WEBVTT 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:03.919 Colossians 4 2 through 18. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:07.360 Devote yourselves to prayer. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:09.919 Stay alert in it with thanksgiving. 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:21.280 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door for us for the word to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains, so that I may make it known as I should. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:25.039 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:31.760 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:40.560 Tychicus, our dearly beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:47.039 I've sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are, and so that he may encourage your hearts. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:52.960 He's coming with Anesimus, a faithful and dearly beloved brother, who is one of you. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:55.119 They will tell you about everything here. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:02.719 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, Barnabas' cousin, concerning whom you've received instructions. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.480 If he comes to you, welcome him. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:07.280 And so does Jesus, who is called justice. 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:13.439 These alone of the circumcised are my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:17.920 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:24.319 He's always wrestling for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills. 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:31.760 For I testify, testify about him that he works hard for you, for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hieropolis. 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:37.599 Luke, the dearly beloved physician, and Demas sends you greetings. 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:53.040 After this letter has been read at your gathering, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and see that you also send the letter from Laodicea. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:02:00.000 And tell Archipas, pay attention to the ministry you've received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it. 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:03.599 I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:05.120 Remember my chains. 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:06.560 Grace be with you. 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:07.920 Let's pray. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:11.759 Lord, I thank you so much for today. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:13.039 I thank you for your word. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:15.919 I thank you for your goodness in all things. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:39.439 And I ask, Lord, just that you would be glorified as I speak, that I would speak your word accurately and hopefully, that it would be in such a way that we would draw closer to you, that the hearers would by your spirit rightly discern and divide what is of you, that those who hear who have not put their faith in you would be prompted by your spirit to desire that free gift. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:41.520 And that you would be glorified in all things. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:42.080 In your name. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:42.800 Amen. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:45.199 Alright, go ahead and have a seat. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:49.120 So here's my question. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:57.599 If you were given a billion dollars, what would you do? 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:05.599 There's a gradient there of answers, but a couple of different things shake out. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:13.360 Person A will immediately quit that job that they hate. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:27.599 And go out and buy an insane car and an insane house with an eight-car garage to park that insane car so they can park another one next to it and another one next to it. 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:30.000 And go, I'm never gonna work again. 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:31.520 I'm gonna enjoy this. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.479 I'm gonna have all these toys because it's given to me. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:35.360 Yay. 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:44.319 Person two will probably invest in so that it makes more baby dollars. 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:49.759 And invest that wisely, and they may enjoy it as well. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:56.319 Probably continue to work in some capacity so that their stream of revenue does not stop. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:04.080 Two very different ways to handle a huge gift that has been given. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.680 This is the book of Colossians in a nutshell. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:18.879 We have been going through this book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and the first half of it approximately is this is the gift you have been given, the gift of salvation in Jesus. 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:22.160 And Jesus is everything, everything you need. 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:26.000 You lack nothing in Jesus. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:31.519 And then the second half is, what will you do as a result? 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:35.680 How do we interact with one another? 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:39.759 How do we interact in our different paradigms in our lives? 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.600 How do we interact with the world? 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:43.279 What do you do as a result? 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:46.079 And that is the investment part of this. 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:52.079 Do we have the best gift in history given to us? 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:54.079 And we go, we're set. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:59.920 We're gonna hang out, be as comfortable as possible, till we get sucked into the sky one day. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:05.279 Or we go, now we have a responsibility. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:11.680 Two big words: entitlement versus responsibility. 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:21.839 When you're given a big gift, do we then go, now I am entitled to this, or do we go, now I am responsible to steward this well? 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:24.000 Well, we see this in a few different uh facets. 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:26.000 How many of you have been watching the Olympics? 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:28.639 Cool, that's actually quite a big group. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:37.920 Um these people are really coordinating. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:42.079 Really athletically gifted. 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:43.680 We can agree upon that, right? 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:56.079 I've heard it once said that the difference between the most athletic person you know and a professional athlete is the difference between you and a little league person. 