Colossians 4: Better Together

Colossians 4: Better Together  

Summary   

In the sermon titled “Colossians 4: Better Together,” Pastor Timothy R. Carter emphasizes the importance of unity and cooperation within the church community. He highlights the significance of Christians encouraging and supporting one another in their spiritual journeys. The sermon also discusses the people listed in Colossians four, individuals, such as Tychicus, Onesimus, Luke, and Demas, and their roles in the ministry.  

The sermon begins by stressing the need to focus on the positive aspects of life and count one’s blessings. It encourages believers to invite others to join them in worship and ministry and emphasizes the importance of immersing oneself in God’s Word for a deeper coection with Him.  

The role of prayer in the Christian life is highlighted, with a call for diligent and thankful prayer. The importance of being a united community and working together towards common goals, particularly in spreading the Gospel, is underscored. The example of Jesus, who surrounded Himself with disciples, is used to illustrate the power of teamwork and mentorship.  

Mentorship and training within the church are emphasized, with a call for believers to mentor and guide others in their spiritual journeys. The Apostle Paul is cited as an example of someone who worked collectively with others in ministry, emphasizing the need for collaboration.  

The sermon emphasizes the power of the Gospel and the responsibility of sharing it with others in various aspects of life. It calls for a consistent witness of faith and a desire to be among fellow believers. The importance of showing grace and forgiveness to those who make mistakes is highlighted.  

The sermon also delves into specific individuals mentioned in Colossians 4, such as Tychicus, who played a significant role in delivering letters and spreading the Gospel; Onesimus, who went from being a runaway slave to a transformed believer; Aristarchus, a fellow worker with Paul who faced persecution for his faith; and Epaphras, a dedicated prayer warrior and pastor.  

Throughout the sermon, the message is clear: Christians are better together when they work in unity, mentor one another, pray diligently, and share the Gospel with love and dedication.  

This sermon discusses the significance of unity, teamwork, and support among Christians, drawing inspiration from several figures mentioned in the New Testament. The preacher first highlights the role of individuals like Tychicus, who delivered important letters from Paul to various churches, emphasizing that the Gospel spread through the efforts of faithful believers.  

The narrative then shifts to Onesimus, an enslaved man who found redemption and transformation through Christ, demonstrating the power of the Gospel to change lives. Aristarchus is portrayed as a dedicated fellow laborer with Paul, willing to endure hardships for the sake of the Gospel, challenging listeners to be steadfast in their faith.  

Epaphras is introduced as a pastor who, despite his imprisonment, remained a fervent prayer warrior for his congregation, serving as a model for dedicated intercessory prayer. Demas, initially rejected by Paul, later became valuable in ministry, underscoring the importance of growth and forgiveness within the Christian community.  

Luke, a physician and author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, is commended for his loyalty to Paul and his faith. The sermon concludes by emphasizing the importance of unity, support, and the spreading of the Gospel, encouraging listeners to engage with social media and other platforms to share the message of Jesus Christ.  

Overall, the sermon emphasizes the importance of working together as a united Christian community, supporting one another, celebrating growth, and spreading the Gospel in various ways.  

Sermon Summary Outline – “Colossians 4 Better Together”  

Sermon Highlights:  

Counting Blessings  

Encouraging gratitude and positivity.  

Emphasizing the importance of counting one’s blessings.  

Encouraging praise and thanksgiving.  

The Role of Prayer and God’s Word in Christian Life  

Highlighting the significance of prayer.  

The importance of studying and immersing in God’s Word.  

How the Word helps understand, hear, and fellowship with God.  

The Importance of Community and Teamwork in Christianity  

The need for Christians to work together, not in isolation.  

Drawing inspiration from Jesus, who surrounded Himself with people.  

Stressing the idea that Christians should collaborate to fulfill the Great Commission.  

The Role of Mentorship and Training in Church  

Encouraging mentorship and investing in the next generation.  

Teaching others how to pray, study the Bible, and participate in church.  

