Printed in the United States of America

Transcription

1 Sammy Foster 1

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4 First edition Copyright 2017 Lighthouse Church Written by Paul Foster Jr. Book Design by Erin Zimmerman & Jesse Freeman Photo Credits: Becca Freeman & Hannah Giddings Resource Support: Special thanks to open.life.church Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved. Under International Copyright Law, no part of this publication may be reproduces, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopy) recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Printed in the United States of America

5 If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new! All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him. God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And he gave us this message of peace. So we have been sent to speak for Christ. (We are messengers!) It is as if God is calling to you through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. - THE APOSTLE PAUL

6 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION WEEK 1 - IT S PERSONAL DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 WEEK 2 - IT S RELATIONAL DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 WEEK 3 - IT S JESUS DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 WHO YOU ARE

7 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This book is your guide to the three-week study of Paul s letter to Philemon. Each day you are in this study, follow along with each portion provided. On Days 1 (Monday), 3 (Wednesday), & 5 (Friday), you will work through four sections for your devotional. Those sections are: READ - Study the portion of scripture from the Book of Philemon. ENGAGE - Tune in on Facebook on the Lighthouse Church page at 9:00am on the day listed for a LIVE video session with Pastor Sammy while he unpacks the text or visit for the videos after they air live. APPLY - After your video with Sammy, carve out some time to apply the truths found in Philemon to your life. PRAY - Sit quietly and devote a few minutes to write out a prayer to Jesus for continued understanding of the text and how to sink it into your heart. On Days 2 (Tuesday), 4 (Thursday), & 6 (Saturday), you will work through two sections for your devotional. Those sections are: READ - Study the scripture that supports the message from Days 1, 3 & 5. APPLY - Reflect upon everything you ve taken in over the last two days and choose to go deeper with Jesus. This Apply section contains an action item that is designed to stretch and refine you personally, relationally, and in your walk with Jesus. 7

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9 INTRODUCTION UNIQUE AMONG THE APOSTLE PAUL S WRITING is the Book of Philemon. More of a brief, private letter than a doctrinal statement, Philemon comes in at just under 450 words (335 in the original Greek). Usually, the book is cited for its themes of forgiveness and redemption, and rightfully so. But given its small size, this book is also a powerhouse in demonstrating just how important our relationships can be, especially relationships that are rooted in the truth of the Gospel. The background of the book is pretty straightforward. Paul wrote this message sometime around 60 AD while he was awaiting trial in a Roman prison. He sent this letter to Philemon who was a fairly wealthy man living in the city of Colosse (the ruins of which are found in modern Turkey). Philemon was also head of a large household and apparently owned many slaves (which the Bible records without condoning). One of his slaves, named Onesimus, ran away from Philemon on bad terms, possibly stealing some of his property in the process. Onesimus was heading for Rome, probably to trying to lose himself in that huge city and make a new start. What Onesimus didn t know is that, through God s great providence and grace, he was heading straight for the Apostle Paul. 9

10 Although we don t know the details, shortly after running into and befriending Paul in Rome, Onesimus meets Jesus and begins a new life in Christ. Under Paul s guidance, Onesimus experiences tremendous growth in Jesus. After some time, Paul encourages Onesimus to return home to Philemon and make amends. This is a tough one for Paul because Onesimus has become a friend, a brother, and a truly indispensable assistant to him. But it s also risky for Onesimus, because, as a runaway slave, he s potentially facing his own imprisonment or maybe even death. He s trusting that Philemon will demonstrate God s grace and forgiveness and recognize him as a brother 10

11 and no longer a criminal. This bold willingness to do what s right is an incredible example of how Jesus truly transforms lives. As we study through this book together, try and put yourself in the place of Onesimus. This man left as a runaway slave but is returning home at Paul s request as a brother in Christ. He is carrying the very message we re reading and presenting it personally to Philemon who almost certainly hasn t heard a word out of Onesimus until he shows up on his doorstep. Also, put yourself in the shoes of Philemon. He s been wronged personally as well as according to the rules of the Roman system and likely wrestling with doing what s right according to law and with what Paul is encouraging him to do. The dynamic of grace and humility is so evident in Paul s message that you just can t miss it. Paul s approach to Philemon is never heavy handed. Instead, it is very encouraging and highly relational. Personally, I ve found that the relationship shown in the book of Philemon is an incredibly powerful demonstration of what Christian relationships should look like. It s my prayer that this study guide will help us also grow strong, Godly relationships as we keep Jesus the focus of our friendships, our marriages and especially the Church and to trust in God s guidance for our lives no matter what challenges lie ahead. 11

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13 WEEK 1 IT S PERSONAL 13

14 IF YOU VE EVER FLOWN on a domestic or international flight, you know that before you can take off, you re going to have to endure a certain little speech. The speech is, of course, the pre-flight safety instructions. A big part of these instructions deals with the protection measures you re expected to adhere to during the flight. In the midst of learning all kinds of fun stuff like how they ll arrest you for smoking in the lavatory or how to (calmly) exit a jet in the middle of the ocean, they will inform you that in the unlikely event that there s a decrease in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. And this is the point where you ll be encouraged to first strap that mask on your own face before trying to help anyone else manage theirs. Now the reason for this is obvious; it s difficult to be useful to a fellow passenger if you re passing out from lack of oxygen. In other words, unless you re healthy, you can t assist anyone else in reaching their desired level of health. This concept doesn t just apply to airplane safety, this applies to our personal life as well. This stands true in so many aspects of our personal life, especially spiritually. Unless we personally seek truth diligently and strive to live wisely, it s going to be very hard for us help anyone else see the work of Jesus clearly. How can we help the next person if we re passing out spiritually? And this is why our walk with Jesus is so critical. We must know who we are in Him before we can fully impact others. See, man was designed by God to - first and foremost - be in a relationship with Himself. This basically means He s the oxygen. This is why we prioritize our relationship with Him. Let s take this a step further. The sole reason Paul is of any use to the church is because he knew Jesus. In fact, the introduction to Philemon gives 14

