Tapestry of Grace

This morning, we conclude our study of Colossians. We've been in this book for a few weeks now, and I hope that you have benefited from the study the application of God's word, this portion of God's word, there's so much here and as we go through it, all I want is to know that this isn't just a sign off. It's not like, oh well we can skip this part. It's it's like the baguettes we can skip over this part know. There's a purpose for every part of God's word, and when we come to it, we shouldn't go to sleep on it. There's so much here in this message that Paul is communicating and they say the last words, you know, when you think about someone's last words to anyone, the final send-off the final sign-off, it it's important for the pay attention and so he's wanting them to hear of his love for them as care for them. And for those that serve with him in here, as we come to these verses, we get this stunning. Look these details of the same folks who love and care for Paul. There is quite a few names listed here. I might not say all of them correctly because I didn't live in that time and we don't really know for sure, exactly how they said their names but we we can get our best estimates on how that sounded and even today we can we can say will that person and and and God knows who they are even if we don't get their names right. But we see the way that God has woven of this church together in those that are serving. He and he's weaving us together for his Kingdom's advancement. He wants us to see that we are a beautiful tapestry of God's grace and that's the church. And so when I look out this morning, when I see you guys, when you were looking around and seeing each other, we're looking at the tapestry of God's grace on display, the church Jesus. Bride and brides are beautiful and in God's word shows, That we are his bride, we are his body and were beautiful and and I don't want that to be something that you just yawn at this morning. I wanted to be something that captivates you and changes you about who we are together, the tapestry of God's grace the church. And so as we come together we're going to see how God's woven us together for his good for our good and for his glory and for us to show honor and glory to him and to each other and how we go about doing that will be four main present. We look at here together and in the next few moments. And so we're just going to read through first of all, of these verses and then I'll come back and, and help highlight for Chi threads of this tapestry before us in this passage from Colossians chapter 4, So we start off with this one word tychicus, our dearly loved brother faithful Minister and fellow servant in the Lord will tell you all the news about to me I have sent him to you for this very purpose so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your heart's just a quick aside went when you're reading to God's word, let the grammar of the moment help you understand what God saying to that church and what he saying he was so did you catch those two? So that's, that's a purpose statement. He's sending him so that so so that he can do what? Tell you how we're doing and so that he may encourage your hearts. It's, it's really just following with the logic of that flow of, of the, of the Thornton in the purpose that we see there is just that so that he may encourage your hearts, he's coming with onesimus. A faithful and dearly loved brother who was one of you. They will tell you about everything here so that's a repetition. He's saying they're going to pass on the news and they're going to tell you everything that's happening here, on our side of the world, verse 10, aristarchus my fellow prisoner sends you, greetings, as does Mark, boy, let that word. So you can Mark and all the, the details of that wife and, and the, The Break-Up that happened between Paul and Barnabas over Mark. And now, Pulsing and Marks here and he sending. Greetings, I love that the grace of God who takes people who were at odds and now they're back together. Reconcile working for the kingdom sake, putting aside, their own preferences, and their difference is the same Mark. And in another bladder, he says, and make sure that Mark hunt, he's useful to me, when he says that in 2nd Timothy send for Mark, bring Mark with you Timothy. So Barnabas is cousin concerning whom you have received instructions. If it comes to you welcome him. So he's saying church if Mark makes his weight into your spot, make sure that he feels welcome in in your fellowship. And so does Jesus, who is called Justus. These alone of the circumsized, are my co-workers for the kingdom of God and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, we read about him from the beginning of the letter he helped start this church. Epaphras, who is one of you? A servant of Christ, Jesus sends you. Greetings, he is always wrestling for you in his prayers. Here's another one of those purpose statements, so that Why is he wrestling in prayer so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God Wills broadcastify about him that he works hard for you for those in laodicea and for those in higher opolis, Luke the dearly beloved physician. And here is where we find out. That Luke is a Doctor Luke because we never see that until here Luke the dearly beloved physician and Demas. Send you. Greetings adiemus is a little bit of a sad note because we read in 2nd Timothy. Also, the end chapter 4, that Paul States and Demas left. Loving the world.

He's not here. I'm all by myself. Paul says to Timothy Demas to even then he's probably all praying for Dimas but FEMA sends his greetings to you, get my greetings to the brothers and sisters in laodicea antonym and the church in her home. After this letter has been read at your Gathering, have it read also in the Church of the laodiceans and see that. You also read the letter from laodicea and tell octopus, pay attention to the ministry. You have received in the Lord so that want you to hear that again. So that you can accomplish it. I pull, I'm writing this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains Grace. Be with you. bothering these next moments, we pray that you would Apply to her heart's, the things from your word that we desperately need. Where we need? Your transformation by your spirit where we need to walk and faithful. Obedience. Thank you for your beauty on display here in this place. With this group of folks, Jesus, your church. Thank you for showing us your love your mercy, your grace and your name, we pray. Amen.

