WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT BEING A FOLLOWER OF JESUS - Sunday 5th September 2010 Rev. Dr. Robert Johnson Did you miss Robert's sermon on Sunday or simply want to listen to it again? Click the sound file to download. WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT BEING A FOLLOWER OF JESUS Sometimes it is really difficult being a follower of Jesus. Philemon must have thought so. He had owned a trusted slave, Onesimus, who had stolen from him and then run away. Philemon naturally was hurt that his trust had been broken, that he had lost this valuable piece of property, so the best thing would have been to let the Roman Law take its course - the slave should lose his life.   Now here is Paul, his dear friend and co-worker in the Gospel, urging him to take Onesimus back, and not just as a slave but as a brother in Christ. People would think he was soft as well as stupid. How difficult Philemon must have found it to walk this Jesus Way.   Jesus does ask us to do difficult things; to lose possessions; to give up our rights; to forgive when we have the right to punish; to behave in ways that our friends and colleagues will think is stupid. Of course he asks us to do no more than he did, in going the way of the Cross. Paul asks no more of Philemon in giving up his rights for the sake of the Gospel than he, Paul, had already done.   Today is Father's Day, and even we imperfect fathers know that regularly we give up our rights and give over our possessions for the sake of our children - it is called love, and it is like the love our heavenly Father is always showing us. Probably the hardest time to be a loving father is when we have to show tough love, and say "No" to our children for their own good, but we would not be loving fathers if we did not do that sometimes.   The world of Onesimus and slavery seems thousands of years ago, and yet the "Stop the Traffik" movement tells us the problem is widespread today. It estimates over 1.2 million children are trafficked into slavery each year, most of it through organised crime. That will be difficult to fight against, but followers of Jesus are often called on to face up to the difficult. Do you or I hear this call?   Robert Johnson Pentecost 15     Building faith together ... Posts on this article: Public: 0 Private: 0 Post your response Your name: Please enter the 4 digit code that appears below. Thank spammers for this inconvenience. Code   Code Your email: Optional, used only to notify you of responses. Authentic points of view are encouraged, however much they may differ from the views of this site. Rude or abusive language will be removed at the sole discretion of the moderators.

INVITING THE LEAST IMPORTANT - Sunday 29th August 2010 Rev Dr Robert Johnson Click the heading ABOVE to download and listen to this sermon Sunday 22nd August 2010 Rev Dr Robert Johnson Click the heading ABOVE to download and listen to this sermon A TRANQUIL FAITH - Sunday 15th August 2010 Keith Holmes Sermon Click the heading ABOVE to download and listen to this sermon