Above All: Colossians 4:7-18
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
08-21-2022
Dream Teams
I asked a question on Facebook this week, “what have been some of the greatest teams of all time?” Here are some of the answers:
The 1992 Dream Team
The 1927 Yankees
The 2016 Cubs
The 1985 Chicago Bears
The 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team
The 90s era Bulls
This morning, we are going to study another amazing team - Paul’s missions team!
All Good Things Must End
We began this series on April 3 and, fourteen sermons later, we will end the study of the book of Colossians this morning.
I don’t know about you, but this study has been very encouraging for my soul. It has reminded me to seek fullness and freedom (Paul’s main themes) only in Christ.
Paul teaches the important doctrinal truths in chapter one and two. Then in three and four, he applies these truths to how to live as Christians in the real world of their church, their homes, and the community of non-believers that are watching them.
This morning, we come to what can be termed as “Final Greetings.” When it comes to a list of names in the Bible, especially ones that are difficulty to pronounce, some people skip these sections. Let me encourage you not to do that. The verses that end this letter are incredibly rich and there is much for us to learn from them.
Each of Paul’s letters have some sort of final greetings and instructions. And in his letters, he mentions over 100 people by name. In Romans 16, he specifically lists 16 people which he considers ministry partners.
Paul did ministry as a team. He wasn’t a lone ranger Christian. These people weren’t just “good people.” They were ferociously committed to the mission of telling others the Good News of Jesus.
Here in the closing verses of Colossians, we will meet ten people, real people, that lived and loved Jesus enough to assist Paul with the Gospel mission.
My prayer is that you will see yourself in one or more of these people and be encouraged to use your gifts and talents to love Mclean county and Chenoa in particular.
Turn with me to Colossians 4:7.
Prayer.
Commendations
* Tychicus
“Tychicus 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.”
Paul begins with two commendations. First, he mentions Tychicus, whose name means “fortunate.” Ty was from Ephesus and was with Paul through thick and thin. He was one of the delegates taking the collection to the church in Jerusalem in Acts 20:4.
He was Paul official representative. He was a dear brother and a faithful minister. This word is where we get the word “deacon.” I’m so thankful for our faithful deacon team that helps to serve this congregation.
Paul could trust him with any assignment. Near the end of Paul’s life, he was sent on missions to Crete (Titus 3:12) and Ephesus (2 Tim 4:12)
He was a fellow servant of the Lord. Paul didn’t consider himself to be above his fellow team members.. They were all just servants of Jesus.
On this assignment, Ty carried with him the letter to the Colossians, the personal letter to Philemon, and maybe the letter to the Ephesians. We’ll talk about that in just a minute.
Ty was sent with the express purpose of encouraging their hearts.
He would be the one to read the letter to the Colossian church and tell them how Paul was really doing. Because of Paul’s case, he couldn’t say much about his imprisonment. So Ty would be the one to answer questions and fill in the gaps.
Ty was faithful.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (I Cor 4:2)
Point to Ponder:
God doesn’t call us to be famous but to be faithful to make Jesus famous. Would others describe you as faithful? Are you true to your word? Can they trust you do what you say you will do?
Going forward, we needed people to simply be faithful to love God and love others.
Onesimus
He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
We studied Onesimus a couple of weeks ago.
He was a runaway slave from Colossae that Paul had met and led to Christ in prison. He calls Onesimus his “son” who became his son “while I was in chains.”
Paul wrote a small letter to Onesimus master Philemon that is part of the Bible, right after the letter to Colossae.
Philemon was a Christian and a church met in his house in Colossae. Paul had lead him to faith and had a close relationship with him.
When Paul encountered Onesimus, he had run away from Colossae and may have stolen from Philemon. Both of these actions would have warranted severe punishment.
Paul writes a letter to Philemon to be carried back to Colossae by none other than Onesimus! This letter is a master class in using influence to bring about the result you want but it also had far reaching effects.
Onesimus’s name means “useful.” Paul uses a play on words and tells Philemon:
"Formerly he was useless to you [as a runway slave], but now he has become useful both to you and to me.” (v.11)
Onesimus had become an assistant to Paul and he was so good that Paul wanted to keep him there. But he also knew that these two believers needed to be reconciled.
