Philemon 10-11

INTRODUCTION: Onesimus was a slave of Philemon. Onesimus stole from Philemon and ran away. He eventually made it to Rome where he “happened” upon Paul.
We can see by these verses that Onesimus is “begotten” by Paul.
Paul has led Onesimus to the Lord and has discipled Onesimus to the point he is a Greatly Changed Man.
Onesimus has learned that Jesus paid the price, and that it was Jesus blood that cleansed the sins of Onesimus.
Onesimus had a hard decision to make, he had to go back to Philemon, and pay back the theft he had committed and submit himself back as a slave to Philemon.
Onesimus knew in his heart Philemon wouldn’t harm him because of Paul’s epistle. However I imagine Onesimus had some doubt concerning Philemon’s reaction to his arrival.
We don’t have recorded for us Philemon’s reaction, however we do find that Onesimus later becomes a Pastor of a church.
What I want to look at today was three things that happened to Onesimus.

I. ONESIMUS WAS BORN AGAIN
A. Jesus Changes Lives
1. He takes an unprofitable runaway slave and makes him profitable.
2. It doesn’t matter what you have done.
3. Jesus will change you

(2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

B. We Are A New Creature
1. Old things are passed away
2. All things are become new

II. ONESIMUS WAS LOVED

(John 13:34-35) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

A. Jesus Gave US A New Commandment
1. We are to love one another
a. Not a worldly, lustful love
2. We are to love as brothers and sisters.

(John 15:12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

B. Love as Jesus loves us.
1. We are to be concerned:
a. About each others health
b. Our families
c. All our problems

(Romans 12:9) Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

2. Without hypocrisy
3. Hate and fear evil
4. Love that, that is good.
(1 John 3:16) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

C. Look at the love that Christ demonstrated
1. Christ laid His life on the line for us
2. Shouldn’t we do the same

III. ONESIMUS BECAME PAUL’S BROTHER
A. Onesimus Became Philemon’s Brother
1. At our acceptance we enter an order of brotherhood.
2. We are no longer searching for that fellowship we have found it.
a. The lost are still searching
b. They don’t even for the most part know they are lost

(1 Corinthians 6:20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

B. Onesimus Was Bought Twice
1. Once by Philemon
2. The second time by Jesus
a. Jesus’ blood was the price

CONCLUSION: We can see by Paul’s epistle that Onesimus had a changed life.

His heart was changed.

His mind was changed.

He was willing to rectify his wrong.

He didn’t want to be a runaway slave any longer.
He had an Attitude Adjustment. In my earlier days, Hank Williams Jr. was my idol. He sang a song called “Attitude Adjustment.” Well I then had an attitude.
Like Onesimus when he ran away he had an attitude of requiring liberty. The main problem was he was free, however, he was constantly looking over his shoulder in fear of being found and returned to Philemon. His fear was he knew the punishment for a runaway was severe. Onesimus had an attitude adjustment. It wasn’t fists, or a tire tool that straightened him out, it was Jesus blood, Jesus’ love and the brotherhood of Jesus that put him on the straight and narrow.
You see Paul taught Onesimus

(Romans 12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Onesimus knew he would have to live a life of a living, sacrifice, not a dead sacrifice.
He knew he would continue being a servant of Jesus. He knew he there was a possibility that Philemon would never free him and he would also be his servant for life.
As Brother Kelso pointed out in one of his messages last week, we need to be sorry, sorry enough to repent of what we have done, and sacrifice all the rest of our lives to the Lord. I didn’t say some of our future lives. I said ALL of the rest of our life.
We don’t get that sorrow from living and loving in the world. We get our understanding and contriteness from being in the church and under the Word of God.
I know we all seem to believe we can do it the Burger King way, they claim you can have it your way, Jesus never taught that method, it has always been God’s way and there is no other way.
Jesus wants and expects us to be obedient to Him and God the Father. He expects us to listen to the Holy Spirit as He attempts to steer us and keep us down that straight and narrow path.
You might ask but how do we accomplish all what you have just said: I am glad you asked.

(Romans 12:2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God asks you to renew your mind, He tells us that it will transform us into Godly beings.

You are not an automatic transmission, you must shift, and you must do the steering, you have to decide I want salvation, I want eternal life, I do not want to burn in Hell. You make that decision.

Folks I can’t make it for you, all I can do is lead, and show you the way.