MESSAGE

FROM THE

WORD

THE POWER OF TEAMWORK

Colossians 4:7-15

SERIES:  Colossians                                                                                          Message # 26

One of the great sporting events of all time was the 1977 NBA finals between the Philadelphia 76’ers and the Portland Trailblazers.  The 76’ers had such players as Dr. J, Darrell Dawkins, World B. Free, Doug Collins and George McGuiness.  The Trailblazers had a center by the name of Bill Walton, but almost no other name players.  Because the 76’ers had many more star players, they were heavily favored to will the championship.  However, there is a reason they play the games.  Against all odds, the Trailblazers won the NBA championship in six games.  When the championship series was finished and the pundits had their say, it was concluded that Portland won because they played as a team, while Philadelphia played like five individuals.  There are areas of life in which talent is the deciding factor for victory.  However, life victories are generally decided by teamwork. 

John Maxwell, in his book Winning with People, puts it this way; “One is too small a number to achieve great success”.  Great victories are seldom won by individuals.  Super Bowl MVP’s are almost always quarterbacks, but without the blockers and receivers, there is usually no victory.  The greatest example of this is Jesus Himself.  His dealing with the problem of sin by dying on the cross was a singular act.  Only He could accomplish that task.  A team could not do what He did.  However, the establishment of the church was turned over to a group of individuals whom we call Apostles, twelve in number.  However, they could not do the job by themselves and they had to expand the base.  In Acts 6, they appointed a group of seven men to be their support team and gave them the title of deacons.  As the church began to grow and expand, more and more people were added.  Individuals were assigned to ministries such as evangelists, pastors, elders and deacons.  Within that frame work, teammates were added to become a part of the ministry.  People opened their homes for services, for hospitality and for worship.

As you bring this into the church today, it is even more critical that the team mentality be evident everywhere.  Look at the significant ministries in our nation.  Whether it be Grace Community Church with John MacArthur, Willow Creek with Bill Hybels, Joel Osteen at Lakewood Community, or Faith Christian Church in Simi Valley.  There is no ministry that survives on the greatness of one individual.  Just as an example, take Lakewood Church in Houston.  Six years ago, the founding pastor, John Osteen, suffered a heart attack and went to be with the Lord.  At the time, the church was running about 7,000 people on Sunday and would have been a plumb position for anyone to move into.  It had a remarkable history, extensive missions program, television ministry, and a facility which had a 5000 seat auditorium and the entire ministry was totally debt free.  When the pulpit committee met, they could have had almost any pastor in the United States love to come and assume that position.  However, the committee made a decision that on the surface was one of the most idiotic decisions any pulpit committee had ever made.  They selected John’s son Joel to assume the pulpit ministry.  Normally, it is not a major shock when a pastor of a large church is succeeded by his son.  In this case it was astounding, because the first sermon Joel ever preached was the Sunday before his father passed away.  The pulpit committee of a 7000 member church hired a man to be the senior pastor who had only preached one sermon in his entire life.  He had been on staff for many years, but always in background ministries. 

God has blessed Joel Osteen mightily and Lakewood Church is now the largest church in the United States, averaging about 50,000 on the weekend.  One could look at that, and stand in awe at God’s blessings on that one man.  Just for a moment think what would happen to the church if everyone who worked in the nursery, toddler area, preschool and elementary age group decided not to serve any more?  The church would be in big trouble.  There is no such thing as a one man show.  While God anoints individuals, He uses teams to build His Kingdom. 

As we come to our study in Colossians, we are going to look at Paul’s teammates.  We want to see the individuals God raised up to accomplish the work of God in that area.  The heart of Paul is really exposed as we read of his love for these people.  We read, COLOSSIANS 4:7-15                In this passage, there are eight individuals mentioned and all of them tell a story.  As we examine each of these I want you to find yourself in one of them.  Not once does Paul list a natural ability as being necessary to be a part of God’s team.  That should give you hope.

FIRST, WE SEE TYCHICUS, HE WAS FLEXABLE.  This man was one of the most valued individuals in Paul’s life, yet most people have never heard of him.  He is mentioned five times in the New Testament and each of those reveals a unique aspect of his value to Paul.  He is first mentioned in Acts 20:5 where he is part of the support team for Paul’s last missionary journey.  However, he was far from being an “Apostle Paul Groupie”.  He showed his value in several different ways.  In II Timothy, Paul was facing his final hours and had been abandoned by several of his support staff.  He wanted Timothy to come and minister to him, but Timothy was the pastor of the church at Ephesus and couldn’t leave the church unattended.  For this reason, we read               II TIMOTHY 4:12            Tychicus was sent to be the interim pastor allowing Timothy to come and be with Paul.  We are told of a similar situation in the letter to Titus.  We read         TITUS 3:12          Again, Paul wanted to spend some time with his protégé, Titus.  He couldn’t just leave the church unattended, so he sent Tychicus to serve until Titus could return. 

Here is where we see the flexibility of Tychicus.  To replace Timothy required someone who could get along with the movers and the shakers.  Ephesus was a cultural and social hub.  It would be similar to a city such as New Orleans or San Francisco today.  It was one of the hubs of major pagan ritualistic worship.  It was also a hub for immoral behavior.  This church needed an intellectual who was well versed in the social graces and also able to contend against the powers of darkness. 

To replace Titus was a different matter.  Titus ministered on the Island of Crete.  Paul had an interesting comment on Crete.  We read          TITUS 1:12-14            It was not an intellectual that was needed on Crete, but someone who could minister to the inner city.  Crete was a tough ministry.  It requires a totally different mentality to minister in the inner city than it does in the suburbs, or the right side of the tracks.  Tychicus was comfortable filling in for both ministries.  Notice what Paul wanted him to do.

First, Paul wanted Tychicus to give information.           VERSE 7  There was some information this church needed to know so that it could minister more effectively to Paul.  One of the great stories in the Old Testament is that of Nehemiah.  He wept over the destruction of Jerusalem and prayed that God would give him an opportunity to help rebuild the city.  The day came and God answered his prayer.  The king sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem to put the city back in order.  When he arrived in Jerusalem, Nehemiah spent three days walking around the city collecting information.  Finally, he made himself known to the Jewish leaders, let them know why he was there, and told them of all that he had learned.

The prophet cried out, “MY PEOPLE PERRISH FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE”.  When we are uninformed, we tend to go one of two ways.  Being uninformed, some people think more highly of themselves than they should and plunge over the ledge because they think they have all the answers.  Others, being uninformed, panic thinking there is no solution to the problem.  Information is a wonderful tool.  Paul wanted Tychicus to inform this church what God was doing in the life of the old Apostle so they would pray intelligently.  Also, Paul was writing this letter from jail.  He wanted to inform this congregation of what God was doing through this difficult situation.

One of the reasons we put missionary letters, Focus on the Family inserts and other various items into the bulletin is to keep you informed on what is happening around the world.  There are several reasons for this.  Christians sound really stupid when they over react out of ignorance.  About once a month I get an e-mail from someone telling me to write NASA a letter because Madelyn Murray O’Hare is going to ban Bible reading by all astronauts and on any space explorations.  The fact that she has been dead for about ten years doesn’t seem to faze anyone.  That is a rumor that is not true.  However, thousands of Christians every year write nasty letters to NASA.  I’m sure that the people who read those letters must have a pretty low opinion of believers.  Make sure that any action on your part is based on truth, not some rumor.

We also want you to be informed so that you can pray effectively.  If you are properly informed on an issue, you can pray properly.  It is alright to pray for unknown requests, but how much better to pray intelligently.

Second, Paul wanted Tychicus to give insight.  It is never enough to just give information.  You have to be able to do something with the information.  In Col. 4:8, Paul wrote that Tychicus was coming so that the church, “MAY KNOW ABOUT OUR CIRCUMSTAMCES….” The word for “KNOW” is a word of intimacy.  Paul didn’t just want this church to have information; he wanted them to have insight.  He wanted them to be able to take the information and see what God was doing.  A good example of this was Paul’s experience in writing to the Philippians.  We read    PHILIPPIANS 1:12-18           There were some who were concerned because Paul had been arrested.  Others were accusing Paul of being out of God’s will.  They proclaimed that God would have protected Paul if he was a holy man.  Paul wanted to write and give them insight.  The information is “Paul is in jail”.  The insight is, “Paul has opened up a jail ministry and the work of God is spreading throughout the entire military force of Caesar”. 

