The Debt Paid: Finding Freedom in Christ’s Substitution

• Christ-Centered Exegesis [00:33:12 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues against reading the Bible as a self-help book where the reader is the hero, asserting instead that the Bible is primarily about Jesus and what He has done.
• Typology and Fulfillment [00:36:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor lists numerous Old Testament figures (Adam, Abel, Isaac, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, etc.) and events, identifying Jesus as the 'true and better' version of each, fulfilling their types.
• The Plan of Redemption [00:42:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces the first point of the sermon, arguing that the gospel was not God's 'plan B' but a definite plan from the beginning, citing Acts 2:23.
• The Plan of Redemption [00:42:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that the gospel was God's sovereign plan from the beginning, not a backup plan, illustrated by the sending of Jesus and the sending of Onesimus.
• Willing Heart and Transformation [00:46:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that redemption requires a willing heart, not compulsion, and results in a permanent, radical transformation of the believer's status and heart.
• Substitutionary Atonement and Imputation [00:53:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor details the 'price of redemption,' explaining how Jesus took the believer's place (substitution) and credited His righteousness to them (imputation), using the examples of Paul, Philemon, and Barabbas.
• Substitutionary Atonement [00:58:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that Jesus took our place, bearing our sins and righteousness being credited to us, illustrated by the story of Barabbas.
• Expiation and Debt Cancellation [01:05:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines expiation as the removal of guilt and cleansing of sin, citing Colossians 2:13-14 to show that God nailed the record of debt to the cross.
• Redemption and Heart Transformation [01:09:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that the power of redemption changes a heart from demanding payment to offering forgiveness, using the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus as an example of grace.
• The Second Coming and Preparation [01:13:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts Paul's hope for release with the certainty of Christ's return, urging the congregation to prepare their hearts to meet the King.
• Redemption and Grace [01:15:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines redemption as a power that transforms life, erases debt, and provides current help through Jesus' grace.
• Christian Community and Friendship [01:16:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > Discussion of Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, and Luke as fellow workers and friends who help sustain believers, contrasted with the ultimate help of God.
• Warning Against Worldliness [01:18:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the example of Demas, who deserted Paul because he loved the present world, to warn the congregation not to let worldly love pull them away from Christ.
• Salvation and Repentance [01:19:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > An exhortation to turn from sin and place faith in Jesus, citing Romans 10:9-13, emphasizing that Jesus paid the debt for sin and rose from the dead.

• Sermon Illustration [00:34:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his younger years, admitting he used to read the Bible trying to be the hero (like David or Esther) until he was introduced to Christ-centered, expositional preaching by pastors like Mark Harris, John Piper, and Timothy Keller.
• Sermon Illustration [00:36:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the story of David and Goliath as an analogy to shift perspective from the believer fighting their own 'giants' to Jesus, the champion shepherd king, fighting in our place.
• Sermon Illustration [00:56:27 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about having a student named Malachi in his class, which caused the office to buzz and made the name stick in his memory.
• Sermon Illustration [00:59:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical story of Barabbas, an insurrectionist and murderer who was set free while the innocent Jesus was condemned in his place.
• Sermon Illustration [00:59:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor tells the story of Barabbas, a guilty insurrectionist who went free while the innocent Jesus was condemned in his place, noting that the name Barabbas literally means 'son of the father' to illustrate how guilty criminals are set free through Christ.
• Sermon Illustration [01:04:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of a financial debt where Paul offers to pay Onesimus's debt to Philemon, contrasting this with Jesus paying the debt of the entire world, and compares the US national debt to 'pocket change' compared to what Christ paid.
• Sermon Illustration [01:11:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor illustrates the difference between mercy and grace using a hypothetical scenario where Philemon not only forgives Onesimus's debt (mercy) but promotes him and makes him a brother in Christ (grace).
• Sermon Illustration [01:16:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the biblical figures Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, noting their roles as Paul's companions. He specifically highlights Demas, who later deserted Paul because he loved the present world, as a cautionary tale.
• Sermon Illustration [01:20:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the metaphor of a check written with Jesus' blood that 'cleared the bank of heaven' to illustrate the completeness of the payment for sin.

• Pastoral Charge [00:39:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > Stand up for the reading of Scripture
• Pastoral Charge [01:14:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > Hear Jesus' voice and open the door of one's heart to let Him in.
• Pastoral Charge [01:14:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor clarifies that the listener must personally repent, believe, and surrender their life to Jesus, as he cannot do it for them.
• Pastoral Charge [01:20:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > Do not harden heart or turn away from Christ's call
• Pastoral Charge [01:22:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > Call upon the name of the Lord to be saved
• Pastoral Charge [01:22:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > Open the door to Christ and give heart to Him
• Pastoral Charge [01:25:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > Respond to the Lord at the altar

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:11:22] Our community project was Serve NC and we will be giving a brief report on that this evening at our quarterly church conference, but God was made much of this past weekend in which we did that and we're just so excited that that's one of our staples here at Trinity Baptist Church. It's just returning things to the community and lifting others up in the process, but let's continue our worship here this morning by singing a great hymn called O Church Arise. Let's stand together as we worship.