Emphasizing the example set by the Apostle Paul in collective ministry.  

The Power of Gospel and the Need for its Dissemination  

The duty to share the gospel consistently and publicly.  

Recognizing Jesus as the Savior who changes lives.  

Addressing the importance of being part of the Christian community.  

Specific Individuals Mentioned:  

Tychicus  

A trusted fellow worker of Paul.  

Responsible for delivering Paul’s letters to various churches.  

Represents the role of trustworthy messengers in spreading the gospel.  

Onesimus  

A slave who ran away but became a Christian under Paul’s influence.  

Demonstrates the transformative power of the gospel.  

Encouragement to witness to siers and help them change.  

Aristarchus  

A co-laborer with Paul.  

Known for being part of a riot in Acts but remained faithful.  

Encourages believers to stand for the gospel even in difficult situations.  

Epaphras  

The pastor of the church in Colossi.  

Traveled to consult with Paul in prison.  

Prayed fervently and engaged in spiritual warfare for the church.  

 Demas  

Demas introduced as a fellow worker with Paul  

Mark’s history and acceptance by the church  

Paul’s growth and changing perspective on Mark  

Encouragement to recognize room for spiritual growth in others  

Luke  

Introduction to Luke as a physician and author of Gospel and Acts  

Luke’s close relationship with Paul and his presence at Paul’s death  

The Consequences of Abandoning Faith and the Power of Redemption  

Reflection on the significance of Luke’s presence  

Emphasis on building bonds and trust among believers  

Encouragement to radiate the love of Jesus Christ  

Conclusion: The Importance of Unity and Sharing the Gospel  

Practical suggestions for sharing the ministry online  

The significance of social media as a mission field  

Call to work together to advance God’s kingdom and counter the enemy’s agenda.  

SERMON

Colossians 4: Better Together 

Introduction and Importance of Unity in Church 

In this sermon, “Colossians 4 Better Together,” Pastor, Teacher, and Author Timothy R. Carter discusses the importance of unity, working together, and supporting one another in the context of the church and spreading the Gospel. 

It emphasizes the need for Christians to encourage each other, mentor others, and stand together in prayer and spiritual warfare. The sermon also mentions various individuals like Tychicus, Onesimus, Luke, and Demas, highlighting their roles and contributions to the ministry. 

Counting Blessings 

Sometimes, we don’t look on the brighter side of things. Sometimes, we look at the negative. Sometimes, we look at things we don’t have instead of the things we do have. When we do that, we’re not looking on the suy side, or looking on the bright side means looking to the positive, reasonable, and blessings God has given. 

When was the last time you counted your blessings? Is it even possible to rely upon all of the benefits God gives? He continues to pour out his blessings on us. So we ought to praise him. We ought to thank him, live for him, and encourage others to do the same.   

One of the ways we can encourage other people to do the same is by inviting them to church. 

We invite them to come alongside us in ministry. We can ask them to participate in what God is doing. What is God doing? God is changing things. God is providing. God is taking care of us. God is giving to us. He is revealing himself to us a little bit at a time. He reveals himself to us through creation.  

He reveals himself to us by personation into our hearts, by impressing himself in our hearts. And he provides himself to us through his word. He reveals himself through his word. So, if you want to know him more and get into his word, you will see him more clearly when you get into God’s word. When you get into his word, you can hear him more clearly. 

You can fellowship with him more clearly when you get into his word. 

## The Role of Prayer and God’s Word in Christian Life 

So, let’s go to the word today. Locate, please, Colossians chapter four. 

Prayer 

Let’s go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this opportunity to study your word. Thank you because you are so good to us. Thank you for this opportunity to look into your word. Help us to be better people. Help us live for you more clearly, to be living examples of your love and forgiveness to others. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  

Amen. 

The Importance of Community and Teamwork in Christianity 

Have you ever been alone? Have you ever been with someone? Being alone is not always fun. When you need help, have you ever worked on a project and felt it would be much easier if somebody were here to help me. This would be so much easier if I had another pair of hands. Suppose somebody else would hold the flashlight. 

