Who Needs the Church?

November 3, 2019                  NOTES NOT EDITED

Who Needs the Church?

Luke 8:22-48

SIS:  The Lord’s Church is as much a need in life (both temporal AND eternal) as eating, drinking, or even breathing.

Have you ever seriously thought about, “wants versus needs?”  I came across this distinction:  “think of a need being something required for survival. Needs are water for drinking, food to eat, clothing to keep you warm, and shelter to live in. On the other hand, a want is everything else.”

It becomes apparent to me that there are many more “wants” in life than “needs.”  It also makes me ask:  “What if someone needs something but doesn’t want it, is it any less of a need?” Again, it seems apparent to me that “wanting or not wanting a need doesn’t change whether something is a need or not.”  Think of water for drinking for example.  Whether one wants water or not, doesn’t change whether a person needs it.  This applies equally to food.  Over the years I’ve had both the opportunity and the burden to minister to families with a family member who has been in a prolonged illness and is now nearing death. Many I’ve been with at this stage in life are conscious, though weak.  One thing I have noted.  People in the last stages of life lose any desire to eat, and often to drink. I’ve noted that this seems to be an indicator that the end is near.  Food and water are needs, and when these needs are no longer wanted, it indicates something is wrong, that is, death is near.

Remember, a “need” is necessary for survival—it is a “must have.” 

So, what about church?  Let’s ask first, “do people WANT the church?”  Without any research or reading my gut feeling in regard to this question falls squarely between “not much and not at all,” at least when limited to the United States.  What does the research say?  In a recent Gallup Poll article I read this:  “Gallup finds the percentage of Americans who report belonging to a church, synagogue or mosque at an all-time low, averaging 50% in 2018.U.S. church membership was 70% or higher from 1937 through 1976, falling modestly to an average of 68% in the 1970s through the 1990s. The past 20 years have seen an acceleration in the drop-off, with a 20-percentage-point decline since 1999 and more than half of that change occurring since the start of the current decade.”  Gallup records a 20 percent drop in the last 20 years and most of it in the last few years.  Clearly, a majority of Americans do not seem to “want” what the church has to offer. Now, many blame the church for failing to attract people, or for being “out of touch or not hip, or . . . well, there’s too many criticisms of church to list.”  But, the question really isn’t, “do most people WANT church”—clearly, they don’t; the real question is, “do people NEED church?”  If someone gets a bad meal at a restaurant, they may stop going to that restaurant, but they don’t stop eating.  Why?  Because clearly eating is a NEED.  My desire this morning is to show you, through the Scriptures, that the Lord’s Church is as much a need in life (both temporal AND eternal) as eating, drinking, or even breathing.  LET’S READ OUR: Lk. 8:22-25

²² One day He and His disciples got into a boat, and He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.”  So they set out, ²³ and as they were sailing He fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. ²⁴ They came and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.  ²⁵ He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who can this be? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!”

In our time together this morning we will examine four reasons why “Everyone Needs the Church.”  People Dealing with DOUBT, Need the Church.  People who are DEMONIZED, Need the Church. People Who are DESPERATE, Need the Church.  Most of all, People Facing DEATH, Need the Church.

1.  People Dealing with DOUBT, Need the Church.

In the portion of Scripture we just read, what great challenge are the disciples facing?  Verse 24 seems pretty clear.  The disciples cry out, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!”  The gospel of Mark adds another element to the cry of the disciples.  Mark 4:38 says, Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?”

Storms on the sea of Gallilee were frequent, sudden, and violent.  The Sea of Gallilee is surrounded by mountains and the mountain gorges funnel cold air onto the warm Sea and violent storms result.  So, it is easy to see why the disciples were afraid.  But our fear, while natural should never be fatal.  The disciples, as recorded in Mark, made two mistakes in what they said.  One, they were NOT going to die.  Jesus said in Lk. 8:22, Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.”  Jesus never said anything about drowning halfway across.  Second, the disciples accused Jesus of “not caring” (Mk. 4:38).  This is a common accusation against God when people find themselves in dire straits and difficult situations. But, God DOES care. The entire gospel message is founded upon God’s love and care.  We all know that verse in John 3:16:

For God so loved the world He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

So, let me ask again.  What was the great challenge or difficulty the disciples were facing.  As we have established.  It wasn’t death by drowning.  It wasn’t that God doesn’t care.  So, what’s their problem.  What’s the great NEED they have. Jesus answered that question with a question of His own.

