My Part in God’s Kingdom (Colossians 4:7-14)

Big Idea: God calls all believers to use their unique gifts in serving others.

Every single one of us here needs to feel appreciated. One of the worst feelings in the world is the feeling of being taken for granted. Many people say they would forgo a pay raise if their boss showed more appreciation. Wives say they don't even mind not receiving flowers – they just want to feel appreciated. Somebody has said, "Appreciation makes people feel more important than almost anything you can give them."

When it comes to our place in the church, some of us need more information. Some may not understand the Bible's teachings on spiritual gifts as found in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. I considered sharing more details this morning, but I believe most of you are familiar with spiritual gifts. You know the Bible says that you have at least one spiritual gift. You understand that it is God's will for you to use your spiritual gift. Every Christian has been given a personalized purpose of service. And God expects you to use the gifts, talents, and opportunities you have to serve others.

1 Peter 4:1 says, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." So some of you might need more information, but not many. Some of you might need more guidance. You may understand that every believer has a spiritual gift, but your question is, "What is mine? What should I be doing in ministry? You want to get involved, and all you need is a path to follow. We want to provide you with some practical help, but that's not primarily what I'm going to do today.

But there are some here this morning whose primary need is encouragement. You don't feel appreciated within the church. You may feel that your gifts aren't significant, that you have nothing to offer. You may feel that you've done your part, or that you're too blank to get involved anymore. And you can insert where I said blank your excuse – too old, too young, too busy – whatever you'd like.

Last week I talked to a woman who is considering joining the church. She said, "I'm thinking about joining, but I know you're doing this spiritual gift thing. Soon, I'll be teaching sixth-grade boys, going door-to-door for visits, and fixing the hot water heater every time it breaks." I know that there are many here who feel one of two things: "I have nothing to offer," or "I've already paid my dues."

Four Observations

I want to talk about spiritual gifts in action. I'm going to discuss a rarely talked about passage from Colossians 4. And yet it's a perfect example of what happens when various people begin to use their spiritual gifts. Please open your Bibles to Colossians 4, and let me make a few observations.

Paul was surrounded by helpful people.

Look down the list of people mentioned. None of these people are household names. I don't think anyone has named their children after any of these people. In fact, some of these names are mentioned here and nowhere else in Scripture. Reading this passage, names like Tychicus and Aristarchus suggest that Paul had supportive companions. Not well-known people, but helpful people.

I've always thought of Paul as a rugged individualist. Somehow he comes across sometimes as being very independent. But Paul's ministry was effective because he was surrounded by helpful people. People like the ones listed in this passage. Others include Timothy, Luke, John Mark, Aquila and Priscilla, Jason, Tertius, Gaius, Erastus, Quartus, Epaphroditus, Crescens, Titus, Onesiphorus, and Trophimus—just to name a few with simpler names! But these were the people that surrounded Paul and made his ministry effective.

Paul recognized two approaches to ministry: church addition, where he did all the work himself, and church multiplication, where everyone participated in ministry. Where everyone found their gift and used it for the glory of God. But observation number one is that Paul was surrounded by helpful people. Paul could not possibly do all that he did without the help, support, and gifts of others. In fact, two of the people on this list – Mark and Luke – are considered to be the authors of two Gospels. But it wasn't a one-man show – it was a team.

Their commitment to ministry was costly.

You're asking where I get this from. The answer is simple: the people listed in this passage risked personal danger by staying close to the apostle. Paul was in prison as he wrote this letter. Being a friend of a prisoner was not a very popular thing. In fact, you risked being bullied by the rough characters who guarded the prisoner. You might be closely linked with a person deemed to be a danger to national security. In short, there was a price to be paid for their commitment to team ministry at that time.

In fact, it would have been a lot easier to refuse to get involved back then. Today we make excuses like, "I'm too old," "I'm too busy at work," or "I'll be on vacation." It feels like ministry is only an option if we have extra time or energy. Once we've finished our TV shows and careers, we might consider serving God with our talents. To be honest, we have no idea of the cost that these people had to pay to use their spiritual gifts. It cost some of them their lives. As we read this passage and see the names represented here, there was a cost to be paid to be part of a team.

They had different backgrounds and gifts.

If you look at the people in this passage, there were all different types of people. Some were helpers; others were messengers; some prayed. Some were Jewish Christians, according to verse 11, and some were Gentiles. One was a slave; another was a physician. The diversity of people was necessary to reach across national barriers.

We will examine each individual shortly, but it's important to note that the people Paul mentions had diverse backgrounds and skills. It's amazing the diversity of people that God has given us here. How many people here were raised in a Christian background? How many were not raised in a Christian background? How many people come here from a different denomination than Baptist? How many people here would consider themselves extroverts? I'd ask the introverts to raise their hands, but it wouldn't do any good. How many people are good on their feet talking in front of people? How many people here would prefer to be behind the scenes, working without much fanfare?

I could elaborate on task-oriented versus people-oriented approaches and how they apply to working with children, youth, and adults. The tremendous variety of gifts represented here – those with mercy gifts, serving gifts, encouraging gifts, musical gifts, teaching gifts. That's what you call diversity – it threatens some people, but it's healthy within the church. The apostle Paul had all sorts of different people around him. They had different gifts, different backgrounds, different nationalities. And that's what makes the body of Christ very healthy.

Paul publicly affirmed his team.

Paul wanted to make sure that everyone reading the letter understood that his was not a solo effort. He went to great lengths to publicly commend those who were working around him. He wanted them to understand that his ministry's success was due to the support of others, not just his own efforts. Paul did this not just here, but in other letters. In almost every book, Paul would take time to commend his co-workers and publicly affirm them.

