Church notes - 19th January 2020

[fardell24]

Ephesians 2:13 - 18

Communion
1 Corinthians 11:23 - 34

Message
Philemon
Broken Relationships
Any time a relationship breaks - there is pain and grief.
Trust broken.
Onesimus - Slave of Philemon
The Word never condones slavery, even not here.
God had been at work in both of their lives.
Philemon was respected by Paul.
Fellowship - next week.

Love - not a vague kind of love; but practical, Christ-like.
A True love that is never coerced or manipulative.
Paul doesn't order Philemon to do anything. Not as an Apostle, but as someone who has little power and freedom.
He was recommending to Philemon not to treat Onesimus harshly. Not as a disobedient slave, but as a brother on equal ground.
Philemon would be risking his reputation - being different to the Roman culture around him. (Estimates of 1/3 of the population of the 1st Century AD Roman Empire being slaves...)

vs 8 - 9
Onesimus would have been concerned that it wouldn't have been enough. But Paul was appealing on the Love of Christ.
vs 18 - 19
Paul was demonstrating love by offering to pay the price for what Onesimus did. A sacrifice. A parallel to the Penal substitution on the Cross, where Jesus paid the price for all of us.

The central belief we should not loose sight of. It should drive our behaviour, our beliefs, as id did Paul, in sending Onesimus to Philemon.

A powerful appeal to the love of Christ, so he would forgive Onesimus, no matter how hard it would be.

A love that doesn't expect anything in return.

What does it mean for you in your relationships in 2020?