Sunday, October 18 | Pastor Jason Browning
How do we reconcile with each other?
Philemon 1:1-12
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:3 Grace and peace to you[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,[b] who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.
At some point in your life, someone has at the very least knelt at an altar, cried in a prayer closet, lost sleep or even went to counseling to get healing or relief from something you’ve said or done to them.
We have all been Onesimus.
What do I do if I’ve wronged someone?
1) You have to
Matthew 5:23-24
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift here before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Sin is more than just personal -between us and God its social- between us and
What difference should the gospel make in our
2) Reconciliation requires
3) Reconciliation requires
Philemon 1:15-19
15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.