12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,
13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.
15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,
16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.
Sermon Notes: The Test of Obedience
As we look back at verse 12-17, I want to give you 5 points and I’ll be on my way.
1. Obedience to God Is ALWAYS IMPORTANT
2. Obedience to God Is NOT ALWAYS EASY
3. Obedience to God Is SIMPLE
4. Obedience to God PRODUCES FANTASTIC RESULTS
5. Obedience to God MAKES GOD SMILE
You and I can have an incredible impact on people’s lives regardless of who they are or what they did to you.
Take responsibility for those relationships and be obedient to God when he tells you how to handle them.