11/28/21 • Gospel Community for Mission • Colossians 4:7-18

If you would turn to Colossians. I'm going to throw you for another loop.

I say that. So now you're prepared for it. So I'm not thrown me for a loop.

Turn the Colossians chapter 1.

Trust me, only Colossians chapter 1.

I'm going to pray for us.

And then I'm going to do something like I said, something different. I'm going to read the whole letter. Okay, there's a reason why one the book of the letter to the Colossians is one of Paul's shorter letters. So if we're ever going to do this, it would be with this letter. That should be a good letter to do it with. But the reason why I would do it is because what we're about to hear in some sense would have been the way the letter would have been communicated initially to the church. That make sense. The church didn't receive the letter and then make copies and pass it around everybody. The church receive the letter. Gathered together. And then they heard somebody read the letter to them. And so how cool would it be? And now I'm going to read in the Greek cuz I wouldn't be able to but that's what we're trying to experience here together. This is why I'm going to do it because this is how they would have heard the letter firsthand as it came to them. But first, I would like to pray for us before I read.

Father, I think you got to thank you for your word then indoors there, all time. I thank you that you are a God is not far from us. But you have chosen to enter in to the world to reveal yourself through words on a page.

Then you've chosen to speak to us. And yes, Lord, we recognize that this letter was written by Paul to them. But we also know that this was this is your words to us today. It's in the hearing of your word. Lord, I ask for blessing. That you would bless us. That we would receive receive your grace and your peace that come from your word Jesus that we would be filled with the knowledge of Who You Are. To the den, we would live lives reoriented around you. Natore oriented around this world.

Help us. Now in the reading every word. I pray in your name, Jesus. Amen.

Colossians 1, 1 the letter of Paul to the Colossians. Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother to the Saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Claus say grace to you and peace from God. Our Father. We always thank God the father of our Lord. Jesus Christ. When we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ, Jesus, and of the love that you have for all of the Saints because of the Hope laid up for you and Heaven of this, you heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel we just come to you is indeed in the whole world. It is bearing fruit, and increasing. As it also doesn't Hmong you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. Just as you learned it from a pathless, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and is made known to us, your love in the spirit. And so from the day we heard we have not ceased to pray for you asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Supposed to walk in a manner, worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened. With all power, according to his glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy. Giving thanks to the father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the Saints in life. He has delivered us from the Dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In whom we have Redemption. The Forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible. God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him, all things were created in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible with a Thrones, or dominions or rulers or authority. All things were created through him and for him and he is before all things, and in him all things, hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that and everything. He might be pre-eminent for, in him. All the fullness of God, was pleased to dwell, and through him, to reconcile to himself, all things weather on Earth or in heaven, Making Peace by the blood of his cross. And you who were alienated and hostel in mind doing evil Deeds. He is now reconciled in his body of flash by staff. In order to prevent you, holy and blameless and above reproach before him. If indeed you continue in the face, stable and steadfast, but not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which I Paul became a minister. Now, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flash I'm filling up with his lacking in Christ afflictions for the sake of his body. That is the Church of which I became a minister. According to the stewardship from God, that was given to me for you to make the word of God fully known the mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to his Saints to them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in. You the hope of glory him. We Proclaim morning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ for this. I toil struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works Within Me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face that their hearts baby encourage being knit together in love to read all the riches of the full Assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ in, whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible Arguments for the one absent in the body yet. I am with you in spirit rejoice in to see your good order in the firmness of your faith in Christ. So therefore as you have received Christ, Jesus, the Lord. So walk in him, rooted and built up in him established in the faith. Just as you were taught abounding in Thanksgiving. See to it. That no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty, deceit. According to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ for in him, the whole fullness of diety dwells bodily and you have been filled in him. Who is the head of all Rule and Authority in him. You also were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of flash by the circumcision of Christ. Having been buried with him in baptism and what you were also raised with him through faith and the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you were dead and your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. God made a live together with him, haven't forgiven us, having for having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling, the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside nailing it to the Cross. He disarmed, the rulers and authorities and he put them to open Shame by triumphing over them in him. So therefore, let no one pass judgment on you and question of food, or drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon, or Sabbath. These are only a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Letting no one disqualify. You insisting on asceticism, and the worship of angels and going on, a detail about visions. And puffed up without Reason by a, sensuous mind, for not holding fast to the Head who from from whom the whole body nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments grows with a gross. That is from God. So, if with Christ, you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why? As if you were still alive, do you submit to regulations? Do not handle. Do not taste, do not touch. These are referring to things, all that perish, as they are used according. These are so according to human precepts and teachings. They have an indeed, they have an appearance of wisdom and promoting self-made, religion and asceticism, and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the Indulgence of the flesh. If then you have been raised with Christ seek, the things that are above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God, set your mind on the things that are above not on the things that are on Earth. For you have died. And your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears? Then you also will appear with him in glory. To put the death. Therefore. What is Earthly in you sexual immorality and Purity, passion evil, desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.