Not everyone seemed qualified.

This is beautiful. As we look at this list of people, it turns out that some of them would never have made our list. One of them was a total reject as a missionary. Another one was a runaway slave. There were people who just didn't fit. Some people say today that they're not qualified. They say, "I have nothing to offer. You don't know my background; you don't know what I'm struggling with at the moment."

What type of people did Paul have around him? Let's take a brief look at each of these players. First, Tychicus in verse 7. Beside this name you can write the word "faithful." Tychicus is mentioned five times in the Bible, and every time he is mentioned he is helping Paul out. He traveled with Paul through Macedonia to Jerusalem. He was sent by Paul to Ephesus carrying the book that we now call Ephesians. And now he bears the letter to the Colossians, along with a personal message from Paul. In verse 7, he receives the highest praise a Christian can receive: "He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord." In fact, he was sent to the Colossians so that he would encourage their hearts. Tychicus was a man Paul could count on.

Then we see Onesimus in verse 9. Beside Onesimus, you can write "bad background." Onesimus was a runaway slave. He met Paul in Rome and became a Christ-follower. Paul sent him home to Philemon, a wealthy member of the Colossian congregation. Under Paul, he goes back to the place where he was nothing more than a runaway slave, and Paul calls him "a faithful and dear brother, who is one of you." Did you notice – there is no mention of his past, just a commendation that he is faithful and dear, and one of them. And perhaps you're sitting there today saying, "Pastor, I'm not sure that God could ever use me. You don't know where I've been, you don't know what I've done, you don't know what I've thought." No, I don't, but it's okay. God has the great ability to take you where you are and through his grace give you a second chance and cause him to be effective for his kingdom.

Then there was also Aristarchus in verse 10. Beside Aristarchus, you can write "burden bearer." According to verse 10, Aristarchus was in prison with Paul. If you look at Aristarchus in the book of Acts, you find that he is a traveling companion of Paul's. In fact, when the mob in Ephesus tried to seize Paul, do you remember who they seized? They didn't get Paul, but they did get Aristarchus. He was taken prisoner with Paul. He went through a shipwreck with Paul. Aristarchus was a man who went through thick and thin with Paul. He was a burden bearer.

Then we have Mark in verse 10. Beside Mark, you can write "second chance." Do you remember Mark? He is known for a failure. Barnabas supported Mark on the first missionary journey. The first missionary journey was Paul, Barnabas, and Mark. And something happened during the first time, and Mark left Paul and Barnabas. We're not sure if he got sick or homesick. But we know this: he left, and Paul didn't like that. When Barnabas wanted to bring him along again, Paul was so frustrated that he decided to part ways and go his own way. Now, all of a sudden, Mark's with him. Not only that, Mark's a member of the team and a valuable one. The apostle Paul calls him a "comfort." In 2 Timothy, Paul says that Mark is "helpful to me in my ministry." He's a perfect example of someone who failed once, came back, and was used mightily by God. God is the God of the second chance. There are some people here this morning who have served God before, but they failed. And they're slow to get involved once again. But God is the God of the second chance; he used Mark, and he can use you.

In verse 11 we read of Jesus who is called Justus. We don't know anything about him. But then in verse 12 we find Epaphras. Beside Epaphras you can write "prayer warrior." He seems to have founded the Colossian church and is mentioned in Philemon as a fellow prisoner of Paul. But here he is known as a prayer warrior. Verse 12 says, "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." How we need prayer warriors! There might be some here who discover that their ministry is prayer. How we need this ministry at Richview! This was the very valuable ministry of Epaphras.

Two more. In verse 14 we read of Luke. Beside Luke you can write "successful." Luke was a physician. He was well-educated and trained; a careful and exact historian. And yet he chose to travel with Paul pretty much all the time, after Paul's first missionary journey. In fact, he appears to be the last one to be with Paul. In the last book that Paul wrote, he said: "Only Luke is with me" (2 Timothy 4:11). Luke chose to use his gifts for the kingdom. He most likely made part of his ministry tending to Paul and his physical condition. Here is a man who was well-educated and successful, and he chose to make that secondary to serving God.

Finally, we have Demas in verse 14. Beside Demas, you can write the word "quitter." Demas is mentioned twice in the Bible as Paul's co-worker, but in Paul's final letter, it's noted that Demas abandoned him because he loved the world. Demas ended up being a quitter.

I guess what I'm saying is that God chooses a team full of people with different strengths and different backgrounds. God wants to use you. And there's no such thing as one who's more significant than others. We just have to submit ourselves to Him.

Would you bow your head with me?

Father, we thank you for this day, and we thank you for what we learn from Paul's life. And now, Lord, we come and submit ourselves to you. Every man and every woman. We consecrate our gifts to you. We ask your blessings upon those gifts. We ask your Spirit to take and use them for your glory.

They may seem insignificant. There may be some who tried and have failed. Encourage them, Lord.

There may be some with great gifts who have had to learn to submit those gifts to the body so that the body could prosper. Encourage them, Lord.

There may be those like Mark who tried entering ministry, and it messed up, but unlike Mark, they've stayed out of the ministry. Encourage them to re-enter and be renewed.

We surrender and give you and consecrate this day and every gift we have. And as the church body leaves, may there be a sense within us that we're part of the team. Help us to learn that we become greater by becoming a servant of others. Take our gifts, mesh them together as a team, for your glory, Amen.

Adapted from a message by John Maxwell