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:15:03] as the song was just singing. All the saints and the soldiers have arisen this morning to assemble and we've assembled here on this hill to lift high the name of Jesus, the name that is above
[00:15:14] all names. Christ has promised if we do that, if we lift up the son of man, he will draw all men to himself. So we are here this morning to worship and adore him. So thankful that you have joined
[00:15:24] us this morning here at Trinity. My name is Robert and I serve here as the associate under Pastor Mark Harris who we're anxiously awaiting his return from the international mission trip so continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers so thankful for all of you who could
[00:15:38] join us here today but if you are joining with us I just want to welcome you here to the sanctuary this is 221 Irvin Road and we'd love to have you in person if you're visiting with us via live stream
[00:15:49] we also have a gift for all of our visitors today the deacons have a little blue gift bag for you and on it you'll see a visitor's card if you'd be so kind as to fill that out as they're walking
[00:16:02] down the aisles just raise your hand up high enough for them to see you they'll get it to you there's a couple of things in there for you but that gift card if you'd be so kind as to just
[00:16:11] fill it out put it in the offering plate as it passes by we'd love the opportunity to connect with you and walk through life together as we seek to know jesus christ and make them known
[00:16:21] That's our mission statement here.
[00:16:24] Well, ladies and gentlemen, as they're walking down the aisle, finishing up the gift bags, typically there's no better way to start off a service than to go to the Lord in prayer.
[00:16:34] So let's take a moment to call upon the name of the Lord this morning to bless our time together.
[00:16:40] Father in heaven, God, we love you, but only because you first loved us.
[00:16:48] God, we do want to, before we ask a single thing this morning from you, Father, we want to praise you for what you've already given.
[00:16:57] Lord, you've given your son, Jesus Christ, and you've covered our sins, Lord.
[00:17:01] You've given us your Holy Spirit.
[00:17:03] You've given us grace.
[00:17:04] You've given us your word.
[00:17:06] You've given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, Lord.
[00:17:10] And we're thankful for them.
[00:17:12] Father, we confess our need for you.
[00:17:15] Lord, we're like a branch.
[00:17:17] if we're severed from you the true vine we'll wither and we'll decay lord it's only through you that there's life it's only through you that there's fruit so help us this morning lord to abide in you father we pray that your pruning shears would go over our life lord that would
[00:17:35] remove any area that needs to be pruned may we repent of our sins lord and as we do so proclaim the gospel to ourselves so incredibly thankful for the precious promises in scripture if we confess our sins, Lord,
[00:17:50] you've promised to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[00:17:55] Lord, you are just and you are the justifier of all who believe.
[00:18:00] Thank you, Father, for the precious gift of the gospel.
[00:18:04] Help us to be good stewards of it, Lord.
[00:18:06] You've entrusted so much into our care to live in America, to live in North Carolina, in Mooresville, North Carolina.
[00:18:15] Father, it's one of the most affluent areas on the planet.
[00:18:18] Help us, God, to leverage these treasures for the kingdom.
[00:18:24] Help us not bury our treasure.
[00:18:26] Help us not squander it on ourselves, on selfish pursuits.
[00:18:30] Help us to leverage every time, every talent, every treasure for the cause of Christ, Lord.
[00:18:36] To know him and make him known.
[00:18:39] Father, we do pray that you'd have your hand upon this service today, Lord, that you would touch hearts and minds.
[00:18:45] Father, you are the great physician.
[00:18:46] You are the wonderful counselor, Lord.
[00:18:49] If there are hurts, people grieving, Lord, saints in the hospital, even text messages coming through this morning of more individuals who have fallen and been broken and are now in need of repair, Father, put your healing hands upon them.
[00:19:05] Comfort, Lord, where comfort is needed.
[00:19:08] Convict where conviction is needed.
[00:19:12] Lord, this is your church.
[00:19:14] You are our shepherd and the great overseer of our souls.
[00:19:18] Lead us, Lord.
[00:19:19] help us to hear your voice and follow in whatever direction you so choose to lead thank you again lord for lavishing your love upon us help us to respond to it this morning accordingly by worshiping you lord in spirit and in truth and all god's people said amen
[00:19:38] if you have children with you this morning nursery through third grade we have children's church available to my right and your left there's miss terry lyons there to greet them And as they're heading that way, let's greet one another and welcome into each sanctuary this morning.

[00:26:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:26:18] Trinity family, this is part of the service where we give back to God for all that he has provided for each of us.
[00:26:27] We can do that online through the Trinity website or in person today.
[00:26:33] So let's pray.
[00:26:34] All that we have is yours, God.
[00:26:37] We continue to pray to maintain strong fellowships with you, to seek your will for each of us and have the courage and obedience to do your will in every part of this day and week.
[00:26:50] This morning, we are blessed to be able to see and hear the word of God.
[00:26:54] His word comes through the music played by the musicians, lyrics sung by the choir, spoken within the sermon, and we are about to hear that soon.
[00:27:05] God, we are blessed to be in your presence and to have an opportunity to increase our knowledge.
[00:27:11] And throughout, we ask that you be with us, that you shape our hearts and minds for this morning's tithes, offerings, Pastor Robert's sermon on your word, and for us to have a better understanding of your word as we go out today.
[00:27:26] We also pray for the successful defense of Israel and the U.S. and ask for your protection of the families in harm's way.
[00:27:35] In addition, we pray for those Trinity members and Christians around the world.
[00:27:40] for expert diagnosis, comfort, surgeries, healing.
[00:27:47] Sometimes we hear of those going into surgery and we don't hear anything for a while and they're in ICU for a day or two, still don't hear anything.
[00:27:58] And later we find out they're still in ICU.
[00:28:02] So for those that are in need of strong healing, please take care of that for them, for those families.

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:28:12] today. We ask for these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen is right. Very powerful. Thank you so

[00:32:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:32:30] much, Pastor Grant and Chase and choir. Love so amazing, so divine, demands a response.