00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:03.680 There's such a huge disparity in talent between the most gifted normal person and a professional athlete. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:14.000 Okay, but do they then go, I'm really good at this, and then show up and go, let's see how this goes. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:21.839 Without any training, without any effort, without any investment, without any coaching? 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:24.720 No, that would be crazy. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:29.920 Kind of half convinced that that one figure skater did that and she won a gold, but that's not the point. 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:37.040 So with that in mind, it takes work, it takes effort. 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:45.759 In the different capacities of music that I have been a part of and done, uh, there are two different groups of people. 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:54.000 There are people who are naturally gifted, and therefore they work at the thing they're not good at to get better. 00:06:54.399 --> 00:07:00.720 Or there are those who double down on that one thing that they're good at, and those are called one-trick ponies. 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:10.079 Those are the people who are sitting there at a guitar center playing Eruption over and over, waiting for someone to walk by, and then they do it again, waiting for someone to buy. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:23.839 So you can either focus on the thing that you're naturally good at and ignore what you're not good at and say, I'm not going to work at that and do tricks and gimmicks. 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:25.199 That's called entitlement. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:32.959 Or you can work at what you might not be naturally good at, and that's called investment. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:36.079 What on earth does this have to do with Colossians? 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:37.279 Let's take a look. 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:40.879 First verse here. 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:45.279 We're gonna go into five exhortations at the end here from Paul. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:48.879 Number one, devote yourselves to prayer. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:51.279 Devote. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:57.279 Does that sound like entitlement or responsibility? 00:07:58.240 --> 00:07:59.920 Yes, to devote. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:15.199 That's not a natural rhythm and process of, hey, I woke up and I fell into prayer, and then I didn't lose my train of thought even once, and a half an hour later, I'm like, where has the time gone? 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:25.360 Because my communion with God has been so amazingly pure and single-minded, I can't last four seconds without going a weird direction. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.120 It is a discipline for me. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:31.759 There are people who are really gifted at prayer, and I am I'm envious of that and blessed with that. 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:39.279 I have to constantly try to block out all the other random, shiny things that my brain wants to go down. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:43.440 So, this word devote, and we're gonna put up. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:52.559 So, proscatoreho is to give constant attention. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:58.000 Constant attention, to stare at, to look at. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:00.960 So, why do we see this word used? 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.320 Here's a couple of excerpts from the book of Acts. 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:05.919 Acts 2.42. 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:13.519 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:16.000 Acts 2, 46-47. 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:21.519 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple and broke bread from house to house. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:28.159 They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.360 Every day the Lord added to their number those who are being saved. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:44.080 And then Acts 6.4, the apostles saying, We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word, as they're appointing deacons to take care of the Hellenistic widows. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:56.080 So, in these passages, in the early church, you see people whose lives have fundamentally been altered, and what they do as a result. 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:09.600 They are devoting their time, their attention, their focus, not just one day a week, but all the time, to this new life in this gift they have been given. 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:14.639 To be devoted to something, to give constant attention, focus, care. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:17.440 Now, what do we do? 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:20.000 What does he tell them to devote themselves to? 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:21.200 Prayer. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.639 Um raise your hand if you are physically incapable of praying. 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:27.600 Good. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:28.720 There we go. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:30.879 We're all in the same level playing field. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:46.720 So if they said, devote yourselves to that crazy like ski jumping thing that they got going on, like and they do all the tricks and have to land without dying and all that stuff, I'd be like, no, thanks, don't care that much, thank you. 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:53.919 It's just prayer, which is so simple and so hard, but so important. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:11:06.559 Because prayer is not only our uh direction, our communion, our dependency upon the Lord, but it is also the shaping of our thoughts and our minds as we do so. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:08.799 It's fundamental to everything. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:10.000 Everything. 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:14.879 So devote yourselves to prayer, number one. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:20.240 Stay alert in it with thanksgiving, number two, to stay alert. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:28.799 Does that sound natural, fluid, or something that takes um intentionality? 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:31.279 Definitely takes intentionality to stay alert. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:33.919 The opposite of this is to sleep. 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:36.879 This is the fundamental concept of these words. 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:41.600 Number one, you are staying alert, keeping watch. 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:44.480 And the other one, you're out cold. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:55.519 And the best example I see of this paradigm is when Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on the mountain, says, Hey, stay awake, and they instantly go to sleep. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:00.080 And then he tells them in the Garden of Gethsemane, all of the disciples, hey, keep watch. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:02.000 And they're like, Absolutely. 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:05.279 And so, and then he comes back and wakes them up. 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:15.279 And then they're like, We're awake! And then that's the difference between the two: keeping watch, staying alert, and being asleep. 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:18.159 Be alert. 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:26.799 We see that thing come in at 1 Corinthians 16 13, 1 Thessalonians 5.6, and 1 Peter 5.8. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:28.559 To stay alert. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:34.559 Number three here, at the same time, pray also for us. 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:49.600 Devote yourself to prayer, stay alert, pray for us, don't just not just for ourselves, but also for others, for those doing the work, doing the work of the ministry. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:58.159 Now, Paul is writing this in prison, and uh I would ask how many of you have written a letter from prison, but I don't want to know. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:01.440 That's actually more information than I'm interested in. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:07.600 So, he's writing from prison, and what does he ask for? 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:12.000 He is a Roman citizen, by the way, who's in prison for what purpose? 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:13.519 For preaching the gospel. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:16.639 Is he praying for justice? 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:21.120 Is he praying for retribution upon his enemies? 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:36.159 No, he's praying that God would open a door for them for the word to speak the mystery of Christ for which I'm in chains, so that I may make it known as I should. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:54.559 He is praying for the opportunity for the word to go out so that he can preach the good news of Jesus as he should, for which he is in chains, so that he may make it known. 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:59.039 His sole purpose in wanting to be released is to preach the gospel more. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:00.639 That's pretty crazy. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:07.600 If I was in that situation, I would be like, and pray for my release because I don't want to be here and the food is weird. 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:18.000 Here he's saying, I want to be out so I have more opportunity to preach the gospel, to make it known as I should. 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:19.679 That's pretty cool. 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.600 And so, what is he asking the Colossian church to do? 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:37.679 To pray for them, for the work that they are doing, not only for themselves, but also to partner with Paul and his friends in prayer for the ministry and the work of the gospel. 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:48.480 And then, verse five, act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:50.720 I'm gonna read six as well. 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:56.559 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:04.320 So, exhortation number four, act wisely toward outsiders. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:32.559 It's not just insular, devoting yourselves to prayer, isolating from the world, cloistering ourselves, waiting for Jesus to return, also staying alert, also praying for others, and here acting wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:40.480 Here is a really, really cool thing that I think uh differentiates the tendency of entitlement versus responsibility. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:53.440 Paul and the early church lived their lives in such a way that assumed the time was short, did not assume tomorrow was coming. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.960 They believed Jesus could return at any time. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:01.279 And he is saying, make the most of the time. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:01.919 Why? 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:03.600 For what purpose? 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:11.759 To be continuing to proclaim the message of good news of salvation to as many people as you can for the salvation because there is a time limit. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:14.720 The clock is ticking on that. 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:24.080 So acting wisely toward outsiders contextually is not be careful so that you don't get stained by their yuckiness. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:28.399 It is act wisely so that you can make most of the time. 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:34.639 And then we see continued in verse 6, the fifth one, let your speech always be gracious. 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:46.159 Painting with broad strokes, culturally speaking, is is this really what we're known for these days? 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:48.000 Let's be honest. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:50.799 No, no, no, not at all. 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:57.440 In person, and then let's not even talk about online with the keyboard courage. 00:16:57.600 --> 00:17:08.799 So, but let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:12.160 Seasoned with salt. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:17.920 That is a fun phrase, and this is the best way that I can put this. 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:20.559 You have food. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:26.160 If you do not put enough salt in it, it is bland. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:31.839 If you put too much salt in it, it is inedible. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:37.759 If you put the amount, the right amount of salt in it, it is wonderful. 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:42.480 I am like on highly the hypertension. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:46.880 So I'm thankful that I married someone who has a degree in nutrition who has helped with that. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:48.240 But anyway, I love salt. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:49.119 That's my punchline. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:55.680 So uh, but it is the proportionate amount for the context. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:57.680 And what does he want? 00:17:58.000 --> 00:17:58.640 Grace. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:02.000 Gracious speech. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.119 So that you should know how you should answer each person. 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:12.480 And again, I want to take the context here and the context of the scripture. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:18.000 Answering each person involves proclaiming the good news of salvation to them. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:20.960 This is not an apologetic verse, guys. 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:30.240 This is not a defensive verse of how we should be, therefore, um, protecting our community and our cloistered world. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:38.880 It is how to actually make the most of that time so that we could know how to answer each person. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:44.400 This, these two things here, acting wisely toward outsiders, outsiders. 