Suppose somebody else would pick up that end. If somebody else would help pay the bill. This project would be much easier if I didn’t have to do it alone. The good news is that we don’t have to do it alone as Christians. We can do things together. We are better together. We can work for God better together.  

Christians are never intended to be left alone. I’m not saying it’s wrong to be alone in your house. That’s not the kind of isolation; instead, we’re not supposed to be the lone ranger. We’re not supposed to be the one-person show or the one-woman show. We’re supposed to work together to accomplish what God has for us. 

Jesus is an excellent example of this. We look to Jesus. We see that he surrounds himself with people. Jesus had people working right alongside him. Now, if anybody can handle life by themselves, it’s Jesus. If there’s anybody that doesn’t need help, it’s Jesus. But Jesus showed the example of bringing people in, showing them what to do, showing them how to do it, and then sending them out to do it. 

That’s the Great Commission. He sent them out to do what he was already doing. And we are part of that. We are fulfilling the Great Commission. We are doing the work that Jesus once did. The work that Jesus continues to do, he does through us. But we need to do it together. How many disciples were there? 

Twelve. There were twelve disciples, and each one also had disciples. And those guys were encouraged to make disciples. So we need to do the same. 

 

The Role of Mentorship and Training in Church  

We ought to be mentoring others to come alongside us. We ought to be focused on the next generation. We need to find somebody to pour ourselves into. 

We need to find somebody to receive this word. We need to train others how to pray. But how can we teach people how to pray if we’re not living a model prayer life? How can we train other people to pray if we’re not? We need to teach people how to pray. We need to train people how to study God’s Word. 

We must train people to attend church and worship in a congregational setting. We ought to teach others how to live for Jesus. We must set an example of how it should be done and invite people to accompany us. We are better together. Another example of this is the Apostle Paul. 

Did you ever notice that Paul was always concerned for the people around him? Paul was concerned about others. Paul did not do ministry in a bubble. He did ministry collectively. We look at Paul, and we think, wow, Paul’s a great man, and he was. But Paul would not have been able to accomplish all he accomplished by himself. 

Because even though he was a great man, he was just that, a man. Paul was just as much of a man as you are. Not all of you’re men. He was just as much human as you are. He was just as much human as I am. Paul needed people to come alongside him to help him accomplish the task that God had laid before him. 

Paul realized he couldn’t do it alone, so he invited others to come beside him while reading the book of Romans. I invite you to do this. Read through the book of Romans and count the people that Paul refers to in a friendly maer. There are more than 40 people in the Book of Romans that Paul refers to as fellow workers, fellow laborers, other Christians, or prayer partners. 

Paul refers to over 40 people. Who comes alongside him and helps him reach the goal God has put before him. Paul could not have done what he did by himself. So we need to work together. 

The Power of Gospel and the Need for its Dissemination 

We need to have unity right here in our church. We need to have agreement working toward a singular goal: to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everybody. 

We need to share his Gospel. We need to share his Gospel when we wake up in the morning. We need to share his Gospel when we lie down at night. We need to share his Gospel when we go out in the public. We need to share the Gospel when we answer the telephone. Everybody close to us needs to know that we believe in and stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

People who don’t know us personally but know of us need to know that we stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They need to know that we believe that Jesus Christ is a Savior. He’s a Savior who changes lives. He’s a Savior who changes lives. He changes lives. If you claim that you are a Christian and you have not changed, then you are not saved.   

You are deceived. Jesus Christ changes people. He does not leave you in your sin. We need to work together to proclaim the Gospel. People who are genuinely saved will desire to be among fellow believers. If somebody is truly saved, they will desire to be with God’s people. Imagine what they’re saying when a person claims they’re saved, but they won’t come to church, they won’t hang out with Christians, they don’t want to be around fellow believers. 

