Colossians 4:7-19 - At the center of our friendships

We’re four days out from Thanksgiving.

Many of you have already started mentally preparing for the once-per-year family members you’re going to encounter.

Everyone has a weird uncle that you watch what you say because it could end up with a detailed opinion on politics

Everyone has the “Kitchen team” who make you fear for your life

“ I’m not going in there even if my life depends on it”

Everyone has that cousin that picks them up during a hug even though you’re an adult and have kids.

Please put me down.

Thanksgiving is interesting because it is a time for people who normally don’t get together to get together because they are united by family heritage.

It is such a wonderful time to get with people who are nothing like you, but you might have one thing in common.

For Christians, every Sunday is like another family gathering of people who are nothing like us.

We share different interests, skills, history, opinions, experiences.

Yet we come together unified under one name: Jesus.

Paul is wrapping up this letter with some special greetings that illuminate a similar reality.

What draws the church together?

Big Idea: Jesus is at the center of our friendships

Stand to read

Colossians 4:7–9 ESV

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.

Leader: This is God’s Word.

Everyone: Thanks be to God.

Context

Paul name drops many names that solidifies his relationship with Colossae.

He’s showing that they are friends in the gospel although Paul had never been to the city before.

Paul is writing from prison sending this letter by the hand of Tychicus.

He’s not wasting paper on details that don’t serve the purpose of the gospel.

There were false teachers that were introducing philosophies in the city, so Paul’s purpose was to tell them about how Jesus is at the center of everything.

He wants them to believe that Jesus is the Messiah over all things!

Tychicus and Onesimus are well known to the Colossians.

Tychicus is a man who models character of Jesus.

Paul is sending Tychicus to them so that they would not miss out while Paul is sitting in prison.

Tychicus/Onesimus’s job was to report on how Paul is doing and encourage their hearts.

He was providing for their spiritual need in sending a man who loves Jesus and loves them, who will work hard for the kingdom.

After addressing the messengers, Paul begins to name more friends of his that they might recognize.

Colossians 4:10–14 ESV

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.

There are many different characters in this list.

There are people on this list that if they were not Christians, would never be associated with one another.

Three Jews

Aristarchus

He is suffering with Paul in prison

Mark

He and Paul have reconciled.

Writer of a Gospel

Justus

He has comforted Paul.

Three Gentiles

Epaphras

Prayers urgently for the church to stand mature and fully assured in God’s will.

Luke

Doctor/writer of a Gospel

Demas

Would eventually leave Paul because he was in love with the present world.

The church at Colossae is benefitting from Paul’s friendships through people who love Jesus.

These people represent crossing cultures, reconciliation, and what it looks like to be loved in deep relationships.

The gospel transcends racism, sexism, ageism, classism.

The gospel brings people who have no business being around one another and moves them together.

We have Jews, Gentiles, Doctors, traitors, slaves

You are defined and redefined by the relationships you choose to be in.

Church,

We are together in Christ.

The number one thing that brings the church together is the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives

The Church is not a social club of Christians who get together and sing songs.

The Church is Jesus’s bride, who He laid down His life for.

The church is the people of God gathered together to celebrate the eternal life freely given in Christ.

We are brought together by the blood of Jesus that unites us with God and with one another.

We may not have anything else in common, yet we have the most significant and intimate union of all.

If you’re not a Christian, you can join this relationship in Christ today by simply believing the gospel.

perhaps you’re here and you simply need a friend.

Gospel presentation.

Though we have all sinned, Jesus came as a friend of sinners.

He willingly went to the cross and died for our sins.

The good news is that Jesus took the punishment for our sins so that we can be made right with God.

Then He rose again to give us eternal life through believing in His name!

Will you trust in Jesus?

The most important thing about you is if you are in Christ.

When we repent and trust in Jesus, He gives us eternal life and a new family.

Through believing in Jesus, we can all have this fullness of friendship through the church.

We may not come from the same background, with the same experiences, with the same struggles, traumas, and worries

But we can stand side-by-side because Jesus has united us together by His blood.

In Christ, we have a family who will struggle with us, celebrate with us, worship with us, and go with us every step of the way.

In the good days and the bad, we can rely on Jesus to hold us together.

Transition

Dr. Lykens

While Hilary was in the hospital, one of her doctors visited us and talked with us about everything.

She was a joyful person who was able to talk about hard things without making us feel hopeless.

Then she got very personal with us.

She told us that she was a believer and that she went through a very similar thing with her twins.

She was a NICU occupant for while.

Then she told us, “I’m praying for you guys.”

