Text Colossians 4:7-18
Title: Father’s Day Message (Qualities of a Godly Man)
Introduction:
In Col. 4:7-18 Paul mentions the names of nine men who were co-laborers with him in the work of the Gospel.
I will break it down like this: Of the 9 men who were co-laborers with Paul we are going to look at 8.
I will give you their name, look at the verse(s), give you one outstanding quality that each man possessed, and then lastly turn that quality into a principal for each of us to live by.
1.Tychichus
“Tychichus 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.” Col. 4:7-8
The outstanding quality that Tychichus possessed is Encouragement
…”and that he might encourage your hearts.” (v8)
Why would Paul pick someone who was known for the outstanding quality of being an encourager in order to send him to the Colossian church?
Could our greatest need be to have our hearts encouraged?
…”but let us encourage one another- and all the more as we see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25)
I see two things here that made Tychichus such a great encourager:
1) Tychicus was a great encourager because of who he was.
Tychicus was according to Paul “a dear brother, a faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord.”
The best encouragement a person can give another is by their life’s example.
Think about people that have been the most encouraging to you. How much of that encouragement was because of who they were?
2) Tychicus was also such a great encourager because of what he said:
What did Tychicus say that made him such a great encourager?
He told them all the news about Paul.
Explanation: He told them all the news about what Paul said and did.
We have a name for all the news about what Paul said and did. Scripture!
He encouraged them through the scriptures.
The Tychichus Principal – The best way we can encourage people is by living and using the scriptures.
The most encouraging thing people need is a word from the Lord!
2.Onesimus
“He is coming with Onesimus, our dear brother, who is one of you.”(v9)
“I am sending him-who is my very heart back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.” Philemon v: 12.
The outstanding Quality that Onesimus possessed is Helper.
The name “Onesimus” means “Useful One.”
Paul honestly tells Philemon he is having a difficult time letting Onesimus go back.
Why? Because nobody likes to lose great helpers.
“I would have liked to keep him with me…”
What made Onesimus such a great helper and someone Paul didn’t want to let go?
1. He had the same heart for ministry as Paul had.
“I am sending him who is my very heart back to you.”
The Onesimus Principal: If the leader (pastor or ministry head) doesn’t have God’s heart for ministry the helpers won’t either.
The leader must communicate his or her heart for ministry in order to successfully recruit great helpers.
2. The helper must also have a heart for the ministry they are helping in. If they don’t have a heart for their ministry they are helping in the wrong ministry!
3.Aristarchus
“My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends his greetings.” (v10)
The outstanding quality that Aristarchus possessed is Courage
This is not the first time Aristarchus is seized and put in prison for his faith.
He was previously seized back in Ephesus after he successfully preached against the occult and the worship of idols. (Acts 16:29)
How do you know when you have the quality of courage?
When although it is would be safer to do nothing you go ahead and do something anyway.
Many scholars believe that this second imprisonment of Aristarchus was a voluntary one.
Courage: When you could just as easily stay at home but you volunteer to do something dangerous instead.
Here is another Biblical example of someone who was courageous: Joshua
In Joshua chapter 1 Joshua is given the assignment to take the people into the Promised Land.
“Be strong and courageous,” (v6)
“Be strong and very courageous.” (v7)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified: do not be discouraged. (v9)
The Aristarchus Principal: What are you and I doing for God that requires great courage?
Just attending church might take great courage in other parts of the world but not here in Dudley. There has got to be something I’m doing for God that is taking great courage.
Quote:God wants the world to find Him. In the darkness of this generation,
Someone has to be a light. For others to find the way, someone has to
have a way. When lies and men’s philosophies have failed and left them
in a maze of confusion, someone needs to have the truth. The man who
makes the right choices and builds his life on the Rock can be that man.
He will produce hope in others by the example of his life dedicated to
Christ. That man can be a life preserver to a generation dying in sin.
4.Epaphras
“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. I vouch for him that he is always working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Heirapolis.” (v13)
The quality we are looking at here is intercession.
Intercession is more than just saying a short prayer. Intercession is wrestling in prayer. Intercession is hard work.
Epaphras is always wrestling in prayer for you.
Wrestling in prayer against what?
1.The Devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:10)
2. Spiritual immaturity
“That you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
Epaphras didn’t want anyone to fall away. He didn’t want anyone to stop growing in their faith. So he put everyone on his prayer list and started wrestling in prayer for them by name
The Epaphras Principal: I can’t be a spiritually mature person if I’m neglecting times for intercession and prayer.
Intercession and spiritual maturity must go together. You can’t have one without the other.
I don’t have time for prayer = I don’t have time to be spiritually mature
We can’t ever be a spiritually mature church if we don’t pray as a church.
Illustration: What neglected prayer can do to a church.
60 AD (The date the book of Colossians is written)
81-96 AD (The date the book of Revelation is written.)
What happened to the church in Laodicea 21-36 years later?
“Because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am going to spit you out of my mouth.”
5. Luke
“Our dear friend Luke the doctor sends greetings” (v14)
The quality spoken of here is friendship
Of the 9 men mentioned in Colossians 4 only one; Luke is called a dear friend.
The truth is that dear friends are a rare breed. We can have lots of acquaintances inside and outside the church but not have many dear friends.
That is a serious problem to have. People come to church for many different reasons but will only stay for one. That one reason is Friendships!
How do you build rich friendships?
The Luke Principal: The best way to build friendships is by doing ministry together.
6.Archippus
“Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.” (v17)
The outstanding quality that Archippus possessed is endurance.
Endurance was necessary to complete the work Archippus had received in the Lord.
We are not told what kind of work Archippus received in the Lord but we are told he needed to see that he completed it.
The Archippus Principal. You and I who are also in the Lord have a work to complete.
“For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
This takes us to the final two men:
These last two men are complete opposites
One man had a bad beginning but a good ending. The other man had a good beginning but a bad ending.
7. Mark (The one who had a bad beginning but a good ending)
Mark’s ending:
“You have received instructions about him; if he comes welcome him.” (v10)
Mark’s beginning
Earlier (Mark) had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.” (Acts 15:37)
The outstanding quality that Mark now possessed is repentance.
Mark had messed up and although everyone knew about it, he humbled himself, repented and got back into the work of the Lord.
Mark Principle: God welcomes back those who repent and so should I!
Illustration: The prodigal Son
The hardest person for us to welcome back is ourselves.
We mess up. We repent. God welcomes us back but we don’t always welcome ourselves back.
We don’t give ourselves a second chance
The final man is a man named Demas.
8. Demas
…and Demas sends greetings. (v14)
Demas starts well. He says all the right things.
But later on in 2 Timothy 4:10 we read
“For Demas because he loved this world has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”
Demas is a person who starts well but ends badly.
He starts out saying the right things but ends doing the wrong things.
The outstanding quality of Demas is sadly that of rebellion
He rebels against the love of God by running away and loving the world.
Demas Principal: You can’t love both God and the World
Demas is a sad reminder that we all need to watch our lives carefully.
Conclusion
How to never to end up as a Demas.
1. Let God help develop all these godly qualities that we looked at today into our lives.
A.The encouragement of Tychicus
B.Become a helper like Onesimus
C.Have the courage of Aristarchus
D.Build the intercession of a Epaphras
E.Make friendship like Luke
F.Have the endurance of a Archippus
G.Have the repentance of a Mark