15 us a wealth of information about Paul s spiritual health. In just seven short verses, Paul gets personal and reveals to Philemon his purpose, his attitude, and his dedication. First, Paul reveals his identity as a bondservant of Jesus ( just like Peter, Timothy and James did). This basically means he is a slave to Jesus which is a position that Paul regards with high honor. As the old adage goes, when you know who you are (in Him), then you ll know what to do. And because Paul has such a close relationship with Jesus, he understands exactly who he is. This allows Paul to know how best to serve Philemon and the church at large, with wisdom and knowledge and with a message of grace and forgiveness. Next, Paul discloses his attitude which is that of a grateful heart. Despite the fact that he is imprisoned, practically alone, likely broke, and facing an almost certain death sentence, he s still thankful! In some of his other New Testament letters, he indicates why he s so thankful. He s grateful to be saved, grateful to be forgiven, grateful for God s grace, grateful for the church It just goes on and on. But specifically, Paul writes that he s personally grateful for Philemon s ministry and for what God has accomplished in his life. This grateful heart is what gave him the strength to live a joyful, impactful life even from a Roman prison. Finally, Paul reveals his dedication to Philemon. He states that he remembers Philemon often, is encouraged by him, and even joyful over him. He s not pursuing his selfish agenda. He s dedicated to the flourishing of others which exponentially increases his effectiveness for the Kingdom. This level 15

16 of dedication requires a lot of commitment and a high degree of maturity, but we ll explore these concepts a little later on. It s amazing that we have a God who can not only give us our identity but also give us our calling. However, to truly understand any of this, we have to make sure we re not just talking about oxygen but are actually breathing it. Bear in mind that His love for us is not some vague, general sort of thing. It s specific. It s personal. If we open our eyes, what God s done for us is very easy to see. It was for us that God spoke to holy men of old and by His Spirit produced the Scriptures. It was for us that Jesus came and died a sinner s death as the innocent spotless King of Heaven. And it was for us personally that He rose on the third day as promised, triumphant over sin, death, and our enemy. What an incredible message! Because we too can claim the high honor of being bondservants to the King, we have the right to claim all the riches that He has generously provided for us. Priceless among them is the knowledge of who He is which gives us our identity. Knowing who we are in Him and who we were without Him should fill our hearts with gratitude. Through His power, we can be mature, dedicated people: to Jesus, to His Kingdom and to the Mission He gave us. But just like our physical bodies are kept alive by inhaling oxygen, our spiritual health is fueled by our moment-by-moment, life-giving walk with Him. If for some reason you ve been holding your breath spiritually, let me encourage you that this is a perfect time to start breathing again. This breath will change your life and the life of the passenger sitting next to you. 16

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18 DAY 1 - READ YOUR IDENTITY DETERMINES YOUR PURPOSE Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home... PHILEMON 1:1-2 18

19 DAY 1 - ENGAGE TUNE IN ON THE LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH FACEBOOK 9:00 AM MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 TH OR VISIT THEMESSENGERBOOK.ORG FOR SUPPLEMENTARY CONTENT. For we are God s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10 WHAT WE DO IS A WHAT WE DO DOESN T OF WHO WE ARE. WHO WE ARE. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. - Proverbs 29:25 HOW DO WE OVERCOME THE DISEASE TO PLEASE? 1. FOCUS ON PLEASING INSTEAD OF PLEASING. Obviously, I m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ s servant. - Galatians 1:10 NLT 2. LIVE THE APPROVAL OF INSTEAD OF THE APPROVAL OF. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. - 1 Thessalonians 2:4 19

20 DAY 1 - APPLY APPLY THE TRUTHS FROM THIS SECTION. HOW DOES IT SPEAK TO YOUR LIFE? BE SPECIFIC. WRITE IT DOWN. 20

21 DAY 1 - PRAY PRAY THAT JESUS WOULD HELP THESE TRUTHS SINK INTO YOUR HEART AND ASK HOW YOU CAN CHANGE TO BECOME MORE LIKE HIM. WRITE YOUR PRAYER DOWN. 21

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23 LIGHTHOUSE.CHURCH SIMPLE CHURCH. SIMPLY JESUS.

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26 THE MESSENGER Unique among the Apostle Paul s writing is the Book of Philemon. More of a brief, private letter than a doctrinal statement, Philemon comes in at just under 450 words (335 in the original Greek). Usually, the book is cited for its themes of forgiveness and redemption, and rightfully so. But given its small size, this book is also a powerhouse in demonstrating just how important our relationships can be, especially relationships that are rooted in the truth of the Gospel. The dynamic of grace and humility is so evident in Paul s message that you just can t miss it. Paul s approach in his letter to Philemon is never heavy handed. Instead, it is very encouraging and highly relational. Personally, I ve found that the relationship shown in the book of Philemon is an incredibly powerful demonstration of what Christian relationships should look like. It s my prayer that this study guide will help us also grow strong, Godly relationships as we keep Jesus the focus of our friendships, our marriages and especially the Church and to trust in God s guidance for our lives no matter what challenges lie ahead. Paul Sammy Foster Jr. is Lead Pastor of Lighthouse Church in Glen Burnie, Maryland. He s authored Foolproof: 31 Days Through Proverbs To Keep You From Actin A Fool and Elements: Four Priorities Of The Modern Day Disciple. He is a graduate of Chesapeake Bible College and holds a Bachelor s Degree in Biblical Studies. Sammy and his wife Ruth have been married for 16 years and have three children, Asher, Lucia, and Silas. 96