WEBVTT 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:14.960 Ephesians chapter 6, verses 21 and 22. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:20.800 So sad, so sad to be down at the end of the book. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:31.679 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:42.880 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:48.799 Tychicus is a faithful minister of the Lord. 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:52.079 That is really all we know about him. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.119 We see him five times in the New Testament. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:03.679 He's sprinkled throughout the New Testament at different stages of his own life, at different stages of redemptive history, of different stages of the development of the New Testament. 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:05.920 He's there repeatedly. 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:09.280 The most descriptions we have of him is right here. 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:15.280 That he is beloved, he's a brother, he's a faithful minister in the Lord. 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:33.599 Now, the fact that we know so little about him except that, but that he is so well known because of that, should grab your attention and let you know that though there are often crowds of people in churches, it does not appear that there are a lot of faithful ministers. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.599 The word minister can be rendered servant, even. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:44.319 Deacon, somebody who faithfully serves alongside ministers, the act of serving another person. 00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:49.920 He certainly is recognized as a deacon by repeated references to him in the New Testament. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:51.840 He's recognized for his faithful service in the Lord. 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.120 That's what it means to be a deacon. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:54.799 He's recognized in that way. 00:01:55.120 --> 00:02:00.159 But I just can't help be struck by the fact that there are so many people in the churches Paul speaks at. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:07.040 When you first meet Tychicus, who is from the Ephesus region, he's there in Ephesus. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:11.599 Paul's preaching in the auditorium that is packed with people, thousands of people. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:13.759 There's a riot, remember, they all turn against him. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:19.520 Paul wants to go in and address the riot to calm them down, which will never stop being funny to me. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:22.960 Like they're rioting against the gospel, and Paul says, Oh, let me just explain things to them. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:23.919 Maybe that'll calm them down. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:26.080 And of course, people didn't let him in to do that. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.159 Paul eventually gets thrown out of Ephesus and has to flee. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:32.960 But again, just massive amounts of people there. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:36.719 But how many of them are referred to as faithful ministers of the Lord? 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:41.919 How many of them were uh faithful to Paul and loyal to Paul throughout his ministry? 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:43.520 Very, very few. 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:45.520 Very few. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:49.840 Take this the other detail we have from Acts chapter 20. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:57.199 He was Asian, he's described as Asian in Acts chapter 20, along with Trophimus, those two in the list of Paul's traveling companions that left Ephesus with them. 00:02:57.360 --> 00:02:59.120 Two of them are identified as Asian. 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:04.719 I don't mean, I don't know if that means they're ethnically Asian or just that they're from that region of Asia Minor. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:10.400 Uh Ephesus is towards the north side of Asia Minor, so maybe they were just from that area. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:16.719 But beyond the beyond him being identified as Asian and a faithful minister, there's not a lot revealed about him. 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:22.800 But I do want to take what is known about him and extract from it a bit of an outline tonight. 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:24.800 Uh, what makes a faithful minister? 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:31.039 And I'm going to give you, as I look at my notes, four points about what makes a faithful minister. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:33.199 And I hope that this is an encouragement to you. 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:48.319 Um I hope as we looked at this list that you can apply this to your own life and take away from it uh a motivating uh factor that will help you be a faithful minister in the Lord. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:55.599 I I know that it's, you know, some people give pause when you study a scripture passage and take character lessons from a person, you know, don't be like David, people say. 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:00.560 But I really do think there are some passages that the point of them being in the Bible is that you should be like David in those areas. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:03.919 Antichicus is certainly one of those examples. 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:07.919 He is held out to us through the inspired word of God as a faithful minister. 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:12.879 And so it's right for us to look at him and see what he does that makes him faithful. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:16.560 And the first uh thing that just jumps out is that he's loved by others. 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:22.000 Um I don't want this to be too pedantic here, but it does say that he's a beloved brother. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:25.199 Um, he'll be recognized because he's a beloved brother. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:28.800 There's no electronic signatures back in the Roman Empire here. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:33.839 There's no facial recognition, fingerprint identity, um, there's no signature verification. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:41.040 And so Paul is forced to sign off of his all of his letters with some explanation or some proof that it's really him. 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:45.519 So sometimes they'll put in a fact about the people he's writing to that only he would know. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:48.160 You see that uh, for example, with the Corinthians. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.439 Sometimes he gives his signature line, he says, Hey, look at my signature line. 