Bible Text: Philemon 1-7 | Pastor: Pastor Steve | Series: Engage: Do All In The Name Of The Lord Jesus

I. Grace And Peace Refreshes
Philemon 3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Grace + Mercy = Peace
Repentance Refreshes
Acts 3:19-20 So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord;

We are SAVED (RESCUED) by God’s Son, Jesus, who was raised from the dead (resurrected); And now He calls us to REPENT of our sins, to BELEIVE in Christ, to have FAITH in Him and so RECEIVE eternal life.

Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Salvation is entirely of God’s doing but it is conditional upon our repentance.  A person who is saved or born again will be changed!

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
MY GOD!

Psalms 3:7 Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!
Psalms 7:1 O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me…
Psalms 18:2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalms 25:2 O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed;
Psalms 30:2 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.
Psalms 40:5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done;
Psalms 59:17 O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.
Psalms 71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Psalms 89:26 He shall cry to Me, You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.
Psalms 91:2  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.
Psalms 104:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great…
Psalms 109:26 Help me, O Lord my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
Psalms 118:28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.
Psalms 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good.
Psalms 145:1 I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

II. Prayer Intercession Refreshes
Philemon 4

I always thank my God when I pray for you…

Exodus 17:8-13…And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun….
III. Faith With Love Refreshes
Philemon 5

because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.
Our Words Are Powerful
Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 16:24 Kind words are like honey sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Our Words Are VERY Powerful
Matthew 12:33–35 A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad…For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart (NLT).
IV. Kindness Refreshes
Philemon 7

Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.