Paul told Philemon that God’s hand was in the whole event:
“Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 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.” (v. 15-16)
Paul doesn’t command Philemon, though he could have, to take Onesimus back but sees it as an act of gospel partnership:
“So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.” (17-19)
Paul plays the part of Christ, taking on the burden of any wrongs Onesimus may have committed.
If you notice that Onesimus is described not as a slave but a “faithful and dear brother.” He had been transformed.
Paul describes this transformation, from a caterpillar to a butterfly:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17)
There is a letter that the early church father Ignatius wrote that actually indicates that Onesimus eventually became the pastor at the church in Colossae!!
Point to Ponder:
In college, I had a friend named Deborah. One time I called her “Debo” and she spun on me and said, “My name is Deborah, a daughter of the true King. Debo made sinful choices and was an addict. She died. Never call me that name again.”
Have you been transformed by the Gospel? Everyone who has been born again will see amazing transformation in their lives.
These servants theme song is “Amazing Grace / how sweet the sound / that saved a wretch like me / I once was lost but now I’m found / was blind but now I see.”
Going forward, we need transformed people that are willing to help others be transformed.
Greetings
Paul moves from the commendations to sending greetings. He lists three Jewish helpers and three Gentile assistants, driving the point home that
“here is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Col 3:11)
“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 called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.”
Aristarchus
Aristarchus was from Thessaloniki was loyal to Paul, even though it caused him to be imprisoned with him in Ephesus. (See Acts 19:29)
He was shipwrecked with Paul on the voyage to Rome.
Paul described him as “my fellow prisoner.” This is the verse that led Chuck Colson to start Prison Fellowship.
He was willing to put his life on the line for the sake of Paul and his mission. He was loyal.
Point to Ponder:
Thomas the disciple gets a bad rap as “doubting Thomas.” But he was anything but. He was loyal Jesus and willing to die with him if need be.
When Jesus told the disciples that he was headed back toward Jerusalem,
“Thomas…said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16)
Are you loyal? Are you loyal to this church and its mission to gather, grow, give and go? Do you defend the church, or even me, when someone starts talking negatively?
Going forward, we need people who are willing to go All In and be loyal to our church’s calling to reach Chenoa with the Gospel.
* Mark
Mark, known as John Mark, was the son of a wealthy widow in Jerusalem. He was introduced to Paul by his cousin Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas took Mark on their first missionary and when the going got tough, Mark went home. When they arrived in the port city of Perga, Mark realized the difficult journey ahead and found a ship headed back toward Jerusalem.
This caused Paul tremendous pain and when it came time to head out again to encourage the churches, Paul took Silas and Barnabas took Mark and they went their separate ways.
Mark didn’t abandon his faith. A soldier may lose his nerve in one battle and shine in another.
When Paul was writing his final letter to Timothy, he tells him to “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” (2 Tim 4:11)
Somehow Mark was restored to ministry and to Paul’s heart. One clue is found in Peter’s writings. In I Peter 5:13, Paul calls Mark “my son.” It seems that Peter, who understood something about failure, had taken Mark under his wing and helped him mature into a bolder, more faithful believer.
Mark would go on to write the first Gospel about Jesus!
C.S. Lewis wrote:
“No amount for falls will really undo us if we keep picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give up. It is when we notice the dirt that is most present in us, it is the very sign of His presence.”
Point to Ponder:
I can’t think of a better example of this than my dear friend Les Stevens. At one point in his life, his life went off the rails and he abandoned nearly everything in his life that was important to him.
But, God got a hold of his heart and he repented and returned to his family to this church and ultimately to ministry.
If God is willing to give people second chances, are you willing to do the same?
Going forward, we will need people who are trophies of God’s grace and those are willing to love them and restore them.
Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians:
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” (Gal 6:1)
* Jesus called Justus
Jesus was a very common name (Joshua in Hebrew) but the name started to fade after the resurrection.
We don’t know anything about Justus, which means “righteous,” except that he was one of the original Jews for Jesus and he was an encourager.
These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.”
This is actually a medical term for a medicine that soothes like Pepto for a stomach ache or aspirin for a headache. Justus consoled Paul in his troubles and encouraged him to keep going.
I Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”
Point to Ponder:
I’ve started training with Kris Ingram at the gym. He is a born encourager. When I don’t think I can do another burpee, he starts barking and says it’s time for a dog fight. He is constantly telling me good job and that I’m getting stronger.