Well, as those who are in Christ, we are a beautiful tapestry of God's grace. We are woven together for our good and for his glory, remember those place mats. Maybe you've helped your children. Make them. I did this beautiful artwork yesterday. I had a little bit of help. Debbie a kindergarten teacher that she is help me. I put this together. She's she was very patient and she did the first one so that I could see how to do the next three. And she was so patient with me and she even as I was trying to get this underneath and back and forth and make it look like this, that 45 minutes artwork.

I wasn't going to bring It Up full volume and the threads and the all of the things that go with that, it's amazing. How people can make a piece of art out of red tapestries and in the price listings of those pieces of Art and some of them dating back thousands of years, it's wonderous to see a tapestry and how knowing that the artist most of the time is working on the back part of this Working from behind seeing that artwork from the side that that you wouldn't want to put on display. And it makes me think about how God's at work behind the scenes, what we can't notice and what we don't see of how he's weaving Us in, and out of each other's lives. In the things that we, that we say, how that that's hard and I don't understand. And, and yet it is we leaving his church. Each person exactly where we need to be for his glory, and for our good. God does that and he's doing it here with this group of folks, there is one that wasn't listed here, he was at the beginning, but somehow, Paul didn't include him, that's Timothy because at the beginning of the letter, e says Paul and Timothy Shane. Greetings, but here Timothy's like maybe he's off doing some other work already and he's not even with Paul by this time. Because Paul is writing this letter in his own hand there at the end. Maybe Timothy's not anywhere to be found. So he doesn't need to send, greetings Timothy's doing another Ministry. But these people. Each one of them are a testimony of these threads that are put together in God's kingdom work within the church. The first thing I want us to see her this major threat and includes these two people tychicus and I'm missing this is that God gives us the grace to serve one another he gives us a Grace because on our own we really won't want to help each other if we're just being honest because we we think it could be an inconvenience or to show up to someone and thank you for those who help move Noah and Jasmine this week. Thank you. And thank you for those who helped put in a new sound system, this week that is able to deliver some some better quality for our ears and in and we didn't even notice it. But it happened because someone show And did that? Thank you. And we we see clean floors, most of the places and trash. It's empty, people did that behind-the-scenes people served this body in ways that none of us even knowed a new happened, but but God knows. And, and we do that here in a way that that we see what Paul's talking about. Ticket to the name. Means, fortunate onesimus means useful. I would encourage you to go through and, and read all of Colossians again. But also the one chapter letter, Philemon and honest and this isn't a Twitter and there's quite a story to tell the letter that Paul wrote to his friend, Philemon onesimus was a slave who had run away. And now Paul is sending onesimus back to this church in colossi, these ministers or the steadfast servants. Really the, the root of this word is the word that we have for Deacon. Those who serve those, who wait tables those servants within the body and dearly loved. This is another recurring theme. I hope you could pick up on the number of times. He's said, and dearly loved. There's a tenderness in Paul's closing here that it maybe we would missed otherwise dearly Loved These servants there, sit at Paul's request traveling with the threefold purpose. 1 to bring the letter to, to bring news about Paul in 3, to encourage the church. Notice that these faithful ministers will literally go the extra mile to serve the body of Christ. They do unseen tasks. Hey, guys, I want you to carry this letter to this church. It's a long way off. Take it, please. Okay? And they did and we're grateful. And we have this record, they do unseen tasks, they do seemingly small things. Well, these faithful ministers who belong to the body work together for the good of the body, including a stated here to encourage your hearts, we're eating clot. Rather in Ephesians, chapter 6 verses, 21 and 22. Almost the same send-off that that Paul gives here in this letter he's saying the same thing into the church of Ephesus about tychicus. Our dearly loved brother faithful Minister, he's going to encourage you. I'm sending him so that he can encourage you and so Church my my encouragement to us this day, my spring on is to do the small things. Well, Whatever it is, do it? Well serve even when no one else or even when you think, no one else is noticing or giving. Thanks for what you're doing. Remain faithful to encourage and that were curious this idea comforting urging pleading inviting uniting. All of that is encouragement. The hearts of all those who are in the body of Christ by God's grace serve as faithful ministers. And that's all of us, all of us can do that. All of us are called to be that group of people within the church ministers. Not a special set of heart class that are over a group, but those who serve with and are part of, and we each can serve one another within the body. I've already mentioned this idea of encouragement, but I really want to help bring that out because Paul we use that in here in this closing that God gives us the grace to encourage one. Another God gives us the grace to encourage one. Another aristarchus my fellow prisoner. Paul and aristarchus, they got to know each other, I have a feeling because they're imprisoned together and, and probably for the same reason, preaching, the gospel people didn't like it, and they wanted to silence it, and they put Paul and aristarchus in prison together. Aristarchus sends, greetings, as does Mark to Mark says hi. Justice says, greetings. and then he's talking about,

