Importance of the Local Church

Amen. Brendan, welcome to Cornerstone. And I just invite you to open your Bibles in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Philemon. As we started seeing a little bit of this letter two weeks ago, we'll keep in this letter. And today, we'll address verses 1 and 2.

And our goal today is to see the importance of the local church in the life of the Christian. From verses 1 and 2 of this letter, written by the Apostle Paul to Philemon, So verses 1 and 2, in which Paul says, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus and Timothy, our brother, to Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Aphia, Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. As I said, today we'll try to see, Lord willing, the importance of the local church in the life of the believer, in the life of the Christian. But before we do that, brethren, we know that around the world they are celebrating many things, but we know that the reason for this is, and even though we are not attached to any day, we know that this is a remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, His death and His resurrection. We are here because our Lord Jesus Christ is risen, because the gospel of Christ has changed our hearts.

He indeed died. He came into this world. He was obedient to the point of death and death on the cross, but he was not left there. Why you seek among the dead the one who is risen, the Lord Jesus Christ is risen indeed. That's why our faith is not in vain.

That's why we can come as brothers and sisters in Christ and then we can come before the Lord and ask for help. That's why we can have this assurance that we have an advocate in heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why we can come before him and ask for forgiveness. God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. He has given assurance of that because he has risen the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.

The Lord is risen, he's risen indeed. So our faith is not in vain and we have the hope, not the hope of the world that vanishes away. Our hope has substance and that substance is the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why we can hope for, we see the Apostle Paul when he writes to the Colossians, he says about their love and faith because of the hope that is set for them in heaven. Christ himself, the hope of glory.

So that's why we gather together, and that's why we are here, brethren. That's why the gospel is most powerful in your life, because of the one who died and who rose again, and who is seated at the right hand of the Father. So as we come before the Lord today in prayer, let's come assured that Christ is there with the Father, that he intercedes for us, that the Holy Spirit guides us and points us to the one who is risen, and who is risen indeed. So let's pray before we start. Father, we come before you, Lord, and we pray first and foremost, please forgive us for our sins.

You know, Lord, all of them, even those that we are not aware of, Lord, those that are hidden within us. Oh, Lord, we thank you for Christ. We think that we have this hope. proclaimed in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who came, who lived a perfect life, who entered the cross, who took upon himself our sins, who drank the cup fully, who died, and who rose again, Lord. He defeated death.

He defeated sin. He is now at your side, at your right side, Father, interceding for us. He has given us the promise of your Holy Spirit, and you have sent your Holy Spirit to us, Lord, that guide us into all truth, that points us to Christ, that bear witness of the beloved. We thank you for what you have done in Christ Jesus. Please help me, help my brothers and sisters to see the beauty of the gospel of Christ.

And Lord, as we approach this letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to Philemon, Lord, We just pray that you may help us to understand our need for one another, our need, Lord, for the local church, that we may care for one another, that we may love one another as Christ loved us, so that those who are outside may see that we are true disciples of Christ. So Lord, bless us this moment. We also pray for the elder that we have appointed to Cornerstone, our brother Nelson, Lord. We just thank you for the life of Samuel that was born this week. We pray that he may be with our brother and our sister, Lord, as she recovers.

And we just pray, Lord, that you may help them to raise this baby, Lord, in the fear of the Lord, in the gospel of Christ. Thank you for this family, for the kids, Lord. Thank you for my brothers and sisters, Lord, for everything that you are doing today, that you are about to do, Lord. Thank you mostly for Christ. Because we would have no reason, Lord, to be here gathered together if it was not our Lord and Savior.

We're in enmity against you and against one another, Lord. But you have brought us to Christ. and have brought us to Yourself and have brought us to one another, Lord. So please be with us. Help me, Lord.

Give me indeed clarity of mind and words. I need You, Lord. There's nothing good that comes from me. I need You. So please speak to me, speak to our brothers and sisters, as well to my brothers and sisters, and change us, Lord, to the preaching of Your Word.

Help us to be more like Christ, we pray in Jesus' name. So brother, if you remember two weeks ago, we spoke about the task of the Christian life. And when we spoke about that based in the letter of the Apostle Paul writes to Philemon, we mentioned that the goal of the Christian is to glorify God as we become more like the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is only possible through the gospel of our Savior. So that's the task that is set before us.

Anything that comes before us in life to do, our goal should be to the glory of God. That's only possible, as I said, as we become more like Christ. And we become more like Christ through his gospel. Remember, the gospel that saved us is the gospel that empowers us to walk in holiness. We, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, we were being changed and transformed into the image of the Lord by His Spirit.

That's the power of the gospel of Christ. And that's the goal that is set before us. It said, husband, to love your wife as Christ loved the church. This is set before you. You are to glorify God in that.