They’re saying, Jesus, I love you but hate your family. They’re saying, Jesus, I love you, but I don’t want to associate with the family that you made. I don’t want to be a part of the church you built. I don’t want to be among those people because they’re full of flaws, and I’m better than them. 

But you know what? Everybody is messed up. Everybody makes mistakes. Every single person you will ever meet has made a mistake. Everybody is messed up in some regard. We are not perfect. None of us are perfect. So we don’t have a right to sit back and say look at her or look at him. He is wrong. And if he’s a Christian, then we, I don’t want to be one, or that’s the way the church people are. 

I don’t want to be with them because of her. That’s the wrong attitude. We ought to say, Now, a person needs a change. Now, there is an opportunity for growth. When we see somebody else mess up, let’s recognize it as an opportunity for mentorship. We can come alongside them and restore them with all gentleness. 

Paul tells us, when we, those of you who are spiritual when you see someone else make a mistake, those of you who are spiritual, when you see someone else commit a sin, don’t stand in the judgment, but come alongside them. And bring them back to God, get them back. Come alongside them with all gentleness and help them see the clarity of truth. 

That’s what we ought to do. We can worship God better together. We ought to be united with one purpose, and that purpose is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at Colossians chapter 4. 

Reading Colossians 4 

Begin reading in verse one, “Masters, give your bond service what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.” 

 So he’s telling you now here, he’s specifically speaking to those who enslave people, but the slavery in the New Testament is not like the slavery was in America. The slavery in America was a result of kidnappings. 

The people in the New Testament who are enslaved they’re not enslaved because they’ve been kidnapped. They’re enslaved because they have borrowed money and have a debt to work off. Once they work off their debt, then they’re no longer enslaved. They are free. It’s like in our day, we borrow money from the bank or borrow money on a credit card. 

And then we have a debt to pay. And we’re a slave to the bank. We owe them until that final bill is paid. The enslaved person in the New Testament would have worked for the person he borrowed money from, or she borrowed money from. Then, once that debt is paid, they’re free to go. They’re not kidnapped, and they’re not owned as property in the same sense.   

When the enslaved people were here in America, slavery was seen a little bit differently. Now, in the Old Testament, slavery was more closely resembling that of what we saw in America. But here in the New Testament, what Paul is talking about, those of you who have longed for money, don’t lord it over those who owe you. 

Don’t mistreat them just because they borrowed money from you. Don’t mistreat them just because you have wealth. Because you also are subject to someone else. Who is that master that you are subject to? You are subject to Jesus. So, in other words, treat people the way Jesus treats you. How you perceive Jesus treats you is how you ought to treat others. 

But if you believe Jesus is a tyrant, then you have every right to treat them like a tyrant. But when you know that Jesus If Jesus is a person of forgiveness, then you need to treat people with forgiveness. When you know that Jesus is a person, a God who forgives, is loved, and gives of himself, you need to treat others like this.   

You need to represent Christ in every aspect of your life. Verse two, 

“Continuing earnestly in prayer, being diligent in it with thanksgiving.   

We need to pray diligently every day, giving thanks to God. Meanwhile, praying also for us that God would open a door for the word to speak the ministry of Christ, for which I am also in chains. 

“That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time. Walking wisdom to those who are out on the outside.” 

Outside of what? Outside of Christianity. Paul says we must make decisions to reflect Christ to those who don’t know him. 

We need to pray for opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We should pray for myself that I can receive that opportunity, and we should pray for one another. Paul says, pray for me. For himself, but Paul’s already dead, so we don’t need to pray for Paul.   

The principle there is to pray for your pastor, then he will have the opportunity to share the Gospel. So pray for me. This is what you can pray for. Pray for me as your pastor that I will have the opportunity to share the Gospel. Pray that the doors will be open so that I can share the Gospel, and I pray for you to have the chance to share the Gospel. 

