Refreshments
Refreshments
“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” -Philemon 1:4-6
When we arrive at church, at the house of friends and loved ones, at Immerse on Wednesday nights, or at bible study/small group, are we arriving with a heart and mind aimed at the filling of our own tank, or to fill the tanks of others? When we pray for others, are we always coming from the perspective of receiving from the Lord, or are we praying as Paul did for Philemon? Is the prayer and fellowship culture in our homes one that is prone to taking, asking, and seeking out selfishly, even selfishly, for others? Examine Paul’s prayer closely, and you will see that he is not praying for Philemon to share his faith that it might benefit him (Philemon), draw him closer to God, or to be a better Christian. Paul’s prayer for Philemon is that the sharing of his faith would be done entirely for the “sake of Christ”. Even indicating that the good that is in us isn’t for us…it is for and from Christ alone. Are we praying in this manner for our brothers and sisters here at New Life? If not, why not? If so, what brought you to that point in your walk with Christ?
“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” -Philemon 1:7
Brothers and sisters, we are called to refresh one another for the sake of Christ. Paul does not derive joy from Philemon’s love for him…he derives joy and comfort because Philemon’s love and care for the hearts of the saints has filled him up. This is not the culture of our world. Sadly, it is often not the culture amongst churches that claim to represent Christ and the kingdom of God. Why is this? It seems lazy of us to brush it aside and to be dismissive by saying something along the lines of, “Well, they must not really know Christ”, or “That is an unhealthy church.” This is hard to face with honest reflection, because it forces us to ask ourselves if we are simply consumers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, or if we are living for Him.
The example that Paul sets here, which is actually the example that God has set, is that part of living with and for Christ means that we are loving fellow saints in a manner that causes their hearts to experience refreshment! If you have ever experienced the joy of witnessing a fellow brother or sister in Christ serve others in the same way that Paul describes Philemon, the impact is often profound. This is complex because it forces us to push aside any selfishness that we carry. It also forces us to reconcile whether the way we fellowship is actually draining others rather than rejuvenating them. Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. We must be able to turn to one another for comfort, support, and to lean on one another in times of need. But we must also be careful not to be lulled into a consumer-only mindset of fellowship. May Christ move in our lives in such a way that we refresh one another for His sake, and that causes us to stand in awe of his work in the lives of fellow saints!
Your brother in Christ,
Zack Fugate
“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” -Philemon 1:4-6
When we arrive at church, at the house of friends and loved ones, at Immerse on Wednesday nights, or at bible study/small group, are we arriving with a heart and mind aimed at the filling of our own tank, or to fill the tanks of others? When we pray for others, are we always coming from the perspective of receiving from the Lord, or are we praying as Paul did for Philemon? Is the prayer and fellowship culture in our homes one that is prone to taking, asking, and seeking out selfishly, even selfishly, for others? Examine Paul’s prayer closely, and you will see that he is not praying for Philemon to share his faith that it might benefit him (Philemon), draw him closer to God, or to be a better Christian. Paul’s prayer for Philemon is that the sharing of his faith would be done entirely for the “sake of Christ”. Even indicating that the good that is in us isn’t for us…it is for and from Christ alone. Are we praying in this manner for our brothers and sisters here at New Life? If not, why not? If so, what brought you to that point in your walk with Christ?
“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” -Philemon 1:7
Brothers and sisters, we are called to refresh one another for the sake of Christ. Paul does not derive joy from Philemon’s love for him…he derives joy and comfort because Philemon’s love and care for the hearts of the saints has filled him up. This is not the culture of our world. Sadly, it is often not the culture amongst churches that claim to represent Christ and the kingdom of God. Why is this? It seems lazy of us to brush it aside and to be dismissive by saying something along the lines of, “Well, they must not really know Christ”, or “That is an unhealthy church.” This is hard to face with honest reflection, because it forces us to ask ourselves if we are simply consumers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, or if we are living for Him.
The example that Paul sets here, which is actually the example that God has set, is that part of living with and for Christ means that we are loving fellow saints in a manner that causes their hearts to experience refreshment! If you have ever experienced the joy of witnessing a fellow brother or sister in Christ serve others in the same way that Paul describes Philemon, the impact is often profound. This is complex because it forces us to push aside any selfishness that we carry. It also forces us to reconcile whether the way we fellowship is actually draining others rather than rejuvenating them. Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. We must be able to turn to one another for comfort, support, and to lean on one another in times of need. But we must also be careful not to be lulled into a consumer-only mindset of fellowship. May Christ move in our lives in such a way that we refresh one another for His sake, and that causes us to stand in awe of his work in the lives of fellow saints!
Your brother in Christ,
Zack Fugate
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
September
October
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments