Colossians Ch4v7-18 - Partners In The Gospel

Good morning everyone, it's nice to see you today.

Chilly one, isn't it?

Yeah, a few nods.

Feel free to do ten star jumps while I get myself organised.

Always a good way to get warmed up.

So let's turn in our Bibles to Colossians.

Colossians chapter 4, we're at the end of our studies.

Colossians 4 · chapter mention

We've gone all the way through and if you've missed any of those talks,

then you can follow up online.

It would be a good way to catch up.

So we're going to read this morning chapter 4, verses 7 through to 18.

Starting at verse 7.

Chichicus will tell you all the news about me.

He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.

I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances

and that he may encourage your hearts.

He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother who is one of you.

They will tell you everything that is happening here.

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.

You have received instructions about him.

If he comes to you, welcome him.

Jesus, who is also called Justice, also sends greetings.

These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God,

and they have proved a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings.

He is always wrestling in prayer for you,

that you may stand firm in the will of God, mature and fully assured.

I vowed for him, that he is working hard for you,

and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Our dear friend, Luke, the doctor and Demas send greetings.

Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea,

and to Nympha and the church that meet in her house.

After this letter has been read to you,

see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans,

and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

Tell Archippus,

see to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

Remember my chains.

Grace be with you.

Well, let's pray.

Father God, we thank you for this letter that we've been able to study together and read.

A letter which is no ordinary letter,

but your word to us today.

And so we ask that by your spirit,

you would help us in our understanding of your word,

in applying it to our lives,

and that you will enable us to live by its truth,

so that we become everything,

that you call us to be as your people individually,

and together as a church.

So help us now, we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, it's not the most exciting text in the whole Bible, is it?

Just a list of funny names and various greetings.

At best, we might look at it all and think,

maybe I could find a name here for my new child.

How about Tychicus, dear?

Well, no, that sounds like a disease.

What about Aristarchus?

No, that's far too hard to spell.

Let's just go for Luke.

Clearly, there's not much here, so let's move on.

But not so quick.

All these names that are written here

give us an insight into the Christian community.

You see, when God saves us,

he saves us not just personally,

but he saves us into a local church family.

And with that connects us to the global church family.

So look at all these various greetings

that we have here and comments.

Look at verse 7.

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me.

End of verse 9.

They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Verse 12.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus,

sends his greetings to you.

Verse 14.

Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas,

they send greetings.

And give my greetings to the brothers and sisters

at Laodicea, the church just up the road,

and Nympha, where the church was meeting in her house.

But it wasn't just these personal greetings one to another.

It was something bigger and wider.

It was a church-to-church greeting.

So look at verse 16.

After this letter, the letter to the Colossians,

has been read to you,

see that it's also read in the church at the Laodiceans.

So 50 kilometers up the road in Laodicea

was another church.

And, well, the church in Colossians,

well, they would send the letter to them

and they in turn would read the letter

that was sent to Laodicea.

You see, all these greetings back and forth

reveal a grand big family of God's people

who deeply love one another.

For Christians are not isolated individuals

choosing and doing their own thing.

And gospel churches don't live in independence either.

We are, if we want a summary for this whole text,

look at the middle of verse 11.

He says,

My fellow workers for the kingdom of God.

That's a great way for us to view and see each other

as we gather this morning.

Not as individuals who've come

and will just disappear into the week.

No, we are fellow workers

for the kingdom of God.

So what can we learn together this morning

from all these people?

Some we know very little about

other than their names.

Well, using that summary text there,

my fellow workers for the kingdom of God.

Let's look at it first as our fellow workers.

There's no independent Christian

in Christ's church.

We're fellow workers.

We are diverse in our background,

but we're equal and we are united.

First, look at our diversity.

The names may seem strange to us,

but they do indicate a great variety of people.

We have Tychicus, Aristarchus,

Jesus, who is called Justice.

These were all Jewish names.

And then we have Epaphras, Luke and Demas.

Well, they were Greek names,

so there was different cultures,

there was different religious backgrounds,

there were men and women like Mark and Nympha.

And then in verse 9,

we have this character Onesimus,

who we'll discover in just a minute

was a runaway slave.

And then in verse 14,

we have Luke,

who was a doctor,

a respected person.

So there's a rich diversity of people,

isn't there?

Socially, nationally,

religiously, economically,

from all kinds of different backgrounds.

You see, this tells us

that the Gospel is for all people.

No matter what background we come from,

we are all in need of Christ.

We were born separated from God,

and we need to be reconciled to God.

So it doesn't matter

whether we see ourselves nationally

as Irish or English

or Hindu or Muslim.

It doesn't matter if people identify themselves

as gay or straight

or man or woman.

Whatever people's background might be,

we, all of us,

need to turn in repentance

to the one true God,

the Lord Jesus Christ,

and live our life

under his rule

and his authority.

So we are a diverse people

in our background.

But we are also,

if we are trusting in Christ,

we are also a people

who are equal in Christ.

Look at verse 7.

Tychicus will tell you

all the news about me.

He is a dear brother,

a faithful minister,

and fellow servant

in the Lord.

He is in the Lord.

That means he is trusting in Christ.

He is in Christ.

He's become united to Christ

through his faith in Christ.

But it's not just Tychicus.

Look who else is included.

Verse 9.

He, that's Tychicus,

is coming with Onesimus,

our faithful and dear brother,

who is one of you.

Now, not much is said

of Onesimus in this letter,

but if we go to another letter

called Philemon,

so if you jump on

a couple of pages,

we get 1 and 2 Thessalonians,

then 1 and 2 Timothy,

then Titus,

and then we arrive at Philemon.

Philemon.

We know a whole lot more

about this character,

Onesimus,

from this letter

to a man called Philemon.

Onesimus was a slave

who had run away

from his master, Philemon.

And under Roman law,

running away from your master

was punishable by death.

But in God's goodness,

it seems that Onesimus

has met Paul.

And he has come to know Paul,

but more than that,

he's become a Christian.

So look at what Paul says about him

in verse 10 of Philemon.

He's writing to Onesimus' master.

He says,

I appeal to you

for my son Onesimus,

who became my son

while I was in chains.

So maybe Onesimus

had been up to no good

wherever he'd run to,

and he had ended up

in prison as well,

and Paul shared the gospel

with him,

and he became a Christian.

Verse 12,

Paul says,

I am sending him,

who is my very heart,

back to you.

Verse 16,

no longer as a slave,

but better than a slave,

as a dear brother.

He is very dear to me,

but even dearer to you,

both as a fellow man

and as a brother in the Lord.

So if you consider me a partner,

welcome him

as you would welcome me.

You see,

as far as society was concerned,

Onesimus was of low life,

worthy of death,

and Philemon would have been

considered of high regard

and worthy of great respect,

but Paul says,

no.

Don't view yourselves

as people see you.

View yourselves

as Christ see you.

You're Christians.

You are equal.

You are brothers

in the Lord.

There's no inferiority

or superiority

in the family

of God's church.

Let's go back

to Colossians.

So as Paul writes

to the church

in Colossae,

he's reminding them

that Onesimus

isn't to be treated

any differently.

When he returns,

he says,

in verse 11

or verse 9,

he is a dear brother

who is one of you.

Treat him like a brother

or sister in Christ.

They are equal

together.

So there's a diversity.

Oh no, sorry.

I've got to keep going.

Under equality.

We see the same

as well with Mark.

Have a look at verse 10.

My fellow prisoner,

Aristarchus,

sends you his greetings,

as does Mark,

the cousin of Barnabas.

You've received

instructions about him.

If he comes to you,

welcome him.

Now,

for a lot of these,

we just get names,

don't we?

But Mark is kind of

singled out

and there's a special

instruction

tied to Mark

that when he comes,

you are to welcome him.

But why has he been

singled out?

Well,

all the way back

in Acts 15,

there's no need

to turn to it,

but in Acts 15,

we learn that Mark

had literally

abandoned Paul

on one of his trips.

Paul had taken

a young Mark

on his first

missionary trip,

but halfway through,

Mark had bunked off.

He had run away

and abandoned Paul

in the work

that he was doing

and there was a

falling out

between them.

Obviously,

they'd been

reconciled together

and Paul saw Mark

now as a fellow worker

and he wants

to remind the church

that look,

we as Christians,

we can fail each other,

but when we fail

each other,

it doesn't mean

that we write

each other off.

No,

we forgive one another.

We support

one another.

So,

we have this instruction

that if Mark arrives,

and he comes

to the church,

don't hold him

at arm's length

and look at him

as a failure.

Welcome him

as your brother.

You see,

this is what

the gospel does.

The gospel

levels

everyone.

It doesn't matter

our background.

It doesn't matter

our failures

or what's gone on.

It humbles

the proud

and it lifts up

the broken.

It makes us

equal

in Christ.

There's no

inferiority

and there is

no superiority.

Have a look

at chapter 3

verse 11.

Chapter 3

verse 11

as he's talking

about the church

he says,

look,

there's no

Gentile or Jew.