Wives, to submit your husband next to the Lord, that's your call to glorify God in that way as well. We as brothers and sisters in Christ are called to glorify God in the things that we need to do as a church, as brothers and sisters, as a congregation. We are called to do those things to the glory of God. Whether we eat, whether we drink, whatever we do, it must be done to the glory of the one who saved us. So that is the task of the Christian life.

And as I mentioned last week, and we'll get a little bit more into it, so how can we accomplish this task? And we said one of the things was verse one and two, that we need one another. I need you, brethren, to accomplish what the Lord has set before me. We need one another and we need to understand that. So before we get into this topic of the importance of the local church in the life of the Christian, of the importance of one another in the life of the Christian so that we may accomplish the things that the Lord has set before us, I just wanna have a brief recap on just the context around this letter that the Apostle Paul is writing to Philemon.

We see that the Apostle Paul was in prison at that time, probably in Rome in his first imprisonment as described in Acts chapter, I think, 22 onwards. We'll see that Paul was in a rented house, but he had his liberties, he didn't have the freedom, total freedom that we usually have. So he was set there in prison, but he had the liberty and the freedom to have people coming to him, and he was able to proclaim the gospel of Christ. We see that Paul was in prison from verse one. He says, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

And he says to Philemon as well that he has begotten Onesimus while in his chains. So Paul was writing this letter while in prison. And the goal of this letter from the apostle Paul is reconciliation. He's trying to bring two brothers together now. He's appealing to Philemon, someone who was probably saved through the ministry of Paul, because Paul says that Philemon owned his own life to him, probably pointing out to the salvation that happened through the ministry of the apostle Paul, when he says that in this letter.

And Paul is appealing to this brother, whom he recognized as a brother in Christ. Not just him, but many things that he heard about this brother points out that God is working. in the life of Philemon. And he's appealing to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus. And we see from this short letter that Onesimus was a runaway slave.

Paul would tell Philemon, receive him, receive Onesimus. And he says throughout the letter that he was a slave, receive him not as a slave anymore, but more than that, as a beloved brother. He was a runaway slave and probably who stole something from his master. Because Paul would tell Philemon, look, if he owes you anything, no worries, I'll pay. I'll do it.

If there is anything that he owns you, yeah, I'll put myself in it and I will pay. I'll take any hindrance away so that reconciliation may happen. So we see that the apostle Paul is writing this letter to a brother in Christ, appealing on behalf of another brother who once was a slave. And now Paul is telling him, receive him, forgive him for what he has done, because God has changed his life. God has made a work in his life, and we see that that's the goal of the apostle in this letter.

And he was confident. He said, I know that you do even more than what I ask you, brother. And we see that the apostle Paul is reasoning with this brother in Christ throughout this letter to receive Onesimus back. As I mentioned two weeks ago that this letter, this Philemon probably was living in Colossae and the church in his house was probably in Colossae as well. We see that the letter to the Colossians, Paul writes, there are names in that letter that are written in the letter to Philemon as well.

Paul even speaks about Archippus in the letter to Colossians. that he should take heed of the ministry that the Lord has given him as well. And we see that the article is written here, spoken of here in this letter as well. So we see the similarities and things that Paul speaks or people that Paul described in the letter to the Colossians, they're described or they're pointed out here as well. So that's probably the case.

We see that Tychicus is the one who is bringing the letter to Colossians. And that Onesimus, as Paul tells us in the Colossians, is one of them is also coming with tea. Because imagine this, that now a runaway slave, who was saved by the grace of God, is coming with a letter from the Apostle Paul to give it to his master, the one who he ran away from. Imagine this in your mind. What would have been the reaction of Philemon in seeing Onesimus coming and bringing a letter from the Apostle Paul?

And imagine when he reads the letter, and imagine what could have happened. Maybe he rejoiced greatly in seeing that someone who has done such a thing was now saved by the grace of God, and is now a brother in Christ. So brethren, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ brings reconciliation in between us and God. That's the goal. But not just reconciliation between us and God, in between us as brothers and sisters in Christ.

So hopefully we'll see the importance, as I said, of the local church in the life of the Christian. And Paul knew that this task set before Philemon was not an easy task to be fulfilled. We know resentment can happen. We know that when something happened to us, our response is to fight back. There are a lot of emotions that goes on there, and Paul knew that.

Paul knew that it was not an easy task, and he's careful in this letter to address this brother in Christ. He tells Philemon about his prayer for him. And he tells that, Philemon, I pray for you that the sharing of your faith, that the fellowship of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. He reasons with Philemon throughout the letter. He says, Philemon, the one who was unprofitable to you, by the way, the name Onesimus means the profitable one.