Let me park on that question Jesus asked when the disciples were in a “life-threatening” situation, about to be drowned in the Sea of Gallilee.  Jesus asked, “Where is your faith? (v25).  He didn’t ask, “Where are your buckets for bailing water?”  He didn’t ask, “Where are your lifejackets?”  Jesus did not ask, “Where is the lifeboat?”  From a natural point of view, all these would be “NEEDED” for survival in a maritime emergency . . . but, Jesus said, “Where is your FAITH?”  That which is essential, according to Jesus, is “faith.”  It is a NEED, a NECESSITY, something ESSENTIAL for survival.  Jesus didn’t even ask them what they wanted (I’m sure their demeanor and desperation made that clear).  Jesus pointed their hearts and minds to what they NEEDED.  They NEEDED faith in Him.  They NEEDED encouragement in a time of great difficulty.  They NEEDED faith to lift them out of the crashing waves of doubt.  Church offers encouragement for those who are allowing the waves of difficulty to carry them out into the sea of doubt.  People Dealing With Doubt Need the Church.

2. People who are DEMONIZED, Need the Church. (26-39)

²⁶ Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out,  fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What do You have to do with me,  ^g Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, don’t torment me!” ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.  ³⁰ “What is your name?” Jesus asked him. “Legion,”  he said—because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss. ³² A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. ³³ The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. ³⁴ When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside. ³⁵ Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’ feet,  dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶ Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.  ³⁷ Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked Him to leave them,  because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, He returned. ³⁸ The man from whom the demons had departed kept begging Him to be with Him. But He sent him away and said, ³⁹ “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town all that Jesus had done for him.

This section could easily warrant a sermon on its own, but I want to focus on just the central issue it presents:  People With Demons Need the Church.  When was the last time you saw an exorcism in church?  I’d venture to say, “never.”  When was the last time you met a demon-possessed person?  The chances are much greater that you have met a demon-possessed person—maybe even today.  Let me say something shocking, but I believe is supported by Scripture:  any person that is not a believer in Jesus Christ is possessed by the Devil!  Think about this:  according to laws of science it is said, “nature abhors a vacuum.”  In other words, anytime there is a void with nothing in it, something will seek to fill it.  You see this every day (or at least every time you clean the house).  You start the “vacuum cleaner.”  The motor creates a negative pressure—a vacuum—in the collection chamber.  When you run the hose over a cheerio or a lego, the cheerio or lego is “sucked into the vacuum.”  The vacuum wants to be filled with stuff—and it ain’t all that choosy as to what stuff fills it!

The same happens with a human soul.  Sin creates a spiritual vacuum in a person’s heart and it longs to be filled with a spirit. The sinful heart isn’t anymore selective than the vacuum cleaner.  It will suck up anything, including the demon spirits of the Devil’s “Legions.”  Jesus said it like this (Jn. 8:43-44):

⁴³ Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to My word.  ⁴⁴ You are of your father the Devil.  Jesus also said, Anyone who is not with me is against me (Mt. 12:30)

There is no “neutral” ground.  Everybody is serving either the Lord or the Devil. There are no “empty” hearts. At any moment, the Devil can possess an unbeliever and they will be as demented and devilish as this man in our text.