You may have been reading in the news from Afghanistan about Abdul Rahman.  Years ago, Rahman converted from Islam to Christ.  He has now been charged with blasphemy and is facing the death penalty.  That is the information.  However, there is much more going on.  God is using this situation to challenge others to live out their life for Christ.  Should the state actually execute this brother, I believe a move of the Holy Spirit will begin across the Islamic world.  In addition to that, this has caused believers around the world to pray for him, his family, who do not know Christ, and the nation of Afghanistan.  God wants us to know the news, but he also wants us to know the rest of the story.

Third, Paul wanted Tychicus to give inspiration.  Paul wanted this church to understand that Tychicus was coming to “ENCOURAGE YOUR HEARTS…”  When you find out that the news is bad, you need to be encouraged.  To encourage does not always mean the news has to be good.  Sometimes an encourager says, “The news is bad and here is how God is going to use it for His glory.  Here is how Romans 8:28 is working”.  That is the heart of encouragement.

All of us have individuals in our life who either encourage us or discourage us.  Every one of us has people in our life who are joy suckers.  Spend an hour with them and you are totally drained.  Can I make a suggestion; avoid them.  Even if they are family, you are not obligated to indulge them.  There will be times when you have to be with them, but minimize that.  Rather, find people who are life sustainers and grab on.  Let me also add, you need to be a life sustainer and not a joy sucker in the life of others.  How can you tell what you are?  Ask people who will be frank with you and they will be frank with you.  There are few ministries that are needed more in the church than the ministry of encouragement.  We live in a discouraging world.  The ministry of encouragement is so needed.  In Romans 12, Paul shares with us a list of seven spiritual gifts.  In verse 6 & 8 we read, “SINCE WE HAVE GIFTS THAT DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US, EACH OF US IS TO EXERCISE THEM ACCORDINGLY…HE WHO EXHORTS, IN HIS EXHORTATION…”  There is an interesting aspect to this passage.  Paul lists seven gifts.  In verses 9-15, Paul lists seven responses.  I believe that each of the seven responses corresponds to one of the seven gifts.  If they are in order, the response of one who has the gift of exhortation, or encouragement is “REJOICING IN HOPE, PERSEVERING IN TRIBULATION, DEVOTED TO PRAYER…”  This gives us insight into how to encourage people.  If you want to be an encourager, or one who inspires others, here’s how to do it. 

                        Emphasize hope

                        Respond properly to trials

                        Pray

Paul talks a lot about hope.  To the Romans he writes            ROMANS 5:3-5                 “HOPE DOES NOT DISAPOINT…”  Hope is not wishful thinking, it is confident expectation.  Responding to your own trials inspires others because they realize their problems can also be overcome.  Prayer causes those who struggle to focus on God.  When people focus on God, they tend to see more clearly and see their problems through God’s eyes.  When you see life through God’s eyes, everything is possible. 

We all know the Christmas story.  The angel came to Zacharias, told him that he would have a male child who would announce the Messiah and listened to him say, “That’s impossible”.  We then see one of the great exchanges in history.  We read                   LUKE 1:18-19               The heart of the life giver says, “I have been with God and He has good news to tell you”.  This is why we need to spend time in prayer.  That is when we spend time in the presence of God.  It is how we become a life giver.

SECOND, WE SEE ONESIMUS—HE FLED AND WAS RESTORED.  The story of Onesimus is one of the great stories in the Bible.  His story is the reason the little book of Philemon is in the New Testament.  Onesimus was a slave who lived in Colossae.  His owner, Philemon, was a member of the Colossian church.  One day, Onesimus decided he didn’t want to be a slave any more and ran away.  Several weeks ago we spent a message on the subject of slavery, so we won’t go into detail here.  Just understand that a slave running away was a capitol offense.  The law under which slavery was punished was not the Old Testament, but the law of Rome.  As much as possible, Rome sought peace in the Empire.  However, the price was at the expense of freedom.  Rome ruled with an iron hand.