That all three of these men are have been a comfort, a help and assistance. A consolation to pull in his ministry from prison by God's grace God, will these Jewish Christians? Because that's what it's talking about. The circumcised, these, our Jewish Brothers, God has woven these into the church, the fabric of the church. These co-workers. I think it's cool that this this word for being a co-worker is aware that we have for Synergy. It's like, you're going to get this better together. We're going to accomplish more as a collective than we would on our own. There's a Synergy that happens when you come together for the Kingdom's work that can only happen as a collective, rather than individual effort. And so, he's saying these men were there. They were my Synergy, they helped me keep going, they were a comfort. To me. You been a comfort to me and perhaps unlike any other group of friends, these men get Paul both his Jewish Heritage with all the beliefs and customs and his Heritage in Christ, including as we've seen in this book of Colossians redemption in Christ, the Forgiveness of sins, 1:14 the love of Christ. 3:14 the Peace of Christ. Colossians 3, verse 15 and the word of Christ Colossians 3:16. If you have your Bibles, please go to 3rd, John 3rd, John. It's one little book near the end of the Old Testament 3rd. John. Sorry, the New Testament. Thank you for listening. That was a slip but it and it wasn't trying to catch anyone, but I did make a mistake. Thank you for hearing that. Near the end of the New Testament. Just a quick aside yesterday and we had two soccer games happening and I was helping Derek Derek's coaching both his son's team and oldest daughter's team for soccer. And I'm on the sideline, helping get players in and out of the game. And so we go from one game. And then to another, and I'm calling the team by the wrong team name. At the second game, going to go sharks and their name is Eagles. And I'm calling this little this little boy on the sidelines that says, I'm trying to get him into play in a wonder. He's just looks at me. I said, come on. We're going to get you in the game and I was calling him ASA. And his name, hi. And he just looked at me, like, what are you talkin about? So yes, brain overload and just information. And so I'm trying to keep this as simple as possible because I know you're trying to take in a lot right now as well. In here, we just have this grace to encourage each other in. This is what John was doing to his friend guy has. So he says dear friend verse 5 of 3rd. John, you are acting faithfully and whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, especially when they are strangers. They have testified to your Loved Before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner, worthy of God, since they set out for the sake of the name accepting, nothing from pagans. Therefore we ought to support such people so that we can be co-workers with the truth. Isn't that great co-workers with a truth we are working to help encourage each So when you come together on a Sunday, when you come along a brother and sister, or when you can do that, just do it when you can be alongside someone. The long side of them when you can work together with a fellow believer, work with that fella believer. Be present. This is been a challenge for me this morning because you know, how some of these can be there was just a lot of details and things that are happening. And I want to be present with you in the moment when we're together when we're face-to-face and I wanted something this week about a Ministry, among our International Mission board and those that serve in the deaf Community, all across the globe and praying for people that are working with the deaf in Ukraine, praying with a deaf in the Philippines, praying with the deaf in other places around this world and there's so many different types of sign language. But one of the things that we can do, when we're speaking with someone who has a hard time hearing or is completely deaf, is to look at them face to face.

It is considered rude. You know, if you walk out of the room and you're talking with someone, that's kind of rude, right? If you just turn your face away from someone that you're talking with that stuff because they're able to read lips and can communicate in that fashion. So just look and it's a good reminder for all of us. Just look at each other. Something wonderful and important about our faces and God gave each of us so many wonderful varieties, right? We're also different until look and say I see you cuz that's it. That's the encouragement. That's I notice. I'm I'm hearing you. I'm seeing you. I'm, I'm paying attention. I'm trying to be present with you. That's such an encouragement, isn't it? Because we're so geared toward our social media.

I rather the average number of times and I think it was from our daily bread. The average number of times at that, we pick up our phones from from day-to-day as 150 times.

