03.07.11 PM SermonChrist and Christian Relationships # 5 In the Church (Col 4:7-18)
This evening we shall be considering the apostle Paul’s words in the final chapter of his letter to the Colossians.
We have already been looking at this list of names and descriptions in our All Age morning services this year.
This evening I want us to look again at these people that Paul mentions with particular focus upon how they are described and what they are described as either having done or aiming to do.
1. Description of the people
There are ten people that Paul mentions. These are not just names on a list –these are real people living real lives. I want us to imagine that we are here mentioned in this letter and think about the different admirable qualities or characteristics that these people exhibit, that perhaps we would like to be attributed to us.
There are a number of adjectives used to describe these folk, and I want us to look at some of them.
a. “Dear” / Precious / Valuable
Tychicus and Onesimus are both described in this way.
This morning we thought a little about how precious some people are to us.
Each of us is precious to God, but how do we show others that they are precious to us, that they are dear friends? I seems that it is easier to ‘feel’ that someone is dear to us, than to show it – firstly for practical reasons – it takes time to spend time with people, to listen to them, to share their lives – secondly, we make it difficult for others to show us how dear we are to them - we generally aren’t very good at being on the receiving end of grace - We find it hard to accept acts of kindness, or generosity - we feel that we should repay.
We are to let others show us that we are precious to them, else we rob them of the joy that could be theirs.
b. Faithful
Tychicus is given this description.
Faithfulness is a Godly quality – to remain faithful to another, through thick and thin, smooth and rough times.
How this world needs a faithful people of God and faithful workers and friends.
And how we need faith-filled disciples of Jesus to make him known in this needy world.
Are you faithful and faith-filled? Or unfaithful and faith-less?
c. Minister
Again Tychicus is ascribed this title. Not so much a title but a description of a role. Also, Archippus is urged, “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.” (Col 4:17)
Every Christian is a minister – not just those who have been ordained.
We are each ministers of the gospel, ministers of the new Covenant (2 Cor 3:6), we have the ministry of reconciliation ( 2 Cor 5:18) and we minister to others with the authority and the strength that God bestows.
Ministry takes all different shapes and sizes. I have the ministry of the word, others have the ministry of writing letters, or of generosity, or of washing up, or of designing buildings, etc.
d. Fellow
Tychicus and Aristarcus are given this term of ‘fellow’-ship. There is a similar description given to Oneisimus and Epaphras - “Who is one of you” - We are fellow workers, fellow walkers, fellow worshippers, fellow witnesses. We share in one Lord, one faith, one Spirit. We are alongside one another.
This is what I love about being a Baptist – that we have an understanding of covenanting and walking with one another. We are fellows of the same tribe, the same covenanting people of God, and therefore we have responsibilities and obligations towards one another. We’re in the same boat together. There is a bond of love that binds us towards one another – a bond in Christ’s blood.
e. Brother
Onesimus is given this affectionate term. God brings us into his family and makes us brothers and sisters. We are to regard Christians as family – whether we like them or not. This means that we have a responsibility towards the poor and needy members of our family.(Galatians 6:10) “… as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especiallyto those who belong to the family of believers.” And this will be a witness to the world of Christ’s love (John 13:35) “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
f. Friend
Paul regards Luke as his friend – a friend who stuck with him.
May our friendships run deep – may we not be content with superficial friendships – mere acquaintances.
How might we become better friends? I find that my prioritising of time is my main problem.
g. Servant
Tychicus and Epaphras are called servants.
We are to be servants in two senses; Serving one another and Serving Christ Jesus (Epaphras “a servant of Christ Jesus”). In a sense they are one and the same. We serve Christ by serving others.
h. Prisoner
Paul and Aristarcus share in being prisoners for the Lord.
Scripture speaks about being a prisoner of the Lord, of Christ Jesus, but also prisoners of sin and of the law of sin. May we live as the Lord’s prisoners, rather than those who are entangled and chained by sin.
i. Workers for the kingdom of God
All of our work is to come under this sphere. Whether our work is tied up within church structures, or outside.
May we be diligent and set a good example to others in our hard work.
2. Description of the tasks
a. Greeting
There are specific greetings from Aristarcus, Mark, Jesus who is called Justus, Epaphras, Luke and Demas, and of course from Paul himself.
Greetings are important, as I have said before, because it shows others that you are thinking of them.
Think of the ways in which we may ‘greet’ others – in a letter, phone call, text message, e-mail, a card, a note through the door, flowers, a gift, etc. Just to let others know that they are in our thoughts.