On account of these things, the wrath of God is coming. And in these you two, once walked when you were living in them, but now you must put them all away anger, wrath analysis, Lander and obscene, talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one. Another thing that you put off the old self with its practices and you put on the new self which is being renewed in the knowledge after the image of its creator here. There was not Greek and you circumcised and uncircumcised Barbarians at the end slave free. But Christ is all and in all so put on them as God's chosen one, holy and beloved. Passionate Hearts, kindness meekness, humility and patience bearing with one another. And if one has a complaint against another forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you. So you also must forgive.

Above all these put on love, which binds everything together in Perfect Harmony, and Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one. Another in all wisdom, singing, Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts, to God, and whatever you do in word or deed. Do everything in the name of the Lord, Jesus giving. Thanks to God the Father. Threw him wives submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord. And husbands love your wives. Do not be harsh with them children. Obey your parents and everything. For this pleases, the Lord fathers do not provoke your children, unless they become discouraged and bond servants. Obey and everything, those who are your Earthly Masters not by way of eye services, people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord, whatever you do work hard, Alee ask for the Lord and not for men. Knowing that from the Lord, you will receive an inheritance as your reward you for serving. Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid for the wrong. He has done, there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bond servants, justly and fairly. Knowing that you also have a master in heaven.

Continue steadfast in prayer, being watchful in it with Thanksgiving. And at the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ. On a count of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom, towards Outsiders making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious. Seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. That's a cute kiss. He'll tell you all about my activities. He's my beloved brother. Faithful Minister fellow servant in the Lord. I sent him to you for this very purpose that you may know how we are doing and that we met and he may encourage your hearts and with him an SMS are faithful and beloved brother who is one of you, they will tell you of everything that has taken place here. The aristarchus by fellow prisoner greet you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas concerning whom you've heard and received instructions. If he comes to you, welcome him. Also Jesus, who is called Justus creature. These are the only man of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God. They've been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ greets. You always struggling on your behalf and his prayers that you made a mistake and mature and fully assured, and all the will of God for. I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in laodicea and harappa kiss. Luke the Beloved Physician greet. You as does Dimas give my greetings to the brothers at laodicea antonym foot in the church at our house. When does letters read has been read among you have enough to read in the Church of laodicea ends that you also read the letter from laodicea. It's a dark octopus. See that you fulfill the ministry that you've received in the Lord. Malaki Paul write this last reading with my own hand. Remember my chains Grace be with you. This is the word of the Lord.

so, Set 5 minute scary earlier. I thought I just I didn't practice it before 15. I got no time for a sermon y'all. So sorry. Actually, I do cuz we're starting right around normal time. That sermon starts but we'll see how it goes. This last section here that we just got finished reading. Chapter 4, verses 7 through 18 is called probably in your Bible. You might have a subheading saying final greetings is typical. Typical of Paul's letters, typical of a first-century letter, even not a non-Christian for Century letter. So, just like I said in the beginning, Paul kind of begins, his letter uses the convention, the letter-writing convention of the day and he does well, right. Typically at the end of a letter, other greetings from others would be sent along with the letter and some final instructions depending on what kind of letter it was would be sent as well. And Paul does this in his other letters?

