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One of You May 5th 2002

Col 4:12-13,

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.

Introduction: Here we see a man of God among the Christians at Colossae. Here was a man who the Holy Spirit called "one of you". Epaphras: means devoted. This was a man who was like unto his brethren and he was a devoted man. I believe this man was a leader and was the pastor of the church at Colossae. He was concerned for his people and brought news to Paul in prison concerning the people of God.

Sometimes we look up to men in the Bible and feel we can never attain their level of spirituality.

James 5:17,

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

God uses these men as examples that we might attain their spirituality!

God promises that we can be overcomers!

1 John 5:4-5,

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. [5] Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

What is the future for the overcomers?

Rev. 2:17,

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 hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Rev. 3:5,

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev. 3:12,

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Rev. 3:21,

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rev. 21:7,

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Epaphras was one of us and he was an overcomer. Look, he was no different from you and I. Look where he came from:

Laodicea: A place of luke-warm, materialistic Christianity.

Hierapolis: A centre of Pagan cults.

Yet it seems from history that Epaphras started churches in these two cities. He was an overcomer. He was one of us!

How was he able to overcome and be faithful among his people?

How are we going to be able to overcome and be faithful among our people?

Let us look to our text and see what set this man apart and while we look let us be mindful that he was "one of you".

Servant: He was committed to serve the LORD. Not my will but thine be done was this man’s cry. He knew he could not serve two masters. We are used to our schedule and our priorities and we so often forget God’s program. Often serving God involves serving others and serving them above our selves. If we are to be like the LORD we must be servants. A true servant will seek out His master’s will without being told.

*ILL. Bob at Greenway. "Do I have to think of everything?!" Cf. Joseph knew what Pharaoh needed.

Saluter: He had a godly concern for the welfare of God’s people. He sent greetings. God’s people were on his mind and heart. A good way to get a burden for the brethren is to pray for them by name daily.

A pastor has a special burden for God’s people but we all need a brotherly love and concern for the people of God.

Slogger: (not a sluggard). God has no blessings for lazy servants. Do you know you can be busy but lazy. If we do not our duty but fill our time with other pursuits, we are sluggards not sloggers.

*ILL. William Carey was known as God’s plodder. Carey was a slogger for the Lord. When he arrived in India there were two mission stations preaching the gospel. At his death there were hundreds of churches planted and he had translated parts of the Bible into 40 languages.

Supplicator: Prayer Warrior

Spirited: Zealous