[00:32:40] We're going to see that love displayed today in the book of Philemon. I'm excited about unpacking that with you this morning. Church, I don't know about you guys, but I personally believe a lot of people approach the Bible from the wrong perspective. All too often, we read the
[00:33:12] Scriptures, we read the Bible in such a way that we try to make ourselves the hero of every story.
[00:33:20] We often read the Bible and we say, I'm going to be heroic like David. I'm going to be brave like Esther I'm going to be fearless like Daniel I'm going to be courageous like Joshua and
[00:33:37] unfortunately I think modern day preaching isn't much help to that situation unfortunately it's sad to say in pulpits all across the land Christ is fading into the backgrounds of the Bible. Meanwhile, men try to place themselves in the spotlight of every story. In my younger years,
[00:34:04] I'm going to be honest, that's exactly how I used to read the Bible. But that all changed when I was introduced to faithful, Christ-centered, expositional teaching and preaching, and I praise God for it. I praise God for pastors like Mark Harris, pastors like John Piper, John MacArthur,
[00:34:25] Timothy Keller, R.C. Sproul, and many more who have taught me to see Jesus through the shadows of every story. Now, one of my favorite things to do whenever I get the chance to teach or preach
[00:34:40] the Bible is to preach Christ from every story in the Scriptures. Now, don't get me wrong.
[00:34:49] There's nothing wrong with aspiring to be like godly characters. There's nothing wrong with trying to find someone from time to time that you can relate to. That's not what I'm saying here this morning. The point I'm trying to make already right off the bat is this. Please catch
[00:35:06] this. The Bible is not primarily about you, Christian, and what you must do for God. The Bible is all about Christ and what he has already done for us. As the old preacher used to say,
[00:35:29] it's a hymn book. It's a book about him being H-I-M, Jesus. In fact, I personally believe you could point me to any scripture in the Bible, any passage in the Bible, and I, if you give me enough
[00:35:43] time could point you right back to Jesus here's a good example David and Goliath ask yourself this morning is David and Goliath primarily a story about you and the giants that you must face in
[00:36:01] your life or is it ultimately pointing us towards our champion shepherd king born in Bethlehem who fought in our place a victory that we could never win and set us free from the giants of our our
[00:36:19] giant enemies of sin and death let's let's rapid fire through a lot together here this morning here's several coming from the old testament jesus is the true and better adam who passed the test in the garden whose perfect obedience is now credited to our accounts jesus is the true
[00:36:41] and better Abel whose blood speaks a better word today. Jesus is the true and better Isaac the beloved son who trusted in the father's plan and willingly laid down his life as the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus is the ram that was caught in the thorny thicket foreshadowing the crown of thorns
[00:37:01] that would one day be pressed down upon his head. Jesus is the true and better Abraham who left his heavenly home and journeyed into a far country to create a people for God. Jesus is the true and
[00:37:18] better Joseph who sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding for those who would betray him that they might not perish in their famine of sin and shame. Jesus is the true and better Moses
[00:37:31] leading his people out of bondage from sin and into the eternal promised land. Jesus is the Passover lamb who was slain, whose blood when applied to the doorpost of our hearts, the judgment of death will pass right over. Jesus is the rock that was struck in the wilderness
[00:37:50] from whom living water flowed out so his people might drink and not perish. Jesus is the manna from heaven, the true bread of life that was broken so that we might not ever hunger again.
[00:38:03] Jesus is the true and better Job truly innocent yet willing to suffer and intercede for his foolish friends Jesus is the true and better Esther who merely didn't just risk his life but lay it down to save his people
[00:38:22] Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast into the sea of God's judgment so that the storm of his wrath could be stilled do you hear what I'm trying to tell you this morning church
[00:38:36] the list could go on and on and on as jesus said to the pharisees in his day you search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life and yet it is they that bear witness
[00:38:53] about me and so for the rest of our time together this morning i want to invite all of us to look for jesus in the book of philemon today and as we do i want you to pay special attention to
[00:39:08] who's who in this story i want you to ask yourself where do you see god the father in philemon where do you see god the son in philemon and where do you see yourself represented in the
[00:39:24] midst of it all hey if you're willing to go on that journey with me this morning then would you please stand out of the honor of reading of god's word as we read through philemon 1 12 through 25
[00:39:35] This is the word of the Lord.
[00:40:13] forever no longer as a bond servant but more than a bond servant as a beloved brother especially to me but how much more to you both in the flesh and in the Lord so if you consider me your partner
[00:40:28] receive him as you would receive me if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything charge that to my account I Paul write this with my own hand I will repay it to say nothing of
[00:40:46] you're owing me even your own self yes brother I want some benefit from you in the Lord refresh my heart in Christ confident of your obedience I write to you knowing that you will do even more
[00:41:02] than I say at the same time prepare a guest room for me for I'm hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you Epaphras my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus sends greetings
[00:41:16] to you. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Let's pray. Father in heaven, may you add a blessing to the
[00:41:32] proclamation of your word. Open up our ears to hear it, our eyes to see it, our hearts to respond to it. May you let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your
[00:41:43] sight oh lord our rock and our redeemer we ask this in your son's mighty name amen thank you may be seated faith family if we could condense this entire sermon down to a single sentence here's
[00:42:01] what that sentence would be it's the truth of the day in christ redemption's plan was fulfilled our debts were paid and our lives are transformed by his power let's unpack that bit by bit here
[00:42:22] this morning. I want to start this morning with point number one, the plan of redemption. Look through verses 12 through 16 and you will start to see the plan of redemption start to unfold this
[00:42:34] morning. Now I hope this doesn't come as a surprise to you, but the gospel was not God's plan B.