There's actually the people in this letter. Who are listed here at the end match up. Almost perfectly with the people at the end of the letter to the Ephesians, which I take that to mean it. Probably these letters are all sent out the same time, take a kiss. This guy who is mentioned at the first Denver 7 is also. The guy was mentioned at the first at the end of Ephesians and is probably the guy carrying the letter. You going to get that sense, right? But Paul takes like, like I said, at the beginning of this whole sermon series, the beginning of this letter, Paul takes the convention of the day and reorient sit around Jesus and he does that here. And here's what we learn. Just from these final. final versus

Jesus reorient, his people around gospel community and Mission. Jesus reorient, his people around gospel community and Mission will walk through the texture real quick and I'll say some things and then I'm just going to give for concluding thoughts at the end. Okay?

No promises on a getting done early cuz, you know me, but here we go. The first section at just trying to discern. I owe there any sections here in the final, greeting verses 7 through 9. This these words to your concern tychicus in an sms. Okay. So like I said, tychicus was probably carrying Paul's letter and SMS is traveling with him. Okay? If you were to go and read Philemon, which I would encourage you to, it's like definitely a five-minute read or less. It's a the shortest, one of the I think it is the shortest right? Walker. Shortest New Testament. Letter finally doesn't have chapters.

Okay. See you at second or third, John would be shorter. But Philemon, pretty short, shortest of Paul's letters. So that one's a very quick weed. You'll see there that he mentions a similar people as well. That letter to Philemon addresses, Philemon, who seems like that, the church here in colossae Meats in his house. That's from best. Guess from what we can tell and a tip. Also, addresses Philemon, probably his wife and Philemon son who gets mentioned here at the end or octopus. And what has happened is an SMS somehow. We don't know all the details as runaway. He's a runaway slave and then Paul, he somehow manages to encounter Paul providentially in Rome, presumably where Paul is in prison and gets saved by encountering Fall which just makes sense. Right? Cuz Paul is just that kind of dude, but also got Works mightily in that way to bring this man who's run away from this church right to Paul and then safe him and now Paul sending him back. And so reading the letter to Philemon is helpful to get, what also is other instructions that are coming to Philemon, who an estimate. Now owes a debt to and Philemon could actually by Roman law. Could do what really practice, do, whatever he wants with an SMS since he's run away. But this first section is the people who were carrying the letter. Take a guess. And an estimate scary, Paul's letter to colossae and they the probably that carry first to Ephesus the letter there may have stayed for a few days. Read the letter gave some more instruction whatever and then moved on this guy, tychicus shows up other places in the New Testament. To what we learn about. This guy is that he is a fellow worker of Paul, and you noticed the things Paul says, about him here. He almost doesn't say this about anybody else in any of his other letters. He doesn't use these three things. He says, he's my beloved brother. He's a faithful Minister and he's a fellow servant in the Lord. Call feels very a lot of affection for this man. Any trust this man with his wife sending the letter with him and he trusts that take a guess. It's going to convey other things that they need to hear about Paul and the situation there on Rome. And he also understands that ticket. This is going to be able to encourage these. Christians were probably very worried about Paul. It's going to,, it's going to be able to encourage them. Probably even he's going to teach them and help them as they walk in faith. He's going to help them to to figure out how to live out with Paula set here. Even possibly in an SMS is coming to and he's the returning runaway slave.

Now, the second section 10 through 14, Paul sends, greetings from a lot of other co-workers in the gospel who are seems like they're around him and Rome, helping him or whatever. You hear. That aristarchus is a fellow prisoner. So he's actually in Chains with Paul, but some of these other men aren't potentially aren't Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. This is, this is actually, Interesting because earlier and Paul's Ministry. Paul didn't want anything to do with Mark at a certain point or didn't want to work with Mark and now he's brought back Mark and him their relationship has been mended. And apparently Mark's not in prison because he says, if he comes to you, you've already received instruction and welcome him. Jesus, who is called Justus. We don't know anything else about this guy, but we do know that are starkus, Mark and Jesus, who is called Justice are Jews, who are fellow workers of the Gospel. His pulse is the kingdom of God and they have comforted him. So he's just not alone here. So he's encouraging them there. And then he talks about epaphras. Now. He doesn't say this here in the letter, but you find out in Philemon, that app at the Packers is a prisoner as well. He's in jail there. I don't know why Paul doesn't mention that here, especially if the letters are going together. Maybe they already know that they're familiar with that. So he doesn't need to even say that but he talks about how the path for us is struggling on behalf of them and his prayers. And it's interesting because Paul calls this, he says that this is a hard work. Hard work. He's working hard for you. I bear him Witnesses. He is work hard for you. And for the bows in laodicea and in hierapolis. So this man in Chains, the only thing you can do is pray and yet, this is the workout has given him and he is struggling for them and prayer, which is a conviction to me in my prayers, but also should be an encouragement.

