Philemon - Pt 3

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 ESV). In its January 25, l988 issue, TIME provided the following insight on selfishness and its corollary, sharing. Speaking about the introduction of the videocassette recorder, the article said, “The company had made a crucial mistake. While at first Sony kept its Beta technology mostly to itself, JVC, the Japanese inventor of the VHS (format), shared its secret with a raft of other firms. As a result, the market was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the VHS machines being produced.” This drastically undercut Sony’s market share. The first year, Sony lost 40 percent of the market, and by 1987 it controlled only 10 percent. So now Sony has jumped on the VHS bandwagon. While it still continued to make Beta-format VCRs, Sony’s switch to VHS, according to TIME, ultimately sent Beta machines to “the consumer-electronics graveyard.” There is a lesson about sharing with others in our reading this morning. I have a mouse-pad on my desk in my home office with a picture of Faith and Logan printed on it. Many people who come in ask me if those are my grandchildren? Of course, that begins the conversation. Pretty tricky! Anyone who knows me very well, also knows that it doesn’t take much to get me started talking about my family. Sometimes as I talk I seem to remember more of the many experiences we have had together. I grow to appreciate them even more, if that’s possible! That is the way it is with your faith as well. Jesus really has done a lot for you if you are a Christian. He has been there for you, even when it didn't feel like He was. He is working all things out for your eventual good. One day, He is going to take you to Heaven to live with Him there. He has a wonderful eternity planned for you! You probably won't really appreciate all He has done for you until you start to tell others. That is why Paul encouraged Philemon to share his faith. He knew that as Philemon began to tell others about Christ, that Philemon would love Christ even more. You can't talk about Him and not get excited! Do you need a fresh touch on your faith? Are you looking to build your excitement about Jesus? Would you like more joy in your Christian life? Then start telling people the Good News! Start spreading the Gospel! Take the pictures out of your wallet and start sharing from your heart about the love of your Savior! Your life will be changed, and those around you will appreciate what you have to say!