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:58.319 Only I write, you know, with such big letters, which lets you know that the rest of the book is written probably by an Ammanuensis, but he just signed it off. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:04:59.680 That's in Galatians. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:03.839 But here uh he has the signature line is the person who's bringing it. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:11.759 So he's saying, Tychicus is gonna roll in to Ephesus, he's gonna have this letter, and so you're gonna know it's from me because you love him. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:13.439 That's the signature verification. 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:21.920 And you see this with the uh the Corinthians as well, where Paul says, I don't need to prove to you that it's me writing this because you are my verification, he tells the Corinthians. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:27.439 Uh, you are written on my heart, my word should be written on your heart, if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, we know each other. 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:29.680 So that's what's happening here with Tychicus. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:36.720 Paul's telling the Ephesians that you know him and you love him, so receive this as if it was from me. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.839 He wouldn't deceive you, he wouldn't show up with forgery. 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:50.000 So you can just pause for a second and and just marvel that Tychicus is the kind of person that is so loved that everybody trusts him and trusts what he says. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:53.439 When he opens his mouth, he is trustworthy. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:59.519 And so you might take one more step behind that and say, Ah, this is what I did thinking through this passage. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.240 I thought, who are the kind of people that I love like this? 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:12.079 Who are the kind of people that you would say, hey, I need to get a message to Jesse, so I'm gonna send it through this person because I know that he loves that person and will listen to him. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:14.879 He'll believe the message if it's from that person. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:18.639 And, you know, so I'm jotting down, of course, my family members. 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:19.600 I love them. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:20.639 I trust them. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:26.639 Uh many of you are talking to me and often interrupted by one of my family members running into the conversation, which I just love. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:28.639 So that's just life right there. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:38.480 Um, but after you go beyond that circle of family members, the kind of people that I trust and love are people that are humble and they're servants. 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:40.560 They just humbly serve the Lord. 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:42.399 And that makes them trustworthy. 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:46.879 And I think if you're gonna be honest in your own heart, you would probably see the same thing. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:55.839 You might have friends that are more charismatic and gregarious and outgoing, and you you like them for those reasons, but are they trustworthy? 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.639 Um honestly, what makes somebody trustworthy is probably seen in their humility. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:07.839 They're not putting themselves forward, they're content to just serve the Lord and serve you while they serve the Lord. 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.399 They point to Christ and not to themselves. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:12.720 And that's certainly true in Tychicus's case. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:21.120 He's a beloved brother, and you see is what he's going to be bringing is a letter that's not pointing to Tychicus, but pointing to Paul, and then through Paul back to Jesus. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:22.160 This is humility. 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.639 As I mentioned, we see him five times. 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:28.000 He is not a Peter, and we don't see speeches from him. 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:34.879 We don't get Tychicus putting himself forward, we don't get him volunteering for things, we see him doing things, but not volunteering for them. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:38.959 The result is that Tychicus is not a famous Christian. 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.639 Um but are there any famous Christians? 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:53.439 Uh the youth retreat uh that I was at, they brought in a famous Christian musician to be the um to help. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:55.199 Well, he taught a few times to the students. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:01.680 He was a Christian rapper, and there was an open QA for the students where they got to ask this famous Christian rapper anything. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:08.639 And the first question he was asked by this high school sophomore was what's it like to be a famous Christian? 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:12.240 And his answer has always stuck with me. 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:14.399 He said, There's no such thing as a famous Christian. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.360 That's like saying there's a famous Batgammon player. 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.560 Let's let that sink in for a second. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:22.720 I love Batgammon, by the way. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:23.839 I love Batgammon. 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:26.319 I have a big book propped up in my office. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.480 It's like the only book that's on display in my office. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:30.879 It's called Batgammon, the Cruelest Game. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:36.240 I have all the opening moves memorized and I will argue about them right now. 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:43.279 But you know, I can't name a single Batgammon player, other than myself, of course. 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:46.960 There's no such thing as a famous Batgammon player. 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:50.080 And in that sense, there should be no such thing as a famous Christian. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:56.080 There's no Christian that puts themselves forward, and that's hard for us in our, you know, I gave away books earlier. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:06.240 You know, it's hard for us in our Christian world or evangelical world where there are blogs and there's books published, and there's, you know, pastors with big churches and pastors with smaller churches and pastors that are well known. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:11.519 And uh, you know, really in the world, nobody cares. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:12.480 Nobody cares. 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:14.639 From the world's perspective, they might care about a pastor. 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.600 If he like endorses a presidential candidate, they might be angry at him. 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:20.720 Or if he endorses another presidential candidate, they might be okay with him. 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:26.000 But honestly, beyond politics, the world does not care about Christians at all. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:27.279 At all. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:29.519 There's no such thing as a famous Christian. 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:37.840 Christians that we think are famous are totally anonymous in the world, totally and completely anonymous. 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:48.000 Um, that's the way it ought to be, and that's certainly the way it is with Tychicus, but believers recognize him as somebody who is humble, humble and godly. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:52.960 And so the first mark of being a faithful minister is being somebody who is loved by others. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:10:02.720 The second mark of being a faithful minister is uh being both a leader and a follower, and this is what is um one author refers to as the paradox of Christian leadership. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:14.080 Tom Askell in his book Letters to Timothy describes this as the most fundamental element of Christian leadership, this paradox, um, that a Christian leader is both a leader and a follower. 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:18.159 A Christian shepherd is both a shepherd and a sheep himself. 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:22.480 An elder is under authority and in authority, Hebrews 13 says. 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:27.039 So you see that dynamic at play with every level of spiritual leadership. 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:33.600 Even in the home, a father and mother is an authority in the home, but they are under a higher authority. 00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:45.440 You see that in the church, where elders have authority, Paul says in Hebrews 13, to be leaders in the church, yet at the same time they themselves are under the authority of Christ. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:51.200 Peter describes elders as shepherds, and they're under-shepherds, they're serving under the shepherd. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:59.679 There's the great shepherd of the sheep, Jesus, and there's under-shepherds, these are the elders and pastors that care for the congregation of the flock, but the shepherds themselves are sheep. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:10.960 And you even see that in interpersonal relationships in the church, where pastors are friends with one another, but are also in leadership with each other. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:21.120 Where you're friends with an elder, but the elder is also in leadership in the church, or elders that are friends with each other, but in a hierarchical structure themselves. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.399 That's what it is with Tychicus. 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:29.679 Like, there's no confusion with Tychicus, that he's a leader in the church, that he's an elder in the church, but he's also serving under the Apostle Paul. 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:31.919 He says here, look, you even see the language. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.960 I I sent Tychicus to you in verse 21. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.120 Or verse 22, I sent him to you. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:39.360 There's no ambiguity about authority here. 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:41.360 Paul is the one who is directing Tychicus. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.320 Tychicus is both a leader of others. 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:46.320 They're going to receive him as a leader. 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:48.639 And yet he's also a follower. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:49.759 He's also one who is sent. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.480 Tychicus is going to end up pastoring the church in Ephesus, by the way. 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:55.200 By the end of his life, he's going to end up being the pastor of this church. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:56.720 I think that's pretty cool. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:09.360 He's a beloved person that got saved, probably, if not in Ephesus, in the area around Ephesus, and grew up there, leaves there with Paul, comes back, and ends up being their own pastor. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:14.879 He's both a leader in the congregation, but he's also a follower of Paul and a follower of Christ. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:29.360 We know Paul says, you know, nobody should follow him, everybody should follow Christ, but the reality is that Paul was exercising authority in the Ephesian church, as is demonstrated by his own ministry there in Acts chapter 20, 19 and 20, and then here in Ephesians as well. 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:32.960 It's very difficult to navigate that well, that dynamic well. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:34.639 You see it with Jesus too. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:39.679 Jesus led his apostles, and yet he also was a servant to them. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:41.519 He also was a servant of the Lord. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:48.320 He had authority in and of himself, Jesus did, but he also said he has no authority in him except that which came from his father. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:49.600 Both statements are true. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:53.919 You know, he washes his disciples' feet, but then he commands them and gives them orders. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:55.360 He says, put away your sword. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.080 Right after he washes the feet, he tells Peter, put away your sword. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:03.759 He rebukes them for not praying and wakes them up, but he also serves them by praying for them and washing their feet. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:08.720 That is, as Askell describes it, the paradox of Christian leadership. 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:20.159 You know, the what makes somebody an effective leader and minister in the church is just that the willingness to lead and the willingness to serve. 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:23.919 Most people can fall off one side of the horse or the other. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.080 It's very difficult to navigate that well. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:31.519 And that's probably why there are not that many people who are known as faithful ministers in the Lord. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:34.480 You know, there's two deadly errors that people can fall into. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:42.399 One is pride and arrogance, putting yourself forward, asserting yourself as the leader, and the other is passivity and taking yourself out. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:44.879 And most people fluctuate between those two extremes. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.600 And that's true in the world, that's certainly true in the church. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:53.120 Or most Christians would be fine maybe leading something or fine walking away from something. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:57.039 Difficult to find people who faithfully serve. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:13:59.200 Who faithfully serve. 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:01.519 Again, you think of this in marriage. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:04.720 Husbands fluctuate between those two extremes very easily in marriage. 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:08.960 From passivity, fine, you don't want to listen to me, then do it your way. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:09.519 I'm out. 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:11.519 If you need me, I'll be in the garage. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:13.759 Versus authoritative leadership. 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:15.200 No, we're doing it this way. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.639 This is what I want. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:22.799 Very difficult to find a godly husband who navigates those two, and both of those are errors, right? 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:23.679 Both of those are errors. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:30.720 Putting yourself forward as the authority, my way, or the highway, and becoming passive and being like, all right, whatever, you do you. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:35.759 Very difficult to find a husband that navigates those two extremes. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:38.799 The same thing is true in church. 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:44.480 Self-protecting passivity is a deadly error, but so also is self-serving leadership. 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:52.000 And again, most people will put themselves forward for leadership or they will shrink away into the background. 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:58.080 It's very difficult to find a Tychicus who is faithful to whatever task is in front of him. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:17.519 I remember reading uh uh Decision Points or Turning Points, whatever the George Bush autobiography was about his time as president, and there was a little thing in there that had had circled uh by by Dick Cheney back before he was named as the um vice presidential candidate for Bush. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:23.120 Bush asked him, What do you think are the criteria you're looking for in a good vice president? 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:25.200 And and Cheney had four. 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:28.559 This is before again before he was named the the person. 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:32.159 Um and I I wrote him down, share him with you now. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:34.559 Cheney said, a good vice president is available. 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:36.240 I love that first one. 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:38.000 Because you can overlook it. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:39.679 Like he'll actually do it. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:45.759 He's available, he's free to do it, he's willing, he'll say yes when you ask him, he's confident and he's direct. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:46.879 Those are the four points. 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:54.799 He's confident in himself, he's direct, he's free, and he's also going to say yes when you ask him. 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:57.279 You think those are such basic things. 00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:00.879 But again, he ended up being the vice presidential candidate. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.720 They couldn't find anybody else that met those four criteria right there. 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:09.039 They're way more uncommon than you might imagine. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:18.720 Somebody who's able to serve, willing to serve, confident enough to serve, confident in their own skin and who they are, and direct enough to speak the truth. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:23.679 And the reason I think it's difficult to find somebody like that is because jealousy always creeps in. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:25.039 Jealousy always creeps in. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:27.679 You think of Numbers chapter 12 with Miriam and Aaron. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:29.600 You remember how jealousy crept in with them? 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.320 They'd been with Moses for decades. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.559 But in the wilderness they got bitter with him. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:42.240 And they started Numbers chapter 12 by saying, Did the Lord really only speak to Moses? 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:49.440 Now, Moses never said the Lord only spoke to me, but true enough, Moses is the one who went into the tent, and the Lord did reveal himself to Moses. 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:56.559 And by the way, if you're gonna say the Lord only spoke to Moses, it is in fairness to Moses, you have to remember how that went down. 00:16:56.960 --> 00:17:01.440 All of Israel was gathered there, and the Lord started to speak to all of them, remember? 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:07.200 And they begged that the Lord be quiet and they pushed Moses up the mountain. 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:10.720 And then Moses comes back down and they're all worshiping the golden calves. 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:13.920 So that's how it went down in point of fact. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:19.440 And yet by Numbers 12, they're mad at Moses and saying, Did the Lord really only speak to Moses? 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:22.160 Yeah, because you guys wouldn't go with him. 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:27.519 And so they got jealous at him and bitter at him. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:32.160 And the Lord, of course, punished them for that. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:39.920 That's another testimony of faithful servanthood in the church. 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:45.920 That you're not overcome with jealousy, that you're willing to lead when asked, and you're willing to defer. 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:50.799 Thirdly, that you're able to encourage others. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:52.319 You're able to encourage others. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:54.240 I don't want to lose sight of what the text is actually here. 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:55.920 I don't want to read too much into the white spaces. 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:57.119 There is actual text here. 00:17:57.680 --> 00:17:59.920 Tychicus is going to come and he's going to have a function. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.119 He's going to tell you everything. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:09.519 So beyond what's written in the book of Ephesians, Tychicus is going to come and he's going to open his mouth and he's going to tell you all that's happening with the Apostle Paul. 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:15.599 Now, there could be different ways to describe all that's happening with the Apostle Paul. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:18.160 And you can substitute your own messenger into this. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:25.200 So think of different people that could be with Paul and how they would report what's happening to Paul. 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:25.680 Okay? 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:30.400 So you might have somebody who comes from Rome and says, Oh, it's horrible. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:47.519 It's guard after guard, and he's in chains, and the guards have those shoes on with studs everywhere, and the swords, and they're yelling at Paul, and he keeps getting drugged from house to house, and uh, you know, Caesar's household is those guards, the top guards in the Roman Empire are after him. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:48.720 That's how much they hate him. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:56.240 Is is the the guard's boss, that guy's boss is abusing Paul, and it's it's he's he's not gonna make it through the winter, I'll tell you that right now. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:01.680 That could be one version of the report that gets out, and that would all be true. 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:04.720 Would that be an encouraging report? 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:08.559 Notice verse 22. 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:13.680 I sent him to you so you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts. 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:16.079 Remember how Paul, we talked about this this morning. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:18.720 Paul's not asking them to pray that his condition gets better. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:24.319 He's not asking them to pray that the guards get nicer, he's not asking to pray for better prison food. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:30.799 He's in if in the book of Ephesians, he's not asking for them to pray for his material needs, for his food and his finances. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.079 I mean, in the Roman Empire, they're not actually a joke about prison food. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.079 They're not actually providing him food. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:39.039 You know, he gets food from people who bring it to him. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:47.119 And he's gonna write to other churches and ask for money and ask for resources to help meet his material needs, but that's not what he's asking the Ephesians. 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:48.480 He doesn't want this to go off the rails. 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:52.000 Ticketcase is not coming to ask for money for Paul. 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:56.480 He's coming for one purpose: to encourage the church in Ephesus. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:58.480 That's the goal of his message. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:01.440 It's supposed to be an encouragement. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.240 It's supposed to be an encouragement. 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:05.599 And it will be an encouragement. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:11.599 Their hearts will be encouraged when they find out how Paul is, and verse 21, the everything that's happening to him. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:21.440 Tychicus is the kind of guy that is able to share what the Lord is doing in his life at all times in a way that is an actual encouragement to those that hear it. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:24.000 And perhaps you know people in your life like that. 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:30.160 But I reiterate, it's much more rare than one would imagine. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:33.759 To have somebody who always has like a ready word on their mouth. 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:35.680 You know, you ask them, what are you learning in the Lord? 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:36.880 And they've got an answer. 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:41.440 You know, tell me something that's encouraging is happening in your life right now, and they got an answer. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:42.640 How are things going? 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:49.759 They have an answer that's encouraging that comes out of their mouth, not an answer that's like, oh, here's the six things that are wrong in my life right now. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:51.359 Would you pray for those? 00:20:51.759 --> 00:21:08.160 And of course, it's a delight and a joy to pray for people, but over time, not just as a pastor, but as a Christian, over time you learn to develop an affinity and a friendship with people that are genuinely encouraging, not genuinely discouraging. 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:10.480 This is the dream passage. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:17.279 I I read this passage to Stephen Procopio this week and uh talked about it, and he was like, This is the he's the church's communications director. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:20.960 He was like, This is the dream passage for a communications director, right here. 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:21.920 This is it. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:23.039 Here's your task. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:26.240 Say what the Lord is doing in a way that encourages other people. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:31.440 So for me, this is like an overlooked verse, but Procopio like lives in this verse. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:36.640 I get to explain to other people what's going on in the Lord in a way that's encouraging them. 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:38.480 And I hope that's a challenge to you. 00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:41.680 Taking your own life, this is a challenge to are you ready? 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:43.519 Do you have a ready word in your mouth? 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:45.279 How are things going in your life? 