Useful

I don’t know if you have ever read someone else’s letter. Not in the sense that you swiped a sibling’s letter and read it, or had someone hand you their letter to read. I mean more like finding an old letter or two from your parents to one another or even just a random old letter whose author and recipient you do not know. I read one just a few weeks ago that was sent but not delivered, rather it was kept by the postmaster for an unknown reason and just recently digitally opened and transcribed and translated into English. While the name of the sender and recipient and even their addresses were known, there were a lot of details that just were beyond getting to the bottom of. Things like what happened to the cousin whose certified death certificate was needed. Why was the death certificate needed? Why was a first letter not responded to? All, details that were knowable to the sender and recipient which have slipped away into history.

This morning we are going to look at the shortest of the Apostle Paul’s letters. We know the author and the recipient and even a bit about why he was writing. Yet there are a lot of details that might like to know that have simply slipped away into history. Like why did Onesimus end up in the presence of Paul? What might Onesimus have owed Philemon? What ever became of the relationship? Who are Apphia and Archippus? I have to admit, some of those answers might make preaching a sermon from this little book a lot easier. Yet we have to look at what we do have and ask, what is valuable and meaningful to us today. Philemon 10-17

Philemon 10–17 NIV84

I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.

I. Useless

A. Worldly Uselessness

1. Poor worker

2. Slothful

3. AWOL

B. Greater Uselessness

1. False values

a. Sometimes even praised by the world

b. Luke 12:16 - 21

2. False Worship

3. Self-seeking

Trans –

II. Useful

A. Worldly Usefulness

1. Different master

2. Different work ethic

3. Col. 3:22 – 25

B. Spiritual Usefulness

1. Different family

2. Different values

3. Sacrificial

While we might not know all of the background information we might like about the letter from Paul to Philemon, what we do know should change our outlook on life. As followers of Christ we are called to be useful to our Lord and to others in this life.