So what's got her heart? What's got her attention? What speed presents with each other? Let's listen. Well, let's build up often. Let's get to know. Let's help, let stick around. Let's remain steadfast by God's grace served as loyal co-workers for the kingdom of God. Not only that Grace to encourage, but also Grace to pray for one another at the actress. And I really appreciate Paul's detail here to say. He's one of you you know, him and maybe a path was wounded. Maybe they had said, you know a path. Thanks for helping start this church. But but we're looking for something bigger and greater and in our experiences Christians and Paul's writing back and think you're not going to find it. Christ is all you need look to Christ. And remember what a pathless is doing even now. Is he's a part from you, he's sitting in greeting and what else is he doing? He's always wrestling for you in his prayers, so that is why he's bringing so earnestly and diligently. So that church, you can stand mature and fully assured filled up completely and knowing what God wants and you're doing it. Testify about him that he works hard for you. He's writing about these three men, epaphras Luke and Demas but really I want us to think about epaphras here and what he's doing. This working is praying. Diligent hard work of Prayer

Where is hard work? Prayer is so important and we need to be faithful. And steadfast another passage, that shows us, that earnestness of prayer is Jesus prayer for his disciples and for his future disciples, I go with me to John chapter 17, John 17 and will look at verses nine through 19, John 17 nine through 19 and one who's praying for his disciples, I pray for them. I'm not praying for the world, but for those you have given me because they are yours. Everything I have is yours and everything. You have is mine. Who's Jesus talking with? He's talking with the father here, they're on their way, from the upper room, to the Garden of Gethsemane. In Jesus's teaching his disciples on the way. He's praying. As he's going, he's walking, and we get to be in on this conversation that he's having with the father. And I'm glorified in that. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world and I am coming to you, Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me. So that They may be one as we are one while I was with them. I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost except the son of Destruction. So that the scripture may be fulfilled. Now I am coming to you and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. I have given them your word, the world hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world, I'm not praying that. You take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth as you sent me into the world. I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be Sanctified by the truth. Praise God for Jesus prayer for those disciples and then the rest of this chapter praying for those who believe because of their testimony faithful praying. So by God's grace just remember you who are in Christ are Servants of Christ. You belong to him and you belong to his wonderful family. Therefore you will wrestle for one. Another, in your prayers you will work hard for one another. You will want to see one another standing mature and fully assured and everything God wills. And so Pray. For one. Another work hard for one another?

One more thread that we need to look at here and that's the grace to welcome. When another, give my greetings.

I didn't count how many times, he says the word, greetings, but it's quite a few in the last part. You know, something some of us have been hurt by others in this community. Other church people that are in another church and and some have a hard time even saying hi to someone else. That's not a part of this church. And we see that person and and maybe we'll duck around in aisle at the grocery store. And we'll go another way and because we don't really want to talk to that person. Maybe I'm the only one that's ever done that, I don't know. Honestly, I I've seen people in like I don't want to talk to that person right now that way.

How should I have responded?

Hey, how are you? It's so good to see you.

How can I pray for you? How is your wife? How was your walk with Christ? See, I'm more concerned about myself in my ego and my, my hurt feelings. And I am about a brother or sister in Christ at that point, pulsing doesn't matter. What happened even wipe, half of us might have come. We're sending our, greetings back to you church and we want you to know that we care. And so I'm saying to you give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in laodicea so a church that's near colossi laodicea and then hire opolis. So send, say hi to all those folks. And, and be sure to say hi to nympho and the church that meets in her home and after this letter has been read. I would also read in the Church of the layout of sins. I see that that they also read the letter that you also read the letter from the Odyssey and tell our campus pay attention. Sometimes we need that encouragement to be a little kick in the pants to say. Come on. Keep going, don't give up. Pause asking the church to give his greetings to that church in laodicea. He calls them brothers and sisters. Now the word sister is is supplied in this translation that the original word is I think Adele faucets means brother, but we know that Paul talking to all the church. So it's brothers and sisters here in this Christian standard translation. He's saying that you're related. You're connected, you're United, You Are Family. What is family do they gather this family gathers? I love those precious times and were able to be together as family. This is one of those times. They hear God's word. They didn't know that's what they were hearing, but they were reading God's word in their Church. They're hearing God's word, they're reading God's word. They're attentive to God's word, their encouraging one another. They are Faithfully urging. One of their own members to remain faithful to the Lord's Ministry. And they remember all those who serve on their behalf. And pulsing hold fast to catch Grace, Hold Fast. Timothy tychicus onesimus, aristarchus Mark Justice. Epaphras, Luke Dimas brothers sisters. Nympha our campus, Paul. Greetings Fellow servants. Fellow prisoners fellow workers. Dearly loved.