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:46.960 I don't know what an outsizer is, but that's kind of a cool word. 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:51.680 Uh and then letting your speech be gracious so you may know how to answer each person. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:19:03.279 I'm not gonna dwell on this, but let me ask: are we focused on what Jesus left us with? 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:16.640 Make disciples preaching the word, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, giving them the good news of salvation, or are we focused on a culture war for making things easier for us? 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:19.119 Woo! That was tough. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:20.240 Let's move on quickly. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:22.240 So, this is what I want to say though. 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:24.400 Make the most of the time. 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:29.599 Gracious, seasoned with salt, so you should know how to answer each person. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.799 How many unsaved people do you and I know? 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:34.480 Good. 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:36.160 I heard tons, and that's beautiful. 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:43.920 That's that's a if we are completely isolated, kind of makes me wonder how are we engaging with the world? 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:45.279 That's a tough thing. 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:50.559 Okay, those of you who have paid attention, what word did I skip in all of that? 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:53.359 In all that whole passage two through six. 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:53.839 Anybody? 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:56.799 Yes! Yes. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:01.359 With thanksgiving in verse 2. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:03.680 Stay alert in it. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.000 With thanksgiving. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:13.200 If we lose that point, then we become uh surly, I guess. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:19.359 And um really not all that fun to be around, honestly, if we can put it that way. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:25.119 We have been, I started this whole thing with we have been given the greatest gift in the history of the world. 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:26.640 Shouldn't we be thankful for that? 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:33.519 So, with that in mind, we're I did this on purpose because there's a lot of heavy exhortation in that. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:35.440 Devotion and prayer. 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:44.720 Staying alert, praying for others, acting wisely toward outsiders, let your speech be gracious, all these ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.559 But staying alert with thanksgiving. 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:54.640 If we lose focus of the joy of the gift that we have been given, what are we doing? 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:58.079 That's so just something to keep in mind with all these different things. 00:20:58.160 --> 00:21:06.480 I always want to couch that because there's a lot of really Paul's packing in some really heavy exhortation here, and it's just like this is kind of hard. 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:17.440 Uh and when we're talking about entitlement versus responsibility, we have, if I can say this, the responsibility to be thankful. 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:19.759 That's pretty cool. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:35.680 We have a unique position on this earth to demonstrate the value for the gift we have been given by how we view it and respond to others. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:37.039 Isn't that cool? 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:47.680 Our thankfulness is a way of demonstrating to others and to the world how amazing the gift we have been given is. 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:52.480 And when I see the gift, the gift of salvation through faith in Christ alone. 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:59.839 To when we were his enemies through our sins, through our actions, yet he provided the means to salvation through his death on the cross. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:06.319 Cross, a sinless sacrifice to pay for our guilt, received only through faith. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:11.759 Thanksgiving! We should be so blessed and excited about that. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:16.720 So, with that in mind, let that weave through all those different things. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:21.200 Devote yourself to prayer with Thanksgiving. 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:25.200 Stay alert with Thanksgiving. 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:29.359 Pray for us, for the gospel to be going forward. 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.519 Be praying for others, be actively engaged in that with Thanksgiving. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:37.920 Act wisely toward outsiders making the most of the time with Thanksgiving. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:45.359 And let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so you may know how to answer each person with Thanksgiving. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:47.359 You guys getting tired of hearing those words yet? 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:58.319 So it's just something that's really, really critical to when I'll put it this way, and this will come back around in a moment, but there's a weird thing about human beings. 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:04.400 The more we focus on the mission, the less grateful we are in the moment. 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:10.079 The more we focus on the moment, the less we think about the mission. 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:11.519 It's a very strange thing. 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:12.960 How do we do both? 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:18.240 How do we focus on what we're called to do and yet in the moment be thankful? 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:19.680 That's really tough to do. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:23.519 I'm personally very forward-wired. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:28.880 And so in being in the moment is very hard for me. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:31.839 I like to sit there and I vibrate when I try. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:41.680 And so, with that in mind, this is something the Lord has to continually work on me with is stay thankful in the moment. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:48.000 Take the moment to be thankful, to care for others in the moment, while keeping the mission in mind. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:54.480 And some of you, you may be really good at staying in the moment in Thanksgiving, and then we've got to get to work. 00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:56.799 That's the exhortation, is that. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:01.200 So, continuing forward, we have this list of names. 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:03.680 Now, let's be honest. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:06.400 We're reading the Bible. 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:10.079 We hit the list of names at the end of an epistle. 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:14.000 How many of us treat that like the end credits of a movie? 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:24.799 Where it's like, okay, we got all this good, good, good, good, that's cool that that's a set decorator, and that's the best boy, whatever the heck that is, and lighting and these things. 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:26.480 Okay, we got to the soundtrack. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:30.079 That means that we're almost done, and maybe there's a cool scene at the end. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:34.400 There's a lot of there's a lot of cool stuff in here. 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:36.160 In these names. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:40.720 So here's how I want to handle this. 00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:50.960 Because there's eight people mentioned here, and there's a lot of background, and we just don't have the time. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:53.839 So, two different things. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:25:00.400 I will largely be addressing the verses we have in front of us, but I want to put up the information from the other verses on the screen. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:02.799 The text is a little small, I did my best. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:04.960 So that's gonna chill up on the screen there. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:09.200 And so in the orange, you have the different names, and we have three different categories. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:17.839 We have Paul's messengers, we have Paul's Jewish companions, Paul's Gentile companions. 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:21.759 So, three different categories here. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:27.039 And as we're reading through this, tell me if these people sound devoted. 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:30.720 First of all, we have Tychicus. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:32.799 Strange name. 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:34.079 Cool guy. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:42.079 So he was, when I say messengers, he is Paul's like proxy. 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:49.119 Paul sent this guy everywhere while he was either in prison or on the road. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:50.319 It's pretty cool. 00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:52.880 This guy, let's say Paul is in prison. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:54.160 This is the stand-in. 00:25:54.400 --> 00:26:01.599 This is Paul's stunt double, who shows up with the message, with the greeting, delivering the information. 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:09.200 And so he says that in Ephesians, in 2 Timothy, in Titus, he sends this guy everywhere. 00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:10.000 Super cool. 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:13.200 He also traveled with Paul in Acts 20, 24. 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:16.400 He's from Asia, and by Asia we mean Turkey area. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:19.759 So, what do we see about Tigekus here? 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:28.720 Dearly loved brother, faithful minister, fellow servant in the Lord. 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:33.119 It's a cool write-up, right? 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:37.039 Paul's an intense guy. 00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:38.400 Okay, can we just say that? 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:43.519 Like, you read some of the things, you see the Galatians, you see the confrontations that he has, some of the different stuff. 00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:50.079 But Paul doesn't say Tychicus, our beloved, dearly beloved brother, faithful minister. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:51.759 He did screw up a few times. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:52.720 Let's be real. 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:54.880 And then this time he didn't really make the cut. 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:56.240 This is a really good write-up. 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:59.039 If we can default to this kind of thing, that's awesome. 00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:00.640 We're talking to one another. 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:06.240 So we can always find something good to say about somebody. 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:10.000 He will tell you all the news about me. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:11.599 So he is the messenger boy. 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:19.599 He is going to the church in Colossae, where Paul hasn't even gone before, as far as we know, and he is delivering all the news about Paul. 00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:22.240 I have sent him to you for this purpose. 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:28.400 So, number one, so that you may know how we are, and then number two, that he may encourage your hearts. 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:33.119 So take the kisses there to deliver the message and to encourage the church. 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:34.640 Just throw him up. 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:35.759 Thankfulness. 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:36.400 Okay. 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:39.920 He's coming with a Nesimus. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:43.599 What do we see about Anesimus in this passage? 00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:48.960 A faithful and dearly beloved brother who is one of you. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:52.559 So it seems that Anesimus is from Colossae. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:54.400 And he'll tell you everything. 00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:56.640 He'll tell you about everything here. 00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:58.720 These are the messengers. 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:03.200 What does he not say in this write-up about Anesimus? 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:06.400 He was a runaway slave. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:12.480 He is the central topic of the book of Philemon. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:18.799 Now I know that most of you have your life verses straight out of the book of Philemon, so you're very well familiar with this. 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:29.920 And it's a very strange passage to where they are writing to Philemon and company and saying, hey, this guy wronged you. 00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:31.039 He was your slave. 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:32.400 He ran away. 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:34.400 He then gave his life to Jesus. 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:39.440 He's also very, very useful and is on fire for the Lord and is very useful. 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:41.680 Can you please just forgive him? 00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:44.160 That's a big ask. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:50.079 It is very clear that Nesimit has wronged these people. 