I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers,
3 sermons cite this verse
open as we make our way through this book and look at various verses in it. As I mentioned, people of God, we are returning to our one-chapter books of the Bible series, these books of the Bible that are easily overlooked, hard to find in our Bibles, sometimes obscure, books that we are not too familiar with, small books, and yet books that are inspired by God and therefore have a God ordained important message for us. We began a couple of weeks ago with Obadiah, just 21 verses. Philemon, a little longer, at 25 verses. And yet one author describes Philemon this way, it is a mini epistle, right? Compare it to Galatians or Ephesians or Philippians or, Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy. It is a mini book. Obadiah was a prophecy. Philemon is a personal letter. Obadiah, a high-level book. It's about the nations, about Edom, Israel, their relationship, and the sovereignty, justice, and promise of God in regards to them. Philemon is not about nations. It's about two individual Christians and how God's grace is to be operative in the relationships between believers. The title of the sermon today is Reconciling Grace because Philemon is about how the gospel and the grace of God helps us in sticky, strained relationships that we sometimes find ourselves in with other believers. It happens, doesn't it? Even in the church, we're not always getting along. And what do we do when those relationships, our relationships with other Christians are pulled and tugged apart? Well, the book of Philemon helps us give an answer …
… Paul speaking, of course. I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith, which you have towards the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith might become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. And sometimes my wife will be talking on the phone. She'll be having a phone conversation. And I obviously, I can't hear the entire conversation, but I've been with my wife for 15 years. So I can kind of, I can understand her vocal tone pretty well, especially when it's like, oh, this is a juicy phone call. Like there's some details that are being shared that I want to hear about when this call is over. But again, the issue is at the moment, I'm only hearing half of the conversation. …
Fourthly. Another virtue in which we ought to follow the apostle, was his contempt of the world, and his heavenly-mindedness. He contemned all the vain enjoyments of the world. He despised its riches Acts xx. 33. “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.” He despised the pleasures of the world. “I keep under my body. ” The apostle’s pleasures were in the sufferings of his body, instead of the gratification of its carnal appetites 2 Cor. xii. 10. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.” He despised the honours of the world 1 Thess. ii. 6. “Nor of men sought we glory; neither of you, nor yet of others.” He declares that the world was crucified unto him, and he unto the world. These were not the things that the apostle sought, but the things that were above, that were out of sight to other men 2 Cor. iv. 18. “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” He longed greatly after heaven 2 Cor. v. 4. “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up in life.” And he tells us, that he knew no man after the flesh; that is, he did not look upon the men or things of this world, or regard them as related to the world, or as they respected the present life; but he considered all men and all things as they had relation to a spiritual nature, and to another world. In this the apostle acted as becomes a Christian; for Christians, those that are indeed so, are people that belong not to this world, and therefore, it is very unbecoming in them to have their minds taken up about these things. The example of Paul may make all such persons ashamed, who have their minds chiefly occupied about the things of the world, about gaining estates, or acquiring honours; and yet would be accounted fellow-disciples with the apostle, partakers of the same labours, and fellow-heirs of the same heavenly inheritance. And it should prompt us to strive for more indifference to the world, and for more heavenly-mindedness. …