I pray that you will realize that there are opportunities that arise, that at this moment, I can do things in the way Jesus would do them so that his light can shine through me so that his love can shine through me, that those on the outside of the Gospel, those on the outside of the church can come to know him. 

They can understand Christ clearly by your actions, by your living the life in front of them. We can do this better when we work together. Go down to verse seven.   

” Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.” 

” I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts.” 

“With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother who is with you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.”   

“Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you with Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, about whom you receive instructions. If he comes to you, welcome him.” 

“And Jesus, who is called Justice, these are my only fellow workmen for the kingdom of God who are the circumcision.” 

That means they are Jews.    They have proven to be a comfort to me.” 

“Epaphras, one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you always, laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” 

“For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those who in Hierapolis,” 

“Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.”   

“Greet the brethren in Laodicea, Nymphas, and the church in his house.” 

Hey, do you understand what Paul’s doing? Paul is coecting with other people. He’s saying, I do ministry, but I don’t do it by myself. I do it. With other people doing the church of Jesus Christ is a collective effort. 

As a church, we must work together to reach the kingdom of heaven. We ought to work together to build the empire. We need to work together to create this local congregation. It will take all of us working together to create this local congregation. It will take all of us together to build the kingdom as a whole. 

We can’t do it by ourselves. Therefore, you are not alone. You are not alone. You have other people working for the same goal. You have other people working together with you. So, put on the resources of others. Paul is saying that I trust this man. I trust him. He is a fellow worker. He is a fellow minister. 

Tychicus 

Tychicus is only mentioned five times throughout the New Testament. He is from Asia Minor. He travels with Paul on his third missionary journey. We find him in Acts chapter 20, verse 4. He is described in Ephesians 6 as a dear brother and a faithful servant. Tychicus delivered letters to the church of Ephesians. 

He delivered letters to the church of Colossi. He delivered these letters. What letters is that? The ones that we know of as Colossians and Ephesians. These books! The New Testament gospel and letters came to the faithful believers through Tychicus. So, he was the first carrier of the Gospel. 

He took it from Paul and took it to the local congregation. He read it aloud and then expounded upon it. He was the first person to preach these letters to the local communities. So, he was a minister whom Paul trusted. Can that be said of you? Can you be trusted with the Gospel? Can you be trusted with the letters Paul wrote to share and encourage other people’s hearts to carry the Gospel of Jesus? 

 We ought to be like Tychicus. We ought to be like that, a dear brother, a fellow servant of Jesus Christ. 

Onesimus

Onesimus is the man who is enslaved. We see the Book of Philemon. Onesimus is enslaved. He runs away, and in doing so means, I refuse to pay my bill. 

He runs away, and he leaves his master with a hard time because his master is depending on him to get the work done. But he took the money and himself, he ran away, so he didn’t pay his bill. And by doing so, he’s considered a runaway slave. According to the law, Philemon had a right by Old Testament and Roman law. He had the right to prosecute him. 

Once he goes to Rome he meets Paul when he runs into Paul. Paul is already arrested in Rome, so I don’t know how he met him when Paul was in prison, but they met. Paul witnesses him and, once in this, gets saved. When this gets held, Paul sees that difference in him. Paul sees that there is a change in him. 

Paul writes in Colossians. Paul writes in Philippians that this man is different than he once was. This is not the same one that his name means useful. His name means useful. Paul makes a play on words by his name and says where he was once useless to you. He has changed because of Jesus Christ making that change in him. 

 Now, he is a new creation. Now he is helpful to you and me. Paul calls him my heart. He says I wish that I could keep him with me. Because I depend on him and I love him so much. He is so valuable. I hope I can keep him with me. But I don’t want to do anything without your permission. So I am sending him back to you with this letter. 

 He was asking you to accept him as you would take me. Accept him as a fellow believer. Now, he is profitable to you. He was once useless. Now, he is beneficial to you because he is not only coming back to work off his debt but also a fellow believer who will work with you as a co-laborer in ministry. Paul testifies that this man changed from being a sier to being a Christian. 