He will even pretend to be Maxine on the phone with a friend, “Girl, have you seen my man’s delts? He is so fine!”
Again and again, the writers of Scripture command us to encourage one another:
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” (I Thes 5:11)
Why? Because we live in a fallen world where we can get discouraged easily.
Are you an encourager? Do people smile when you walk in a room because they know you are going to make their day better?
I heard a story this week of someone who received a phone call of another believer that was very down. She went to KFC and picked her up some dinner and brought it to her to encourage her.
Going forward, we are going to need to encourage each other to hold steady and stick to the mission.
We Three Gentiles
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 working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings
Epaphras
Epaphras was the founder of the churches in the Lycus valley - Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. He had visited Paul to share with him the concern he had for the churches and the false teachers that were infiltrating their ranks.
He was a prayer warrior. The word “wrestling” is where we get the English word “agony.”
He agonized over these beloved believers. What was he praying for? The same thing we should be praying for each other:
stand firm - not shaken by the false teachers
In all the will of God - not in spiritual experiences
Mature - being able to discern the truth from a lie
Fully assured - finding their fullness and freedom in Christ and Christ alone.
Paul had witnessed his tears and his scuffed knees. Paul had seen him exert himself physically, mentally, and spiritually on behalf of the churches he loved.
Point to Ponder:
Epaphras was a living example of Paul’s words from last week:
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” (Col 4:2)
My father-in-law Patrick is a prayer warrior and he has prayed for Maxine and I every day for the last 30 years.
Do you struggling to pray? We all do. In order to get better at it, we need to simply do it.
If you don’t pray at all, set an alarm at noon and pray for one minute. Or if you pray five minutes, try seven.
Robin Perkins leads a prayer time on Sunday morning at 8:30 am. All are welcome and encouraged to come and pray.
We will have a night of prayer and praise on Wednesday August 21 at 6:30 pm to prepare us for what God is going to do this fall.
Paul wrote the Ephesians:
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Eph 6:18)
Going forward, we will need to be a people of prayer - for each other, for the church, for our mission.
* Luke
Luke was a Gentile who was committed to Paul and the Gospel mission. It is only here that we learn he was a doctor. This makes sense because of his eye for detail and his beautiful, formal Greek. He was probably Paul’s personal physician who traveled with him and was faithful to the very end.
He was not a theologian but he used the gifts that he had been given and wrote 52 chapters of the Bible (Luke and Acts)!
Point to Ponder:
Tony Dungy would tell you that’s he’s just a football coach. But being a coach just allowed his love for Jesus and heart for discipleship to shine through. Countless players call him their spiritual dad. He never went to seminary but he has made a tremendous impact for the kingdom.
What gifts has God given you that can be used for the Gospel mission? Are you gifted in administration? Hospitality? Accounting? Leading small groups? Greeting? Ushering? Teaching kids? Holding babies? Driving people to the chemo appointments? Fixing cars?
I know of several churches that have a ministry for single moms. They bring their cars in and there are people gifted in auto mechanics that change their oil and help keep the car running for them.
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.” (I Cor 12:4)
How are you currently serving here? The church is currently too small for anyone to nothing.
Going forward everyone will have employ their gifts for us to survive and thrive.
Demas
Demas sends his greetings. That’s all Paul says here. But we know the rest of the story.
In his farewell letter, Paul wrote to Timothy:
“Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Tim 4:12)
We are not sure exactly what happened. Paul doesn’t say that Demas abandoned his faith but that he abandoned him personally.
[Every pastor knows this feeling. Over the years, I have poured my heart and soul into people only to be ghosted by them]
Paul says that Demas “loved the world.” Maybe he just had enough of being made fun of or of being hassled because of his connection with Paul. Maybe he saw the handwriting on the wall and knew that if he stuck around long enough he would end up in prison too.
The apostle John wrote:
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” (I John 2:15)
Maybe he deconstructed his faith, like so many are doing these days, and no longer wanted to be associated with Paul’s version of the Gospel.
Point to Ponder:
We are experiencing a rash of people who claim to no longer be Christians. Some of them were even pastors, missionaries, Christian singers, or writers.
Did they lose their salvation? Of course not. As we would say about Demas, he was never born again in the first place.
Once a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it can’t just decide to tears off its wings and say it was never a butterfly.
But, in the near future, being a Christian might become a lot tougher than it is right now. And those who have one foot in the faith and one foot in the world, will find that position untenable. They will have to make a choice.
