"Looking Back to Learn From Members in Our Roots" Part 1 of 2
Colossians 4:7-11
(Children's Sheet for Sermon Interaction is at bottom. Notes are throughout sermon)
Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church
This morning, we are coming into the last section of the Colossian epistle. Turn to Colossians 4:7-11. As you are turning to Colossians 4:7, I want us to be thinking about the fact that, as Christians, we have a church-body that we are part of. We are spiritually born again into being part of this big wonderful creation that God has made. The church was not made by us. The church was, and is, made by God, as us. We are the church in Christ. As we go through this end section of the epistle of Paul to the Colossians this morning, I want us to consider that we only know these things about our bodiness, the church, its foundation, and its function, because of epistles like this one. Paul reveals the body to us, by the Spirit, as Paul serves the emerging church of the first century. That early church is our roots. When we consider the early church, we are not merely looking into ancient timeline charts and seeing a blur of events that have dissipated into history. At whatever time period we consider the church, we are considering an eternally living spiritual organism. It is not like looking at the history of a dead and extinct civilization. In other words, the same church that was alive then, in a sense, is alive now. The same people who were alive then in earthly bodies are alive now in spiritual bodies. You and I are alive, right? The other saints throughout the world are spiritually alive too. Now think about the profound revelation of what this means:
When we Consider the body of Christ of 2000 years ago, in a very real way, we are considering the same body of Christ that we are now.
We are connected to it. Our connection is in Christ because of Christ. He is the first born from the dead. He is the creator and life sustainer of the body throughout every generation. Paul tells us at the beginning of this letter, that Christ Jesus,
"... is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, ..." Colossians 1:18
We absolutely must recognize, and strongly sense, the profound fact that the body is a living spiritual organism that finds its spiritual identity as the "one new man" that Paul calls it in Ephesians 2:15-16,
"14 For He Himself [Christ] is our peace, ... 15 ... so that in Himself He might make the two [Jews and Gentiles] into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross," Ephesians 2:114-16
It is "the church of the first born" of Hebrews 12. All born again people are in it; past, present, and those of the future will be in it too;
"... God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." 1 Corinthians 12:18
I want us to keep this in mind; because as we visit the end of Colossians we are opening a door into history, so to speak, and we are visiting a segment of our church body as it was taking root in the first century. Let's open that door together now,
"7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our dearly loved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here. 10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas's cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you."
Please prepare your heart to learn, along with me, in the preaching of God's word, in this sermon titled,
"Looking Back to Learn From Members in Our Roots" Part 1 of 2
[prayer]
God has ordained certain details of our roots to be preserved so that we can learn from them. This morning, I am wanting us to glean 5 important truths for our Christian lives that we can gather from our roots. What we want to do is glean the knowledge that the Spirit has provided to build us up in our Christian walk.
/1/
This leads us to recognize the first thing we can learn. When we look at our brothers, Tychicus and Onesimus, we see two Christians who are faithful and focused,
"7 ... Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 ... Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, ..." Colossians 4
@1 Tychicus and Onesimus are examples to us of being _______________________ Christian brothers in the Lord. Colossians 4:7-8
When Paul says that Tychicus and Onesimus are faithful, Paul did not fully realize that through their faithfulness in carrying Paul's letters, the task would be God's method of spreading and establishing Scriptural truths for the whole church to use over the next couple of thousand years. Think about yourself. Think about being faithful in something that is godly. Think about the fact that while you are doing it, you may not see apparent results. But because you are faithful, there are real results that God is accomplishing beyond what you see. In fact a very small thing to you that you do in biblical faith and focus may just be something that brings about unforeseen blessing for 2000 years or more to come. The faithful and focused task of Tychicus and Onesimus, which resulted in us having these Scriptures to study today, is an amazing picture of what it means to be faithful in one little area that seems so exclusive in God's grand scheme of things. In hindsight, we are sometimes able to look back and see clearly that God uses us in our faithfulness to produce results that are beyond our imaginations, and beyond what we see at the moment. This is not always the case, but sometimes it is. The important point, in it all, is that you were faithful. Whenever we walk by faith and not by sight concerning what is