So the one who was unprofitable to you is now profitable to you and to me. I've seen the change in his life. I'm sending him back my own heart. He's reasoning with his brother. So we see that throughout the letter.

He says, look, I pay anything if he owns you anything. I pay it. Not to mention to you that you owe me your own life. And we see the apostle Paul reasoning and bringing about arguments to build up his case and to say, Philemon, receive this brother. Receive him.

And I expect that you do much more than what I've asked you. So we see that the apostle is reasoning, he's praying, he's reasoning for his brother in Christ, but he's also calling the local church. He's addressing the local church in this letter, which is directed specifically to Philemon. He's addressing the local church. And that's the main thing I want us to see today.

Because Paul, instead of just writing the letter to Philemon, he's addressing Athia, who could probably be his wife, we don't know. He says sister Afia, the beloved one, beloved Afia. He says about Archbus, some people may say that he was Philemon's son or maybe a minister at the church at that time because of what Paul says in Colossians. And then he says in the church in your house. So Paul's addressing Philemon and those with whom Philemon lived, the church in his house.

So when we think of that God saved us, So brethren, God saved us from the wrath to come. He saved us from our sins. As I said, he brought us into reconciliation with himself. In the gospel of Christ, there's not just forgiveness, but there's reconciliation. Our state now as Christians is greater than that of the state of Adam before the fall.

We are now called children of God as the Apostle John will tell us in his first epistle. Now we are called children of God. God has saved us and he has brought us into his family. And brother, there are many members in the family of God. We don't have only an older brother who is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church.

We have people from every tribe and tongue and nation in which the Lord has brought under the gospel of Christ and has brought into his family. So we see that Paul is mentioning himself, he's mentioning Timothy, he's mentioning the people in the house of Philemon. We know that the Lord has people saved from many, many places. And we'll see that on that great day in which we'll see all of these people praising the Lord for the salvation that he has granted us. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

So we see that the Lord saved us and has brought us into his family. He has adopted us in the gospel of Christ. And as I said, he has brought us to a family in which there are many, many members. And we call this the invisible church, if we are to say anything. It's comprised of all those who are saved by Christ and who are saved by Christ.

throughout all ages. And those who are about to be saved as well, the redeemed of the Lord. This invisible church is the one who is the triumphant church, who is overcoming. Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ told us in Matthew chapter 16, verse 18. On this rock I'll build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

So this is the church that is advancing, and the gospel of Christ is bringing salvation to many. You're a witness of that, that was in your life. You know people around you that were saved by the grace of God through the gospel of Christ, and they are now part of this church, this temple which the Apostle Peter will tell us in 1 Peter 2, verse 5. This temple that is being built in which we are leaving stones. But this invisible church of God is expressed visibly and locally as well.

So we call the visible church. And we see that as Paul addressing the brethren in this letter. He says, and the church in your house. That's why the apostle Paul and the other apostles had the freedom to say, and the church at Colossae and the church at Corinth. So they have this freedom because they understood that the church is expressed visibly and locally, and that they were dressing churches throughout that time.

And that was the case with the Apostle Paul. They said, the Lord has saved us. We're part of the invisible church, which is comprised of every redeemed people and those who will be as well in the future. Those whom the Lord has decreed that he would save. but that is expressed in the local church, in the visible one, in which, sadly, the local church, there are members, there are people who are saved, and those who are not saved as well.

We have wolves, we have those things, and that's one of the distinctions in between the invisible and the visible church. But as I said, the visible church is the expression of that which is invisible in the life of the Christian. So we see that, and we see one aspect of the church. As I said, we are a temple. We are being built as living stones in this temple of God, in which God dwells.

We are called the church, but we are also called the body of Christ. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. There are a few things here that the Apostle Paul will mention and I think will help us to understand the importance of the local church in the life of the Christian. So let's go verse 12 and 13. So he's speaking about the gifts and that the Lord gave gifts differently to each and every one, and there is a purpose for that.

And he explains why. He says in verse 12, for as the body is one. So he's speaking about the unity of the body. But he also speaks about the many members in which the body is comprised. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body.

So also is Christ. He says in verse 13, for by one spirit, we're all baptized into one body. As I mentioned, the Lord saved us from the wrath to come from our sins. He has brought reconciliation between us and God. The Lord Jesus Christ has brought us reconciliation.

He has given peace in between us and God, but he has brought us into his family. Look what the apostle says in verse 13, we just read. We were all baptized into this one body. whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and have all been made to drink into one spirit. And then he goes on, verse 14.

For in fact, the body is not one member, but many. So brethren, we have this idea that the apostle Paul is bringing. Look, there are many people, but we function as a body. There is unity. There are many members.

There's an eye, there's the foot, there's the hand, there's the knee, there's the shoulder, And the apostle will reason with us and say, the eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you. Or the hand to the feet, I have no need of you. Look what he says in verse 15. If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them in the body, just as he pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.