Encouragement here is readily greet. One another Welcome one, another be hospitable to one another for just a moment. Let's go to one more portion of God's word here. First Peter chapter 5 1st, Peter 5 verses 12 through, 14 1st, Peter 5 and in this is Peter's wrap up to this group of folks that he's writing to Christians dispersed across that part of of the region that he was sending this letter to. And so, in 1st Peter 5:12, a he's talking to

This church anything through sylvenus. A faithful brother is I consider him. I have written to you briefly in order to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God stand firm in it. She who was in Babylon, chosen together with you since you greetings as does Mark, my son boy for someone who is a cast off that guy. Sure, keeps showing up in a lot of letters that me Mark greet. One another with a kiss of love, peace to all of you who are in Christ and I love it that the Poland's many of his letters with the same send-off Grace be with you, the grace of God be with you all.

Welcome each other be hospitable to one another gather with each other encourage one another help each other pay attention because it's word. Hear God's word. Together, teach God's word. Let me see if I can find this excerpt that I took a screenshot of yesterday, as I was reading through a book on hungry after God's word. and,

That desire to hear God's word. And that's part of what I see in this welcoming and is that we want to welcome each other. We also want to say, welcome to God's word, we want to hear cuz we'll hurt each other.

From the garden throughout the generations. God's word has told us the tale of the human soul. Our wholehearted hunger for the Creator are terrible plunge into starvation and our countless attempts to fix and fill ourselves with anything but true bread. We are in the wilderness indeed but here's the good news. God's word is for the Wilderness for those. Not yet home, it is for you and me, it is for the hungry, every hardship, rather obvious and acute suffering or the daily lingering futility, we all feel is readying us for Jesus. If you have a leaky faucet that you need to fix dripping faucet, will we do? It's been going on for nearly a year now, and we think so it's just going to get better and needs to get fixed. So, is that steady nagging like Something else just went along, right? Every grown, I love this sentence. Every grown anticipates Glory, every hunger, Pang points us to heaven. So as we pondered together, where to go from here, let's look at these Wilderness accounts and she recounts, this moment in the wilderness where the people are grumbling and they want to be fed and, and God feeds them. And then she takes the reader to the experience where Jesus fed the 5000 in the wilderness. We need the bread from heaven, we need God's word. I want us to notice something about each of these threads, and how they point to something, even better in and bigger, and greater the grace to serve,

Appointing us to Jesus because great the grace to serve. Jesus is the one who served us. He's the greater servant, he's the best servant, the grace to encourage Jesus is our comforter and he sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and encourage us into to Spur us on to walk in Holiness to walk. According to his word, he is the encourager that we need the grace to pray. Jesus, even right now is praying for you and me, he's praying earnestly that we would walk according to that Grace and that word that he's given us that we would follow and obey the father and the grace to welcome. Can you see anyone better at welcoming anyone than Jesus? Welcome. Welcome. I'm so glad you're here. Welcome, no, pratense no phone has no fake smile, he means it, he wants us, he's calling us come home. Quit being away from me, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He sounding that note of Grace. Do you hear it? Do you see it? That tapestry of the church church? You are beautiful and God wants us to walk in Beauty and in righteousness For our good and for his glory, let's walk. Let's be that tapestry of Grace on display for this world. Father, thank you for your love, your passion. Your compassion, your earnest desire that we all come home? Help us to see Jesus. Help us to see Jesus. I was too long for Jesus.

Hopeless, desire to live our lives, according to his will.

He lived only to glorify you father. I pray that we would live only to glorify Jesus.

Thank you for this church. Thank you for this wonderful group of people that you are knitting together, what? An interesting and beautiful Collective of diverse people only, you can unite such a group. Thank you, thank you that your church almighty God, transcends, our team, Affiliation are political alliances, Scott, you are bigger, and better than any of that could ever pay. Thank you that you transcends nationalities that you God, bring together. Such a group of people to work for the kingdom sake, for your kingdoms work. In this place. God, we do. Pray, your kingdom, come your will be done on Earth. As it is in heaven, we thank you for the bread that you have given us. Thank you that you have given us your word, Maybe Hunger for your word, maybe long for your word, maybe want to uplift your word when we are together to teach your word to direct each other, to your word, to hide your word, in our hearts, to urge each other to hold fast to your word to fulfil that Ministry that you have entrusted to each of us, may we be faithful. Thank you, God, you're so good and we love you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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