going on in the immediate, we are walking according to God's sight fully realizing that what we see is not as important as we sometimes think. What matters is what God sees in what He is accomplishing with you, and in you, in His grand scheme of things. Now think about how God uses us this way. The faithfulness of Tychicus and Onesimus, in their tasks, helped spread faithfulness to others. Think about that. Throughout the Roman empire, where the church was blossoming, faithfulness in the body was increased through the word, but the word got out because these two men were part of God's sovereign hand in getting it out. It goes even further. The preservation, and spread, of those epistles, has been instrumental in establishing faith and focus throughout the generations of the body. I want us to put our minds eye there in the desert roads for a moment. Think about the slow travel. Think about the containers the scrolls must have been packed in. We know for sure that the epistles of Ephesians, Philemon, and Colossians were with them. In God's providence, the Spirit takes the epistles from Paul in his bound condition hundreds of miles away, and sends them to the land where Colossae rests. Now, imagine the thoughts that Tychicus and Onesimus were having as they carry their treasure. Maybe they were thinking about the persecution of the church. Their faith and focus was being empowered and moved by God's Spirit to enable them to consider persecution and martyrdom as part of the bigger picture. They may have contemplated those who have already been arrested, like Paul, Epaphras and others. They knew that persecution for the cause of the gospel was a reality to be expected in Christianity. They knew it. The were taught it. They understood it. They embraced it. Faith and focus would enable them to understand that this is part of what being a member of the church in God's plan means. Maybe they recollected the miracles of God they had seen and heard about which were being performed almost daily. Those things would bolster their faith and focus. Maybe they reminisced about the various people they had known who had been rescued by God in Christ. Our very salvation is one of the greatest witnesses of faith and focus because it is the outcome of ministry that comes from faith and focus. They knew Christ was saving multitudes across the land as part of His miraculous work. They may have been recollecting, and discussing, the extra information that Paul wants them to share. Paul says that Tychicus and Onesimus,
"will inform you about the whole situation here." Colossians 4:7
We can imagine that they were thinking about the "whole situation" during their journey. Intermixed with this, would be the doctrines that they had learned. They would be the same doctrines that they are carrying in the Colossians epistle, the Ephesians epistle, and the one to Philemon. Remember what Paul said about being the body? They would clearly understand why unity is so important. They learned that they have put on the armor of Christ already, so now they need to stand firm. Certainly, they know that they need to stand firm as they travel. They need to continue to stand firm in the midst of all the spiritual darkness and opposition that awaits them. Their prayers must have been about safety, but also about serving the Lord. Their prayers must have been mission directed; like praying for doors to open for ministry, as Paul instructed in the epistle they were carrying; for harvest, for the saints to be established, for unity in the churches, for the Lord to come back soon. What they were doing was important. Certainly, they thought about how important serving the Lord is in any capacity. The point is that they were faithful in the right things, and they were focused in the right direction. Martyrdom for Christ was always looming on the edge of the next moment. Dying to self and living for Christ was something they understood intimately as the faithfulness and focus of the roots. Mission was not a side issue. Serving Christ as the Lord, that He is, was not a side issue. Mission and Lordship were "the" issues. Salvation meant to rest in Christ knowing that you are completely saved by grace alone through faith alone. Salvation meant to rest, but it also meant to rest while you run the race for your Lord, in your Lord, empowered by your Lord. It all means the same thing today! They also expected that either the Lord would come back soon, or that they will die at any moment to be with Him. Either way, the thinking of our roots was,
"To live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
It takes faith to live this way. What the Spirit teaches us concerning this is that it takes a much bigger focus than a kind of me-centered Christianity. This is the classic faith, and focus, of our roots as they sought the glory of God in their daily actions. It is faith that comes from the Holy Spirit. It is faith that is built up in the word. Faith that is built up, charged, and permeated with the word of God, is what drives your proper focus. When you get away from the word, then you quickly get away from the focus. The things I have been explaining reflect the climate in which the root grew, thrived, and spread, in the early years. It is somewhat stunning to think that the roots often times seem so different from the offshoots that have sprouted and grown up throughout the fields, valleys, and hills, over the centuries. Faithfulness is something that we all need for living out the pattern of our roots.