Now, how much control the Devil takes over someone he possesses is different.  For some, it is violent, dark, destructive, and deadly, like this Gerasene demoniac.  For others, demon possession may be more subtle, but just as deadly. Demon-possession can be seen in a functioning alcoholic or a working drug addict.  Demon-possession can be seen in a man that abandons his wife and kids for another woman.  Demon-possession can be seen in a man, so full of greed that he embezzles from his employer and ends up losing everything and spending wasted years in prison.  Demon possession can be seen in a person like Bruce Jenner living in a confused state where he mutilates himself to act out a sick, mind-bending fantasy.  Demon-possession can be as extreme as a radical terrorist strapping a bomb on his body to blow up innocent people in the name of his god.  Demon-possession can be seen in the gutters of skid row where the Devil deposits those he has used like so much human trash.  Demon-possession is everywhere; and, there is only one solution to demon-possession:  the power of Christ initiated by the fervent prayers of the Church.  Demon-possessed People Need the Church.

3.  People Who Are Desperate Need the Church (43-48)

While He was going, the crowds were nearly crushing Him.  ⁴³ A woman suffering from bleeding  for 12 years,  who had spent all she had on doctors  yet could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ approached from behind and touched the tassel of His robe.  Instantly her bleeding stopped. ⁴⁵ “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter  said, “Master,  the crowds are hemming You in and pressing against You.” ⁴⁶ “Someone did touch Me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from Me.”  ⁴⁷ When the woman saw that she was discovered,  she came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured. ⁴⁸ “Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has made you well.  Go in peace.”

Here is a “desperate woman.”  For twelve years she had battled a debilitating illness.  She was broken physically.  She was devastated financially.  She was exhausted emotionally.  Her situation was chronic and crushing.  She NEEDED relief and it was nowhere to be found.  And, then she met Jesus!

All around us—perhaps even our next-door neighbor—people are in “desperate” situations with some physical, emotional, or financial need that is being unmet which is crushing the very life out of them.  We get calls all the time at church from people in desperate situations.  People in Desperate Situations Need the Church.

People Dealing with Doubt, Need the Church.  People Dealing with Demon-possession, Need the Church.  People Dealing with Desperate Situations, Need the Church.

4.  People Facing Death, Need the Church (49-56)

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking,  someone came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother  the Teacher  anymore.” ⁵⁰ When Jesus heard it, He answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ After He came to the house, He let no one enter with Him except Peter, John, James,  and the child’s father and mother. ⁵² Everyone was crying  and mourning for her.  But He said, “Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep.” ⁵³ They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead. ⁵⁴ So He  took her by the hand  and called out, “Child, get up!”  ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned,  and she got up at once. Then He gave orders that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astounded, but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

Here’s a little girl introduced as “gravely ill” in verses 40-42.  Now, she is dead.  The bad became the worse.  Hope is completely sucked out of the situation.  The father, Jairus, was pushing through the crowd to get to Jesus.  He knew Jesus had healed many, and even raised many from the dead.  Jairus knew he had a great NEED and he knew Who could meet that need.

I will admit that people can get “some needs” met by other organizations.  I have a friend who along with his mother and brother were abandoned by their father.  They grew up eating “government cheese.” Our family received some of this government subsidized cheese at one time. Even as young as I was, I knew this cheese was for “NEEDY” families.  There are some places, some people can find some fulfillment of their needs.  But, nowhere is the NEED for the church more apparent than when a person is facing death—either his or someone else’s.  There is no answer for this question or any solution for this need, but that which is found in and through the Church of Jesus Christ.  Jesus, through the Holy Spirit inspired preaching, has given the Church the the power of life.  Jesus said,

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (Jn. 6:63).  And Jesus also said, "Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. (Jn. 5:24).

The Bible says, “It is appointed that everyone will die, and then face judgment” (Heb. 9:27).  Eternal life is the ONE, SINGLE-MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT A PERSON NEEDS AND CAN ONLY GET THROUGH THE WITNESS AND MINISTRY OF A CHURCH PREACHING FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, ALONE, AS THE WAY OF SALVATION.

Everybody faces death, so everybody needs the Church!

I’ve only touched on the issues presented in these four stories from the life of Jesus Christ.  All these situations taken both individually and together demonstrate that Everyone NEEDS the Church.  And, turning that theological proposition into a practical application, the Church must be about the business of meeting the needs of people—whether physical, emotional, social, or most certainly, spiritual.