Then Paul mentions Luke and you've heard that name before. If you ever been in a church, probably Luke the Beloved Physician, he was a traveler with Paul Felder co-worker with the wrote out, a big chunk of the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke and acts and he sends greeting to these people. Adiemus sends greeting to them as well. We don't really know much he's mentioned, I think in the fusions and I don't know if he's mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

And then this final part right here, 15 through 17. He then be gives he gives the final instructions to the church. He's asking them to share and partner together with other local churches around them. And one of the ways they do this is by sharing his letters. So apparently even apologized his letters to these churches. I need dresses specific situations in these churches. He still thinks that these letters would benefit others, right? You see when Peter write some of his letters to some Churches in and around this General region as well. And refers to Paul's letters. He refers to Paul's letters a scripture. And maybe Paul hasn't self-awareness of his own letters. It's Oasis. I spread the letters back and forth, you know, so that they can hear the word of the Lord as well. And then the last thing he says, is SATA octopus. Who is a young man in this church. Like I said, he's Philemon son. Potentially. He's, he's maybe a teacher young teacher, young Pastor preacher, and he wants the church together to encourage this young man to fulfill this ministry that he's received from the Lord. And then lastly, this is how we know Paul didn't write this letter by his own hand. And we get this clean some of the other letters as well, that I think probably Timothy wrote the letter. Paul said it Timothy Road. It doesn't make sense like Paul, Paul said, hey, okay, here we go. And Timothy started writing these things down. Okay, but possibly have heavy chains on them, which might be, why is not writing, or he might have bad eyesight or whatever but he says he'd get. Okay. So now give me the scroll. Give me the piece of paper and he writes here right at the end, his own little personal greeting to them. All these words are coming from him and Timothy Wright, but but he writes, he wants to make sure that they they can. And cannot Matt. Can you imagine the church has received this? Maybe they all. He says, I write this in my own hand. Maybe they'll gather around and look. And they see the difference in the writing, and how Paul's letters, are larger and more scrawled, or whatever, you know, and they see how he wrote to us. And he tells them remember my chains. I think that's a call to prayer for him out of the previous section, verses 3 and 4 chapter 4. I think it's also meant to encourage them not to skirt to discourage them because of earlier what Paul said and 1:28 through 25 about leasing in my suffering because it's on behalf of you. It's so he says that not to discourage them more, but to encourage them and say, hey, it's okay. Remember my chains and be encouraged by my witness and then go and live. Like, why's this people who boldly, witness the gospel? No matter the cost. And he ends typical Paul by saying grace, be with you Grace. Be with you. 4 things I see here and they're not disconnected points. They're radically connected.

Number one. Believers are bound together in love as fellow members of Christ, Family multiple times, Paul calls. These other men beloved Brothers, beloved brothers, and you just get from the tone, what he writes here. Just imagine a man in prison sending word to people. He cares about

People who care about him. And he sends these two guys at the beginning to make sure that they're encouraged, not discouraged. But what's going on? They're going to let you know what's going on. I can tell you about what's happening here, and they're going to encourage you. Believers are bound together in love as fellow members of Christ Family. Pause not met most of these people and yet his heart goes out to them. They have not met Paul and yet, they're so concerned about him. He wants to make sure he sends someone to encourage them.