Look what he says in verse 21. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much rather, those members in the NDI cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. So we see that Paul is building this idea that we need one another, that the body functions in this way.

Yes, he's speaking about gifts here, but we can apply. There is a principle here in the life of the Christian, that I need you, brother. I need you, sister. As I said, to fulfill the task that is set before me. Remember that the author of Hebrews will tell us, I think in chapter 10, that we are not to forsake the gathering of the saints, even more so as we see that they approach him and he says beforehand that the gathering of the saints is important because we may stir up one another in love and good works.

We are here first and foremost to worship the one who saved us, to recognize that we belong to him. but also that we may steer one another to love and good works. Brother, we need one another. Sister, we need one another. I need you in my life.

You need the one who is seated by your side in your life. We go through many things in life, brethren, because we put ourselves in those places, or because tribulation comes, and we need the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and Paul knew that. Paul acted in this way, and now we can think how we can help one another. Look what it says in verse 25. It's not just that we need one another, we need to care for one another.

This need is just not with an entitlement feeling that, oh, you need to help me. No, I need to care for you. You need to care for me. Look what it says in verse 25. That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

We need to look after one another. Remember the reason Christ is the one who is still at work. Remember that we're saying today before the throne of God above, we have a strong and perfect plea. He's working on our behalf and he's working through his church. Remember, when Luke is writing the book of Acts, he speaks, he says, in the beginning of the book of Acts, I have told you the things which the Lord has began to do, or began to do, pointing out that what Christ did was not the end.

He's still at work. And we see in the book of Acts God working through his church. So brethren, the Lord works amongst us as we care for one another and as we help one another. We need to be Christ to one another. Even as Christ, we should be to one another as well.

So we'll see the importance of the local church, and the goal is how. How can we help one another? And I think I mentioned a few things two weeks ago. We said about prayer, that God will be thanked for the things that a brother or sister is accomplishing. And we said about prayer, and I want to start with that.

We see that the Apostle Paul is praying for his brother, and we see that in verse six. Let's go back to the letter. So now, may the Lord help us to understand the practical ways in which we can help our brothers and sisters in Christ. So look what he says in verse six, he shares his prayer with his brother, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. So he prays.

Not just that, Paul encourages Philemon. Look what he says in verse seven. For we have great joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. He even says in verse five, I've heard the love and the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints. So he's encouraging his brother of the work of God in his life.

He reasons, as I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon, that he reasons with his brother. We'll see that as well. And he's Christ-like to his brother also. So those are four things. He prays, he encourages his brother, he reasons, he communicates with him, and he's Christ-like to his brother.

Now just go, the first one, which is prayer. As I said, verse six, that the sharing, that the communication, that the fellowship of your faith may become effective. may achieve its purpose. Paul is sharing, that's my prayer for you. This is the task set before you, and I pray that you accomplish that, that the sharing of your faith may become effective as you acknowledge, by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in us, which is in you, in Christ Jesus.

Brethren, the Apostle Paul had a high view of prayer. For him, prayer was an essential part of the Christian life. We see when he's writing to the Thessalonians, he says, there are three things which are the will of God for us. He says, rejoice always, and he goes on, pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus.

Rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and in everything giving thanks. So when he says pray without ceasing or pray always, he's pointing out that prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. And how much do I need to learn that? And to be in constant fellowship with the Lord. One thing that I like to say is that in Hebrews, the author of Hebrews will tell us that now we can come with boldness before the throne of God to find mercy and grace and help in time of need.

We need the Lord always. And may the Lord help us that our goal may be to remain before the throne of grace. Not just to come now and then, but to remain there throughout the day. Because we need his help. Not just we, but our brothers and sisters in Christ.

As I said, Paul had a higher view, a high view of prayer. We would see him asking for prayer, even in this letter. He says, and pray for me that I may be granted to you, he says to Phidema. As I said, prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. Even our Lord Jesus Christ, when Luke is writing, in Luke chapter 18, about the parable of the persistent widow, the Lord Jesus Christ said that we ought to pray.

He spoke that parable, teaching us that we ought to pray and not lose heart. Brother, it's hard to pray. And it's hard to be in constant prayer with the Lord, in constant fellowship with the Lord. That's the will of God for us. What I love, I think, is the book of Nehemiah, when we see that Nehemiah sometimes will describe what is happening, and then he throws a short prayer.

And then he'll describe what is happening, then there's a verse or two verses with a short prayer, and then he keeps on. We need to have God within our days. Not necessarily, but throughout all the day, the Lord, and bringing him to live into our lives. May the Lord help us as we remember our brother, our sister in Christ, that we may offer prayer to God. Remember, you don't need to be in your house.