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:52.720 Are you able to articulate them in a way that brings encouragement to those that hear or discouragement to those that hear? 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:59.519 Tychicus was able to bring news about the beloved Apostle Paul in prison. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:06.559 Where he will die a martyr's death in a way that brings encouragement to people. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.839 That's what marks him, the ability to encourage others. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:13.200 So, what makes a faithful minister? 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:17.200 One, somebody who's loved by others, probably speaking of humility and godliness. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:24.799 Two, he's both a leader and a follower, speaking of his ability to fight off jealousy and pride in his life, but also his willingness and availability to serve. 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:30.799 Third, he's able to actually encourage others, speaking of the content of his speech and how it directs people towards Christ. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.799 And then finally, fourth, he's in it for the long haul. 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:36.400 He's in it for the long haul. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:41.599 What I love about Tychicus, something I did this week, is I made a timeline of his life. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:49.839 And it jumped out to me that you see him at the front end of Paul's ministry and you see him at the tail end of Paul's ministry. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:52.880 He was not, you know, he was not John Mark. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:56.000 You know, John Mark went on one trip with Paul and then bounced. 00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:58.880 You know, and it was not an excused absence when he went away. 00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:01.200 And that caused all kinds of strife in the book of Acts. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:08.240 And Mark eventually gets restored later on in his life, and Paul and John Mark ends, in that sense, perhaps reconciled. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:11.119 You know, John Mark ends following the Lord and all that. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:13.680 But there's just always that question mark when you talk about John Mark. 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:15.440 And there's other people with Paul that are like that. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:18.640 You know, Demas, you know, abandons him because he loves the world. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:20.720 And you know, whatever happened to Demas. 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:25.119 Meanwhile, there's no such question marks around Tychicus. 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:30.720 You see him at the beginning of Paul's ministry, you see him at the end of Paul's ministry, you see him doing all kinds of things in Paul's ministry. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:32.079 He's there for the long haul. 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:37.279 To help you get your mind around that, I have a little outline of Tychicus' life for you. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:39.920 Uh if this is interesting to you, you can jot it down. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:42.079 If it's not, you're not gonna be quizzing this later. 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:46.640 You know, when you die, you're not gonna be asked, where was Tychicus in 54 AD? 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:50.079 That's if you get it wrong, no heaven for you. 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:52.480 But I think this is interesting. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:55.359 He was probably saved around 54 if he's from Asia Minor. 00:23:55.519 --> 00:24:00.960 This is when Paul started his ministry uh in that part of the world. 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:03.039 And so he's probably saved around then. 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:11.599 He's probably, I mean, it's only a guess how old he was, but I'm gonna go with 16 because that's how old Nero was in that time period. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:14.720 And so I'm gonna track Tychicus's life with Nero's life. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:20.799 Nero was 16, Tychicus, when Nero was 16, Nero became an emperor, Tychicus became a Christian. 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:34.640 If you're familiar with Nero's story, which is gonna intersect in several ways with Tychicus, uh, if you're familiar with his story, he is, you know, Nero's dad died, his mom married the emperor, and Nero was basically adopted into the emperor's family. 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:38.240 And when he was uh 16, he became emperor. 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:39.440 Some people say 14. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:49.599 I don't really know, I don't know enough about Roman history to solve that dispute, but the Wikipedia page says 16, and so if you can't trust Wikipedia, who can you trust? 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:58.000 Meanwhile, Tychicus comes the faith around that same time. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:02.160 57, Tychicus is in Ephesus. 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:04.240 We know that from Acts chapter 20. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:07.680 That's probably uh where he was serving the Lord. 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:10.880 Paul gets chased out of Ephesus with the riot and all that. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:14.799 He's forced to flee to Troaz, and Tychicus goes with him. 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:20.960 There's only a certain number of people, eight or so people that are named in Acts 20, that leave Ephesus with Paul. 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:30.640 So he shows up there, he preaches the gospel, things go crazy, the Jews riot, the Romans riot, everybody riots, you know, great as Diana and all that stuff is happening there. 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:35.680 And so Paul flees and he brings a small group of people with him, one of whom is Tychicus. 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:42.240 The other names uh don't necessarily repeat again later on in scripture, but Tychicus does, and so it's interesting he leaves with Paul. 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:47.839 They go to Troas together, and then in Troas they split up, and Tychicus goes on ahead of Paul. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:50.000 It goes eight days ahead of Paul. 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:55.359 Uh travels out before Paul does to make preparations to receive Paul over in Philippi. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:58.559 So Tychicus is, he's like the short-term setup trip here. 00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:03.359 And I like that because he wasn't traveling with Paul to be known by Paul. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:05.759 He wasn't traveling Paul to serve Paul personally. 