A Picture of Christ-Centered, Missional Community
Colossians: A Letter from Jail
A Picture of Christ-Centered, Missional Community
Colossians 4:7-18
Let’s turn to Colossians 4. If you need a Bible, please raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring one to you. Colossians 4 is on page 985 in the Bibles we are passing out.
This morning we come to the end of this letter. And to understand this last section, I think it would be helpful to give you the background to this letter. In 50 AD Paul was in Ephesus telling people about Jesus. While he was there, a man named Epaphras came to Ephesus from Colossae, and met Paul. Paul told him how God created everything, how we all rebelled against God and face God’s wrath forever, but how God in great love has sent Jesus to be punished in our place. As a result, if we will repent of our sins and trust Jesus, we will be forgiven for sin’s guilt, and freed from sin’s power, so we can have the joy of knowing Jesus, and helping others come to know Jesus.
When Epaphras heard this message, he repented and put His trust in Jesus, and went back to Colossae, where he told his friends and family members about Jesus. Many of them also repented and put their trust in Jesus, and a small church was born.
A few years later Paul was in Rome, and had been put in prison for telling people about Jesus. And Epaphras went to Rome, visited Paul in prison, and told Paul what had happened in Colossae. Paul was so moved that he wrote a letter to this church he had never met, to encourage them to continue trusting Jesus, and to not let anything turn them from Jesus.
And now, in this last section of his letter, Paul gives some closing remarks. Too often we gloss over a passage like this as if it’s not important. But this passage is just as much God’s Words as the rest of the book, and as I studied it I started to see how important this passage is.
Have you ever wondered how Paul related to others? Have you ever wondered what kind of friendships and community Paul had with his associates? That’s what we see in this passage. Start with v.7 --
7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,
9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions--if he comes to you, welcome him),
11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.
14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.
15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.
17 And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord."
18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
This passage gives us a powerful picture of Christ-centered, missional community. That’s the vision of Mercy Hill Church – to pursue Christ-centered, missional community in our home groups, and to spread Christ-centered, missional communities throughout the San Jose area.
And in this passage I saw nine characteristics of Christ-centered, missional community. So this morning I want us to look at these and them this week in our home groups talk about how our home groups are doing in each of these areas.
First, Paul and his associates felt deep affection for each other. I see that in v.7, where Paul says Tychicus is a “beloved brother,” and also in v.9, where Paul says Onesimus was a “faithful and beloved brother,” and in v.14 where Paul calls Luke “the beloved physician.” Paul loved Tychicus, Paul loved Onesimus, Paul loved Luke; that’s deep affection.
So why did Paul feel this way? You might think it was because of Paul’s personality. But that’s never what he says. He says it’s because when you love Jesus, you deeply love all others who love Jesus. You might think it’s because Tychicus and Onesimus and Luke were really great guys. Well, they had been freed from sin’s power through Jesus’ death on the Cross, but they still sinned. But Paul’s heart was so full of Jesus, that he felt deep affection for them even with their imperfections.
So think about those in your home group. Do you feel deep affection for them? Do you think of them as “beloved brother,” “beloved sister”? Do you feel mostly love for Jesus in them, or mostly frustration at the sin in them? The more you love Jesus, the more you will feel mostly love for Jesus in them. Talk about that this week in your home groups.
Second, Paul and his associates pursued sacrificial encouragement. I see that in vv.7-8 –
7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts …
Tychicus was one of Paul’s closest friends And Paul was in prison, where it would have been especially helpful to have visits from close friends. And yet Paul is going to send Tychicus 500 miles away, because wants to encourage the Colossians in trusting Jesus. Paul said “good-bye” to one of his closest friends, so the Colossians could be encouraged in Jesus.
Jesus calls us to pursue sacrificial encouragement. Think about those in your home group. One of the ways Jesus brings His grace upon them is through your encouragement. As you listen to them, care about them, express love for them, share God’s Word with them, and pray with them, Jesus pours His grace into their lives.
This will cost you time, convenience, rest, and energy. But Jesus will use your sacrificial encouragement to pour His grace upon your brothers and sisters, and this makes it all worth it. So how are you doing in pursuing sacrificial encouragement?
Third, Paul and his associates worked together for the gospel. I see that in v.7, where Paul says that Tychicus is a “fellow servant in the Lord.” I see that also in v.11 where Paul says that Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus are “fellow workers for the kingdom of God.” And I see that in v.12 where Paul says that Epaphras is a “servant of Christ Jesus.”
When we become followers of Jesus, He doesn’t call us to twiddle our thumbs until He returns. No, Jesus calls us to work: deeply satisfying, heart-filling work: to spread the gospel in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, with our friends. He calls us to love our wives, nurture our children, help people come to know Jesus, encourage our brothers and sisters, train up leaders, lead home groups, plant churches. Jesus has called you to work.
And He wants our community – our home groups -- to be united in the work. So how’s work? And how’s your home group’s work? Are you working together to advance the gospel? Are you encouraging each other to reach out to your neighbors? Are you joining together to serve others for the sake of Christ? Jesus calls us to work together to help people in San Jose come to know Jesus.
Fourth, Paul and his associates pursued the unity of the Spirit. In v.9 Paul says that along with Tychicus, he’s sending them Onesimus – “and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.”