The question remains:  Who Needs the Church?  The answer, based upon these four stories and the Bible story as a whole is a clear and resounding answer:  Everyone Needs the Church. 

Now, flip that coin over.  If “everyone needs the church” then the mission of the church must be, “meeting the needs of others.”  We must declare in bold letters that our church is OPEN FOR BUSINESS and our business is meeting the physical, emotional, and most of all, spiritual needs of our world.

People may seem like they don’t want what the Church is offering, but everyone needs Jesus, and Jesus is what the True Church offers.

Colossians, Pt9: Name It and Claim It

October 27, 2019                       NOTES NOT EDITED

Colossians, Pt9:  Name It; Claim It

Col. 4:2-18

SIS: Every believer should seek a place of service and sacrifice in and through the local church.

Paul concludes his message to the colossians with two important sections.  First, he discusses MINISTRY ESSENTIALS.  Second, he gives a list of MINISTRY EXAMPLES.  Let’s dive in by reading what Paul had to say about seeking a place of sacrifice and service in and through the local church.   Read: Colossians 4:2-18.

Has anyone heard about “Essential Oils?”  This is one of the latest multi-level marketing plans designed to enhance the fragrance of your bank account:  and, as a side benefit, cure everything from “sad children” to “head-aches.”  Essential oils are the extract from plants—that is, the “essence” of the plant.  For some cures, you rub the right combination for on your temples to cure headaches.  Other applications require “steaming them to cloak the air in soothing mist.”  This can magically send restless children into deep slumber with sugar plumb fairies dancing in their dreams—or so I’ve heard. 

Here are some common applications of these “essential oils.”  Peppermint: used to boost energy and aid digestion. Lavender: used to relieve stress. Sandalwood: used to calm nerves and help with focus. Bergamot: used to reduce stress and improve skin conditions like eczema. Rose: used to improve mood and reduce anxiety. Chamomile: used to improve mood and relaxation. Ylang-Ylang: used to treat headaches. Tea Tree: used to fight infections and boost immunity. Jasmine: used to help with depression, childbirth, Jasmine: used to help with depression, childbirth, and libido. Lemon: used to aid digestion, mood, headaches, and more.

I really don’t know if “essential oils are essential to our health or not.”  I’m just playing with words at this point. My concern is to examine What Paul has to say about “Ministry Essentials.”  Something “essential,” according to the dictionary is, “absolutely necessary or extremely important.”  As Paul sharpens the tip of his pencil to outline what it means to “seek a place of service and sacrifice in, and through, the local church,” he gives three “Ministry Essentials”—Pray Effectively and Fervently; Preach Christ Freely, Truly, and Clearly; and Practice Life Management Diligently.

1. Pray Effectively and Fervently (v2)

I have come to believe that the first of any “essential” activity in this life, in church or out, is to Pray Effectively and Fervently.  Paul says in v2 of Colossians 4.  “Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.”

I can’t think of an activity in life that is more essential and yet most neglected as prayer.  I’m not talking about the three-minute poems families recite before a meal.  Certainly, it is right and good to give thanks to God for the bounty we receive.  However, saying grace at a meal will hardly move the mountains that we so often face as tragic circumstances interrupt our lives with some degree of frequency.  Saying grace of a meal is not going save a soul struggling with addiction or playing in the Devil’s playground.  Saying grace over a meal, as well and good as that might be, will never break the demon-hold that the Devil has on a loved one’s soul.  For that, only prayer birthed out of deep desperation can do that.  Fervent prayer can never begin until we are at our wits end.  Only when we a truly crushed by the realization of our own depravity and need can we truly pray effectively and fervently.  Nothing in life can ever be “fixed” by any but “broken men.”  Paul moves from the Ministry Essential of Prayer to the Ministry Essential of

2.  Preaching Christ Freely, Truly, and Clearly (3-4)

³ At the same time, pray also for us that God may ❶open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery ❷of the Messiah, for which I am in prison, ⁴ so that I may ❸reveal it as I am required to speak.

Prayer and preaching are fundamentally linked.  Preaching without prayer is powerless and prayer without preaching is mere pretext. First, Paul wanted to preach the gospel freely.  Paul often asked for prayer to “open doors for his preaching.” (cf Eph. 6:19-20; 2Thess. 3:1).  The only thing that keeps the doors open for gospel preaching is prayer.  Paul realized that many would seek to hinder his gospel efforts and restrict his freedom to preach. He was, in fact, in prison for preaching as he wrote this letter.  So, Paul was not expecting he would preach with out opposition, attack, and even threat of death.  He was asking that prayer be offered so that he would continue to preach the gospel freely, unfetterd from any “bonds of fear.”

Second Paul sought to preach “truly.”  Remember, there were many “false preachers” in Colossians, particularly those of a budding gnostic movement.  Being an effective communicator but communicating a false gospel is perhaps the worst possible combination.  There are many celebrity preachers who draw large crowds and suck in huge online listeners and all the time they are making their listeners “twice the child of hell that they are”  (Mt. 23:15).  Paul wanted not only to speak freely and effectively, but to speak truthfully. A good speaker with a false message is the greatest servant of hell making the rounds of celebrity today.

Third, Paul exhorts us to preach clearly.  I was taught early in my ministry to never use a $25 word when a nickel word would suffice. I have struggled all my ministry to preach to inspire people, not impress them with my oratorical skill.  I’d don’t know how many I have inspired, but those I’ve impressed with my oratorical skills is a very short list! A preaching professor once chided us as a class.  He said, “Some of you delight in expounding your message with great words and esoteric ideas, thinking your message is so deep nobody can see the bottom.  I dare say your messages are not deep, but simply muddy.” We don’t preach to impress others, but to rescue them.  It is ESSENTIAL we preach freely (boldly), truly, and clearly.

Prayer is a Ministry Essential.  Don’t leave home without it.  Preaching is a Ministry Essential.  Nobody gets home to heaven without it.  A third Ministry Essential is

3.  Practice Life Management Diligently (5-6).  Look at verses 5-6:

 ⁵Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.  ⁶ Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

a.  These verses talk about Managing Our DEPORTMENT.  Deportment is defined as, “the manner in which one conducts oneself in the presence of others.”  My Latin students would recognize the etymology of this word as “de, from” plus “porto, I carry.”  Hence, our deportment is how we “carry ourselves in public.”  Paul warns us to Manage Our Deportment in two ways.  One, we Manage our Deportment by❶ Watching our Walk.  Look again at verse 5, “ Act wisely toward outsiders.”  Many of you are too young to remember the Old Church Covenant that was glued to the inside cover of hymnals.  In part that covenant, or contract among the members, said:

What vows do we gladly make as stewards of that which God has entrusted to us . . . To walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment, I’ve always loved those words, “walk circumspectly.”  Again, the dictionary aids our understanding.  Circumspectly means, “carefully to considering all circumstances and possible consequences.” The most dire consequence of failing to “Watch Our Walk” is that we would bring disgrace upon our Lord and make our testimony to unbelievers useless.  

 ❷ Second, we must Watch Our Talk.  Verse 6 reminds us, ⁶Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

The speech of a believer, even when one disagrees with others, should always be full of grace, and “seasoned with salt.”  What does “seasoning with salt” mean.  I read once that salt actually enhances the sweetness of food.  But more so, salt makes people thirsty.  When we Watch Our Talk, people want to hear more of what we have to say.

Somebody much wiser than I once pointed out that a non-believer has only one of two problems.  The first problem is a matter of information—the non-believer simply does not know a Christian.  The second problem is that a non-believer DOES know a Christian and that Christian has failed to Manage His or Her Deportment.  While the first problem is one of information, the second problem is one of “transformation.”  As we Practice Life Management, we must Manage our Deportment.

b.  We must also MANAGE OUR TIME.  Look at verse 5 again,

⁵Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.  Paul said something similar in Ephesians 5:15-16,  The KJV says, “¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, ¹⁶ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” 

One of the greatest gifts, second only to salvation perhaps, is the gift of time.  A very beloved pastor points out, “Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time.”(R.W.).