[00:42:43] It wasn't his backup plan, church. In the great mystery of salvation, the sovereign God planned to send his beloved son from the very beginning one of the clearest verses expressing that in all the bible is acts chapter 2 verse 23 it says this jesus delivered up according to the definite
[00:43:06] plan and for knowledge of god you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men church the cross was not a colossal accident calvary was not a coincidence the crucifixion of jesus unfolded according to the definite plan of god and what's so interesting i think about
[00:43:32] philemon here this morning is that in a smaller earthly way you see a very similar plan start to unfold starting with a beloved son being sent. A beloved son was sent. Think back to last Sunday
[00:43:52] Philemon 1 verse 10. Paul calls Onesimus his spiritual son and now here in verses 12 through 13 he says I'm sending him back to you. I'm sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him
[00:44:10] with me in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel in order for this plan of redemption to move forward a beloved son had to be sent does that sound
[00:44:28] familiar a son who Paul loved so much he described the experience as if he was sending his own heart something tells me this week some of y'all know how that feels some of y'all had to send your
[00:44:46] children off to school this week maybe even back to college and like Paul you sent them because you know it's ultimately better for them and for others as much as we might want to keep them at
[00:45:00] home safe and sound for ourselves we understand that they were created to fulfill his plans not our own they belong to another they belong to their heavenly father and were created to fulfill his plans and his purposes for their lives now by by way of reminder it's it's important we keep the
[00:45:25] context of this story at the forefront of our minds here today we can derive from this letter a lot of things but one of which is onesimus was a runaway bond servant of philemon as a matter of
[00:45:39] fact look in verse 18 verse 18 implies that he may have even stole something from him during his departure but somewhere along the way according to the sovereign providence of almighty god onesimus was brought into contact with the apostle paul during his imprisonment paul who at the time
[00:46:05] was an innocent man held in prison for simply proclaiming the gospel met Onesimus this runaway thieving slave and not only did he lead him to Christ but he encouraged him to make things right by going back to the earthly master that he had wronged and ask him for forgiveness
[00:46:27] that's right where we find ourselves here today with the beloved son being sent but that's only part of the plan in verse 14 we see that a heart had to be sought as well a willing heart was sought
[00:46:44] in verse 14 Paul pleading with Philemon proclaims I prefer to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but by your own accord church Paul could have commanded Philemon to do the right thing. He says as much in verse 8, but instead
[00:47:13] of commanding or demanding, Paul appeals to Philemon's heart. He wanted Philemon's goodness to flow from a willing heart that was transformed by grace, not out of compulsion. And I wonder, does that sound familiar today? Did God not send his beloved son so that people might be
[00:47:38] forgiven and reconciled back to himself is the call of the gospel not to willingly receive this son of your own accord so that through his power your heart can be radically transformed god's plan of redemption doesn't just change our circumstances temporarily church it it changes
[00:48:02] our hearts forever it radically transforms our hearts forever and you see that taking place in verses 15 and 16 a beloved son was sent a willing heart was sought but then here in verses 15 and 16 we see that eternal change was secured in verse 15 Paul says this is perhaps why he was
[00:48:32] parted from you for a while so that you might have him back forever no longer as a bond servant but much more than a bondservant as a beloved brother especially to me but how much more to you
[00:48:49] both in the flesh and in the Lord here we see that a temporary separation led to a permanent reunion because a son was sent and a transformation was made the gospel the gospel completely transformed their relationship. Onesimus was no longer viewed according to his former condition.
[00:49:18] The change, the Bible says, was both in the flesh and in the Lord. Not only now was he a member of Paul and Philemon's family, but most importantly, he was now welcomed into the family of God.
[00:49:33] And church, that's what's so incredible about redemption. That's the reality of redemption we're contemplating here this morning runaway slaves to sin can be radically transformed into sons and daughters of the king of kings and brothers and sisters in the lord once you think
[00:49:56] about your own life think about the moment that happened to you as a matter of fact the fact that you're still here today in this very room is proof it wasn't a temporary change it was a now
[00:50:11] and forever change to which you stand eternally secure paul said if you receive this son you will have him forever and that's good news but as good as this good news is it gets even better if you
[00:50:31] take a closer look i want to pause for a moment and i want to speak to those in the room who may have an Onesimus in your own life. I want you to think about a loved one, a precious loved one in
[00:50:48] your life. Maybe it's a spouse, a child, a grandchild, I don't know. Someone who has wandered away from their master and found themselves in a very dark and difficult place of separation in their life. I want you to think about that individual. Picture their face. Call their name
[00:51:09] to your heart and mind and i want you to consider this take heart dear brother or dear sister for that place of darkness in their lives is often the place that god does some of his greatest and
[00:51:32] brightest work in their lives that temporary prison may be the very place they find their eternal freedom. Just try to imagine. Try to imagine how it must have felt to be Onesimus' loved one. How it must have felt when they heard the news that he had gone astray. How painful it
[00:51:56] must have been for them to hear that he'd been thrown into prison for his actions. He was miles and miles away in the big city of Rome. Perhaps they might have thought, you know what, it's too
[00:52:08] late it's all over our beloved Onesimus is gone forever he is as good as dead and then again I wonder how it must have felt the day he was released from prison and on his own volition
[00:52:30] he returned to them with this very letter of redemption we are reading here in the church today in his hands, declaring to them all, I am no longer a slave to sin. I met someone in that
[00:52:48] dark place in my life. I met someone who told me about the light that could set me free. And as a result, I've been sent back to you. But no longer as a slave to sin, I'm sent back as a son and as a
[00:53:06] beloved brother in christ church i i praise god for the great and glorious plan of salvation i praise god that a son was sent that our hearts were sought and that an eternal change was made
[00:53:23] but church i also want us to remember we must never forget what it took to make that possible it's true by grace we are saved and it's a free gift offered to us but it came at a great price
[00:53:39] to the one who picked up the tab in verses 17 through 19 we're going to consider the price of redemption this morning just like in all financial transactions an exchange has to be made that's the first thing you see in verse 17 an exchange was made Paul says if you consider me