While we were still in the NICU, she stopped by and checked in on us and thanked the Lord for what He was doing in growing Eden!

She knows very little about us and we knew very little about her, but to simply have Christ in common was enough to comfort our souls.

We need friends who love Jesus.

We need the church.

So Paul transitions from naming individuals, to naming whole churches.

Colossians 4:15–18 ESV

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.

Explanation

The Christians then met in homes throughout the Roman empire.

Paul’s letters were to be circulated among the churches for doctrine, encouragement, and instruction.

He encourages a man, Archippus

We don’t know what Archippus’s deal is, but Paul publically affirms him to “keep going!”

There is some great motivation when someone you regard highly encourages you to walk in your God-given gifts.

Paul signs off on the letter by reminding them of his sufferings.

He’s asking them to pray for him and not be ashamed of his imprisonment.

For Paul, the gospel is everything.

Don’t forget why I’m here.

He’s there for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He is a proud prisoner because Jesus is worth suffering for!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that will reunite us to God!

Not our good work/spiritualism/religious tendencies.

Only the blood of Jesus Christ.

This is why Paul wraps up by saying “grace to you”

This isn’t an arbitrary goodbye.

This is a reminder that forgiveness and grace is delivered for all of eternity.

God’s grace is poured out on His people through reconciling us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Paul uses this to provoke them toward thankfulness to God!

When they are stirred to worship and thank the Lord for saving them, this inevitably flows into being gracious to one another and moved toward seeing more people experience the grace and love of God.

He’s saying, “God’s grace has been shared with you. Go share it with everyone else.”

Church,

We are together on mission

We are a people changed by the love and mercy of God.

We submit ourselves to the kingship of Jesus and desire to obey Him!

What is His desire?

That we go and make disciples.

We cannot do this alone.

This emphasizes our need to come together in community.

This is where we need to get in.

I want you to get in on what God is doing here at Graceland.

Everyone has a next step to take because there is no varsity/JV level Christians.

There are those who have been changed by Christ, and those who haven’t.

When we have been truly changed by Jesus, we are invited into His activity in the world.

Baptism

Membership

Starting Point

Serving

Every Christian is gifted by the Holy Spirit with particular skills and interests that further God’s kingdom.

Welcome team

Set up crew

Kids ministry

Everyone here has a part to play in growing this church and seeing lives changed for the gospel.

This puzzle hangs in my study.

My great grandmother put this puzzle together for me and gave it to me on my birthday, because she said it reminded her of me.

A little boy preaching the Bible to His friends outside the traditional church building.

If you notice, there’s something wrong with the picture.

It’s not complete. There’s a piece missing.

Not just one, but four missing pieces.

She had lost them in the process of putting the puzzle together.

There are many people who look at Jesus without the full picture.

We, as Jesus’s church, are to be those missing puzzle pieces that complete their view of Jesus!

Together we want the world to know how amazing the glory of our Savior truly is.

We don’t want to be ruled by broken philosophy or ideology.

The way we think about Jesus is everything!

Jesus’s place in our lives is everything!

You cannot think too highly of Jesus!

We want the world to know what God has done and is doing in our lives and in our church!

The biggest fear of sharing our faith is doing it by ourselves.

What Paul explained to us is that ministry is supposed to be done in community.

If we’re going to accomplish the mission of God in the world, we’re going to need other Christians.

We cannot do ministry without relationships.

There are no such thing as lone-wolf Christians.

Those who say that they love Jesus but don’t need the church are horrifically mistaking.

No one grows in isolation.

The kingdom of God advances through people just like you and me.

When we introduce our Christian friends to our nonChristian friends, and we begin to create space to hang out, then our Christian friends are going to be drawn to Jesus.

Our goal is to bring our friends to Jesus.

The little boy in the puzzle is simply delighting in the Jesus He meets in God’s Word and sharing it with His friends.

He’s not a pastor. He’s not a deacon. He’s a Christian who has been changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What about you?

Have you been changed by the gospel?

If so, don’t you want to see more people changed?

Take the Next Step

Find a friend to follow Jesus with.

Studies show that loneliness is the new health epidemic.

People’s number 1 concern is loneliness.

We are a people more connected than any other time in human history, yet we all feel so distant and lonely.

This means that it’s easier than ever for Christians to make friends with nonChristians who don’t have an inner circle or a network of friends.

We must present ourselves as a trusted tribe that will welcome people who are not like us.

Invite someone to come with you.

We keep Jesus at the center of our friendships because we are together in Christ and on mission.