How do others know that they matter to you, if you do not show them?
b. Messenging / News telling
Paul says that Tychicus (v7) “will tell you all the news about me.” (v8) “I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances” (v9) “They will tell you everything that is happening here.”
There is the essential task within the life of the body of Christ to convey news – like nerve impulses being sent from one part of the body to another to say that there is pain, or distress and therefore something should be done about it.
There are parts of the body of Christ in this world who are letting us know that they are suffering and need our prayers and help.
And organisations such as Open Doors, etc act as messengers.
May we pay heed and respond as appropriate.
c. Encouraging
Tychicus is sent by Paul “that he may encourage your hearts”.
Who has the Lord sent you to encourage? How might we encourage one another?
It is all too easy to discourage – through thoughtless words and actions.
There are those within the body of Christ who let their mouth and their emotions get the better of them, they are not careful and it can cause a great deal of harm.
It know of those who have stopped fellowshipping amongst God’s people because of hurtful things said to them – usually on the spur or in the heat of the moment.
But encouragement needs to be given careful thought.
May each of us make a concerted effort to be encouragers rather than a grumblers, complainers, whingers, whiners, mumblers, grumblers, gossips, or to let our frustration or hot-temperedness get the better of us.
d. Comforting
Paul describes the Jews among his co-workers as those who “have proved a comfort to me.”
Paul, writes (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
Comforting others in troublesome times is vital if we are together to press on with the task of making Christ known.
Who might you be a comfort to in these days?
e. Praying
Paul refers to Epaphras – “He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
Here prayer is pictured as something that is not easy – in fact it is described as a wrestling match.
Wresting with ourselves
Wrestling with circumstances
Wrestling with our enemy
Wrestling with God – with the silence, delay, answers
I encourage us to become prayer wrestlers, to not give up, to not give in, to not let go.
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the persistent widow, Luke says (Luke 18:1) “to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
And prayer isn’t really about getting what we want from God, but perhaps more about God getting what he wants from us.
f. Working
Paul writes again of Epraphras (v13) “I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.”
Hard work is commended throughout Scripture.
We are to be those who prove ourselves to be hard workers, those whom others can vouch for and depend upon.
This is so that our hard work and good deeds will result in people giving glory to God.
Jesus said, (Matthew 5:16) “… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
And Peter writes, (1 Peter 2:12) “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”
The Scriptures warn about laziness and encourage hard work:
(Proverbs 10:4) “Lazy hands make for poverty …”
(Proverbs 14:23) “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
(Ecclesiastes 10:18) “Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.”
(Ecclesiastes 11:6) “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”
And in a world that so desperately needs to hear and see the Lord of God through his people there is much work to be done whilst the day is still here, there is no time to waste.
Paul recognised the urgency of the work and the way in which hard work helped to supply other people’s needs: (Acts 20:34-36) “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Our hard work is not to be self-serving, it is not about amassing stuff for ourselves, rather, it is to be regarded as a means by which we may be a blessing to others and further the gospel.
Paul specifically warned the Thessalonians about idleness in both of his letters to them –
(2 Thessalonians 3:11)“We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:14) “… we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive ..”
(2 Thessalonians 3:6-7) [ Warning Against Idleness ] “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you. … on the contrary, we worked night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.”
And he has to write to Timothy about younger widows (1 Timothy 5:13) who “get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”
God sees what we do and do not do, remember Jesus own words to one of the churches in the book of Revelation (Rev 2:2) “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.”
g. Hosting
A similar view, to that of our hard work, should also be taken of our homes – that they are to be used for the benefit of others and for the gospel of Christ.
Paul writes about “Nympha and the church in her house.” Nympha exercised her gift of hospitality, in opening her home. In her home, Jesus was central. Who here has a home that they could open up to others?
So many regard their homes as their castle – drawbridge up.
There are clear commands in scripture :
(Romans 12:13) “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
(1 Peter 4:9) “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
May nothing of ours be out of the reach of Christ, but may all we have be submitted to him.
h. Persevering
(v17) Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”
Sometimes we need a little encouragement to complete the work we have begun. Some are great at beginning new things but not so great at plodding on with them and finishing them.
We want instant results in an instant society. We don’t want to have to wait or to work hard.
So, may we be a people who exhibit Christ in our characters, attitudes and actions.
Because you and I are not just names on a list, we are real people, living real lives, through whom God can make a real difference in this needy world in which we live.