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:12.559 He was one of those guys that was willing to leave his city to serve Paul and then leave Paul if it served him better somewhere else. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:15.680 Just plant that in your mind because you're going to see that throughout his life. 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:18.960 So they get to Troas, he remembered he just left his life. 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:24.319 You know, Tychicus walked away from everything in his life to leave with the Apostle Paul. 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:28.720 And then not long after that, he Paul needs a group of guys to go set up the next place for him. 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:32.880 This is like the short-term mission preparation trip, the scouting trip. 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:39.920 And Tychochus goes in that, separates from Paul to go get things ready for him in the next city. 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:47.440 I mean, I think I find that a remarkable form of humility and service that he'd be willing to do that. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:54.799 See him again six years later in Rome, when the book of Ephesians and Colossians were written. 00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:59.440 Um they were written, I think, when Paul was in jail in Rome and custody in Rome. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:07.119 There are those that argue and maybe say he wrote them when he was in Sesory and Maritime, but I think it's more likely he wrote them in Rome. 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:14.559 But uh regardless, Ephesians and Colossians are written more or less together, if not simultaneously. 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:16.400 And they were both sent with Tychicus. 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:27.119 And so Tychicus is going to go to Colossae and then to Ephesus, but bringing both these books, these uh these two verses, verses 21 and 22, are almost identically seen at the end of Colossians as well. 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:30.000 And so Tychicus would be known in both places, they're both in Asia Minor. 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:37.839 They'd both, you know, at this point in his ministry, uh, he's been with the Apostle Paul now for, you know, six or seven years, five or six years. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:39.359 People know him. 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:41.119 They know him. 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:50.880 So he's been along Paul to the alongside Paul for so long, people are familiar with him and accustomed to him, and he brings uh the letter with him, 62 A.D. 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:54.720 64 A.D., he's not sent to Crete. 00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:57.680 And when I say not sent to Crete, this is what I mean. 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:01.599 In Titus, Paul is writing to Titus. 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:03.680 He says, Titus, hold on a little bit longer. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:04.960 I'm gonna send relief to you. 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:08.240 I'm gonna send a different pastor to you so that you can come join me. 00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:10.000 Paul is nearing the end of his life here. 00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:15.519 He's still in custody, he's still in prison, and he wants Titus to be with him for this last lap of his life. 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:17.519 So he says, I'm gonna send one of two guys. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:21.440 And I love that Paul names them Artemis or Ticemus. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:25.119 One of them is gonna come to you, Artemis or Tychicus. 00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:27.519 And it turns out it's not Ticicus. 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:40.160 So I don't know what the candidating process was like back then, but I project my own lived experience onto that exchange right there, where Tychicus is interested in going to Crete. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:43.599 Like he's clearly communicated to Paul, I would do that. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:46.000 We don't know if Tychicis had been a pastor yet. 00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:48.319 I mean, Crete would be a hard place to be a pastor. 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:55.839 There are a bunch of gluttons and drunkards and lazy devils, and we know that because the Bible says that, and so it's true. 00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:58.480 It's a hard place to be a pastor. 00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:02.799 But Tychicus is down for it and tells Paul, I want to do that. 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:12.960 Now, it is impossible for me to conceive of somebody who would put himself forward for an opportunity like that and not be disappointed that it didn't happen. 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:14.799 I mean, I can't imagine. 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:24.400 Again, we don't know a lot of the details except that Paul said he's interested, I might send him, and he ends up sending Artemis instead. 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:26.960 How does he respond? 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:28.880 How does Tychicus respond to that? 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:31.279 Does he get bitter? 00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:32.960 Does he leave? 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:35.279 Does he harbor resentment in his heart? 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:36.880 Does he fight off jealousy? 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:40.319 We don't know, but we know that he stays with Paul through that time. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:44.799 Stays with Paul and is okay not going to Crete. 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:48.480 You can jump forward from there to 67. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:54.160 To 67, he is sent to Ephesus. 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:59.680 So the smaller church door closed, and he ends up pastoring the larger church. 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:12.079 Ephesus is probably the godliest and most mature church in the New Testament. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:22.720 And so, whatever disappointment he had in 64 about not going to Crete, he uh receives with joy the opportunity to go be the pastor in Ephesus. 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:28.480 And this is, you know, this is five years after he delivered the book of Ephesians to them. 00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:31.680 Maybe he preached when he was there, maybe that was his candidating sermon. 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:33.839 Five years later they got back to him. 00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:38.160 But he ends up serving there. 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:40.480