[00:54:04] your partner receive him as you would receive me here in verse 17 Paul really starts to give us a beautiful picture of what theologians refer to as substitutionary atonement or in simpler words you can consolidate the entire gospel down to just four simple words it's Jesus in my place it's
[00:54:34] the gospel I just love how in these next few verses Paul really starts to shine like the sun he really starts to reflect the glory of Christ please don't miss this this morning you see in
[00:54:48] verse 17 Paul starts to look a lot like Jesus Philemon starts to look a lot like the father in Onesimus he starts to look a lot like you and me what I mean is just as Christ intercedes on our
[00:55:04] behalf before the father as though he says father I know these useless slaves have rebelled against you I know that they have wronged you horribly in their pursuit of what they thought would give them freedom but it only led them to a greater bondage of sin and shame in their lives and
[00:55:24] father I know they rightly deserve your judgment but for my sake because I perfectly fulfilled your righteous demands receive them just as you would receive me father treat them according to my righteousness church this is a beautiful picture of imputation where the righteousness of christ
[00:55:50] gets credited to our accounts it's one of the most incredible aspects of the story of redemption we could ever consider and i want to submit to you this morning it's not just a new testament truth
[00:56:02] the old testament anticipated this see for yourself let's let's take a little bible field trip right now get your bible out hold your place here in philemon go to the left a few pages go to the very last book in the old testament to the italian prophet malachi i mean malachi i'm
[00:56:27] glad you're awake this morning you caught that one head to malachi i was a teacher one time i had a student in my class named Malachi the office buzzed and they said send Malachi to the office I
[00:56:40] just died laughing it's that's why it stuck with me here but so Malachi chapter 7 verse I'm sorry Malachi chapter 3 verse 17 this is really powerful take a close look at it this morning right here
[00:56:57] in the middle of a passage where God describes the coming day of judgment I want you to notice How does God describe those who are going to be spared from judgment?
[00:57:10] How does God describe those that are going to be spared from his fiery wrath to come?
[00:57:15] Verse 17 in the third chapter of Malachi.
[00:57:20] They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts.
[00:57:23] In the day when I make up my treasured possession, don't miss this, I will spare them as a man spares his son who served him.
[00:57:34] I will treat them as a father would treat his beloved faithful son church what a glorious truth to consider and how dare there be pastors across the land that say we need to unhitch from
[00:57:52] the old testament what a great and glorious truth to consider today the beautiful doctrine of imputation in which the righteousness of Christ gets credited to our accounts. But I want you to realize this is double imputation through the cross of Christ. Where Jesus, he takes our place.
[00:58:17] Jesus is treated just as our sins deserved. And we, we are accepted according to his righteousness.
[00:58:27] this means that his righteousness gets placed on us and our sin gets placed on him verse 18 shows us that verse 18 shows us that a price was paid i love what paul says here if he has wronged you at
[00:58:48] all or owes you anything charge that to my account this speaks to me of propitiation in which the wrath of Christ the wrath of God was satisfied through the sacrifice of Christ Paul you can't tell me Paul doesn't look like Jesus here saying if they have wronged you at all
[00:59:19] if they owe you anything at all put that on my tab charge that to my account Philemon place my good standing upon him and place the debt that he owes on me does that sound like
[00:59:41] the gospel church if it doesn't you might not know the gospel church one of the clearest pictures of this in all of scripture is the story of barabbas surely you know about barabbas when i mentioned
[00:59:57] his name but there's been people in mooresville i've talked to who have never heard of barabbas before Barabbas was a notorious prisoner Barabbas was an insurrectionist he was a murderer he stood guilty and condemned justly deserving the death penalty and yet when the hour of judgment has come
[01:00:24] who was condemned in his place so that he could go free it was Jesus it was Jesus Barabbas a guilty man you're set free and jesus an innocent man you will be condemned to die in his place
[01:00:46] but church i wonder do you know what the name barabbas even means so many times in scripture we come across names in the bible and we take them for granted we see this word bar beside it
[01:00:59] take for instance mark 10 46 and they came to jericho and as he was leaving jericho with his disciples in a great crowd bar timaeus a blind beggar the son of timaeus was sitting by the
[01:01:17] roadside all throughout the bible you see names like that simon bar jonah bar tholomule bar timaeus bar abbess do you know what the word bar means church the literal english equivalent is son of son of now most of you'll get this next part what does the word abba mean let me hear it
[01:01:52] it's father it means father jesus crying out in the garden of gethsemane abba father so when you put those two words together the name barabbas literally means son of the father please don't miss this at the cross at the cross a guilty criminal can be called
[01:02:26] a son of the father and eternally set free at the cross the guilty can be set free because christ the innocent would be condemned to die in their place through the substitutionary atoning work of Jesus all of the father's children can be set free I don't care if you've lived like Barabbas
[01:02:51] I don't care if you're the worst of the worst I don't care if you're a wretched murderer if you simply open up your heart and receive this son who was sent to take your place he will radically
[01:03:09] transform your life that's what I'm trying to tell you this morning I'm trying to tell you that there is power in the name of Jesus to forgive your sins and to give you freedom in your life
[01:03:21] like you've never experienced before. Through this great and glorious gospel exchange, through the cross of Christ, your sins can be credited to Christ's account and his righteousness can be credited to yours. Hey, don't just take my word for it. I'm just an old country boy from
[01:03:40] memphis take god's second corinthians 521 second corinthians 521 says for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin why so that we might become the very righteousness of god it's a pretty good deal isn't it praise god almighty for this great and glorious gospel
[01:04:10] exchange where not only was an exchange made in a price paid but in verse 19 you see that a debt was erased a debt was erased after dictating most of this letter Paul was speaking it out loud to
[01:04:28] his assistant who was writing it Paul says hey give me the pen he writes this with his own hand he says I will repay it to say nothing of you owing me even of yourself church you know what I
[01:04:46] think I think old Paul must have been a soul winner you see not only did he lead Onesimus to Christ but apparently here in verse 19 he led Philemon to Christ also that's why he says I'm
[01:05:03] going to say nothing of you owing me even of yourself and I really admire that about Paul he had a heart for soul winning and I love how he gives us a glimmer of expiation right here
[01:05:19] Expiation means that the guilt of our sin has been taken away with.