 We need to see that happen in people’s lives. Do you know any siers? They can get saved. You can witness to them when they receive the Gospel. There will be a genuine change in them. They will change from pursuing their sin to following Jesus. They will turn away from the pursuit of the lust of this world and follow the love of Jesus Christ. 

So, witness to the siers. Let them know that Jesus Christ will change them. Let them know that Jesus makes the difference. Let them know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is as relevant today. As it was back then, Jesus is still a saving God. Jesus is still the way-maker. He is still the one who died on the cross. 

Aristarchus

Aristarchus is a fellow worker with Paul. He is an experienced minister. He is part of a riot in Acts. When Paul, when Paul preached a lot of times, a riot would break out.   

He’s part of that riot but a fellow laborer with Paul. Remember the story in Acts 19? That they come out and arrest those friends of Paul? But Paul, they can’t find Paul. Artemis was one of those that got Aristarchus. He was one of those that got arrested. But then, three hours later, the city clerk comes out, talks people down from the rioting behavior, and gets the arrested arrested set free.  

 Remember that story? This is the man. He worked along with Paul. Paul puts trust in him. So even though we don’t know much about him, we see that he’s someone that Paul depended on. He’s someone that Paul knew was a faithful believer and lover of Jesus. Can that be indeed said of you? Are you somebody who simply shows up to church?  

 Or are you somebody who will stand the test when they come out to arrest you? Will you say, yes, it was me I told about Jesus? Yes, it was me. I am the one to preach the Gospel. Yes, I know Jesus as my savior. This man was willing to go to jail because he was faithful to the Gospel. Can that be said of you? Are you ready to take that stand?  

Will you stand with Paul? Will you stand with Onesimus? Will you stand with Tychicus? Will you make that stand and say, Yes, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true? No matter what you do to me, the Gospel remains true.    

 

Epaphras 

So we see this list continues. Epaphras we meet Epaphras in the first chapter of Colossians. He is called here in chapter four. 

He is called a fellow prisoner. Do you know where Colossi is? It is about 1300 miles from Rome. We learned from the book’s opening that this man, the church’s pastor, was saved under Paul’s ministry. He went to Laodicea, to Hierapolis. However, you say that, that other town, and to Colossi. 

And there in Colossi, he built a church, he made three churches, and this one in Colossi, he is concerned about the liars coming in, the people preaching the fake Gospel, those people who are coming in saying we have a more profound spiritual movement than what you have known of, we know a more profound spiritual secret, you can’t be entirely whole, you caot become mature until you come and drink our Kool-Aid, so to speak, you caot know the more profound things of the spirit unless you go and under our secret way of doing things. 

So, he is concerned about his congregation. He goes to Rome to consult with Paul, who is in prison. And he gets arrested. He’s in jail right there with Paul. So Paul writes this letter to the Colossian church and tells them, Your pastor is with me. And he came to me because he was concerned about you. 

Paul calls him a prayer warrior. Paul even says that he was in prayer on your behalf. He wars in prayer on your behalf. Do you imagine what that is like? That’s not just a little prayer. That’s not a haphazard prayer. That’s not a prayer. That’s just a, Now lay me down to sleep. Instead, he is going into spiritual warfare on behalf of the church. 

Can you pray like this man? Are you a faithful prayer warrior who will stand in the gap for your local church? Are you a loyal prayer warrior who will join in and say, No, I will not let the devil have my loved ones? I will not allow the devil to take over my church. I will not tolerate this local church. Fall apart, but I will pray. 

I’m ready to go into battle. I will fast. I will fight. I will pray, and I will proclaim the Gospel. Whatever it takes. I’m on my knees day and night proclaiming Jesus Christ. I am praying for this local church just as the papyrus did as the pastor. He went into spiritual warfare for that local congregation. 

Let’s join in that. Let’s join together in spiritual warfare because the enemy is attacking. He is attacking God’s people. But let’s stand together in that spiritual warfare and pray against the enemy’s attacks. Let’s pray against the works of the devil. Pray against the discouragement that comes against God’s people. 

