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Leaving A Legacy Of Service

February 15, 2015 Series: Spiritual Disciplines

Passage: Colossians 4:7–18

 

Background

  • The city of Colossians was destroyed by earthquake 3 years after receiving Paul's letter. There is a sense of urgency to God's message, and the work of Christians in faith and obedience. 
  • Paul has reordered his treasure; today we look at how he served

Paul's method of service

  • Alexander the Great never invested in another leader before his death at age 33
  • Paul invested actively in others
  • Confucius: disciple never greater than the teacher; Paul's teaching is different

Focus on the faithful (vs 7-9)

  • Tychicus was unexpectedly faithful. This faithful and trustworthy partner was tasked to send the letter to the Colossians.
  • In Paul's letter to Timothy, he tells young Timothy to train faithful men to teach other faithful men to carry out the work of the gospel (2 Tim 2:2)
  • Are we faithful to stay the course, trusting in God's purpose and not our own? 

Focus on the inside (vs 10-11)

  • Aristarchus & Jesus Justus were Jews like Paul 
  • Paul invested in the lives of those with backgrounds similar to his, and saw them as ministry partners. 

Focus on the outside (vs 12-13)

  • Epaphras was someone that Paul met in prison. He was not someone that Paul trained and discipled continually, yet Paul was an equal opportunity investor and invested in his life too, 
  • Paul did not limit himself to the people that he knew and invested in people whenever he saw the opportunity. This could expand the advance of the gospel. 
  • Are we keen to invest in other people? 

Focus even in those who may disappoint (vs 10, 14 and 17)

  • People who are leaving a legacy are not motivated by leaving a legacy
  • Mark (Paul and Barnabas disagreed- in the end he was the first apostle to write the Gospel), Demas and Archippus (became afraid and ran away from message of God)
  • Remember God is writing the story, not us, and trust in Him
  • The parable of the sower in Matt 13 reminds us that the sower's job was not to cause growth, but to sow indiscriminately. 

Paul concluded his letter with something he wrote with his own hand -- "Remember my chains" (v.18). He wanted them, and us, to keep advancing the gospel, even if it means suffering and punishment. What is stopping us from spreading God's Word, when even Paul does so when he is in jail. Where is our Tychicus, Justus, Epaphras, Demas?

 

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