[01:05:24] It means that the stain of our sin has been cleansed.
[01:05:28] It means that the record has been canceled.
[01:05:30] Our debts have been paid in full.
[01:05:37] You know, Paul, Paul might have been able to afford the financial debt of one man, but I'm here to tell you this morning, Jesus is the true and better Savior because he paid for the debts of the entire world
[01:05:52] upon that tree.
[01:05:55] Church, in one of the most glorious passages of all the Bible, one of my favorite passages in all the scripture, here it is.
[01:06:04] Colossians chapter two, verses 13 and 14.
[01:06:08] Here's the gospel in a nutshell.
[01:06:11] And you, and you who were dead in the trespasses of your flesh, God made alive together with him having forgiven us all of our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us
[01:06:32] with its legal demands.
[01:06:37] He set it aside.
[01:06:39] How did he do that?
[01:06:40] He nailed it to the cross.
[01:06:43] What a glorious truth.
[01:06:46] God canceled the record of debt that stood against us.
[01:06:51] Every single sin that we've ever committed, every single commandment that we've ever broken, every single righteous demand that we never failed to meet.
[01:07:01] God took the entire record of debt and he nailed it to the cross.
[01:07:10] That's why Jesus cried out, test tell us that.
[01:07:14] That's why he cried out, it is finished.
[01:07:16] It has been accomplished.
[01:07:18] The record of debt that stood against us has been paid in full.
[01:07:25] Glory, hallelujah.
[01:07:27] I don't care what your debts were.
[01:07:30] Jesus paid it all.
[01:07:36] Some say, hey, the national debt of the United States is hovering around $40 trillion.
[01:07:42] But you know what?
[01:07:43] I'm here to tell you today that's pocket change compared to what my father did for me.
[01:07:49] That's pocket change compared to what's in my daddy's bank account.
[01:07:54] Church, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but he had to sacrifice a single lamb to pay off the debts of all of his children.
[01:08:04] How could he do that?
[01:08:07] Because that lamb was so costly.
[01:08:10] that lamb was so precious that lamb was none other than the lamb of god sent to take away the sins of the world praise god church let this sink in today we never get past the gospel we never move
[01:08:30] past the gospel we have to go deeper into the gospel on the cross jesus did not make a down payment. He didn't set up a monthly payment plan. He didn't leave us a remaining balance to pay off
[01:08:47] through good works. My Bible says he paid it all. My Bible says the debt was erased. My Bible says the account is settled. The price has been paid in full. So let me ask you this morning, church,
[01:09:01] what's your credit score look like? Has your record of debt been paid off? Are you in a spiritual bankruptcy this morning have you received this great and glorious exchange if you have there's more good news for you to enjoy and relish today for the last 10 minutes of our time together
[01:09:24] i want to share with you about the power of redemption the power of redemption church once this power has grabbed a hold of your life everything starts to change first thing that starts to change in verse 20 and 21 it's going to produce a changed heart your heart's going to be
[01:09:51] the first thing god does when he moves in it's to the heart yes brother i want some benefit from you in the lord refresh my heart in christ confident of your obedience i write to you knowing that
[01:10:10] you're going to do even more than i say paul knows that philemon's life has been radically transformed by the power of the gospel.
[01:10:24] And as a result, he expects Philemon to love and forgive others just as he has been loved and forgiven.
[01:10:36] Paul basically says, hey, bless my heart by choosing to do the right thing of your own accord.
[01:10:43] I taught you what it meant to love Jesus.
[01:10:46] Now show your love for Christ by loving others.
