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.
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.