Sundays Sermon Colossians 4:7-11
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome to FCC, where we worship God in Spirit and in Truth, one book at a time, one verse at a time.
Thank you for that message of music and for you faithfulness and commitment to the Lord and our little tabernacle.
I pray y’all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that this was the year that you finally did not eat too much!
We have come as far as Colossians 4:9 so let us open our Bibles here
Read Colossians 4:7-18
Read Colossians 4:7-18
Prayer
Prayer
Lord, thank you for all the gifts, graces, and blessings in our lives. Thank you for the cross, the forgiveness of sins, and for the gift of eternal life. Lord as we open up this text this morning, we pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to permeate our hearts. We ask that you would fill us with your Spirit and that you would make clearly known the nugget or nuggets that you would have us leave with and apply to our lives. Help us Father to not be hearers only deceiving ourselves, bat rather doers of your Word. Today, may You grow us in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and make us more like Jesus today, than you did yesterday.
In Jesus Name we love you! Amen and Amen
Review
Review
We are near the end of this power packed epistle that taught us that Jesus Christ must be Pre-eminent in our lives, if we are to truly walk it out.
We learned that false teachers were attempting to attack the simplicity that is in Christ and attempted to say that it is Christ plus this or that. But it is not!
We learned to take off the grave clothes and to keep taking them off and put on the grace clothes.
And last week, we learned that Paul shared his burdens with his friends Tychicus and Onesimus.
And we are to do the same as the Holy Spirit leads us.
There will be times that we share our burdens with beloved brothers and sisters, faithful minsters, and fellow servants in the Lord.
And church, when we do this, they will often comfort our hearts!
Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.
Tychicus- fortunate and fateful and that he was:
He was a beloved brother
A Faithful Minister with Paul
And a Fellow Servant
How would you like to have friends like this in your life?
Onesimus-(on-ay'-sim-os)- profitable or useful
Onesimus was Philemon’s runaway slave that most scholars believe that he stole money form him.
He ran from Colossae to to the partying city of Rome only to run right into the apostle Paul:
So this man had a past, the person next to you has a past as well.
But did you notice that Paul did not bring up that he was a fugitive in prison or anything about his past here, but rather called him beloved?
Now when he writes the personal letter to Philemon this will all change church.
Do you hold people’s past against them? Or do you look at who they are now and what God is doing in their lives?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
It is important to remember that slaves could be put to death for running from there masters and it is even worse when they have stolen as well.
In fact, some scholars say that is a slave was could after running they would burn a large F on their forehead so they would never run again church!
How many of you ran from small town America to the big city to experience life? How many of our kids have done this, only to come back?
How many of you are running from the master right now?
If you are running, if you are the prodigal son or daughter, know that two things are going to happen.
You are going to make a bad choice or bad choices that will bring you to your knees and hopefully to surrender!
God is going to create situations in your life where he will draw you back to Himself!
Somebody once told me that we only learn things or lessons two ways church:
The easy way
The hard way
How do you learn?
Just remember, the bigger the city church, the greater the sin.
Onesimus was a beloved and faithful brother as well.
It means that both these men were trustworthy and because of this shared his heart with them and they carried the letter of Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon back from Rome to Where Paul wanted them to go.
If your read the bulletins that Barbara Goodenough puts together week after week, you will find that we placed this text in it:
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
It is important for us to look at this verse in the context that it was written.
Solomon just finished up talking about the vanity of selfish toil and how when we toil for ourselves we are miserable, just plain miserable.
No matter how much we make or how mush we have, if we are not toiling for the Lord and others it is all vanity and grasping for the wind.
God wants us to labor, but to labor in the right spirit and for the right reasons. Blessed are the balanced!
So much for the worker’s hands; what about his heart?
Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. The fool folds his hands And consumes his own flesh. Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun: There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
Church, the text we read before this is used often at weddings and it can be used for that, but it is also written in the context of friendship or the value of friendship church and that is what we are talking about today.
Let’s take a close look at this here in Ecclesiastes 4;9-11 to see what the Lord has in store for us.
First, I think it is important to for use to realize and understand that we are all on the highway and there are only two highways church:
Broad Way
Narrow Way
Here in just a few minutes you will understand why I brought up being on the highway church.