[01:10:51] Paul is so confident in Philemon, he expects him to do more than just offer mere mercy mercy not getting what you deserve which is an Onesimus case would have been judgment but Paul Paul expects grace grace is receiving what
[01:11:13] you don't deserve it is unmerited favor perhaps this might look like this here comes Onesimus back to Philemon. And Philemon says, hey Onesimus, don't worry about the loss of income I experienced when you left me high and dry. Don't worry about that property you took,
[01:11:37] you sold for me. That debt, that debt's been forgiven. You see, that's mercy. And here comes the grace. Philemon, Onesimus, not only am I going to give you your job back, I'm going to give you
[01:11:55] a promotion and a raise. Not only are you a bond servant, you are now my beloved brother in the faith. Church, that's what redemption and reconciliation is all about. That's what the power of the gospel does. It changes a heart, a heart that demands payment in return. It turns
[01:12:20] it into a heart that offers forgiveness. It takes a heart that cries out for judgment, and it turns it into a heart that extends mercy it takes a heart that keeps a record of wrongs and it turns
[01:12:34] it into a heart that offers grace church there's power in redemption to change your heart it does produce a changed heart but it also produces a certain hope a certain hope look in verse 22
[01:12:51] at the same time prepare a guest room for me i'm hoping that through your prayers i might be graciously given to you paul expresses his hope that he's soon going to be released from prison
[01:13:08] and reunited with his beloved church family and his basis for hope is through the power of prayer and there's a lot of applications we could draw through here about prayer but again here today i'm trying to keep the spotlight on jesus and the even greater hope
[01:13:32] that awaits those who belong to him you see paul could only hope that he might return to philemon but we know with certainty that christ will return for us his return is not merely a possibility in
[01:13:54] which we hope in it is a certainty to which we believe and to which we must be prepared for church it's not a matter of if but when he returns and my prayer this morning is that we would be
[01:14:09] ready so let me exhort you this morning trinity baptist church you had better prepare your heart to meet your king revelation 320 says the king is near he's so near he's standing at the door
[01:14:25] what is he doing i stand at the door and i'm knocking to the lukewarm church he's knocking Y'all are meeting without me.
[01:14:37] I'm here to join you.
[01:14:38] Let me in.
[01:14:40] How do we do that?
[01:14:43] Hear my voice.
[01:14:47] Open the door and I come in.
[01:14:52] Friend, I cannot open that door for you.
[01:14:58] I can't repent for you.
[01:15:00] I cannot believe for you.
[01:15:03] I can't pay your debt.
[01:15:06] I couldn't even pay mine.
[01:15:09] I can't make you surrender your life to Jesus.
[01:15:11] I can't save you.
[01:15:13] all I can do is what I've been trying to do all morning church I can only point you to the one who can I've tried to bring forth the gospel from the book of Philemon today the giant gospel from
[01:15:28] this little book in Philemon to tell you about a son who was sent to tell you about a price that's been paid to tell you about a debt that's been erased to tell you about a power that can transform
[01:15:38] your life and as I've done all that I am so comforted by this one last truth here this morning the power of redemption it not only produces a changed heart and promises us a certain hope
[01:15:57] but it also provides for us a current help praise God Almighty for the current help that we have in the last few verses.
[01:16:09] Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ, sends greetings to you, as does Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke and my fellow workers.
[01:16:19] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
[01:16:25] God is such a good and gracious king.
[01:16:33] He gives us everything needed for life and godliness.
[01:16:38] He gives us friends and faithful companions to help us along life's way i know i am blessed to call some of you my personal friends and companions and you know who i'm talking about but as i look over these last few names in these last
[01:16:58] few verses some of them seem familiar to you right some of them you you recognize you recognize mark and luke they along with paul wrote most of the new testament but some of these names are a little
[01:17:10] vague, right? A little less familiar. Epaphras, Aristarchus. If you want, you can read about them in Colossians and Acts. They helped Paul through his missionary journeys. And I praise God for good friends. But there's a friend who sticks closer to us than a brother. An even greater help than
[01:17:35] any earthly companion. And it's the help that Paul mentions in verse 25. The grace of the Lord jesus christ be with your spirit church friends can encourage us fellow workers can labor alongside of us brothers and sisters help us carry our burdens but ultimately ultimately it's the grace
[01:18:01] of god that sustains us every step of the way he is our current help his grace calls us his grace saves us his grace changes us his grace strengthens us his grace sustains us all the way
[01:18:21] but before we close today in these last few moments i've got to warn you about one name hidden in the midst it's the name demas at this time paul wrote this letter demas was a
[01:18:40] a close friend and companion.
[01:18:42] But years later, Paul wrote these heartbreaking words.
[01:18:47] The words in 2 Timothy 4.10, Demas, in love with this present world, deserted me.
[01:19:01] Demas, who had once labored alongside the Apostle Paul, pulled away from him because his love for the world was too great.
[01:19:15] And so brothers and sisters, as we close today I want to exhort you don't let your love for this world pull you away from Christ tell me what does it profit you to gain the whole world yet you
[01:19:31] lose your soul nothing in this world could love you like Jesus nothing could ever pay your debt nothing could ever bear your judgment nothing could ever save your soul Jesus he's the only one who lived the life
[01:19:49] that you could never live fulfilling every single one of god's righteous demands jesus is the only one who died the death that you deserved satisfying the wrath of god in your place they placed jesus in a borrowed tomb
[01:20:07] i say borrowed because he only needed it for three days he gave it right back and he rose from the grave with splendor and power declaring his victory over sin hell death in the grave proving
[01:20:23] the payment he made on the cross was accepted the debt was paid in full the check that he wrote with his own blood cleared the bank of heaven and now as we close i'm here to tell you this morning
[01:20:42] if you're sitting in this sanctuary if you're in the overflow room if you're joining us via live stream if christ is calling you today don't harden your heart and turn away don't let this love for the present world pull you away from Jesus? If Jesus is knocking open the door,
[01:21:05] I can't open it for you. I can't repent for you. We can't believe for you. We can't pay the debt for you. We can't save you. We can only point you to the one who can. Jesus loves you so much in that
[01:21:23] while you were still a sinner, he died for you. So turn from your sins and place your faith in your savior today ask him to forgive you ask him to wash you clean ask him to give you a new identity
[01:21:40] no longer as a slave but as a beloved son or daughter of the king scripture makes it crystal clear this is all you have to do just call out to him romans 10 9 if you confess with your mouth
[01:21:58] that jesus is lord and you believe in your heart that god has raised him from the dead you shall be saved amen romans 10 13 everyone who calls upon the name of the jesus will be saved
[01:22:12] everyone means anyone and anyone can mean you too and christ the plan of redemption has been fulfilled in christ the price of redemption has been paid and in christ the power of redemption can transform your life today.
