"7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received ]instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”
18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you." Colossians 4:7-18
Good Morning my beloved,
Welcome to worship this Lord's Day
We're so glad to have you here
Let us bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for this wonderful reminder, for the instruction, You lovingly give us through Your Word. Thank You for the incredible grace and patience You show us, no matter how many times we fail You. Thank You for drawing us to Yourself, when we stray too far. Thank You for the great joy that overwhelms our hearts, for the peace we have in the chaos of this world.
We pray this in Christ's name
Amen
Today's Message: For The Love of Christ.
Open your Bibles with me to the book of Colossians chapter 4. As we conclude our study of this wonderful epistle, we arrive at the last nineteen verses, 7 through 18. Most often, the conclusions to epistles are skipped over in sermons and preaching
series, however, there is valuable information to communicate to the church. In this particular passage, Paul gives his final instructions to the church
at Colossae. In these final verses, we’re reminded that our faith should affect our friendships. Instead of
just looking out for ourselves, we need to recognize that we really do
need each other because we’re all members of one body. Let's be honest, that’s not easy
to do, is it? I recall sometime ago, hearing someone say something like "To dwell with saints above, that will be glory; But to live with saints below, that’s another story."
I would like to encourage you to follow along with me as I read to you, the final verses of
"As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you."
As Paul concludes his letter the Colossians, I believe there are important principles in these verses for church today.
First, Paul communicates a desire for fellowship with the churches in
Colossae and Laodicea, even though he is absent in body.
Second, Paul communicates a desire that there would be a circulation of
his letters between the churches.Paul is exhorting the importance of the Word in the life of the church. Third, Paul encourages
a specific member of the church, Archippus. Apparently, Archippus
needed to be goaded and reminded of the calling the Lord had placed on
his life so that he would fulfill it. Fourth, Paul gives a final
exhortation regarding prayer. He instructs the church to "remember,"
speaking here of remembering in prayer, his chains. As he prays for them, he expects them to pray for him also.
In verses 7-9, he indicates that he is sending the letter by the hand of
Tychicus and Onesimus. Paul commends both of these men. He commends
Tychicus as "Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful servant, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me."
In verse 8, Paul describes his purpose in sending Tychicus, " I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your hearts." Paul’s desire, even in sending the letter-bearer to
Colossae, was to build up and strengthen the hearts of the church there.
In verse 9, Paul also commends Onesimus, the run-away slave, as "a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you." This is an incredible
statement of redemption. Notably, Paul wrote Colossians during the same
prison stay in which he wrote the letter commending Onesimus to
Philemon, Onesimus’ master, commending Onesimus as a brother who was "useful," a play on the meaning of his name.
In his letters in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, mentions more than 100 people. I believe that there were around 26 that he mentions in Romans chapter 16 alone. Here, in Colossians 4, Paul mentions 10. I mention this in order to draw attention to the fact, that Paul definitely did not work alone.
Paul did not operate as a lone ranger. I say this to bring your attention to the simple fact, Paul functioned as a member of a team. And this should give us incentive to work harder at remembering people’s names. Because we're all on a team, serving the same God. It's high time the modern church begins to act like it. It's not about you, it's not about me, it's about Him. It's about us serving the Lord.
Historically, Christians have always relied on networking. The Apostle Paul was a great net-worker!
Without supportive friends and partners throughout the world, the gospel
would not have spread as fast as it did. I have several friend that are great at this. When they meet someone, they quickly memorize the persons name and looks
for ways to leverage these new relationships for the sake of the kingdom. I have attempted to learn from the Apostle Paul and them. I've done fairly well, I have developed partnerships with other pastors in other states and also in various parts of the world.
Friendships and our relationships are a large part of our discipleship. Our sanctification should extend to all of
our relationships. As we live out the supremacy of Christ in our own lives,
it will impact our interactions with others. We are all as the Body of Christ, are called to help one another grow and mature in our faith.