Tychicus, who was from Thessalonica, in faithfulness to the mission of serving Christ, accompanied Paul on much of his ministry activity. In our roots, discipleship in the doctrines and precepts of the faith was done through on-the-job training. It was done through direct teaching. It was done in deep personal relationships; in preaching; in studying the writings of the apostles as the lens to understanding the Old Testament. Paul taught, so that in turn others would teach. Paul taught them what was important. Paul taught what was the God glorifying way to act in various situations. Thank God for His preservation of the Biblical record. Through it, we enroll in Paul's schooling into the true revelation of the mystery of Messiah according to Paul's sufficient redemptive historical lens. The lesson here, on what we can learn from the members of our roots, is that we must learn from the other members of our roots. Their faith and focus came from the Holy Spirit, but it came with the Holy Spirit's tool--His sword--which is the word of God rightly handled. Whenever we read and study Paul's letters, it is like we are walking with him today. Right now he is tutoring us. It is like we are standing in front of him in his imprisonment looking at the shackles on his ankles as he speaks the mysteries of God to us. We are learning spiritual words by the Spirit that not only endure the test of time, but endure in our hearts in being adequately equipped. Learn Paul's letters along with everything about Paul's call and commission in Acts, and you will be learning more practical theology than many (if not most) professional theologians.
What do I mean by practical theology?
Practical theology is all about your faith, and all about your focus being manifested.
Tychicus, traveled all over the place with Paul, and in doing so, demonstrated his faith and focus in a self sacrificing, bigger picture, way. He was part of the group that took an offering to Jerusalem for the poor and needy Christians. Later, Paul sent Tychicus to Ephesus to take Timothy's place. It appears that Tychicus was sent to Crete later on. We recognize that Tychicus had a well-placed ambition, don't we? There is misplaced ambition. It is so easy to get caught up in misplaced faith and focus. You and I are not immune to it, so we must be careful. I knew a minister once who had great promise as a servant of God's people in church. He got caught up in misplaced ambition. In his distraction, he dropped out of focusing upon the bigger picture. His faith was wrapped up in money and the pursuit of it. He became obsessed with what he wanted in his own selfish ambitions. It is so easy to move away from service, and into selfishness. It slapped him in his faith. It damaged his focus. It also damaged the body of Christ in a crippling manner. Please hear me--Well placed ambition is to constantly be seeking, by the Spirit, the Lord's business--even when you are seeking your own business. Well placed ambition is to be checking ourselves to see if our business really is the Lord's business. This leads us to recognize and learn something else from our roots.
/2/
All of us are connected as family. It is more than a concept. It is more than a trite metaphor. It is a spiritual reality that is expected to be respected and nurtured in God's love. Paul makes the clear family connection evident when he says,
"7 ... Tychicus, our dearly loved brother ... 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, ..."
@2 Paul calls Tychicus and Onesimus, our ______________________s. This shows that when we are saved in Christ, we are all part of the family of God. Colossians 4:7, 9
Calling Tychicus and Onesimus "beloved brothers" shows us the strong tie of love that bound Paul to the young disciples and servants that served alongside Him. These root Christians were joined together in work, worship, witness, and walk. Just like our physical life thrives in our physical families, our spiritual life finds its core within our famliness of the family of God. In our salvation, we are adopted to be God's children. You, me, and all Christians are part of the family of God that finds its roots in Christ the firstborn heir. He is the first born of many brothers and sisters, Romans 8:29. It is "in" Him that we are called children of God. It is only in Him that we can become adopted. Being in Him is to be in the body of Him which is the body of Christ. Knowing this, we should all be dearly loved ones to one another in God's family. I want us to take a moment to do something. Look around at one another. Every Christian person you see here should be a beloved--a dearly loved, brother and sister to you. The family of God is not marked and marred by hate like the world is. We are not supposed to be looking at one another with contempt. We are not supposed to be jealous of each other. We are not supposed to be letting personality irritations block our manifestation of love for the body. We are to manifest the fruit of the Spirit beyond all the petty temporal relationship blockers that the dysfunctional family of Adam has. We are the ones who must be longsuffering. We are the ones who must be truly caring about one another's needs, feelings, ambitions, and growth. To dearly love one another is to manifest the royal law of Christ in an intimate family way that demonstrates that the family of God is not only the family that is designed to be functional, but is the family that reflects God the Father, Christ the Son, Christ the groom, and the church, His bride. Ask yourself:
"Do I really love these people who are around me right now?"
Of course you do. You must, because you are a Christian. Now ask yourself:
"Do I dearly love them in the sense of manifestation of that inner love that they sense as my beloved?"