Onesimus fled and ended up in Rome.  It seems probable that he fell into petty crime, was arrested and ended up in the same cell block as the Apostle Paul.  Can you guess what they talked about?  Paul shared the life changing message of Christ and Onesimus responded by opening up his heart to the Lord.  Now he had a problem.  He was a new Christian and was supposed to make things right, but to return to Philemon was a death sentence.  What do you do? 

Paul helped by writing a letter to his friend Philemon and urging him to take Onesimus back.  However, he encouraged him to take Onesimus back not as a slave, but as a brother.  This is the heart of ending slavery.  The Bible could have ordered slavery to be ended.  To do so would not have changed the heart of the slavery problem.  What the Bible did do was to promote love and decency on the part of the slave owners and slavery ended on its own.  When a master treats his slave as an equal, you soon end the slavery problem.

Notice what Paul writes to this church.  We read                    VERSE 4:9              Paul does a very interesting play on words.  The word for Onesimus means “Useful”.  How useful is a runaway slave?  Paul is letting these people know that this man ran away as a slave, but he is coming back as a faithful brother.  The call of God to Christians is to reclaim the lost and fallen of the world.  The church is in the reclamation business.  All of us have skeletons in the closet and all of us are saved out of a life of sin.  Some fall harder than others, but “ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST”.  Onesimus, who had run from his responsibilities had been converted and was now “FAITHFUL”.  Our nation is filled with people like Onesimus.  At a young age they may have made some sort of commitment to Christ.  Through the years, though, they had run from it.  They were now waylaid and useless to God.  That is not the end of the story.  God wants to reclaim those individuals and make them faithful.  That may be you.  It might be that you have stepped out of serving the Lord and God is tugging at your heart.  Don’t resist, become useful and faithful.

THIRD, WE SEE ARISTARCHUS—HE FAITHFULLY SUFFERED.  There is no problem that we have to deal with that is more difficult than why God allows trials and tribulations in our life.  Some of those trials are beyond our explanation such as childhood life threatening illnesses.  Some of those trials are self inflicted.  Many of our trials are because of evil in the world.  Such is the example of Aristarchus.  He first shows up during Paul’s ministry in Ephesus.  For most of Paul’s ministry, he was a traveling evangelist and church planter.  On several occasions, he planted himself in one location for a period of time.  Acts 18 tells us that Paul spent 18 months in Corinth establishing and then maturing a church.  When that ministry concluded, Paul made his way to Ephesus and stayed there for a period of three years.  It was a fruitful ministry and a great church grew out of that experience.

Paul’s three years in Ephesus were not without tribulations.  We read                ACTS 19:11-32          It was not safe to travel with Paul.  Aristarchus was a disciple of Paul and he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Paul wasn’t around, so they grabbed his followers and began beating on them.  When the riot concluded we read             ACTS 20:1-4            Paul sent for his followers, they left Ephesus and headed for their next ministry.  If I was Aristarchus, I might want to go home for a little rest and relaxation.  That was not the case.  Aristarchus went wherever Paul went.  You will remember that Paul was arrested and sent to Rome, where he was later executed by Nero.  He got to Rome because he demanded his right as a Roman citizen to a fair trial before the Caesar.  He was chained to Roman soldiers, placed on a ship, and sent to Rome.  Unfortunately, the ship captain misread the weather channel and ran smack dab into a killer storm.  Most of the people on the ship thought they were going to die.  It was that severe.  In the middle of this we read                    ACTS 27:1-4                    After being beaten because of his relationship with Paul, Aristarchus got on a ship with Paul and nearly drowned.  He paid a high price to be Paul’s friend.  There is an interesting point raised by some scholars.  According to Roman law, prisoners could only bring their possessions when they were being transported from one point to another.  Their friends could not come along for the ride.  It seems that Aristarchus had sold himself into slavery to Paul so he could come and minister to him. 