You don't need to be to a certain place. You can pray to God. You have free access to him. You don't need to book a meeting with the Lord. You have access right here, right now.

You have access to God in your car. You can come before him and ask of him. Brother, we see that Paul had a high view of prayer. We see the parable of the persistent widow. And now, brethren, we need one another's prayer.

As I said, that's the way that God responds, and that's the way that God works out His plans, one of the means by which He works out His plans. Let's come to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and I like the word that Paul uses there. As I said, we need one another's prayer, and we need to help one another. in 2 Corinthians chapter one. And I think I mentioned that two weeks ago.

Paul is describing a situation which happened to him and to those who were with him in Asia. That they were despairing even of life. They thought that was the end. Thank be to God that God saved Paul and those who were with him. Let's go from verse eight.

2 Corinthians chapter one, verse eight. He says, for we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. God is the one who delivered us from so great a death. and does deliver us, in whom we trust that he will still deliver us."

And then he says, you also, look the word that he uses, helping together in prayer for us. That thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through men. So brethren, we are called to help one another in prayer. The apostle Paul shared his prayer with Philemon. There are things that we know that happens in the context of the local church.

That the Lord makes us a way. There are things that brothers and sisters share with us. May the Lord help us to have a desire to bring it before the throne of God. Because he's the one who can solve any issue. He's the one who can bring unity.

He's the one who can help us to fulfill the task that is set before us. So may the Lord help us to understand that we need to remain before the throne of grace, that we need to help one another in prayer. May the Lord help me to understand that in my heart so that I may help you, brethren, in prayer, so that you may help me, brothers and sisters, in prayer, so that we may glorify God by becoming more like Christ as we abide in the gospel of our Savior. And, brethren, one thing that I want to say, God answered prayers. And sometimes we don't even see the answer of God.

Sometimes it's shown to us in the simple things. We see that sometimes it's in the 11th hour, they say, at the 11th hour when the Lord answers prayer. I was speaking to brothers, a brother and a sister, yesterday or the day before, in which there's a brother in Christ, I think he attended the church before he came, he visited us, he's in our church, he was seeking. And this is a simple thing, I'm not saying that because of the things that are paid. They were seeking for a house, they had to move, they had two months, and they were seeking for two months for that house.

And they couldn't find anything or they couldn't get in any place throughout two months, and they were about to move. They hired a truck to send their things to a storage place. Throughout that week, they had an inspection in a house 200 meters away from them, from where they were living. 200 meters away. And then he spoke with the lady on a Wednesday, and then they were about to have the truck coming on Saturday, and the inspection would be on that Saturday.

And then the lady said, the only thing I can do for you is to open the house one hour earlier so you can check it and everything. He shared the situation with this lady. So she opened the house. He had the truck at his place to send his things to the storage, and he was about to go to the house of another brother. And then he went to do the inspection with his wife.

And then the lady said, look, I'll give you an answer at 2 o'clock. At 1.30. And then at 2 o'clock she calls him. And he says, let's hold the truck.

Let's not send anything to the storage. Let's hold and let's wait for the answer. And then the lady calls him and says, yes, we'll give you the house and you can move this afternoon at 5 p.m. 200 meters away.

And those are things that sometimes the Lord answer prayers at the 11th hour. Imagine, brethren, how much we lose. I'm not saying about the things of this world, but how much we lose in the context of the local church, in the unity of our brothers and sisters in Christ, when we do not come to the Lord. As I said, the Lord answer prayers. Let's go to Daniel chapter 10.

And I like the way that the scriptures bring this. Daniel set his heart to seek the Lord, to understand, Look what it says in chapter 10. We'll read from verse 1. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long.

And he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. It says in verse 2, in those days, I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Now on the 24th day. of the first month.

As I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of ufas. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his word like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision for the men who were with me. did not see the vision, but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me, for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.

Yet I heard the sound of his words, and while I heard the sound of his words, I was in a deep sleep on my face. With my face to the ground, verse 10, suddenly a hand touched me which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the word that I speak to you and stand upright. For I have now been sent to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

Look, verse 12, then he said to me, do not fear, Daniel. For from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. And I have come because of your words. So brethren, the Lord answered prayers. And that should give us assurance and confidence and should encourage us to come before the throne of God.

Remember that everything that we ask is according to the will of God, he grants us. And the will of God is that his body will be united, one. The will of God is that we may bear with one another, we may love one another, we may be kind to one another, we may forgive one another. That's the will of God for his body, for the church, And if we have that, we can come before God and ask. Believe in the one who answers prayers.

As I said, the Lord decreed all things, and He decreed means by which His purposes are achieved. And one of the means is through the prayers of His people. He decreed even our prayers, brother and sister. There's a brother who says to me, brother, do you know that He decrees even our prayers? And we should have confidence when we pray for something because that's the decree of God.