In other words;
"Are you reaching for the upward call of doing that love as something they experience?"
It is where people know that they are your beloved brothers and sisters because they are getting it from you in more than words.
"Are you doing the "much more" of love?"
"Are you looking at others as being better than yourself?"
This is the family love that God in Christ emulates for us, and urges us to have toward one another. He has already empowered us to do it. He is already convicting you to do it. Now, we must manifest this love to one another in our beloved relationships as the body of Christ.
/3/
This leads us to recognize a third thing we can learn for our Christian lives today from the members of our roots. Paul calls Tychicus a faithful servant in the work of ministry. He is also a bond-servant of the Lord. Both the service for the Master, and the servanthood under the Master, walk hand in hand. Notice how Paul uses both terms together,
"7 ... Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information."
Being a bond-servant of the Lord is what is necessary for being a faithful servant for the Lord in His work. Paul gives us the dual interconnection;
"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. It is required of stewards that they be found faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
@3 We should regard ourselves as ________________________ of Christ in Him.
This is one of the most important attributes we can learn from the members in our roots. God does not necessarily want you to be popular, dynamic, eloquent, handsome; brilliant, or even accepted. What God wants, is for you to be faithful in whatever task, or assignment, He has given you in your servanthood under Him. Tychicus and Onesimus had that quality of faithfulness in their servanthood enough to have it announced by Paul the apostle. But they were doing this because the Holy Spirit is the cause that motivates us, teaches us, and empowers us to serve.
Let's think about the fact that we serve because we are actually made into servants. When Paul calls Tychicus his "fellow" bond-servant (literally bond-slave) in the Lord, he is showing the equality of all of God's workers that God creates. Christ the Savior is Lord. Lord literally means Master. Christ is the Master who saves. Christ is the Savior who rules as Master. We are bond slaves, which culturally and contextually, has the literal meaning that we are the ones who willingly serve our Master in His ownership of us in His great purchase on the cross. Think about how being a bond-slave and being saved go hand in hand:
To be a bond-slave of Christ is to be saved in Christ.
Keep this in mind, because in God's church, all ministers are servants. It is what the word means. God ordains leaders in the church as elders who are pastors, but they are made to be guides, leaders, and protectors in servanthood to Christ in serving others. At the same time, all the other members of the body are equally bond-servants of Christ. This equality of bond-servants is why Paul (or any apostle) never refers to himself (even remotely) as a kind of pope. Of course Paul is a leader. Yes Paul is an apostle, but Paul always speaks of himself as a fellow worker, and a bond-servant in the Lord in humble co-equality with all other saints. Appropriately, in godly humbleness, Paul also calls himself the least of the apostles, 1 Corinthians 15:9. He is least, but he is a coequal as a bond slave of our Lord. This is why Paul also says that he does not consider himself in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles, in 2 Corinthians 11:5. We learn servanthood as coequal bond-servants of the Lord from our roots. Though there are different gifts and different callings, and there is authority that God gives in stewardship, the Spirit shows us that Paul exercised authority by loving and serving the men and women around him. This service meant that he treated them with courtesy and respect as equal bond-slaves of Christ. Paul even went so far as to say,
"... even though I am nothing." 2 Corinthians 2:11
God never intended to start out the roots of the church with a hierarchy like we see that began in the Romanized church structure in the fourth century. What we learn from the members in our roots is that we are all gifted by our Master, and our gifts, as fellow servants, are manifested in different ways. Onesimus, here, was a runaway slave, and yet even in this state he is a fellow worker for the cause of Christ. Paul discovered Onesimus in Rome as a deserter of his Master's estate, and more than likely Paul is the one that led him to Christ. Think about the strength of this: Onesimus is a rogue slave on the run. Now he is miraculously changed. He has been born again as a slave of Christ. He is not the old spiritually dead Onesimus anymore. He is part of the root-church. As a new man, Paul now sends him back to his earthly master, as a fellow minister, with this appeal to Philemon,
"If he has done anything wrong, charge it to my account!" Philemon 1:18
Think about how different Paul's intercession is from religiously ambitious people who are power hungry and proud. Paul recognizes his equality to Onesimus as a fellow bond-servant of Christ and beloved brother. Paul has the true self sacrificing love of being an authentic bond slave that serves Christ in his leadership. There are some vital lessons here. This principle also helps us to be careful if we get into areas of leadership. Many people who become ambitious, and proud, and are marked as being power-players in their leadership, are people who do not start out that way. What happens is that they get into some kind of position of spiritual leadership, and after a while, they start to apply worldly standards to their tasks; or they begin to want more power. They start liking the feeling of power. So, they want to be completely unquestioned, or completely submitted to, in all that they say. But, we notice that the humble leader, Paul, asks Philemon, who is a master and slave owner, to welcome the slave Onesimus back as a brother in Christ now; and restore Onesimus back to Philemon's household. Paul doesn't say to set Onesimus free. Paul says to accept him as a brother, and forgive him as the body, as family, as a fellow servant of the great Master that we all serve. Think about how this is so counter cultural, and counter intuitive, in respect to hierarchy. Paul demonstrates the extent of the principle by going so far as offering to pay Onesimus' debts. In the meantime, Onesimus is being sent to Colossae as a spiritual equal to his earthly Christian master. What we learn here from the members in our roots is that there is equality among us all in the body. What society deems as lowly, God uses in mighty ways in serving Him. Maybe you consider yourself to be lowly. Maybe you don't think you are valued as much as others in the body.
