Main Scripture: Philemon 4-7
Main Idea: The fellowship of our faith effectively leads to a deeper understanding and practice of every good thing.
“when people believe in Christ, they become identified with one another in an intimate association and incur both the benefits and responsibilities of the communion. Philemon is fundamentally all about these responsibilities, as Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon, bound together in faith, are forced by circumstances to think through the radical implications of their koinonia [fellowship].” – Douglas Moo
1. Fellowship is effective in a posture of Thanksgiving
“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers”
“it's part of wisdom, isn't it, to deal out praise whenever and wherever it is possible, for praise itself becomes a nourishing food for virtue. Did you understand that? Praise itself, legitimate praise, becomes a nourishing food for virtue and a strong antidote against sin. If someone comes to you and says, "I want to tell you, I look at your life and I just thank God that you're a godly, virtuous, holy Christian." Believe me, that's food that nurtures virtue. And at the same time, that's an antidote against sin, isn't it? Because if you know people see you that way and believe you're that way, that accelerates your desire for virtue and your desire to stay away from vice.” – John McArthur
• Paul wrote with certainty to Philemon because he was aware of God’s prior and ongoing work in his life. It was evident that Philemon loved the Lord and loved His people
• Paul’s awareness of the prior work of God in Philemon’s life gave him confidence that God would make the matter clear to Philemon and it took the pressure off Paul having to convince Philemon himself and be the Holy Spirit in Philemon’s life.
• Philemon 21 “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.”
• Paul’s view of Philemon and how he wrote to Philemon were effected by his gratitude to God for Philemon.
• We can make our fellowship effective and approach others in a posture of thanksgiving and it will affect not only how we think of them and how we view them but also how we pray for them and we can see that Paul’s thanksgiving fueled his prayers.
2. Fellowship is effective in the petition of Prayer
“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers… and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective…”
• If Paul’s correspondence is a reflection of his life, he must have indeed spent a good deal of time in prayer for other believers. This alone is a testimony to Paul’s view of prayer.
• He was aware of all of the work needed to be done in all of the churches that he cared for and he was often in physically and emotionally stressful situations.
• Yet, with all of this, he did not give in to the temptations to self-sufficiency that busyness and stress can often provide.
• He prayed because he was aware of his intense need for God.
• He prayed because he knew that it was God who had been at work and it was God who was the only one who could complete the work in His people.
• Paul often wrote of remembering others for prayer.
Ephesians 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers
Philippians 1:3-4 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy
2 Timothy 1:3, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love
• Remembering in the way that Paul speaks of means to thoughtfully consider a person and bring them and their needs before God, asking Him to act on their behalf.
• Paul’s prayer flowed from his concern for the saints and his practice of prayer is personal and pervasive.
• Paul’s prayer was a model for Philemon and it is a model for us as well.
• If we made a sincere effort to be aware of where God was at work in a fellow believer’s life and then we honestly prayed for their good, it would change the way we related in the church and it would cause our fellowship to flourish.
3. Fellowship is effective in a practice of Love
“because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints… For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother…”
• Philemon’s faith was coupled with works of love that demonstrated his faith in God and love for God
• Paul was continuing to hear positive reports about Philemon’s relationship to Christ and his commitment to other believers.
• Philemon was putting his fellowship into practice and loving his fellow believers
• Philemon was already loving the saints and Paul’s request to him about Onesimus, that he spells out later on in the letter, is based on Christian love.
4. Fellowship is effective in a pursuit of Encouragement
“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you”
• Philemon’s pursuit of fellowship in his local body encouraged Paul and it refreshed the saints.
• Paul made it a point to specifically encourage Philemon and we are all called to encourage one another in our fellowship.
Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14 “encourage one another and build one another up” “…encourage the fainthearted, help the weak and be patient with them all”
• Each and every one of us should see it as our calling to encourage one another and to specifically look out for the fainthearted and the weak and encourage them.
5. Fellowship effectively produces Growth
“the sharing [fellowship] of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ”
• Effective fellowship helps us understand God’s work and grow in practicing God’s work
• Paul prays that his fellowship would lead Philemon to a “full knowledge” – this is a kind of knowledge that isn’t just a deeper knowing – it is a practical, experiential knowledge
• Such a “full knowledge” leads to understanding and putting into practice every good thing.
• As we experience fellowship and understand it, we are meant to put what we know into practice and as we do, we will experience and understand all of the good things that God has done in us and put in us for the sake of Christ.
“I want to do what God wants me to do because I want to experience the power of the goodness that is in me through Him. It's not my own goodness, but it's the goodness that He's put in me. Don't you get a joy out of that? Sometimes when we have the opportunity to give, for example, and to give generously and to give sacrificially, we feel this thrill, this exhilaration, this joy, this exuberance because we have experienced the deep rich goodness that God has put in us that causes us to be able to give sacrificially.” – John McArthur
• The active fellowship of our faith effectively leads to a deeper understanding and practice of every good thing.
• In our local body, every member here can be an encouragement in some way and everyone here can seek to be a blessing and refresh the hearts of the saints too.
• You don’t have to be an elder or deacon or have an official role to play a significant part either.
• God has called and equipped every member here to play a significant part in the church and everyone here has an important role in making our fellowship together effective.
Potential Application Questions:
1. What are some of the benefits we have personally experienced from Biblical fellowship?
2. Where has God been at work in your fellow caregroup members?
3. How can we actively pursue growth in Thanksgiving to God for our family. How would God have us change here?
4. How can we actively pursue growth in Thanksgiving to God for our fellow caregroup members and others in the church as well? (What would this pursuit look like? What habits or thought patterns need to change?)
5. What prayers of yours has God answered in the past?
6. If we look at our lack of prayer honestly, what is the reason for our lack of prayer? What does this say about our hearts? What does Scripture say about why we don’t pray much? What do we need to change in our hearts? How is God calling us to respond to conviction here? (warning: be careful not to either make excuses or fall into legalism or condemnation)
7. How is God calling us to practically show love for our family members more?
8. How is God calling us to practically show love for our fellow caregroup and church members more?
9. How have you been encouraged by others in your family, caregroup or church? What was the effect on you? How did it build your faith?
10. How can we specifically encourage our family, caregroup and church members on a regular basis