There are two primary Greek words for time.  Kronos refers to chronological time or the passing of seconds on a clock.  Paul uses here the word, Kairos, which refers to a critical or strategic moment or opportunity.  The crisis of time Paul refers to has to do with the saving of souls through the preaching of the gospel.  When we misuse the time we have been given here on earth, others miss the opportunity to hear the gospel and receive Jesus as the Lord of their lives.  There are three aspects of the time of our lives which Paul alludes to in this passage.

❶ One, we must redeem the time LOST in our lives. We have already lost much, too much of the time of our lives.  The lost time of our lives refers to the missed opportunities of yesterday.  We can never get these moments back. One of the most encouraging promises in the Bible is Joel 2:25 KJV, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.

 One scholar described these “lost” times as the moments we wasted, “by procrastination, pleasure, laziness, disobedience, etc.” My two latest regrets are: 1) the 18 years I lost before I was saved; and 2) the many lost opportunities to pray for and preach to the lost of this world.  The only way to “redeem” this lost time is to decide today not to lose any more. Paul says in Ephesians we must “redeem, or take great care with our time” because, “the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16).  This means that the Devil is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  His minions never sleep and each opportunity we squander, the Devil steals for his devilish plan. 

This brings us to a second issue in regard to Managing our Time:  ❷Redeeming the Time LOANED.  By time “loaned” I am referring to concentrating on the present, so that it does not become the lost time of yesterday.  Philosophers would call this an “existential” perspective; or, an intense concentration on “now.”  What can I do right now in this present moment to bring honor and glory to God?  We just read last week about what it means to use every moment for the glory of God.  Colossians 3:23 says, “ Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically,  as something done for the Lord and not for men.” That’s how we redeem the time LOANED to us today! We must take great care to redeem the time LOST, redeem the time LOANED, and

❸ Redeem the time LEFT. 

Psalm 90:12 (NLT) says, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life.” The Book of James gives a similar instruction, ¹⁴ You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes (Jam. 4:14). The Apostle John also mentions the importance of considering the time we have left, We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day.  Night is coming when no one can work (Jn. 9:4).

Exactly what John has in mind, and whether it was prophetic message pointing to the Last Days when evil will overtake the world, or if it is a cryptic reference to the darkness of death, one thing is for sure—TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR ALL OF US!  The great theologian, Dr. Seuss once exclaimed, “How did it get so late so soon?” 40 years ago I remember hearing old preachers—those decrepit old men in their late 60’s—say, “time flies by before you know, and then you are old.”  There comes that moment of crisis in life when a man realizes he has more years behind him than ahead of him.  We must redeem the Time LEFT.   

The beloved Saint of the Slums speaks of the necessity to redeem the time lost, redeem the time loaned, and redeem the time left.  Mother Teresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” 

We must Practice Life Management, managing our Deportment and our Time.  Paul starts the beginning of the end of his teaching to the Colossians on reminding them of the MINISTRY ESSENTIALS:  Praying Effectively and Fervently; Preaching Christ Freely, Truly, and Clearly; and Practicing Life Management Diligently.  Then, the venerable apostle gives 11 MODELS FOR MINISTRY.  Ministry is a “team sport.”  Everyone needs to seek a place of service and sacrifice in and through the church and claim as their own.  Paul mentions a few models of people who did just that. A quick survey of these Models demonstrates God can and does use anyone and everyone.

1.  In verse 7 Paul mentions Tychicus.  “⁷ Tychicus,  our dearly loved brother, faithful  servant, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ⁸ I have sent him to you for this very purpose. Tychicus is an example of  “Availability.”  When a task came up, Tychicus was Mr. Availability.  Paul needed a trusted associate to deliver an important message, and standing right there by his side was Tychicus.  He was ready, able and willing.  He was a “go to” kind of guy.