Do you think that God does not have much usefulness for your role as His servant in our generation?
Do you compare yourself with others that you think are more stable than you are, and seem like they have it together, and are successful?
The Spirit wants you to consider Onesimus the runaway slave. Even as a lowly runaway slave that has not yet reconciled with his master, Onesimus was being used by God. He demonstrates that he is a nobody slave in the culture of man, and yet He is a somebody bond slave of God serving in the cause of Christ.
/4/
This leads us to recognize the fourth thing we we can glean from the members in our roots. It has to do with Mark. It is the principle of forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace as you focus on the bigger picture. We have already seen this in Paul's urging to Philemon to welcome his runaway slave as a new brother in Christ in forgiveness, reconciliation, and focus on the bigger picture. Notice that Paul says,
"... Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him);" Colossians 4:10
I think it is important to consider that Mark was the son of a wealthy Christian woman who lived in Jerusalem. It was at Mark's mom's house that Peter showed up at the door after being miraculously released from prison by an angel. He is also the cousin of Barnabas. Paul's reference to Mark takes us back to Paul's first missionary journey recorded in Acts 13 when Paul was with Barnabas. They took Barnabas' cousin Mark with them, Acts 12. There are some subtle, and even blatant, layers here in God's word that color this mention of Mark. To understand, we must consider the infamously embarrassing incident that Mark is known for. Basically, in the early years, Mark gave up and quit on a missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas, Acts 15:37-39. Some have speculated that Mark was so used to being raised among wealth that he wanted to head back to the comforts of home. Whatever the motivation, what we know for sure is that Mark abandoned the work of the apostles--particularly what Paul was going out to do. None of us are perfect. Though the Spirit gives us the high calling and power to be faithful like Tychicus and Onesimus, we know that we are sinners saved solely by grace alone. In our humanity we have failed our Lord. In our humanity we will probably fail Him again. Certainly we have failed, and will fail, one another. Thank God we are saved to do the good works that God has ordained that we should walk in, rather than having to rely upon doing good works to attain salvation. Thank God for forgiveness, reconciliation, and the fact that we can go on after our failures to continue to focus on the bigger picture. Mark demonstrates this in our roots. Later, after the abandonment, Barnabas wanted to take Mark along as part of the mission team on the second missionary journey. But Paul refused to allow Mark to go along. Why? Paul was upset with Mark for quitting--which is an indication that Mark's excuse was not a very good one. Paul is a fair man, but evidently Mark's excuse was so lame that Paul lost respect and confidence in Mark. Consequently, Barnabas ended up taking his cousin Mark to Cyprus to do ministry. In God's providence, and in the mending unity of the Spirit, we find that years later, Mark is now with Paul here in Rome. This reuniting, as brothers focused upon the big picture, is reflective of the grace and love that brands the body of Christ. But I want to bring your attention to something that I think may be important. In studying this passage, I noticed something that I think should be seen in light of these details I just explained concerning Paul and Mark. Paul mentions Mark here, but notice that he refrains from calling him faithful, as he just did with Tychicus and Onesimus. Paul also indicates that he is sure that the others are going to get there to Colosae (at least as sure as one can be without prophetic insight). Also notice that Paul mentions that the Colossians have already been briefed concerning Mark. But notice the detail when Paul says,
"if he comes to you, welcome him." Colossians 4:10