And pray for encouragement. Pray for people to come to the truth’s clarity and knowledge. 

Demas 

And pray for encouragement. Pray for people to come to the clarity and the knowledge of the truth.    Let’s join together in prayer. This man, Paul, says that he is a faithful prayer warrior. He is an inspiration to Paul. He’s a pastor of this local church. He is one that Paul trusted and depended on. Then, we find Demas. 

Demas is a fellow worker with Paul. He is working alone with Mark. He’s working with Luke. Who is Mark? Mark. Mark is the one, remember Paul said, who I gave you the instructions. That if he comes to you, you better accept him. Now, why is that? Is that because this church is a bunch of imperfect people that don’t welcome? 

 Is this the kind of church I can’t believe Mark took my seat when the visitor came in? That’s why every Sunday I come here for 25 years, I sit in that very seat, but Mark came in and he took my seat. Some people are like that in some churches, or is this church welcoming? 

 This church is welcoming. Paul isn’t giving them instruction because they don’t have a Christ-like attitude. Instead, he’s giving them the education to receive Mark because Paul once rejected Mark. Mark is the one who went with Paul on his first missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas, remember the Holy Spirit said to separate for me Paul and Barnabas because I had the work for them to do? 

Mark went along with them. They went to Crete. They did ministry when they got to Crete, and things were hard. They went to the next town. And when they got to the next city, Mark said, Nope, that’s it. I’m done. And he went back home to Jerusalem. We don’t know why, but he returned home, and Paul felt abandoned by that. 

When their missionary journey was over, and they made it back to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas decided, We’re going to go again. Let’s continue sharing this Gospel. Let’s go out and share the Gospel again. Mark wanted to join them, and Paul said, No, you can’t come. I don’t trust you. Do you guys remember that story? 

Barnabas said he’s my cousin. I want to take him with me. And Paul and Barnabas had such an intense conflict that they parted ways. Barnabas didn’t travel with Paul on the Sackett journey. But Barnabas took Mark with him. This shows that Mark was immature. But he grew in his faith. What should we learn from that here? 

We see that Paul trusts Mark and says he will come to you, and you ought to accept him as a fellow worker later in the second book of Timothy. We see that Paul, just before he’s beheaded, you guys know Paul dies in the book of Timothy. At the end of, at the end of Timothy, Paul is beheaded after writing the second book of Timothy. 

So, while Paul is facing death row, the person he asked for to help him is Mark. He says of Mark, where he first spoke to Barnabas, he can’t go because he’s useless. In 2 Timothy, he says to send Mark to me because he is useful. He is beneficial to me in ministry. When Paul was on death row, the man he wanted was the very man he had rejected. 

This shows the progression of Mark. This shows the progression of Paul. Paul grew spiritually just as Mark grew spiritually. What should we take from this? When we see people around us in the church, we need to realize that even though they’re not where I am, where you are, put yourself in the eye. Even though he’s not where I am, she doesn’t do what I do, that doesn’t mean they’re not saved. 

When we see people who are not as spiritually mature, there is room to grow, just as Mark and Paul grew. There is room for spiritual growth. So when we see people who have not yet arrived at my spiritual level, we should say, That’s room for growth, instead of saying, Ah, I don’t want anything to do with you. 

As Christians, we ought to have unity among the believers. We must unite in harmony and support, being prayer warriors for one another. We ought to watch each other grow and celebrate the growth spurts of others. We ought to celebrate when we see other people come to the knowledge of the truth. 

I have seen cases where a young person, maybe not young in age but young in faith, Has realized something about the scripture. They’re excited about it, and they start showing. Hey, look what I noticed. Look, I have this verse right here. You see what I noticed. And I’ve seen some of the older, supposedly more mature Christians say, Oh, I thought everybody knew that. 

