The Supremacy Of Christ Is Demonstrated In Our Church Life

The Supremacy of Christ is Demonstrated in Our

Church Life

Colossians 4:7-18

November 25, 2001

Intro:

A. [The Wrong Virgin]

A minister had run out of time to prepare for a sudden funeral.

Using the latest technology, he went to his computer and found the funeral service he had used last, and doing a global "search and replace," had the computer put in the name of the newly deceased, "Edna," as a replacement for the woman in the previous funeral, "Mary."

Everything went find until they came to the Apostles’ Creed, wherein the minister confessed that Jesus was born of the Virgin Edna.

B. I know that I’m not the only one who has trouble with names.

1. It seems that a lot of people have a hard time remembering names.

2. But as we know, we do need to get to know people’s names in order to get to know them better.

3. The good news is that we are having a lot of new names to learn here at Somerset.

C. But when it comes to names of people that we don’t know, we often tune out what is being said about them.

1. I think we often skip over the lists of "begats" that are listed in the Bible because they don’t seem to affect our lives in any way.

2. Whenever we come across the lists of names either at the beginning or the end of the books of the NT, we often skip over them.

3. Today we come to the end of our study of the book of Colossians.

4. Today I will share my 11th message from these three pages in my Bible.

5. We wind up our study of this letter with the list of names that are recorded right at the end in verses 7-18 of chapter 4.

6. From this list of names, I believe we can learn how to demonstrate the superiority of Christ in our church life.

I. Encouragement is given to the discouraged (Tychicus)

Colossians 4:7-8, Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.

Ephesians 6:21-22, Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

A. I find it interesting that Paul wrote virtually the same words about Tychicus to people in two different cities.

1. Paul clearly had some strong feelings about him.

2. Paul probably used Tychicus as his FedEx.

3. Tychicus probably delivered many of the letters that Paul wrote.

4. Tychicus probably delivered these two letters from Paul to the people of the church in Colossae and to the people of the church at Ephesus.

5. And what does Paul say was the express purpose that Paul chose Tychicus?

6. In addition to being a dependable person to deliver the letters, in addition to being a faithful minister and faithful servant, in addition to being able to relate Paul’s circumstances to the believers, above all else, Tychicus was an encourager.

7. Paul said to the Colossians that he was sending Tychicus for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.

8. Paul told the Ephesians that he was sending Tychicus for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

B. Is Tychicus just another companion of Paul who has no significant Biblical purpose or is there something we can learn from Tychicus?

1. I believe that one of the reasons Tychicus is here to teach us to encourage one another.

2. I believe that God has everything in the Bible for a reason and I believe there are things we can learn from all of it.

3. 2 Timothy 3:16, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

4. And clearly this is part of what would be included in the phrase "all Scripture is God-breathed."

5. All Scripture is inspired from God.

6. All Scripture is the Word of God—including these verses about Tychicus.

7. So Tychicus should teach us to be encouragers.

C. Could those things be said of us?

1. Could those things be said of our church?

2. Could it be said that you can count on the people of Somerset to encourage you.

3. When people are facing difficult times, do we beat them up and knock them down and tell them that they got themselves into their own circumstances or do we tell them that God will take care of you?