse 18, Jesus says, "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Paul says that when we participate in the elements, we announce the death of the Lord. We also announce that the Lord Jesus is coming and his kingdom is coming.

As we partake of the elements, we can remember the sacrifice of Jesus and his victory. We can remember that Jesus is our Victor and our coming King. When we participate in the Lord's Supper, we remember that Jesus' body was crushed for us. We also remember that there was no ransom of sin without blood, and Jesus did it with his own. As we drink, we remember the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we thank him for his blood that washes us clean for acceptance. We can remember that Jesus has already won; he is King, and he is coming for his church.

Let us remember Jesus' victory and his coming as we participate in the Lord's Supper. No matter what comes our way, we know that Jesus has already won. We will overcome, and we will be with Jesus again. Thank you, God, for who you are and what you have done. You still love us, accept us, and forgive us even though you know all of our ways. I love that song, and through it, I have found that no trial has come beyond your hands to you. I do not fear the final night or death, for I know that all my ways are known to you. Open up my eyes so I may see that you, my God, will walk with me wherever I may be, forever. Thank you for that.

This week, I pray that you would give us and grant us opportunities to preach your word, share the gospel, and even with those closest around us. I pray that we all come back safe next week. In your mighty name, we pray, Amen. Have a good week, Crossway; go in grace.