That’s not the proper attitude. That young person has received a growth spurt. They have come to a knowledge of insight in Christ. We ought to encourage that. We ought to nurture that and say praise God, I’m glad you got to see that. I’m happy. Thank you for sharing. Tell me more. How did you come to the knowledge of that? 

How did you discover that? Tell me, what’s the backstory behind that? We should encourage one another to dig into the word, not stand in judgment and say I’ve known that for 15 years. That’s not the proper attitude. We should encourage others to study God’s word because we’re better together. 

 

Luke

 We ought to work together for God’s kingdom. As Paul points out that Mark has grown, Luke is a man who is a physician. Luke is the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Acts, the Letter of Acts. Luke wrote both of those. Luke was a man that Paul depended on heavily. Luke was a physician who worked for the Gospel. 

He was a professional doctor. He also traveled on missionary journeys with Paul. Luke was the only one with Paul at his time of death. Of all Paul’s friends, only one man was with him. And that man is Luke. Luke stayed right there with him.    

The Consequences of Abandoning Faith and the Power of Redemption 

 The Consequences of Abandoning Faith and the Power of Redemption 

 At the end of 2 Timothy, Paul says, the only one here with me is Luke. 

 That doesn’t mean the other people are backslid. But that means that Paul and Luke were close friends, and Paul depended on him heavily. We can have that kind of friendship with one another. We can have this kind of unity with one another. We can truly depend on each other for life and death situations. We can genuinely trust our brothers and sisters in Christ.   

 Let’s build a bond among us so that our very lives, our very existence as Mount Olivet Church of God, will be stamped with the impression that we are people of love, that the love of Jesus Christ radiates from this place. This is the place where the love of Jesus Christ can be known. This is the place where the love of Jesus Christ shines. 

This is where the love of Jesus Christ can be understood more fully. Let’s be a place. We can unite in love, in a bond of unity, and in prayer that we encourage one another for the kingdom of heaven. Let’s join together. Let’s not be long rangers, but work together. Again, we are better together.  

Let’s work together to reach the goal He has put before us. 

Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.  

 Heavenly Father, we praise you. Lord, we thank you because you are so good to us. Thank you for your word. Thank you. Your comment is powerful. It cuts coming, and it cuts going. Lord, help us. Help us, Lord, to be submissive to your word. Forgive me for the times that I’ve been discouraged and allowed demons to get into my thoughts and become discouraged. 

Forgive me when I have not been like these men who Paul trusted and were prayer warriors for your kingdom. Forgive me for my slack work. Help me, Lord, to be determined to push forward and do what you have called me to do. Help us each as an individual so we can turn away from our wrong ideas and draw closer to you. 

Help us unite together for your kingdom. You were pursuing your purpose for this church and the advancement of your domain. Help us, Lord, to work together. Lord, we ask you this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Conclusion: The Importance of Unity and Sharing the Gospel 

One of the ways to share the ministry is by getting on YouTube and commenting on the YouTube chael under the sermon. 

 Also, by going to the website, you can comment on the website and share the link from the page of your favorite sermon.  

Go to YouTube and share the link from YouTube. This stuff helps get the word out about the church. This type of thing allows. It makes Google happy so that Google will promote the church. 

With more activity from these platforms, Google will get the word out so that people in this community know we are here and why.  Social media is a mission field.  

Invite you to come online and spread the Gospel. Help spread this message. Make comments and share the links. If you have unchurched friends, simply share the link and say, “I think you’ll like this song.” 

Or, “Hey, check this out,” some catchy tag like that. You can share the Gospel very easily by just clicking a few buttons. Typing in one sentence saying, hey, check this out. People sometimes respond to social media faster than they will face-to-face, yet others will share who will respond face-to-face. 

We ought to work together to advance God’s kingdom. We need to take advantage of every opportunity, whether it’s in person, whether it’s in print, or by social media. We ought to do everything we can to saturate this world with the message of Jesus Christ. The enemy It’s pushing his agenda, isn’t he?