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:58.799 And Paul is saying, I mean, when we get to that book, it'd be great because Paul is very tactical and lays it on super thick. 00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:02.079 He's like, by the way, could you forgive him? 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:06.160 Reminding you that you also owe me your own life, besides. 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:16.400 And also, please just prepare a guest room for me so that I plan to visit you and check on this, making sure that you're doing what I asked you to do. 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.000 So, with that in mind. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:20.240 I love that Paul is calling Anesimus. 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:25.039 Anesimus' new identity in Christ, his faithful and dearly beloved brother, who is one of you. 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:26.160 Isn't that cool? 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:30.480 He is not marked by the transgressions that followed him. 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:31.599 Isn't that beautiful? 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:33.519 And that's what Jesus does. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.559 Those are our messengers. 00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:43.839 Now we have the Jewish companions. 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:46.400 Why do I call them the Jewish companions? 00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:50.319 Well, because they're Paul's companions, and they're Jewish. 00:29:52.559 --> 00:30:00.640 Very strange thing about these words, these names is that the book of Philemon is a thread through these things in a way that I never really saw until I taught this passage. 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:04.880 So I think five out of six of these guys come up in Philemon. 00:30:05.039 --> 00:30:10.480 So Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner. 00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:12.240 What do we know about Aristarchus? 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:16.480 Well, he's from Thessalonica, according to Acts 19. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:20.400 And then he traveled with Paul to Rome. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:23.920 Crazy, you know, shipwreck situation, all that kind of stuff. 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:25.440 He's with Paul. 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:29.839 He is fellow prisoner. 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:34.400 So he is in prison with Paul. 00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:38.240 I don't know, physically with him, but also or in the same state. 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:40.400 But this is where he's at. 00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:44.960 As does Mark, Barnabas' cousin. 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:46.319 Here we get a little draw. 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:53.599 Mark, John Mark, Barnabas' cousin, concerning whom you've received instruction. 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:56.000 And if he comes to you, welcome him. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:30:59.119 What do we know about Mark? 00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:10.480 Well, at first we know that he was the central topic of a falling out between Paul and Barnabas. 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:13.359 Barnabas, son of encouragement. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.839 Paul, really intense guy. 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:27.200 And in this ministry, they were going, preaching the gospel, proclaiming, by the way, Barnabas is the guy who actually scooped up Paul when the apostles didn't want to have anything to do with him and brought him in. 00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:30.160 So there's history there, there's relationship there. 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:39.279 And they're going about the work and about the ministry, and they're gonna go visit the churches, and Barnabas, talking about apparently his cousin now, is like, hey, let's bring Mark. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:41.200 And Paul's like, hey, no. 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:48.079 Because he left, he split on the mission. 00:31:49.119 --> 00:32:00.799 And there was, as we hear in our very uh cleaned uh reading, there was a shop disagreement between them. 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:02.799 This is rough. 00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:08.799 This is very, very rough what happened in that situation. 00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:10.240 I'm not surprised, honestly. 00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:11.519 That's the weird thing with that. 00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:34.559 Is really, I will say this, when you have, when I talked about at the beginning, this idea of thankfulness in the moment and being on mission, those two tendencies, in my experience, if they can work together, it is amazing what comes out of it. 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:38.640 It's really, really hard for them to work together. 00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:41.519 And so, and why? 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:58.480 Because largely the barnabuses in the world, their currency is encouragement, and so people love them, and they're good at helping people heal and people stay together, oftentimes at the expense of actual growth. 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:15.599 And the Pauls in the group are so serious about the mission and so sold out and have vision and these things that they can do so at the expense of the person in the moment. 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:19.440 That's why you need both. 00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:23.039 It's just really, really hard for both to work well together. 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:24.640 Here's the funny thing. 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:34.319 We see here that Paul calls Mark in uh 2 Timothy 4.11, he's useful. 00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:41.039 He is uh seen as a son to Peter, 1 Peter 5.13. 00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:45.839 And here he's saying, hey, if you if I've given you instructions about this guy, you should welcome him. 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:48.480 Mark's not the issue, believe it or not. 00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:50.559 So, anyway, all that to say, it is interesting. 00:33:50.720 --> 00:34:07.039 The whole reason I bring that up is once again, it is amazing how often we fall into two categories: largely thankful encouraging the moment at the expense of the mission, or sold out on the mission at the expense of the moment. 00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:14.639 And so the question is always how do we allow the Holy Spirit to knit those two together so that they can row in the same direction? 00:34:14.960 --> 00:34:20.400 So, having that said, here we have John Mark. 00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:24.000 Hey, I gave instructions about this guy, you welcome him. 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:27.440 And so does Jesus, who's called justice. 00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:28.960 You know what we know about him? 00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:31.039 Nothing. 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:32.800