Thoughts on Philemon 1-21 - The Pressure!

Below are thoughts for my upcoming sermon considering why we do what we do - if it is out of the desires of our heart, or if it is giving into pressures and expectations. I have not yet considered how to include Bowie's song "Under Pressure."

MAIN IDEA – The question of how to be a Christian always plagues me. I wonder if I am being good enough, if I am quoting enough scripture, or if I am living a holy life. Maybe I should listen to more Christian music, maybe I should refer to God more often. Maybe I should be involved in more direct actions of ministry, I should be helping more people. Maybe I should be telling more people about Jesus. All of these things are on my mind when I consider my Christian life. I wonder if I am true and honest to my relationship with God. Appearances are important, and they affect how I view my own life.

Paul is clear that Philemon has an obligation, but he seems to leave things to Philemon’s desire. It should be Philemon’s desire that sends Onesimus back to Paul, not a sense of duty or appearance or obligation. This should also be the focus of my life – if I am living into the desires of my heart when it is true to God. If I am honest and true then I should not worry about what others think, how I am judged, and what I am doing.

My heart is restless until it finds rest in thee. Pull my heart and let it taste the rest that you offer. Let my desire for you grow in my heart so that my life can follow the desires of my heart. Through Christ I have a relationship with you, may that relationship grow and grow seeping into every aspect of my life.
Amen

THEOLOGICAL IDEA – The basic idea is faith vs. works, which goes beyond Luther but seems to be articulated well by Luther. Ultimately our works do not make us Christians, our faith does. We cannot act like Christians, our actions must come out of our new relationship with God – our faith.

The transformed relationships through Christ is profound in this as well. We recall Paul’s statement that there is neither slave nor free in Christ. Through baptism we are all brought into a new ordering in the church; an ordering that changes the way we see each other.