He decreed that we should come before Him and pray for that thing that we are praying for. God may answer. He will answer. He may answer as a no. He may answer as a yes.

He may take his time to answer because that is not the time for us to receive such a thing, but he answers prayers, brethren. He hears us, not because of anything that is in us, but because of Christ. That's why we can come with boldness. And that's why we can help one another in prayer. That's why we can have this confidence and be of help to a brother or sister in Christ in whatever they need.

So brethren, we have not just to pray, but we have to have the expectation as well. Remember that the apostle Paul, he shares with us. He says in verse, let's go to Philemon again. He says in verse 22, look, may the Lord help us if we pray according to his will. May the Lord help us to pray according to his will and to expect great things from God.

Look what it says in verse 22, but meanwhile, he's speaking to Philemon, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers, Through your praise, Philemon, I shall be granted to you. So the expectation of the Apostle Paul that the prayer of a brother would be effective, not because of the one who prays, but because of the one who answers prayers. So brethren, let's come before the Lord. May the Lord help us as we hear what is happening around us with brothers and sisters, and ask God, Lord, please help my brother, please help my sister, Lord. If there is any situation within the church that forgiveness is needed, Lord, help this brother, help this sister to forgive it.

If there is anything in our heart, Lord, take it away, this resentment, this anger, and help me to forgive my brother in the heart, not just with my mouth. The Lord can answer, brother, this prayer. As I said, this is the will of God, the unity of his body, that we will love one another as Christ has loved us. This is his command for us. Now when we think about prayer, and now we speak about encouragement.

So he said, Paul was not just sharing his spring, but he was encouraging his brother. And I have to assume this is not something that I do often. The apostle Paul was not shy. to tell this brother, you see in verse seven, for we have great joy and consolation in your love. Yes, we know it's the love of God, but he was encouraging this brother, brother, we have great joy and consolation in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by your brother, by the things that you are doing.

He's encouraging this brother and pointing, brother, the work of God is seen in your life. And this is something that I don't do often. And the Apostle Paul was not shy to do that. He said, I heard and hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints. And I give thanks to God.

I know that it comes from him. He's the one who is doing the work in your life. And brethren, how many times we need that. We have seasons of doubt. We have seasons of despair.

We have moments in which, as I said, a task is set before us. And how encouraging and how refreshing to the Lord you are. Even though I'm a sinner, Lord, you are working. Praise be to you. And brethren, let us do that to one another by the grace of God.

Of course, acknowledge that it's God. But encouraging one another. Brother, the Lord has changed your life. I was a witness, not just a witness, I experienced the love of many here in my life. a family that received me in their house, that spared the room of their son to have me there, the hospital that was shown to me.

I see the labor of love in the heart of brothers who look to the word of God with respect and reverence, and this teaches me. I've seen the work of God in the life of a brother and a sister in Christ, who are now my friends. whom I know that I can count on. I've seen that, brothers and sisters, in the life of many of you, who are here and who are not here as well. I've seen that, and thank God, praise be to God, and I don't, I don't, I don't see the church with the value that I should, and my brothers and sisters that the Lord has put around me with the value that I should.

I don't see that sometimes, and most of the time, I take it for granted. But brother, sister, thank be to God for your life. Thank be to God for what you do for the church, for what you do for me, for what you've done for me. Thank be to God for the times you reached out. Thank be to God for the times that you shared with me, that you prayed for me and my wife.

Thank be to God. I can see the work of the Lord in your life, and that's why I can come before you and say, brother, sister. Not just that I heard something about you, I experienced that myself. And thank be to God, and please forgive me for not seeing the beauty of the church as I should, of the local church, of the life of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Praise be to God that he has given me you.

Praise be to God. So that's what the Apostle Paul is saying. He's encouraging a brother and a sister. He's encouraging a brother in Christ and saying, I've seen the work. I've heard it.

The hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you. Brother, God is at work. That's one of the reasonings of the Apostle Paul. He's reasoning with this brother. He's saying, yes, the task is hard.

The task is hard, but brother, take courage. Take heart because the one who started the good work is the one who bring it to completion. God is at work in your life. I pray that your faith may become effective as you acknowledge that you have every good thing in Christ Jesus. That every task that you need to perform is found in him as you abide in Christ.

So you see that Paul's encouraging a brother in Christ. He's reasoning with this brother. He's praying for him. He's encouraging him and he's reasoning with him. Remember, Paul could have just said, Philemon, forgive Onesimus as Christ forgave you.

That would be enough. But Paul goes beyond that. He says, even though therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ's truth, command you what is fitting, yet for love's sake. I'd rather appeal to you. Philemon, sit here.