But in the meantime, just remember we are just pilgrims and sojourners passing through this life and heading to the next.
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
Why are two better than one?
Solomon’s experience with the independent man, the man who is absorbed with himself caused him to consider the importance of friendship and the value of people doing things together.
He may have recalled the Jewish proverb, “A friendless man is like a left hand bereft (deprived) of the right.”
Perhaps he watched some pilgrims on the highway as he was writing this letter and drew this conclusion, “Two are better than one.”
Church, are two better than one? Absolutely!
Two are better than one church, but let us not forget that the devil is destroying families all over this great nation.
He is break church families apart for trivial things and convincing the multitudes that the grass is greener on the other side.
Think about the divorce rates, think about how many people today move form person to person, from church to church.
Think about how many clubs and organizations that used to cultivate relationships and now many of us are Lone Rangers.
So two are better than one because when it comes to working ( let’s remember this is written in the context of labor or toil) because we can simply get more done.
If two are better than one, then what about 3, 4, or 5? Can we get more done with more people? Absolutely!
Church, even when they divide the profits, they still get a better return for their efforts than if they had worked alone.
Also, it’s much easier to do difficult jobs together because one can be an encouragement to the other.
Two are better than one when they are working! For they have a good reward for their labor church.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
Where is Solomon coming for here?
2. Two are better when it comes to walking (v. 10).
Roads and paths in Palestine were not paved or even leveled, and there were many hidden rocks in the fields.
It was not uncommon for even the most experienced traveler to stumble and fall, perhaps break a bone, or even fall into a hidden pit .
This is the person who is mature and has walked with the Lord for a longtime, but still can fall church, we can all fall.
How wonderful to have a friend who can help you up (or out).
But if this applies to our physical falls, how much more does it apply to those times when we stumble in our spiritual walk and need restoration?
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
With a little help from our friends!
Are you grateful for the friends that God has placed in your life to walk circumspectly?
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
Circumspectly- akribōs- “to watch or look carefully at how you live, to be vigilant and mindful of your behavior, to be on the lookout.”
To be circumspect is to be wary; the word comes from a Latin word literally meaning “look around.” “Walk circumspectly” is Paul’s way of urging Christians to look very carefully at how they live and behave.
Church, we all have blind spots and need others to give us help, direction, and correction when we fall.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
This fits wright in with husbands and wives, or parents and their children, but what about friends?
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
3.Two are better than one when it comes to warmth .
Two travelers camping out, or even staying in the courtyard of a public inn, would feel the cold of the Palestinian night and need one another’s warmth for comfort.
The only way to be “warm alone” is to carry extra blankets and add to your load.
Any one that has backpacked knows that you wants a light load and besides the roads that were traveled in Palestinian thieves and robbers.
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
4. Finally, two are better than one when it comes to their watch-care or safety especially at night.
It was dangerous for anyone to travel alone, day or night; most people traveled in groups for fellowship and for safety.
Is that more real today than ever? That we all need traveling together?
Not just in this physical world, but much more in the spiritual world.
Remember the story of the Good Samaritan?
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Church, this is a picture of someone who tries to go through life alone in the church
God has called us to be in relationship, Paul had friends, how mush more show we?
Woe to him or her who has no one to pick them up if they fall!
5 TIPS FROM DALE CARNEGIE
1. Become genuinely interested in other people. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
2. Smile. If you want to draw others to you, light up your face with a smile.
3. Remember names. A person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound to that person.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests. Treat others the way they want to be treated.
How are your friendships or do you keep to yourself form fear of getting hurt?
Prayer
Prayer
Announcements
Announcements
Are there any announcements?
Angel Tree
3. Night of Worship Tuesday at 6:30pm this is a chance for you to connect with someone because two are better than one.
4. Revelation Bible Study Thursday at 6pm.
I wanted to take a moment to apologize for all the areas that we have fallen short in for you. If you have concerns or questions about why we do what we do, please come to me or the elders. This is your church and we want God to be glorified, so please forgive us for were we have failed! So please forgive us.
Come to us with your ideas and concerns.
Benediction
Benediction
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
THE LORD BLESS YOU!
YOUR MISSION STARTS NOW!