It doesn't matter

your religious

background.

Circumcised

or uncircumcised.

Circumcised.

Whether you're

barbarian

or Scythian,

it doesn't matter

your social class

or your culture,

slave

or free,

whatever your

economic situation

is.

None of those

things matter.

But Christ

is all

and is

in all.

So we have

an equality

that come,

or equality,

gosh,

I'm getting

my words

all mixed up,

aren't we?

We're equal

in Christ

and that's

a better way

to put it.

We're equal

in Christ.

There's a

diversity

and there's

an equality.

But also

there's a

unity.

We're united

in purpose.

Look at how

these people

are identified

in verse 7.

Tychicus

is known

as a

fellow servant.

In verse 10

we meet

Aristarchus

who's described

as a

fellow prisoner.

And Mark

and Justice

in verse 11

are referred

to as

fellow

workers.

Yeah,

they may

have different

jobs

and different

backgrounds

but they're

all united

in this

common purpose.

They are

fellow

workers.

They're

partners

in the

gospel.

And they're

ultimate

goal and

desire

is to

see that

the gospel

would bear

fruit and

would grow

both locally

and globally.

They understand

that their

calling together

is to make

the gospel

known.

You see,

all these

names

give us

a picture

of the

Christian

community.

And it's

how we

should see

ourselves

in the

life of

this church.

church.

If you

have your

term

program

with you

there

and your

seats,

if you

happen to

have it,

have a

look there.

I think

it's on

the back

of it

there.

You'll

read this.

We are

a diverse

group of

people of

many

backgrounds,

ages,

and

nationalities,

united

through our

common

faith in

Jesus Christ.

Church is

the people,

not the

building.

And God's

people are

a family,

brothers and

sisters united

in Christ.

As a

family we

are centred

on Christ

and serve

the community.

So,

you see,

we're seeking

to be no

different to

what scripture

is saying

we ought to

be.

We are

fellow

workers,

diverse in

background,

equal in

Christ and

united in

our purpose.

So,

first,

we are

fellow

workers.

But we're

workers for

the kingdom.

You see,

if we're

Christians,

we have been

saved into

God's kingdom.

It's a work

God has done

for us.

Have a look

back at

chapter 1,

verse 13.

It reminds

us of the

wonderful

intervention of

God in

our life.

It's not

us reaching

out to

him.

He has

come to

us.

Chapter 1,

verse 13.

For he,

that's God,

he took

the initiative.

He rescued

us from

the dominion

of darkness

and brought

us into

the kingdom

of the

son he

loves,

in whom

we have

redemption

and the

forgiveness

of sins.

What a

beautiful

and wonderful

kingdom.

Moved

from darkness

and emptiness

into the

kingdom of

Jesus Christ,

a kingdom

of love

and forgiveness

of all our

sins.

Now,

as fellow

workers,

we're called

to share

this same

glorious rescue

with others.

That's our

fellow workers

for the

kingdom.

That's what

it's all

about.

But it's

tough,

isn't it?

It's tough

to be those

who work

for the

kingdom of

God.

Gospel

outreach is

difficult.

Ministry

life is

hard.

Serving

is a

struggle.

And that's

why we need

the support

of one

another.

We are

fellow workers

for the

kingdom.

So how

are we going

to support

one another?

Well,

I see

three things

that we

can encourage

one another

in.

Here's the

first one.

Have I

gone too

far?

I have.

There they

are.

You have

them already

on the

screen.

First,

encourage

the

discouraged.

Verse

eight.

Encourage

the

discouraged.

I am

sending him

to you

for the

express

purpose

that you

may know

about our

circumstances

and that

he may

encourage

your

hearts.

Obviously,

the church

had become

discouraged or

there were

people in

the church

who were

discouraged.

So Tychicus,

one of

Paul's

fellow workers,

is coming

to the

church to

encourage

their hearts.

Because living

in the

kingdom and

serving the

kingdom is

hard.

Sometimes we

can feel a

little bit

like our

friend Archippus

that we

meet in

verse 17.

Look at the

little comment

about Archippus.

See to it,

Archippus,

that you

complete the

ministry that

you have

received in

the Lord.

Now, I

haven't got a

clue what

happened to

Archippus.

But whatever

it is that

he's been

facing, it

seems like

he's wanting

to stop.

I can't

go on.

I can't

keep going.

It's too

difficult.

Archippus

has become

discouraged.

And so

there's this

little note,

this little

message.

Tell

Archippus,

keep going

brother.

Don't give

up Archie.

well,

Tychicus was

coming and

he was going

to encourage

the church

personally.

