Bearing the Cost
Notes
Transcript
Bearing the Cost
Bearing the Cost
We have looked at the Splendid law, the law of love between Christians that should overrule the national and, to some degree, the Christian bible laws
We have looked at accountability, who is responsible to hold people and the church accountable to do the right thing. We are, all of us.
Today, we are going to look at the cost of this transaction, next week we will look at the slavery aspect from a biblical perspective.
That one will be touchy!
But today’s will be too.
Because we are going to ask the question...
What does it cost to follow Jesus?
Now, this is not some ethereal question, “it will cost you everything.” type of question, that is already true.
The cost of following Jesus is essentially everything.
We are asked to lay down our life before Jesus, take up his mission, and go forward in the world.
The question is TERRIFYING for us to ask.
Onesimus - Slave
Philemon - Slave owner
Paul - Apostle (Onesimus is with him)
Paul, as we have seen, is appealing to Philemon from love, not compulsion.
But, because of love, I’d much rather appeal to you—yes, it’s me, Paul, speaking, an old man as I am and now a prisoner of King Jesus!
I’m sending him to you for your decision—yes, sending the man himself; and this means sending my own heart.
Paul could have stopped there. It could have been over.
Philemon, you need to do this, I am appealing to you in love.
And we do that too.
“If you love me...”
“If you really care...”
“Where is your heart?”
Look at it like this. Maybe this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back for ever—no longer as a slave, but much more than a slave, as a beloved brother, beloved especially to me, but how much more to you, both as part of your household and in the Lord.
What is being asked of Philemon?
(set aside the topic, and let’s asked the practical question)
What will this cost Philemon?
If Philemon knows where Onesimus is, then what has he said about Paul and Onesimus?
Pride
Anger
Embarrassment
But, what if there was a real financial cost to Philemon
Again, set aside the morality of the topic
The question relates to humans and how we treat one another
We don’t know what kind of work Philemon does, but if he produced food, farmer, and gives a portion to the poor and needy, did Onesimus impact that? How is that fair.
How does love related to money?
How do you reconcile these things?
Complicated question, but here is how Paul addresses it in this case.
And if he’s wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, put that down on my account. This is me, Paul, writing with my own hand: I’ll pay you back (and far be it from me to remind you that you owe me your own very self!). Yes, my brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in the King.
Wait, what?
If Onesimus has does something wrong that had a financial cost, I will pay you for that. I will make it right.
How does Paul have the money to do this?
Will he use church funds?
Will he use personal funds?
Think about that. Paul is offering to build and sell more tents to pay for someone elses wrong.
I have said this to others...
Do I need to get a second job to help you pay your bills for the next year?
And I am serious. I just need to know the ask.
***** I will pay you back, but don’t forget you owe me too.
This is a striking statement from Paul
He knows he is not dealing with someone who is poor.
Philemon can probably afford this and is using money as a lame excuse.
Philemon, do I need to sell 10 more tents to cover this guys cost?
Because, my friend, I am going to ask you to help me because when I am done restoring what Philemon ‘stole,’ I am going to be poor, and you will need to help me!
Do you see how this works?
*****So yeah, I am asking you to step up!
You have some responsibility here to Philemon.
And no one asked for anything from Onesimus
We opened with this question
What does it cost to follow Jesus?
There is wisdom in asking that question.
Jesus uses an analogy: You don’t go out and build a house without first counting the cost. You figure out what it is going to take and then you decide if you want to build it.
TO OFTEN WE THINK THIS IS A ONE WAY GIVING RELATIONSHIP
Jesus gives to me
But Jesus does not require anything from me
And that is NOT TRUE.
There is a cost to following, there is much we give up.
And here is the problem:
If you want to know the financial cost, you cannot know that.
If you want to know the personal cost, you cannot really know that either.
Best to be prepared to give more than you expect of both
Will you bear the cost of following Jesus?
What if they caused the problem?
What if they are a criminal?
What if they are a _______?
What if they hurt you?
What is the conversion rate of love?
1 Love = ? $$$
What a great question.
I am plagued with this often.
Here is the dirty little secret…Paul is operating as if the King will cover his account.
Not Caesar, but God the king.
Let’s be more practical...
When we as a church or individually financially help someone, here is the decision we are being asked to make.
If I pay a persons power bill on the 1st, will we have money buy food for a person on the 15th?
This all falls back to some advice that I try to follow to this day:
“Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone”
Bearing the Cost
Bearing the Cost