As we come to Colossians, we find Paul in jail and guess who is there; his fellow sufferer Aristarchus.  We don’t know all of the details, but we do know that this man really loved Paul.  He was willing to pay any price to see that Paul’s needs were met.  God has a special blessing for those who are willing to suffer for Him.  We read                        MATT. 5:10-12; REV. 2:8-11                    There are only five crowns mentioned in the New Testament and one is for those who suffer for the cause of Christ.  All around our world are individuals and groups of believers who are paying a high price because they have chosen to follow the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Aristarchus was just one of those individuals who loved the Lord and considered it an honor to suffer for Him and remain faithful.

FOURTH, WE SEE MARK—HE FAILED AND RECOVERED.  Mark is one of the great stories in the New Testament.  He shows up in the gospel narrative.  We read           MARK 14:43-52                 That young man was Mark.  We later read of him as Paul’s companion.  We read                ACTS 13:13              We are not told any of the details, but John Mark headed home.  A short time later, another venture was planned and a conflict arose.  We read             ACTS 15:36-41                     Paul was not happy that John Mark was even considered as a member of the team.  The word used for “DESERTED THEM…” was the same word used in the military for a soldier who ran in the middle of a battle.  It was an act of treason.  It was no wonder that Paul refused to allow Mark to come, he couldn’t be trusted.  Barnabas insisted that Mark come and the issue became so contentious that Paul and Barnabas decided to split and go separate ways. 

Go back to Colossians and we will get the reason for Barnabas’s insistence on Mark coming along.  Paul writes      COL. 4:10b Barnabas was Mark’s cousin.  There was a bond there and Barnabas knew that he could restore this failed servant.  Barnabas was one of the great men of the early church.  In Acts 4, he sold some property and gave the money to the church for the ministry to the widows and orphans.  In Acts 9, a new convert by the name of Saul was claiming to want into the church and people were suspect.  Saul had previously dedicated his life to arresting followers of Jesus.  Barnabas had God’s discernment and took Paul under his wing and trained him to serve the Lord.  On the first missionary journey, Barnabas was the leader and Paul was the learner.  By the end of the trip, Luke no longer talks about “BARNABAS AND SAUL”.  The term had become “PAUL AND BARNABAS”.  If you are top dog and your protégé exceeds you, how do you respond?  If you are a godly, spirit filled believer, you rejoice with God’s work.  If you aren’t in the Spirit, you get jealous. Barnabas rejoiced with God’s call on the life of Paul and went to look for another young man to train.  He found Mark. 

The discussion in theological circles centers around which one was right.  There are two ways to look at this subject.   Paul was concerned about the mission and didn’t want to have to deal with Mark.  Why bring him if he has proven himself to be untrustworthy?  On the other hand, Barnabas was more interested in the messenger.  If all we deal with is the mission, people often get abused and neglected.  Mark was still seen by Barnabas as one who could become an important part of the team.  Paul and Barnabas went separate ways and the work of God doubled.

After years of training, Barnabas released Mark back into the ministry and there was a reunion between Paul and Mark.  We read      II TIMOTHY 4:11              Seen by Paul as a failure, Mark fell under the influence of Barnabas and became useful again.  I hope that verse gives you goose bumps.  All of us have failed at some time.  I am so grateful for those people who picked me out, saw potential where none existed and pushed me to where one who had failed could be used by the Lord to teach His word to others.

FIFTH, WE SEE JESUS JUSTUS, FACELESS BUT IMPORTANT.  This is the only reference to this man in the entire Bible.  His name, Jesus, was a common name.  It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua.  His surname Justus means “righteous”.  He had obviously lived up to that name.  Names are important.  They reflect character and qualities and also give us something to live up to.  This is why people who give their children goofy names do them a great disservice. 

This points out a very critical point of life.  The world has superstars.  Whether it is in the secular or the spiritual world, there are those who are well known and they can accomplish significant goals.  Most of what is done in the world, though, is not done by the famous but by the faceless.  Right after the Katrina Hurricane struck the gulf coast; several celebrities put together some fund raisers to help the cause.  They should be honored for their work.  However, a vast amount of the work was done by people who will never be known by anyone except their family and friends.  Who were the church members who took in those who lost their home?  Who were the Red Cross workers, Salvation Army Volunteers, and even government personnel who passed out food and blankets and used their boats to rescued people stranded in their homes?  Few people will ever know, but think of what would have been had they not pitched in.  Who was the Sunday School teacher who led Billy Graham to Christ?  Who was the individual who gave financially so that missionaries could go to that foreign country and preach the gospel? 