Think about this for a moment. First Mark is not called faithful. Plus, Paul is also not quite sure whether Mark will ever make it to the Colossians. Paul does not say this same thing about the others. Further, the Colossians have already received some kind of special instructions concerning Mark. In my own curiosity, I wonder if this has something to do with Mark's wishy washy manner in serving with the apostolic missionary teams. In speculating upon this comment of Paul's, it seems possible, from the record, that Mark was not completely reliable, nevertheless, he was loved, and he was useful to some extent. In fact, Paul numbers him as one of the Jewish Christians who has proved to be an encouragement to Paul. The main point that we can definitely glean in Paul accepting Mark back in ministry, and in even mentioning Mark, is the attitude we should all have with other Christians that we think have failed us, or have failed God. It is the attitude that Christ has with you. It is the attitude we are so thankful to the Lord for having. It is real grace. It is real forgiveness that manifests itself with the real view toward real reconciliation, while focusing upon the bigger picture of the cause of Christ. Though Paul was upset early on with Mark's unpredictable behavior and lack of steadfastness, now Mark is with Paul again, and now Paul sends Mark to Colossae--telling them to welcome him there. But there is more to this. We really need to see a layer that helps bring out clarity to the full picture. Years later, Paul writes his last letter at the end of his ministry. It is 2 Timothy. Paul is not sure how long he has to live, but he knows it is not very long. He hopes to see Timothy one last time, but he is not sure it will happen. You really get this sense when you read 2 Timothy from this perspective. So Paul sends out what could be his last epistle. Paul still has some hope that he may not be executed before seeing Timothy one last time, so Paul writes,
"11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me for service." 2 Timothy 4:11
Isn't that a beautiful punctuation on a living testimony written into God's word? In Paul's first experience with Mark, at one time, Paul essentially considered Mark to be useless in the ministerial workings of the apostolic mission. Who knows how long Paul, and others, regarded Mark as "Mark the deserter?" But in the writing of Colossians, Paul introduces Mark out of a sense of love and grace, with the little caveat that Mark may come, but then again, he may not. Finally at the end of Paul's life, Mark was promoted into Paul's category of faithfulness in exemplary fashion. Mark became "useful" Mark. Mark is useful for service. There is a huge lesson for all of us to learn from our roots. God requires us to be wise, and make some tough decisions concerning people. But God also wants us to be graceful as He is graceful. He wants us to always be about giving one another second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and more chances. As the branches, we can become so petty in our day and culture concerning little non-issues. It is sickening. We turn our backs on each other over the most carnal and senseless things. We want people to be more perfect than we can even be. Then we selfishly forget about giving the 70 times seven chance that Jesus commanded. The cursed world-culture typically does not offer second chances. When you mess up, then you are branded as a mess-up. Paul, who said he had to learn that he is "nothing," realizes what we all need to realize: We are all mess-ups who are held up by the hands of God's grace.
/5/
This leads us to recognize the last thing that I want us to glean from the members in our roots this morning. It has to do with encouraging others in the body, and that also means spiritual leaders in their work. It has to do with everyone we have looked at so far,
"7 ... Tychicus, ... 8 ... I have sent him to you ... that he may encourage your hearts; ... 10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, ... 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me."