But what

was the

encouragement

that he was

going to

bring?

Well, he

was the

one who

was going

to be

bringing

the very

letter Paul

had written

to the

church.

And when

he arrived

at the

church,

he would

read out

the letter

just as

we've been

doing over

these last

few weeks

and explaining

to the

people anything

that wasn't

understood.

he would

encourage

their hearts

with the

word of

God.

And that's

exactly what

we're called

to do as

fellow workers.

We're to be

just like

Tychicus,

taking the

gospel truths

from a letter

like Colossians

and encouraging

one another

with the same

truth.

So let me

encourage us

all this

morning.

Maybe you're

discouraged

that you're

not seeing

any growth

or gospel

fruit.

Maybe you've

been reaching

out and you

don't seem

to see anybody

come to faith

in Christ.

Well, look at

chapter 1

verse 6.

Chapter 1

verse 6.

In the

same way,

the gospel

is bearing

fruit and

growing

throughout

the whole

world,

just as it

has been

doing among

you since

the first

day you

heard it.

You see,

we're evidence

of the gospel

at work.

But it

doesn't just

stop here.

It is

working

throughout the

whole world.

We prayed

about two

people in

other parts

of the world

today,

Amy and

Sheffield,

Mickey and

Kashmir.

People are

coming to

faith.

So if you're

discouraged,

be encouraged

that the

gospel is

growing.

Maybe you're

discouraged and

you're thinking

that you're

missing out on

some particular

blessing from

the Lord.

Well, look at

chapter 2

verse 9.

If you're

discouraged today

and you're

thinking,

I don't have

what other

people have.

believe.

Well, look at

chapter 2

verse 9.

For in

Christ,

all the

fullness of

the deity

lives in

bodily form.

So all

of God

is in

Christ.

Now look

at verse

10.

And in

Christ,

you have

been brought

to fullness.

So all

of God

is in

Christ,

and all

of Christ

is in

you.

So you're

not, how

could you

be missing

out on

anything if

you have

all of

Christ?

Be

encouraged.

Or maybe

you're doubting

your salvation

today, and

you're thinking

my life is a

mess, I'm

always sinning,

I'm always

getting it

wrong, I

can't possibly

be going on

with the

Lord.

Well, here's

encouragement for

you.

Chapter 3

verse 3.

For you

died, and

your life

is now

hidden with

Christ in

God.

When

Christ, who

is your

life,

appears,

then you

also will

appear with

him in

glory.

If you're

doubting

today, your

life is

hidden in

Christ.

Christ, you

can never

be taken

from him.

You are

secure.

You will

receive your

glory.

So let's

be fellow

workers who

encourage one

another with

God's word.

second, another

way to help

each other is

to comfort

the struggling.

Look at

verse 11.

Jesus, who

is called

justice, also

sends greetings.

These are the

only Jews among

my fellow

workers for the

kingdom of

God, and

they have

proved a

comfort to

me.

You see, we

got to remember

that when

Paul is

writing this

letter, he's

in chains, he's

in prison.

And it seems

there's only just

a few people

who are around

about him, who

are there to be

able to visit

him and care

for him.

It wasn't like

prisons today

where you have

everything set up

for you.

People had to

bring things in

for you.

And he's

struggling.

In fact, his

struggle is

great.

Look at

verse 18.

I, Paul,

write this

greeting in

my own

hands.

You see, it

was common

for authors

like Paul to

have a scribe.

Paul would

stand there or

sit or wherever

he would be,

and he would

dictate his

letter, and

the scribe

would write

everything down.

But as Paul,

as he comes to

the ends of

his letter,

he takes his

quill and he

takes the

parchment or

his pen and

paper, and he

adds the

personal handwritten

note.

And Paul writes,

remember my

chains.

Please don't

forget me.

Please remember

me.

You see, here's

the vulnerability

of a man who

is serving the

kingdom, and

he's struggling.

He's in

prison.

He needs

comfort.

And thankfully,

that's what he's

able to say.

Look at the

end of verse

11.

They have

proved a

comfort to

me.

You see,

sometimes that's

just what we

need, isn't

it?

The presence

of other

people who

will just

comfort us,

just to

know I'm

not on my

own.

People who

will come and

sit and talk,

and listen,

and perhaps cry

with you.

Text messages

are great.

Keep sending

text messages.

Little emojis of

smiley faces and

praying hands,

they're all great,

they're well-meaning.

Keep it up.

But what we all

desperately need

is not just words

on a screen,

or little emojis,

people.

But we need

people.