Let's reason together. And I'll try to bring all the arguments that I can and take all the hindrances away so that you may receive Onesimus, not as a slave anymore, but a beloved brother. Paul recognizes what Onesimus had done. Paul's put himself in the place of Philemon. He says, as I know, he was unprofitable to you.

I heard the things that he did. I know that he was unprofitable, but I wanted to tell you that now he's profitable to you and to me. I've seen the change in his life. The gospel that saved you is the gospel that saved him. So he's reasoning with this brother.

He says, I'm appealing to you. I'm not commanding. I'm appealing to you for love's sake. People have experience of your love, and I appeal to you for love's sake. I don't want you doing anything by compulsion.

He says that. He says, this is onesimus. It's my own heart, whom I wish to keep with me, Paul would tell us, so that he may minister to me on your behalf, Philemon. But I don't want to do anything without your consent. I want it to be done in the heart, to be voluntary, to be something that is done in the heart.

So Paul was concerned for the whole situation. And he was reasoning with his brother. Brother and sister, we are to do the same with one another. When we tell one another, encourage one another to do the things that the Lord has set before us, let's point one another to the word of God. Brother, do you know what the word says?

Brother, do you know what Christ did? He did it with you, brother, in bringing the gospel and reasoning with one another. That's how the apostle Paul did. He was showing care and love for a brother. Though I might be very bold to command you what is fitting yet, for love's sake, I rather appeal to you.

So it was not just praying, encouraging, and reasoning with this brother in Christ. He's being Christ-like to him. We need to be Christ-like to one another. Let's go to verse 18 to 19. Paul says to Philemon, but if he has wronged you, or owes anything, put that on my account.

He says, I, Paul, am writing with my own hand, I will repay. And a great picture of the gospel of Christ. The debt that we owe to God and the Lord Jesus Christ stepped in and said, no, I will pay what you owe. You cannot even pay that. I will do that.

Paul was saying, if there is any hindrance, Philemon, if there is anything that would not allow this to happen, no worries, I will intervene. I will do whatever is needed. If he owes you anything, I will pay. I'm writing with my own hand that I will do that. So brothers, sisters, what can we do in the life of our brother and sister to help them to fulfill their task?

There are things we can take away from them, or you can just take the hindrance away so that they may fulfill their task, as the Lord has called them to. I'm so easy to give excuses. Oh, but this, but that. And Paul saying, that's fine. If there's any excuse, that's fine.

Let's take care of it. And brother and sister, let's help one another by being Christ-like. Christ took the punishment that we deserve. He made a way. He's the mediator between God and man.

And Paul was mediating this situation. And we should do in the same way. But brother, there is one aspect of Christ's likeness. We are not to seek our own interests, but the interests of others. He says, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

And I was speaking with my brother in Brazil on the phone two weeks ago, he said, Diego, someone who was in prison seeking the freedom of someone else. We see that the apostle Paul is not worried about where he is right now, what is happening. He's thankful to God that his prisoner of Christ Jesus is because of the gospel of Christ. He's not worried, he's worried about another brother. And he takes time to write a letter.

And he takes time to reason with a brother in this letter so that he would receive him. He was not worried about his freedom. He was worried about the freedom of Onesimus. He said, receive him as a brother in Christ. I am a prisoner of the Pope.

And how is this Christ like? Remember, in John chapter 13. Let's go to John chapter 13 and we'll see that our Lord Jesus Christ He knew that his hour had come. He knew that. He knew that he was about to be betrayed.

He knew that he was about to experience the full wrath of God. He knew that he had to take the sins of his people upon himself. He knew that that hour had arrived. Look what John says. John chapter 13.

We start in verse one. Now, before the feast of the Passover, look what it says, when Jesus knew that his hour had come, that he should depart from this world to the Father, and this departure from this world to the Father would entail his death under the wrath of God, it pleased the Father to bruise him because of our sins. He knew that our hour had come, and what it says, having loved his own, who were in the world, he loved them to the end. So we think the Lord Jesus Christ was the one who needed to be comforted and encouraged at that time. But Christ, the God-man, was the one bringing comfort to his disciples and was the one encouraging his disciples.

He knew that that was needed. And his worry was not about what was to happen at that point. He's worried about how the hearts of the disciples would be. Look what he says in chapter 14, verse one. Disciples, let not your hearts be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in me. My father, house are many mansions. If it was not so, I would have told you. I'm going and I'll prepare a place for you. And when I prepare a place for you, I will come and take you so that where I am, you may be with me also.

the Lord Jesus Christ, about to be betrayed, and to experience the full wrath of God, to drink the cup fully, was comforting and encouraging the disciples. Brothers, may the Lord help us not to think of our circumstances. I mentioned two weeks ago, I live a selfish life, and I think a lot of myself. But may the Lord help us not to think of ourselves, but to esteem others higher than ourselves. that we may be, as one brother told me, the last in our list of priorities, not even be there.