@3 The example of Aristarchus and Justus that we learn for our own Christian walk is to be an __________________________ to one another. Colossians 4:11
One of the reasons that Tychicus was sent to Colossae, was to encourage the brothers and sisters in Christ. Apparently most of the others who were working alongside Paul in his apostleship, were Gentiles. But Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus are Hebrews. Paul says they are an encouragement to him. One reason why this ethnic detail is so important is because Paul's revelations from God were so radical to Jews that without God's miracle of opening minds, they could not handle it. We see this in Paul's revelation in the first recorded sermon that he preached in Pisidian Antioch. Paul says to Israelite brothers according to the flesh;
"38 Therefore let it be known to you, that through Him [the Messiah Jesus] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses," Acts 13:38-39
@4 The bad news is that we are all sinners. The good news of God is that ____________________ of sins comes through Jesus Christ by His grace, through faith in His finished work on the cross and the resurrection. Acts 13:38-39, Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8
This is the revelation to Jews and Gentiles that is absolutely revolutionary. Through Christ there is forgiveness of sins, and through Christ everyone who believes is freed from everything from which one could not be freed through the Law of Moses. In opposition to the defunct Old Covenant theology being bantered around at the time by Jews, this is New Covenant theology that Paul is preaching. Because of this contrast, Paul was constantly clashing with Jews who were bent on bringing Gentile Christians under Mosaic Law codes and fruitless traditions that could not accomplish spiritual righteousness. Paul called those people "Judaizers." He contended with them in doctrinal foundations just about everywhere he went. Therefore, having a small group of Israelite converts, who understood Paul's insights into the mysteries of Christ, was a special encouragement. The Gentiles were getting the icing on the cake; and yet saved Israelites, in service to the great Master Messiah, understood what the old cake tasted like. They understood that this good news will of God that was taking place was all part of a recipe that had been ordained in the prophets to supplant the defunct Old Covenant system, reliance on endless genealogies, ethnic pride, and obedience to Old Covenant Law codes. The great Messiah that every Israelite child had been taught about since infancy, had come! The great plan was being lived out in Him according to the mystery!
Think about Aristarchus again. Aristarchus, who was from Thessalonica, probably became a Christian under Paul's ministry there--later joining the apostle's missionary team when he was sent as a prisoner from Caesarea to Rome. Aristarchus was first sent from Thessalonica with the money that was collected to care for the poor in Jerusalem. Evidently Aristarchus was a guy who consistently encouraged Paul in both ministry and in imprisonment. We find that Aristarchus was with Paul in Ephesus later. It was there that Paul preached the gospel and infuriated the idol makers who started a riot where the people tried to kill the Christians. Aristarchus stood by Paul in the midst of the riot. Aristarchus was a steady, loyal, and encouraging guy. Later he accompanied Paul, on the ship from Caesarea, to Rome where Paul writes this letter from prison and identifies Aristarchus as a "fellow prisoner." Now Aristarchus is there in prison with the apostle Paul, and what is he doing? He's encouraging Paul. Justus has been doing the same thing, and Tychicus is on his way to do the same with the Colossians. The main point is that God wants us to be encouragers of one another. This means encouraging spiritual leaders in their work. It means encouraging your brothers and sisters in the body. There is enough discouragement that comes from the world. We are called to build each other up with encouraging words, and with encouraging actions. The final questions I want each of us to ask ourselves are:
"Do people know you as an encourager?"
Ask yourself,
"Am I a living discouragement?"
"Are the spiritual leaders I know, being encouraged by me?"
God wants us to be encouragers like Tychicus, Aristarchus and Justus, where we are the roots that the next generation looks to in being edified with the fruits of the Spirit.
As we leave this section this morning, I urge all of us to be remembering the faithfulness of Tychicus and Onesimus. God wants you to be faithful. Be remembering that second important thing: It is your family connection to others. Be recognizing that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We have been created this way to be a functional family. We do this according to the Spirit, in living by the word, in our relationships with one another. Be mindful of that third thing. It is what Paul says about Tychicus and Paul's own self. Think of your own self. We are bond-servants of the Lord. Both your service for the Master, and your servanthood under the Master, walk hand in hand. You are saved to serve the Lord forever. Let's be considering the bigger picture as we set our hearts upon serving Him in faith and focus right now, according to His word. I encourage you to think about the biblical example of Mark. We all have our areas of failure. God does not brand you with those things. He brands you with Christ and His righteousness. What this means for your relationship with others is, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and focus on the bigger picture. Since you are branded with grace, then brand others with it too. Then finally, be making it your ambition to be an encourager like Tychicus, Aristarchus, and Justus. Encouragement builds up, and that is a ministry focus of our roots that we all need to be doing. amen.
@1 Tychicus and Onesimus are examples to us of being _______________________ Christian brothers in the Lord.
@2 Paul calls Tychicus and Onesimus, our ______________________s. This shows that when we are saved in Christ, we are all part of the family of God. Colossians 4:7, 9
@3 The example of Aristarchus and Justus that we learn for our own Christian walk is to be an __________________________ to one another. Colossians 4:11
@4 The bad news is that we are all sinners. The good news of God is that ____________________ of sins comes through Jesus Christ by His grace, through faith in His finished work on the cross and the resurrection. Acts 13:38-39, Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8
