Worship - Sunday at 10:30AM
Bible Study - Wednesday at 6:30PM
2004-01-11 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church
STOKE THE FIRE
Colossians 4:10-18
10. Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
11. And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
12. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
13. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
"Labouring fervently" in prayer speaks of a contest, a struggle, a fight with adversaries, striving to obtain something. This explains why our prayers are often interrupted by stray thoughts, distracted by worldly pursuits, and disallowed in some public places. Prayer is warfare, sometimes I just don't feel like it, and that's my signal to labour on through anyways. Epaphras figured it out. He struggled and strived in prayer, never lifting his foot off of the enemy's neck.
14. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
15. Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
If you have a family - I should say, especially if you have a family, you have a church in your house.
16. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
17. And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
Are you hearing this one? Do what God has told you to do. Carry it out. Finish the work.
18. The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.
Recently we've studied the redemption of Onesimus, the slave who stole from his master and ran away. Last week it was the redemption of John Mark. He deserted Paul and Barnabas when the going got tough in the mission field. Years later, Paul declared that "(Mark) is profitable to me for the ministry." Mark grew from being an unreliable follower to become a useful, profitable servant. Onesimus, whose name means "profitable and useful," was an unreliable servant and thief who grew to become a faithful, beloved brother and minister to Paul. Onesimus had changed so much, and was so useful in the ministry, that Paul even wished out loud that Onesimus could stay with him in Rome instead of returning home (Philemon 13-14).
Today the story is not so happy. Today we learn of Demas. He's only mentioned in the salutations at the end of Philemon, Colossians, and 2 Timothy. In Philemon, Paul refers to Demas as a "fellowlabourer" in the same breath with Mark, Aristarchus, and Luke (Philemon v.24). Then here in Colossians, Paul refers to Demas, but Demas is the only name mentioned without a commendation beside it. Perhaps Paul saw something, because a few years later, in his last recorded words, he pleads with Timothy to come quickly, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica" (2 Timothy 4:10-11).
How did this happen to Demas? How does it happen that we go from being labourers for the Lord to turning our backs on Him?
I like how Jon Courson describes it:
Being a Christian is sort of like being the engineer on a steam locomotive. When you begin your journey of faith with Jesus, the fire in your heart is stoked by His Word. You come to church, you hear the messages, you study and fellowship with other Christians, your faith keeps growing and the wheels turn faster. Then one day, you take your eyes off the fire. Looking out the window, seeing the world passing by, you start to think, "Wow! I'm doing pretty good. I'm moving along really well. I've really come a long way from where I was a few years ago. I don't need to keep feeding this fire so much. I don't need to study in my Bible everyday. I don't need to pray for others all the time. It would be alright if I missed church sometimes. After all, just look at how well I'm moving down the tracks."
What happens when I stop feeding the fire on a regular basis? At first it's hard to tell, almost imperceptable, but the engine starts to slow down. I keep moving down the tracks for awhile, and everything seems fine, but little by little the engine is going slower and slower, until one day the train finally stops dead in its tracks. The momentum from the early days may carry me for a long time, but if the fire isn't fed continually, the train stops.
Demas looked out the window. Demas took his eyes off the fire.
How do we stop this from happening? How do we continue to grow, creating lives that stand out, living in holiness? Holy means other, different, set apart, not glorying in our accomplishments, not concerned with earthly rewards. It means having no external motivation in working, in labouring for God. It means that all our motivation must be internal to the glorification of Jesus Christ, and no one else.
Revelation 2:1-7
1. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Colossians 3:1-3
1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek (present tense imperative command) those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2. Set (present tense imperative command) your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
May our words be seasoned with salt, our prayers be continual, and our lives be made complete in Jesus.