People just like

you and I.

Someone who will

comfort us by

their presence.

Just to know

that they are

standing with you

for the kingdom.

them.

So let's comfort

the struggling

by being

present.

And then third,

another way that we

can be a fellow

worker is to

strengthen the

weak.

Look at verse

12.

Epaphras.

Well, we

learnt about him

in chapter 1.

He was the guy

who first brought

the gospel

to the

Colossians.

And now we

learn that

Epaphras,

who is one of

you and a

servant of

Christ Jesus,

sends greetings.

He is always

wrestling in

prayer for you,

that you may

stand firm in

all the will

of God,

mature and

fully assured.

You see,

he doesn't just

bring the

word of God

and then leave

them all to

themselves.

No, he does

much more than

that.

He continues

to pray for

his fellow

brothers and

sisters.

In fact, it

tells us in

verse 12,

he's wrestling

in prayer.

You see, we

identify with

that, don't

we?

Because praying

is hard.

We want to

pray, but we

put it off to

another time later

in the day and

we never actually

get round to

it.

Or when we do

sit down to

pray, we just

get distracted by

all kinds of

things.

there's always

something else

to be done

when it comes

to prayer.

That's why he

says he's

wrestling in

prayer.

It's a battle,

isn't it?

It's a fight

and we need to

persevere and

not give up.

You see, the

church needs

people who

will pray for

them.

And some of

them, it seems,

were finding it

tough and they

were drifting from

their faith.

And they

needed people

who would

step in and

pray for them.

And that's

what Epaphras

does.

He prays,

verse 12,

that they

would stand

firm in

all the will

of God,

mature and

fully assured.

The will of

God is

revealed to

us in the

word of God.

If you want

to know what

God's will

is, read

God's word.

It's all

there.

So we are

to see God's

word as

something rock

solid,

immovable,

unshakable.

This is the

foundation for

our lives.

It's what's

going to

support us

and strengthen

us.

And as we

grow in

God's word,

as we learn

together, we

become mature

and fully

assured.

We become

stable.

So when

other false

teaching comes

along, we're

not rocked by

it or we're

not taken

away by

it, we

remain firm.

And so

Epaphras prays

for the

church.

I love

Epaphras.

I'd love to

have more

Epaphrases in

our lives,

wouldn't you?

Somebody who

wrestles in

prayer for you.

And that's

what we are

to be to

each other,

to pray for

one another

in our

Christian faith

and in

our walk,

that we

would stand

firm.

Stand firm,

brothers and

sisters.

Keep holding

on to the

word of God

and you

will become

mature and

fully assured.

Through our

prayers, God

works and we

are strengthened

in the faith.

being fellow

workers for

the kingdom

of God

is a

wonderful

privilege for

us all.

I haven't

got the title

there at the

end, but it's

grace be with

you.

Look at the

very last few

words of the

letter.

Grace be

with you.

This is

grace, God's

enabling power

power and

strength that

he gives to

his people

that enables

us to be

his fellow

workers for

the kingdom.

It's how he

opened up the

letter in

chapter 1

verse 2.

Grace and

peace to

you from

God our

Father.

Grace from

beginning and

grace to

the end.

And part

of God's

wonderful grace

to us is

one another.

we're

diverse in

background,

we're equal

in Christ,

we're united

in purpose.

This is who

we are as

God's people.

But that

grace flows

into our

life as

God uses

us to

encourage each

other in

God's word,

to comfort

each other by

being present

and to

strengthen each

other as

we pray.

may God's

grace be

with you

and us

all as a

church,

as as

fellow

workers we

serve the

kingdom of

God.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Father,

thank you

for this

wonderful

letter that

we've been

able to

read together

and study

together over

these weeks.

We pray

that we

won't just

close our

minds and

our hearts

to this

letter now

that we've

come to

the end.

But I

pray that

we together

as a

church

family would

keep speaking

the truths

that we've

learned to

encourage one

another in

the faith.

That we

would comfort

one another

with these

words.

And that we

would pray for

one another

with these

words.

Father,

may it

lead us

to being

mature and

fully

assured,

filled with

joy and

glorious hope

for what our

great Saviour

has done for

us.

Thank you

that we are

fellow workers

for the

kingdom of

God.

What a

great privilege

church.

And we

ask for

your grace

to help

us to be

all that

you've

called us

to be.

In Jesus'

name we

pray.

Amen.

Well, we're

going to sing

together.

What is our

hope in

life and

death?

Christ

alone,

Christ

alone.

In some

ways, this

song, I

chose this

song because

it can't

be.