The natural man does not accept submission
Preaching Outline on Philemon 1:10-12 – “I beg you for my son Onesimus, whom I brought up in my prisons, who at one time was useless to you, but now is very useful to you and to me; I have sent him to you again. And you receive him again as you would my heart.”
Introduction to Philemon 10-12
Man was created to be God’s servant, but he doesn’t want to be a servant, he wants to be master. Eve gave in to temptation because she wanted to be like God (Genesis 3:5).
Running away from God
The brief story of the slave Onesimus, who ran away from Philemon’s house, is in the Word because it resembles the man who runs away from God’s presence because he doesn’t want to be his servant. Onesimus ran away so as not to be a servant and ended up in the same jail where Paul was being held. There he heard the message of salvation and was converted. He was freed and Paul sent him back to his master’s house.
The book is a letter that Paul wrote to Philemon to welcome back the slave, now transformed into a brother in the faith, since Philemon had already been converted, and to treat him gently, saying that if he had caused him any harm, it should be put on his account, which he would pay for himself.
Development
Do you want to be free?
It’s common to find people who were born into an evangelical home and when they reach a certain age, they move away from the house of the Lord because they want to “be free”.
It turns out that true freedom only exists in the Father’s house; the world does enslave; it surrounds man with oppression; it robs him of the right to make his own choices, forcing him to follow what the masses, the “collective unconscious” are doing.
It is in this prison that the Holy Spirit (typified here in the person of Paul) meets the “runaway” servant and makes him understand these things.
True freedom
The Holy Spirit reaches man to free his soul from the world’s prison of sin and deceit and sends him back to the Father (verse 12), so that he may be with Him forever in his eternity (verse 15, final part).
Verse 18 is the guarantee that the Holy Spirit (who is the Blood of Jesus) gives man that all sin committed has been forgiven (I John 1:7 final part).
Preaching Outline on Philemon 1:10-12 – “I beg you for my son Onesimus, whom I brought up in my prisons, who at one time was useless to you, but now is very useful to you and to me; I have sent him to you again. And you receive him again as you would my heart.”
More Preaching Outlines
- Philemon 1:18 – Put it on my account
- Paul as Christ to Onesimus – Philemon 1:10-18
- Prepare an inn for me – Philemon 1:22