We have a brother assisting Christ, and remember, that's how God works within the church, as we help one another through prayer, as we help one another, encouraging one another, as we help one another, as we communicate to one another the words of God and reason with one another through the gospel of Christ, as we are Christ-like to one another. I know that it's hard, and I know that In this flesh, with the sin that's still in us, we're so easily taken by the things of this world, by the things that we need to do, by the things that we want to do. But we see that Christ did not do that. We see that our Lord was encouraging in the most difficult time of his life. We see that it was so difficult that he was praying, Father, if possible, take this cup away from me, but not my will, your will be done.

We see that he came to the point of saying, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? This was set before him, and he knew the things that would happen, yet he encouraged the disciples. Paul didn't want to know about his imprisonment. He just wanted to know that, brother, please receive this brother in Christ, the one who was unprofitable to you, but who is now profitable to you and to me. So brothers, sisters, This should be the motto of the Christian life, even as Christ.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest example of all, not just the example, he's our savior. And we see that poem in Colossians chapter three, if you come with me, and as I said, that should be the motto of the Christian life, when we think about being Christ-like to one another. Colossians chapter three. It says in verse 12, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, he says, even as Christ forgave you, So you also must do.

Brothers, sisters, the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for us. The Lord Jesus Christ encourages us with the promise of his word. He said, I will not leave you nor forsake you, never. The Lord Jesus Christ reasons with us in his word. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one whom we should follow.

That's the goal of the Christian life. Let's come to Romans chapter eight. To be Christ-like, that should be our goal, and to be Christ-like to one another. Look what Paul says in eight, verse 29. Romans chapter eight, verse 29.

For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. That's the goal of God, that we will be conformed to the image of Christ. So brothers, sisters, even as Christ was for us, let's be to one another in the context of the local church. I need you. We need one another.

As I said two weeks ago, the task of the Christian life is great, to glorify God as we become more like Christ. And this is only possible through the gospel of our Savior. May the Lord help us to pray for one another. May the Lord help me. May the Lord help us to encourage one another.

May the Lord help us to reason with one another. May the Lord help us to be Christ-like to one another. And that's the outcome of our lives, to be like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which will not happen in this life. But we know that it will come a day in which we will see him, the one whose reason is coming again. He's coming to judge the world in righteousness, but to take us to be with Him.

And when He comes, the glorious King, the risen King, we will see Him, and we will be like Him. The goal of God accomplished through the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we await for that great moment, may the Lord help us to follow this path that is set before us, in which we are becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not an easy task. I need you to do that.

We need one another to do that. That's your call, that's my call. Let's help one another. May the Lord give us the strength, the wisdom, the humility, and the desire to help one another to live for the glory of God, to do the task that is set before us. Amen, let's pray.

Father, we just thank you, Lord, Thank you for your word. Thank you, Lord, that you reason with us in your word, Lord. Thank you, Father, that we have the scriptures in our hands, your word, that was breathed out, Lord, that was given by inspiration, that it came directly from you. that reveals your will, that reveals Christ. Help us to love one another and to help one another, Lord.

You called us to live a life for your glory and have placed brothers and sisters around us so that we may fulfill the task set before us. Thank you, Lord, for using the Apostle Paul to pray for Philemon and encourage Philemon and reason with Philemon and be Christ-like to Philemon and to point us to how we should do things, Lord, as it points to Christ. Paul said, imitate me as I also imitate Christ. So help us to be imitators of the Lord Jesus Christ. not to look to ourselves, but to look to others.

He left his glory. He came into this world to save us. Thank you for this great salvation. Help us to see the beauty of the body that is being built, Lord, that is expressed in the local church. Just help me, help my brothers and sisters, help us to live as indeed a body, yet many members, but one, under the headship of Christ, our Lord and Savior.

And please, Lord, bring to completion the goal, which is to become like Christ. Thank you for the assurance that the day is coming and we shall see him and we'll be like him. But as we walk this path, Lord, help us to understand our need for one another and to help one another to grow more and more in the likeness of Christ. Thank you for all things. Please forgive me for my sins.

Just place in our hearts just what was said according to truth. If there is anything that was not according to truth, Lord, that you may take away. what was according to truth, that you may place in our hearts and help us to cherish your word in our hearts as a treasure, to hide it in our hearts so that we may not sin against you. Thank you, Lord, for Christ, for the risen Christ, who is at work interceding for us. Thank you for the life of my brothers and sisters and what you are doing in the life of each one of them, Lord.

We thank you for all things. In Jesus' name, amen.