We would all love to be famous, but for most, it won’t happen.  We read         VERSE 11           Here is the great point.  You do not need to be famous to encourage someone.  You do not need to be well known to be faithful.  You do not need to be a celebrity to be a “WORKER FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD…”  Whoever you are and wherever you are, plant yourself and serve God at that point.  Jesus Justus had a famous name and nothing is known about him, except that he encouraged people.  What a testimony.

SIXTH, WE SEE EPAPHRAS—FERVENT IN SERVICE.  Epaphras was the pastor of the church in Colossae.  He had come to Rome to find Paul and seek counsel on how to deal with the false teachers who were trying to worm into the church.  Paul writes back to put his stamp of approval on Epaphras.  This was a great man and a fabulous pastor.  I find it interesting that Paul puts his recommendation on Epaphras’ ministry and doesn’t even discuss his preaching ability.  The pulpit is an important part of the ministry, but not the most important part.  In these two verses, he lists three important aspects of the ministry.

First, the minister must serve Christ.  That is in contrast to two other alternatives.  Some ministers seek to serve themselves.  They are out to make a name for themselves.  It is important that their name is on the sign in big letters and that they be introduced with the right degrees listed.  Some ministers seek to serve the church.  You might think, “Isn’t that what they are paid to do”?  That is true only indirectly.  The pastor is to serve the church, but he is a slave to Christ.  There is a difference.  No pastor is ever to be a slave to the church.

Second, the minister must pray hard.  The word Paul uses for “LABORING” is the word from which we get agonize.  It was the word used of Jesus as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  It is not the “Now I lay me down to sleep…” prayer, but the prayer that really gets down to business.  Prayer is the most powerful tool in the arsenal of the believer, but it requires hard work to be effective.  Those who do the work, find a resource of incredible value.  Prayer changes countries, it releases God’s resources, brings encouragement to believers, and draws unbelievers to the Savior.  This is one of the highest tasks of the pastor.  It is also one of the highest tasks of those in the pews.

Third, the minister must show compassion.  NASB uses the word “concern” which may not be the strongest word.  It is the Greek word “ZEALOUS”.  We obviously get the word “ZEAL” from it.  There is an interesting aspect to this translation.  On several occasions, the word is translated as “Envy” and “Jealous”.  We tend to think of those words in the negative.  However, they both have the idea of being totally consumed with something.  When it came to the care of this congregation, Epaphras was totally consumed with their well-being.  There were wolves in sheep’s clothing advancing and Epaphras could hardly stand the thought of one of them being stolen from the Lord’s work.  Paul uses this concept in another passage.  We read          II CORINTHIANS 11:1-3          Every pastor goes through the struggle of using their congregation for personal advancement.  It is critical that the pastor sees his people not as a group to make him look good, but as a group to whom God has privileged him to minister too.

SEVENTH, WE SEE LUKE—FRIEND AND COMPANION.  Luke is one of the great biographical studies in the New Testament.  He is called a physician, so he had medical knowledge and Paul needed medical attention.  He was always being beaten up, shipwrecked, or stoned.  He needed someone to minister to his physical needs.  He was also a travel companion.  He is picked up very early in Paul’s missionary venture and stays with Paul for his entire ministry.  He is mentioned in II Timothy 4 as being with Paul in Rome just before he was executed. 

He was also an historian.  We read,             LUKE 1:1              Luke was not an eyewitness to the events of the gospel, but he had access to the people who were.  He met with them and researched their role in the ministry of Christ.  He also wrote the book of Acts.  The last half of that book is Luke’s take on what he saw and heard.  Luke was an important part of the early church, because he documented so much of what actually took place. 

Christianity is an historical religion.  In spite of what The DaVinci Code states, the Bible is historically accurate.  It was the eyewitness account of the life of Christ. All the writers were either Apostles, or trained by an Apostle.  Luke was with Paul, Mark was with Peter, and James was the brother of Jesus Himself.  Luke was a believer of immense intellectual power and he dedicated it to ministering to the body of Christ.