Secondly, Believers have a vested interest. In and a response of the responsibility for one another. So that one again cuz I Stumble over at Believers have a vested interest in and a responsibility for one another. See if they're interested that care about what's going on. This is not just and all these people that Paul list is, it's not just throw away stuff here and then we read it, right? And maybe at the end of hearing the whole letter and we get to this point. We just kind of fell flat on your ears, but like these men care, like, some of these men might not know these people. And yet, they hear about this church, and he's really believes in the sex. Send greeting, send a greeting to them. There's a vested interest in one another and we take responsibility for one another under the blood of Christ. Thirdly Believers partner together in the gospel Ministry. That our relationship is not just about some little click. We have. Some little group that we've assembled with common interest. That our relationship is bound around the person and work of Jesus, our King. So that now we're supposed to live in everything in word or indeed all that we do in the name of the Lord Jesus and Paul multiple times here and you just see it even the way. These men. Carry the letter to the pole is calling them to partner together and with the local churches around them as well. To be faithful Witnesses of the Gospel. And the number for believers spend themselves in difficult and costly ways for the good of one another. Believers spend themselves in difficult and costly ways for the good of one. Another. I mean, the first example of this would be Paul Wright who is given his life? No matter what it takes to make the word of God fully known as he says. Tim Christ, we Proclaim warning, everyone, and teaching everyone. No matter what I rejoice in my sufferings. It's okay. It's okay that I'm suffering. It brings me joy, not cuz it's easy, but because I know that my life being poured out for the good of others is exactly the way. Jesus is going to work in this world. You see the path for us. We like I said, he's a prisoner at this point, and he care so much for this church, that he started. We learned in chapter one. He's the one who brought the gospel to them. Probably from Ephesus. He probably heard the gospel and became a believer in Ephesus, potentially, epaphras did that. He goes back to his hometown in colossae, and he brings the gospel message to them, and then this church starts under his ministry. And now he's in Chains. Far from these people. He cares about, but his love is so strong for them. His interest in their welfare. So strong. He pours himself out as difficult. It is in prayer that Paul calls a struggle and hard work. I don't know enough for you, but I struggle to pray many times. It's difficult to do especially difficult to do honestly and earnestly. And yet, this man is pouring himself out. For them.

Believer spend themselves in difficult and costly ways for the good of one another. All of these people that Paul is riding to and all these people who send greetings are part of the church, the body of Christ. Believers, you and I, we received these words and all these men are dead and gone. Most of these men couldn't find a shred of DNA evidence that they ever existed.

And yet. We're connected to them. We're connected this church in colossae. As Believers in Jesus, we receive the Gospel. We've been brought out of the Dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of his beloved Son. God has done that for us. So now, because of Jesus, we are reoriented around the gospel Community here in this place, but also spanning through history and all across the globe right now. You and I are part of a bond of Brotherhood. A familial bond that ties us with people from every tribe, tongue nation and language. We will stand one day before our King on his throne and worship him in full Joy, because of what he's done. So, we live for that am. Now there are still corners of the world that have not heard the gospel. There still people in our community who have not heard. The gospel haven't seen a faithful gospel witness and asked you here at the end of this letter and this is where we're going to close.

Are we going to be this kind of people?

Tori Orient by Jesus around the community together. The Faithfully witness, the gospel. Whatever it takes. The scary, whatever it takes. I know that I have much room to grow here. Mushroom to grow here. In living out what we see in this letter. But I want invite you and pray for you. That you would see what Jesus is Calling You in to step into it.

For his namesake in for the spread of the Gospel. Let me pray. And with my prayer, we're not going to sing another song after this, my prayers going to service our dismissal as well.

Jesus, we thank you. That you are. Our Savior and our King. I thank you that you have redeemed us as your people all of us in this room who believe in you? You redeemed us. Father, I thank you that you pulled us out of the Dominion of Darkness. The death of Saint and brought us into the light of your beloved Son.

I pray that you would work in US. Individually, but also as a people. That we would live to make you known in the world. That we would love one another in a way that actually has Jesus says in the verses be ready earlier. the show people that we are his I pray all this in your name, Jesus.

I forgotten to mention Charlene, brought a box of goodies. It's up for grabs. Whatever you want out of there. You see something? No one's going to think bad of you at all. If you've going grab something out of there. It was like summer sausage and cheeses and cookies and sweet stuff as well. So go and grab whatever you would like.