[01:22:39] I promise you that.
[01:22:42] Simply call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.
[01:22:48] Would you pray with me?
[01:22:51] Father in heaven, God, we thank you for this great and glorious gospel.
[01:22:58] Lord, your word is perfect to revive a soul.
[01:23:02] These sacred scriptures hold the power to make us wise according to salvation.
[01:23:11] Lord, we know that faith comes through hearing and hearing comes through the word of God.
[01:23:18] Father, your humble messenger sought to proclaim your word today as best I could.
[01:23:25] I'm so thankful, Lord, that you can draw straight lines with crooked sticks.
[01:23:31] So Father, I pray that you would do only what you could do, Lord, as we plant and as we water in this community.
[01:23:40] God, I pray that you would give it growth.
[01:23:44] Lord, if there's someone here who's never given their heart to Christ, if they hear him knocking at the door, help them to open that door before it's too late father there might be christians in this room
[01:23:57] who have anesimuses in their life maybe there's someone in their life who's that you forgiven but they're still keeping a toll a tab in their book help them to love them lord and forgive them
[01:24:11] father just as we have been loved and forgiven lord perhaps in a step of obedience today might look like joining this church it might look like joining in this faith family so we can be rooted here on this hill and start to bear fruit and keeping with repentance and shine as
[01:24:31] bright lights in this community father we just want to provide an opportunity to respond as we the last song we sang before the sermon began love so amazing it's so divine father it demands a response so through your holy spirit empower us to respond in a way that would bring you honor
[01:25:00] glory and praise father we ask this in the mighty and the matchless name of jesus christ our messiah and all god's people said amen church family this altar is open respond as the lord sees fit

[01:25:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:25:12] thank you so much you may be seated got some exciting decisions for christ this morning

[01:30:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:30:01] what a blessing to have two families younger families with children stepping forward into church membership we praise god for that so on my right we have julie and doug lacoste they've been attending trinity now for a while praise god they've gone through the new members class they
[01:30:19] come to us from peninsula baptist church they have three little ones they're so cute let's see audrey caroline and benjamin right and are they are they at tc i'm trying to remember not this year okay awesome well these these this family we're so incredible thankful to have them
[01:30:36] so we'll do this one at a time uh what what's your pleasure in affirming them as members into trinity baptist church we got a motion in a second all in favor right raise your right hand
[01:30:45] praise god almighty let's give them a round of applause welcome to the faith family awesome one more family to my left and your right we have mr matthew here and miss julie griffith and we are
[01:30:59] so incredibly thankful to have them they are transplants from new york right attending let's see here saint john's church in uh new york so they're coming here now you will be baptized by immersion we're excited about that and these two little ones here are gabby and olivia they have
[01:31:15] been attending trinity tca and tbc so we praise god for that you know we've been praying for god to fill the school fund the school and fruit the school and here we have uh just god's answered
[01:31:26] prayer these two families i know the lacostas have been working tirelessly in that front as well so we praise god for that but what's your pleasure in affirming the griffins into church membership here this morning got a motion a second all in favor raise your hand praise god praise god amen
[01:31:41] amen amen well i'm going to invite them to walk down with me and greet one another and welcome them into the church family one really quick church announcement you don't want to miss the quarterly church conference tonight we're going to have two baptisms plenty of testimonies powerful
[01:31:59] time of service and i'm told that there's going to be an ice cream social afterwards so you get a chance to taste and see that the lord is good and thank you to the choir for providing the ice
[01:32:10] cream and uh i heard that blue bell's the best we're gonna have to debate that and try it out um so brother trevor if you want to give the benediction and prayer and we'll just walk down

[01:32:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:32:19] no thank you yes sir thank you uh pastor robert for that awesome christ-centered message uh church family while our service comes to a close. The Lord might be still doing a work in your heart,
[01:32:30] and so any of our ministers, Pastor Robert, Pastor Grant, myself, anybody in your pew, we'd love to pray for you. If you have something on your heart and your mind, we'd love to talk to you. We'll be out in the lobby. Also, maybe you have questions about church membership, and
[01:32:44] that's what stopped you from not coming up to become a member. We have a new members class starting next week, and I encourage you to come during our Sunday school hour. If you're curious, If you have questions about church membership, I encourage you to come to that.
[01:32:57] As Pastor Robert said, our quarterly church conference is tonight.
[01:33:01] And then we'll also have that ministry fair during the ice cream social.
[01:33:04] So if you're looking for opportunities to serve and get involved in the church, I encourage you to come tonight for that.
[01:33:11] For our benediction, it comes from Colossians chapter 1, talking about Christ.
[01:33:17] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
[01:33:22] for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him and he is before all things and in him all things hold together and he is the body or he is the head
[01:33:48] of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn of the dead, and that in everything he might be preeminent. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, thank you for this powerful service this morning.
[01:34:04] Lord, thank you that you do pay the price, that you have brought redemption for our sins. Lord, that we can be ambassadors, that we can be of God. Lord, I pray that we would go out with this
[01:34:15] message this week that would be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.