Onesimus had been a slave, belonging to Philemon who was part of the church in Colossae. But Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and run away, ending up in Rome, where he met Paul, heard the gospel, and became a follower of Jesus. So Paul knew that there would be a problem between Onesimus and Philemon, so Paul writes a letter to Philemon, which is in the New Testament, and urges him to free Onesimus. He also tells Philemon that he, Paul, will gladly reimburse Philemon for whatever Onesimus owes him. And now that Philemon has freed Onesimus, and forgiven Onesimus, Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon, not as a slave, but as a brother.
See, Paul is so committed to the unity of the Spirit that he sought to resolve conflict whenever he saw it. So how are we doing in that? When someone comes to you and tells you how frustrated they are with someone – do you enjoy hearing the details? Or do you grieve, and do all you can to get the issue resolved?
Satan is constantly seeking to destroy Christ-centered, missional community. And one of his most powerful weapons is disagreements between people, misunderstandings between people, tensions between people. So we must pursue the unity of the Spirit. If you know of people who have a problem – urge them to talk together. Help them get together. Pursue the unity of the Spirit.
Fifth, they avoided cliques and favoritism. Notice in v.14 that Paul mentions Luke, “the beloved physician.” This is the same Luke who wrote the gospel of Luke. He was a physician, which meant he made decent money, and would have been at the top of the socio-economic ladder. Paul calls Dr. Luke “beloved.”
But in v.9 Paul also calls Onesimus “beloved.” Onesimus was a slave, at the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder. But slave Onesimus is as beloved as Dr. Luke.
Why? Because for Paul, Jesus was everything, and socio-economic status was nothing. When Paul saw Onesimus, what was important was Jesus, not the fact that he was a slave. And when Paul saw Luke, what was important was Jesus, not the fact that he was a doctor. When someone has Jesus living in them, satisfying them, shining from them, that’s more important than anything else about them.
So how are we doing at avoiding cliques and favoritism? Do the younger people avoid the older people and the older avoid the younger? That should never be – because if someone has Jesus in them, their age is unimportant. Do we gravitate towards people who are athletic or outgoing or well-known? None of that is important; all that’s important is that someone has Jesus in them.
So this week talk in your home group about how we are doing in avoiding cliques and favoritism.
Sixth, they prayed earnestly for each other. Notice what Paul says about Epaphras in v.12:
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
Think of the people in your home group. What would it mean for them to be mature and fully assured in all the will of God? It would mean that they are growing in obeying all the commanded will of God, that they are growing in trusting all the promised will of God, and that they are growing in submitting to all the sovereign will of God. Wouldn’t that be powerful!
But what Epaphras realized is that God works this in our brothers and sisters as we pray for them. And so Epaphras prayed. And not just once. Ephaphras was “always struggling” for them in his prayers. Why struggle? Because prayer is hard work, and because prayer involves persistence.
So let this sink in. If you take 30 minutes this week to pray for each person in your home group, praying that they will stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God, then God will bring His power upon them and they will stand more mature and fully assured in all the will of God than if you had not prayed for them.
So how are we doing in praying for each other?
Seventh, they pointed each other to the Word of God. You can see this in v.16 --
And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.
Paul wants the Colossians to read his letter to them and his letter to the Laodiceans, and he wants the Laodiceans to read his letter to the Colossians. Why? Because as an apostle, what Paul wrote was the very words of God. And so, when they read it with humble and earnest hearts, faith will be strengthened, sin’s power will be broken, encouragement will be given.
So when someone comes to you with a problem, how do you respond? You should listen, and love, and care; but they also need to be pointed to God’s Word. Not to what you read in Dear Abby – but to what you have studied in God’s Word. Point each other to God’s Word.
Eighth, they practiced honest admonishment. You can see this in v.17 –
And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord."
Paul had heard that Archippus was not fulfilling his God-given ministry. So Paul lovingly and humbly and directly admonished him, and urged him to get to work.
I love how this all fits together. Paul feels deep affection for others, he is sacrificially committed to encouraging others, but when Paul sees someone getting lazy in the work, he admonished them. When someone is getting lazy in the work, or drifting towards sin, we need to go to them humbly and lovingly and admonish them.
So is there someone you think you might need to admonish? Then go to them, humbly and lovingly. Ask questions, don’t make accusations. Listen to them. And then if necessary urge them to repent or change or get to work. And then when it’s your turn, receive admonishment from others.
Ninth, they were focused on God’s grace. Look at how Paul ends this letter in v.18:
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
It seems that Paul had poor vision, so he had someone else write most of the letter, but then he wrote a personal greeting at the end. He urges them to remember his chains. And then notice that last phrase “Grace be with you.” That line is at the end of every single one of Paul’s letters.
What that means is that when Paul finished interacting with people he always wanted them focused on God’s grace. God’s grace is His passion to do astonishing good to undeserving people. And the supreme expression of God’s grace is the Cross – that God was willing to punish His own Son so that when we trust Jesus the guilt of our sin will be paid, the power of our sin will be broken, and we will have God’s grace doing us good for the rest of our lives. That’s God’s grace.
And when Paul finished interacting with people he always left them focused on God’s grace.
So when you finish interacting with people – what do you leave them focused on? Your humor? Someone else’s faults. Your inside information? Your wittiness?
Think of how powerful it would be if every time you interacted with someone else at Mercy Hill Church, you left them focused on God’s grace. What strength we would have in trials. What comfort in sorrows. What power over sin. What peace during recessions. What peace over our worries.
When you interact with people, leave them focused on God’s grace.
Questions?
This passage gives us a powerful picture of Christ-centered, missional community. This week in our home groups, before we take a break for Christmas, let’s talk about how we are doing in each of these areas. And between now and your home group meeting, pick one that you are going to work on.