Going forward, we will need fully committed disciples who are ALL IN on the Gospel mission.
Instructions
Paul moves from greetings to three sets of instructions.
Nympha
Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
Paul asked the leadership of the Colossian Church to give his greetings to Nympha, a wealthy widow who had opened her house to host a church in Laodicea.
There were no church buildings until at least the 300s AD. The believers met in houses. There wasn’t a First Colossae Church or a First Laodicean Church. The church met in multiple locations in large houses.
Notice there wasn’t any competition between these churches. They were “brothers and sisters.” They were all pursuing the same aim - the salvation of the unbelievers in the Lycus Valley. ?
Mary, the mother of Mark, opened her home in Jerusalem for the disciples to meet. (See Acts 12).
Lydia opened her home to Paul and his mission team after being saved. (See Acts 16)
In Romans 16, we learn that Priscilla and Aquila hosted a house church and Paul writes:
Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. (Rom 16:23)
Point to Ponder:
Maxine grew up in a house that was used for this kind of Gospel hospitality. She regularly ate breakfast with missionaries from all over the world and had ministry partners stay at their house.
“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13)
Some of you have the gift of hospitality and you have a large enough house to host a small group.
Going forward, we are going to need you to open your houses and host gatherings and small groups to fulfill our Gospel mission.
* Pass it On
“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.”
The second instruction Paul gives is that once this letter is read among the Colossian church, pass it on to their brothers and sisters eight miles down the road in Laodicea.
They also were to read the letter to the Laodicean church. Wait? What letter?
This might have been a letter that was lost or, most likely, this was the letter to the church at Ephesus.
Paul seemed to aware that was he was writing was inspired and given to these churches, and beyond, to equip, challenge, and comfort believers.
Point to Ponder:
I have a friend named Joe who has read the Bible hundreds of times over his life. Someone asked him how he did that and he said, “If you read a little every day, you eventually finish. Then you start again. Each time, God has something to say to me.”
Paul wrote to Timothy:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)
How are you doing with your Bible reading? If you aren’t in the habit of reading your Bible, the next five weeks is going to help get you in the habit. There will be daily devotions that we will do each day.
Also, some of you are like me and are verbal learners. That’s why I always recommend the Daily Audio Bible. I have listened to the Bible every morning with the DAB community for 13 years.
Going forward, we need to recommit to being a people of the Book. The Bible will be preached from this pulpit and we need to encourage one another to be growing in our knowledge of God through the Bible.
Archippus
Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”
We don’t much about Archippus, except Paul calls him a "fellow soldier” in the letter to Philemon.
Some commentators believed he was the pastor of the church that met at either Nympha’s or Philemon’s house.
Paul calls Archippus out by name to encourage him to complete the ministry that he has received.
Point to Ponder:
Research tells us that 80% of people that start in pastoral ministry do not end their careers in pastoral ministry. 40% of pastors don’t last five years in the ministry.
Why do pastors quit?
Conflict within the church
Loneliness
Stress/Burnout
Lack of adequate pay
Discouragement.lack of encouragement
Effects on their families.
Pastors need encouragement to keep going. This week, someone showed up at our house unannounced to bring us homemade chicken pot pies. It was wonderful.
Remember Me
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Paul would dictate his letters but at the end he often took the pen and signed his own name to assure his readers that it was really from his heart.
He asks for prayer and for prayer for all who are in chains and suffering for the sake of the Gospel.
He then ends the letter the way he began it - with God’s unmerited favor - Grace be with you!
Teamwork makes the Dream Work
Paul did ministry as a team. He was no lone ranger Christian. The men and women who he singles out here were not seminary trained theologians. They were simply faithful, loyal, transformed, redeemed, praying, gifted, hospitable people with a passion for Jesus and for the Gospel.
In Tim Hansel’s book, “Eating Problems for Breakfast,” he includes memo from the Jordon Management Consultant Group.
To: Jesus, Son of Joseph?Woodcrafter’s Carpenter Shop?Nazareth 25922
From: Jordan Management Consultants
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully.
As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.
It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept.
We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper.
Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership.
The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty.
Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.
We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew had been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely,
Jordan Management Consultants
If God can make a team out of twelve nobodies and turn the world upside, just think what He could do here!
Ending Song: This We Know