I believe we often lose sight of the fact that people are more important than programs. It is crucial for us to
remember that ministry always flows along relational rivers. There have been times in my life, I’ve made
the mistake of putting programs above people. And, if I’ve ever done that to
you, I’m apologize.
Among Paul’s friends are a doctor and a runaway slave. He had friends who
were Jewish in background and others who didn’t even know who Abraham
was. He hung out with men and had many friendships with women. Not unlike ourselves, he was closer
to some than others, some were givers and a few were doers, several
were old and a handful were new, some were up to the task while others
bolted from their responsibilities and beliefs. However, Paul had five faithful friends who lived out the truth of Proverbs 18:24 which teaches us "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
As Paul’s friend, Tychicus had been given three responsibilities. He was to deliver letters to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, and to Philemon. He was Paul’s personal FedEx delivery. He would be able to tell people how Paul was doing and he would encourage their hearts. I believe that if we’re not encouraging one another, we may actually be contributing to the place of sin in someone’s life. We all can use a little encouragement, wouldn't you agree?
We can tell that Paul was confident in giving Tychicus these three jobs because Paul knew that he was
faithful. I can think of no higher commendation than what Paul said
about his character. He was a "dear brother." Paul was not afraid to be affectionate in
the way he referred to people. Tychicus was loved deeply by Paul. Tychicus was a "faithful minister." Paul counted on Tychicus on several occasions.
Faithful is a great virtue. In fact I Corinthians 4:2 says "In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy."
God does not ask us be brilliant, however, He does ask that we be faithful. He longs for us to be faithful in serving Him.
I'd also like you to notice, that Paul didn’t pull rank on others just because he was an Apostle. He refers to Tychicus as his "fellow bond-servant in the Lord." We’re all ministers and fellow servants. We are all standing on equal ground, at the foot of the cross. There are times when in this ministry, things could have gone south but because of the faithfulness of many of you, this ministry has actually expanded! God has placed each one of you where He wanted to you to be, and in the position that you serve. He created you with the specific talent to do what He has called you to do. And I am grateful for each one of you, who continue to serve, behind the scenes, with little fanfare. Those of you who have been serving in different areas are certainly no less important or valuable. I couldn't do what I do, if it weren't for you doing what you do!
Paul mentions a second friend in verse 10, a faithful friend by the name Aristarchus. Paul says "Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); " Aristarchus stayed with Paul no
matter what the circumstances were. He risked his life during a riot in
Ephesus, sailed with Paul to Rome and suffered through a shipwreck. Commentators are not sure if
Aristarchus was an actual prisoner who was charged with a crime, or if
he voluntarily or involuntarily shared in Paul’s captivity.
I tend to believe that he willingly
served time with Paul in order to encourage and help him. According to
Roman law, a respectable prisoner was allowed two slaves to serve as his
personal attendants. And if this is the case, Aristarchus was an unusual
man. If we look to the epistle to Philemon,
sent at the same time, it is Epaphras who is called the
fellow-prisoner, while Aristarchus is classed among the
fellow-laborers.
In verse 11, Paul mentions a third faithful friend, Jesus "Justus." "and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me." As a footnote, the name Jesus, was actually quite a popular
name in Jewish families. In Hebrew it’s "Joshua" and means "Yahweh is
salvation." Since Christians have always revered the name Jesus, he
may have taken the Roman name Justus after his conversion in order to
gain open doors in the Roman Empire. In a similar way, Paul’s name
changed from Saul when he was converted. Along with Aristarchus and John
Mark, Justus would have been among the first "Jews for Jesus"!
In verses 12 and 13, notably, Paul says of Epaphras, "who is one of you," the man who apparently
started the church at Colossae, he says, "always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." Paul again
expresses the fact that the church at Colossae is being labored over,
not only by Paul, but others, who are working hard, so that they would be built up in their
faith. This needs to be read and understood, in light of the threat of the theological
error in their midst. Paul is noting that the founder of the church wants
them to stand firm, that he himself desires that, and the men who will
bring this letter to them, Tychicus and Onesimus, will work to this end
as well, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in
everything God wills.
"Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis."
In verse 14, we read: "Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings" We know that Luke
played a very important role in Paul’s life, traveling with him on the
third missionary journey, and was responsible for writing the Gospel of
Luke and the Book of Acts. I’m sure Luke helped to take care of Paul
when he received beatings and when he suffered various ailments during
his imprisonments. He was well educated and highly trained and was a
careful and exact historian. Yet, Luke chose to use his gifts for the
kingdom of God, because everything else was secondary to serving Christ.
We know that according to II Timothy 4:11, Luke had stayed with Paul right up until the moment of his death
when Paul wrote: "Only Luke is with me." Only a faithful friend will
stay to unto the very end.
Paul makes mention of Demas, who appears to have been involved for a time in his ministry. He later forsook Paul, abandoned the ministry, and left town.
In verse 15, Paul mentions a fifth friend, her name is Nympha, who demonstrated her faithfulness by turning her home into a church. "Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house." Many commentators are unclear whether Nympha was a man or a woman, has it been a man it should have been spelled Nymphas. Regardless, Paul wanted to make sure that those traveling to Colossae would give a special greeting to Nympha.
Of Paul's faithful friends, he had a faithful prayer warrior, Epaphras. Paul mentions him in verses 12-13, "Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis."
I'm sure you will remember, we met Epaphras earlier, in Colossians 1:7. He was the evangelist who first launched the
church in Colossae and labored in teaching and shepherding as their first
pastor. He is called a "servant of Christ.' This word in Greek is
better translated, "slave." A slave of Christ recognizes that all of
one’s possessions, aspirations, and time all belong to Jesus. Paul says that he’s praying for the believers in Colossae that they would
stand firm against the false teaching and that they would become mature
in their faith, having the full assurance of eternal life by grace, not
works.
Beloved, prayer is hard work. Prayer that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. Prayer that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. Epaphras didn’t pray only when it was convenient or when he had nothing else to
do. Of the10 people Paul lists in this chapter, only Epaphras is
commended for his fervency in prayer. As a footnote, that doesn’t mean that the others didn’t pray, it does however suggest that prayer was a major part of his ministry. I know there are some of you among us, who are faithful prayer warriors, I thankful for you. May God bless you and increase your tribe! What you are called to do for this ministry and others, is a critical part of this ministry.
There are many of us are faithful, few of us, however, are fervent. And some of us are faltering. We can ascertain that this was the case with Archippus. It has been suggested that he was also the pastor of the Colossian church in the
absence of Epaphras. And, for some reason he was neglecting the ministry he
had been given, so Paul reminds him to "complete the work." Apparently, Archippus needed to be reminded of the calling the Lord had placed on his life. Some us have within us the seeds of a fickle faith because we are all human, and have some flaws.
In verse 18, "I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you." These closing comments were often done in a unique style as we see in Galatians 6:11. In other words, Paul was saying that his signature would prove that the letters were genuine.
Paul asks the Christians at Colossae to "remember my imprisonment." I can almost hear the chains rattling on his manacled wrists as he writes to close his letter to them. "Grace be with you," Paul begins and ends all of his letters with this trademark. I like to think of grace as the bookends that summarize the entire collection of letters.
In Closing...
I believe this challenges us to make sure we're not holding someone hostage to something
they’ve said or done in the past. Someone we need to set free and be willing
to give them grace and encouragement. It also reminds us to reflect on Christ, to remember those who are suffering and do what we were able to lift their burden. "Bearing one anothers burdens." Remembering the times when our Lord Jesus, lifted our burdens and cares from our weary shoulders. Who showed for us, when we were feeling low, how He embraced us with love and encouraged our heavy heart.
I believe it also challenges us to recommit our lives to the supremacy of Christ. To realize that as a loving family, we need each other. Just knowing we are surrounded by the love of Christ, our brothers and sisters, why would anyone want to make it on their own. And may we do it, for the love of Christ.
May it be so...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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