EIGHTH, WE SEE DEMAS—FORSAKER OF THE FAITH.  I believe that Demas is the saddest story in the New Testament.  He is a story in forsaking the faith.  He is an example of the individual who has it all and walks away from it.  He is mentioned by name in this passage and in Philemon.  It is an interesting testimony.  Paul lists all of these individuals who have blessed him in so many ways and why they had blessed him.  When it comes to Demas, he simply mentioned his name.  Maybe Paul sensed something was up, but not even an Apostle could stop an individual who wanted to stray.  The saddest verse in the Bible states,         II TIMOTHY 4:9, 10                     When you read that verse, you can almost feel Paul’s heart breaking.  Here is the point.  No amount of successful ministry can overcome a sinful heart.  The only solution to walking away from God’s work is the daily commitment of walking with Him.  Maybe there was a time when you walked with God and something happened.  You decided to walk away.  I am grateful that this does not need to be the last of the story.  The Holy Spirit continues to call us back to Himself and back to fellowship with God.

The Christian life is like rowing a canoe upstream.  There is no place where you stop and rest.  If you stop paddling, you will begin to float backwards.  There are times when you move faster than at other times, but you cannot rest on your accomplishments.

NINETH, WE SEE NYMPHA—FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE.  We have seen on many occasions the importance of believers opening their homes for the work of God.  The Passover meal which we call “The Last Supper” was held in an Upper Room because someone made it available to our Lord for His use.  Right after the Day of Pentecost, the people of God began to meet house to house for the purpose of fellowship and instruction.  The church in Rome met in the home of Prisca and Aquila.  Without people showing fellowship to others, the church would have not moved forward.  This is why the Apostle Paul could write               COLOSSIANS 4:15             What a wonderful use of the wealth God had given to her.  God does not call us to a life of poverty, but He does call us to a life of generosity.  We read         1 TIM. 6:17-19                 God’s call to those who have wealth is to enjoy what you have, invest in eternity, and to use it for good works in God’s name. 

God has blessed every member of our congregation.  Your responsibility is to seek God’s face and to use the wealth as a wise steward.  That may include a home, transportation, clothes, food, education, and relaxation.  It should also include being generous to the work of God.  Examine your heart and your checkbook to see how you measure up in this area.

TENTH, WE SEE ARCHIPPUS—FULFILL GOD’S PLAN.  There are all kinds of reasons why people work for God.  You will remember that Ananias and Sapphira gave a large financial gift so they would receive the praise of people.  The son’s of Aaron served as priests because they were following in the footsteps of their father.  Why do you serve God?  There may be no more important question to answer than that one.  If you serve God for ulterior motives, you will soon become disillusioned.  That does not mean that that serving God is without blessings.  However, our desire needs to be to serve Him because He is worthy of being served.  Paul writes        COLOSSIANS 4:17                   What task has God laid out for you?  It will probably be different for every one of us.  Some will serve God in a very traditional setting.  God may lead some into a very different sort of ministry.  Whatever it is and wherever it manifests itself, you need to seek God as to how He wants you to serve Him.  Lest you get frightened by that word “MINISTRY”, simply remember that the root word for ministry has to do with a servant.  A ministry is simply a means to serve people.  In our congregation we have people who teach, lead singing, and work with our children.  We also have people listen to children recite memory verses, clean the          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                facilities, pass out bulletins, put the cards in pew racks and prepare our communion emblems.  Some ministries are highly visual and others are behind the scenes.  All are important.  What ministry God gives you will be determined by your gifts and abilities.  We do know this, though; God has a task specifically for you.  Seek Him and ask Him to show you what that might be.

It does not matter how talented you are.  No one succeeds alone.  John Maxwell states it, “one is too small a number to achieve greatness”.  God’s plan always involves people in the plural.  When we find our place on the team and begin working for Him, the work of God is furthered and the people of God are blessed.

This message is from the teaching ministry of Glen Jackson, pastor of the Faith Christian Church in Simi Valley, CA.