2.  Verse 9 mentions Onesimus:  “a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you.” Onesimus was a runaway slave mentioned in Paul’s letter besieging Philemon to accept him as a brother.  Onesimus is an example of “Overcomer.”  It takes a lot of grit and gut to be a follower of Christ.  How thankful we are for those stories of “Overcomers.”  Onesimus just didn’t quit.  He didn’t surrender to his circumstances, by grace he overcame them.

3.  Aristarchus, verse 10: an example of “LOYALTY.” This is the kind of church member that may not stand out, but always seems to be there when he or she is needed. Aristarchus is called, “my fellow prisoner.”  He was there through thick and thin, good and bad.

4.  Verse 10 also mentions, Mark (John Mark).  He is an example of “Second Chances.” Remember, Mark abandoned Paul on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 12:12, 25).  Paul wouldn’t take him on the Second Missionary Journey, so Mark went with his cousin, Barnabas. Touched by grace, Mark took advantage of his “second chance” eventually blessed by God to pen the Second Gospel.

5.  Barnabas was mentioned along with Mark.  Barnabas is best described by translating his name. It means, “Son of Encouragement.”  Every local church needs an abundance of Barnabas’s, or is it Barnabi?  In any case, Barnabas modeled encouragement.

6.  Justus (called Jesus):  an example of “Humility.”  He is mentioned along with Mark and Barnabas, but nothing else is known of him.  His name was rather common, but his service merited mention. Yet, he served in relative obscurity to all but the Lord. 

7.  Epaphras, mentioned in Chapter 1 is mentioned again in 4:12-13.
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always contending for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills.  ¹³ For I testify about him that he works hard for you.”  Epaphras was an “elder, the pastor of the Colossian church.”  Don’t confuse him with how we presently view a “Baptist Pastor.”  No mention is made of his ordination or graduation from seminary.  Two great attributes are highlighted in the life of a New Testament Elder.  One, he is a PRAYER WARRIOR.  Two, he is a “hard worker.”  Giving guidance to a local church requires both these qualities in abundance.  These are the top two qualities I seek for my life.

8.  Luke (v14), “dearly beloved physician”. He an example of a “Talented Specialist.”  Some folk in church have distinctive skills and training and can use their unique talents to spread the gospel in ways others could not, like teaching English in the Arab Emirates; or going as a doctor to treat poor people in China.  Every church needs talented specialists like plumbers, electricians and such who can volunteer their vocational skills for the good of the church’s mission.

9.  I will skip Demas for now and save the worst for last.  Nympha (v15) is the only woman on the list, but far from the only woman highlighted in the Holy Writ as servants in the Kingdom of God.  Our text says that Nympha had a “church in her house.”  The text does not suggest she taught or had any leadership.  Nympha is an example of “Hospitality.” 

10.  The list of Models for Ministry closes out with Archippus (v17).  He is the example of “Diligence.”  He was a careful, strategic leader who paid attention to the details.  In fact, Paul encouraged him to continue to “pay attention to the ministry you have received.” 

11.  Now, back to Demas is mentioned in verse 14 along with Luke.  I’ve left him for last, but would just a soon leave him out altogether.  He is a Model of What Not To Be As a Minister.  In 2Timothy 4:10 we are told Demas abandoned Paul, “because he loved this present world!”  He abandoned the mission of the gospel in favor of personal pleasure and gain.  I’m afraid so many in church members have “Claimed Demas as their personal, patron saint” abandoning the work of the gospel in favor of the worship of pleasure. (This probably bears repeating).

Well, there you have it my brothers and sisters, the conclusion of the great letter of Paul to the Colossians that highlights the Supremacy of Jesus Christ and how our lives should reflect a clear understanding of that supremacy and a complete and unyielding surrender to Him as the Lord of our lives.

We must put into place the MINISTRY ESSENTIALS and discover a MINISTRY MODEL to follow.  Now, let’s not just set aside what we have learned, but let us resolve to lift the Lord high and spread His Word afar.