Useless to useful

Useless to Useful PHILEMON 11

An Appeal to Philemon for Onesimus •V16 Onesimus was Philemon’s Slave•V12, v15 Than ran away from Philemon and somehow met up with Paul while he was in prison. •V12 Onesimus was going to return to Philemon•V11 He was “once unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me”•Why? What changed? • He became a brother in the Lord v15

Connection to Colossians

•Philemon 2• Paul greets the church in his house

•Paul tell the Colossians that Onesimus is “one of them”• Colossians 4:8-9

•In Colossians the Bondservant and Master relationship is defined• Colossians 3:22-25

How Did Onesimus Become a Useful Bondservant?

•He Put On The New Man• Col. 3:10-14

•He Received Christ and Now He Was Walking in Him• Col. 2:6-7

•His goal was to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him• Col. 1:9-11

Responsibilities to the Earthly Masters (Col. 3)

• Obey in all things you masters according to the flesh v22• Not with eyeservice, as men pleasers, but in sincerity

of heart, fearing God. V22• And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord

and not to men, v23• Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the

reward of the inheritance v24• For you serve the Lord Christ. V24• But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he

has done, v24• And there is no partiality. v25

But, what if??•My earthly master commands me to sin?• Col. 3:24• There are ways to correct those that have authority over you – 1 Tim. 5:1

•My earthly master is a bad master?• Col. 3:22-25 is not conditional only if 4:1 is being followed• But Remember God sees all!• Gen. 16:5-13